System and method for improved print job scheduling

• US 20080144081A1
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Morales, Javier A., Farrell, Michael E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,102,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5083 for scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00126 Multi-job machines

Abstract

There is provided a system for scheduling two or more print job suites for shipment to two or more different physical destinations. The system includes a print job processing estimator for estimating a time required to process a first one of the two or more print job suites. The system further includes a print job production manager which uses the time estimated by the print job processing estimator to cause the first one of the two or more print job suites to be processed for shipment before a second one of the print job suites is processed for shipment.

Claims

1. A system for scheduling two or more print job suites for shipment to:

two or more different physical destinations, the two or more print job suites including a first print job suite with one or more print job documents and a second print job suite with one or more print job documents, the first print job suite being intended for shipment to a first one of the two or more different physical destinations, and the second print job suite being intended for shipment to a second one of the two or more different physical destinations, comprising;

(A) a print job processing estimator for estimating a time required to process the one or more print job documents of the first print job suite; and

(B) a production manager communicating with said print job processing estimator, said production manager using said time estimated by said print job processing estimator for causing processing of the one or more print job documents of the first print job suite to occur prior to processing of the one or more print job documents of the second print job suite, wherein the processed first print job suite is ready for shipment to the first one of the two or more different physical destinations before the processed second print job suite is ready for shipment to the second one of the two or more different physical destinations.

2. The system of claim 1, in which at least one of the one or more print job documents of the first print job suite comprises a first group of one or more print job components and at least one of the one or more print job documents of the second print job suite comprises a second group of one or more print job components, wherein said production manager schedules processing of the first group of one or more print job components and the second group of one or more print job components so that processing of at least some of the first group of one or more print job components starts prior to the processing of the second group of one or more print job components.

3. The system of claim 1, in which the first print job suite comprises a first print job document and a second print job document, and in which the first and second print job documents correspond respectively with a first print job completion time and a second print job completion time, wherein said print job processing estimator estimates each of the of the first and second print job completion times.

4. The system of claim 3, in which it is determined that the first print job completion time is greater than the second print job completion time, wherein the first and second print job documents are scheduled in such a way as to cause processing of the first print job document to start prior to the processing of the second print job document.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said production manager schedules processing of the first and second print job documents in such a way as to cause processing of the first and second print job documents to end substantially coincidentally.

6. The system of claim 1, in which the first print job suite comprises a first quantity of print job sets and a second quantity of print job sets, wherein said print job processing estimator includes performing said estimating with the first and second quantities, and wherein said production manager causes said scheduling to be performed with the first and second quantities.

7. The system of claim 6, in which at least partial processing of the first and second quantities of print job sets occurs, wherein said production manager tracks said at least partial processing to determine an extent to which the first and second quantities of print job sets are obtainable.

8. The system of claim 7, in which one of the first and second quantities of print job sets corresponds with a print job component quantity, wherein said production manager causes said print job component quantity to be adjusted when one or both of the first and second quantities of print job sets are not obtainable.

9. A system for scheduling two or more print job suites for shipment to two or more different physical destinations, the two or more print job suites including a first print job suite with one or more print job documents and a second print job suite with one or more print job documents, the first print job suite being intended for shipment to a first one of the two or more different physical destinations, and the second print job suite being intended for shipment to a second one of the two or more different physical destinations, comprising:

(A) a print job estimator for estimating (1) a time required to process the one or more print job documents of the first print job suite; and

(2) a time required to process the one or more print job documents of the second print job suite;

(B) a production manager;

(C) wherein, when a first selected condition is met, said production manager uses said time estimated in said (A)(1) for causing processing of the one or more print job documents of the first print job suite prior to processing of the one or more print job documents of the second print job suite, wherein the processed first print job suite is ready for shipment to the first one of the two or more different physical destinations before the processed second print job suite is ready for shipment to the second one of the two or more different physical destinations; and

(D) wherein, when a second selected condition is met, said production manager uses said time estimated in said (A)(2) for causing processing of the one or more print job documents of the second print job suite to occur prior to processing of the one or more print job documents of the first print job suite, wherein the processed second print job suite is ready for shipment to the second one of the two or more different physical destinations before the processed first print job suite is ready for shipment to the first one of the two or more different physical destinations.

10. The system of claim 9, in which a shipment priority can be assigned to one or both of the first and second print job suites, wherein the first selected condition is met by either (1) providing the first print job suite with a shipment priority that is at least as great as the second print job suite, or (2) failing to provide either the first print job suite or the second print job suite with a shipment priority.

11. The system of claim 9, in which a shipment priority can be assigned to one or both of the first and second print job suites, wherein the second selected condition is met by providing the second print job suite with a shipment priority that is greater than the first print job suite.

12. The system of claim 9, in which the first print job suite corresponds with a first print job due time and the second print job suite corresponds with a second print job due time, wherein the first selected condition is met when the first print job due time is less than the second print job due time.

13. The system of claim 9, in which the first print job suite corresponds with a first print job due time and the second print job suite corresponds with a second print job due time, wherein the second selected condition is met when the second print job due time is less than the first print job due time.

14. A method of scheduling two or more print job suites for shipment to two or more different physical destinations, the two or more print job suites including a first print job suite with one or more print job documents and a second print job suite with one or more print job documents, the first print job suite being intended for shipment to a first one of the two or more different physical destinations, and the second print job suite being intended for shipment to a second one of the two or more different physical destinations, comprising:

(A) estimating a time required to process the one or more print job documents of the first print job suite; and

(B) scheduling processing of the first and second print job suites, with said time estimated in said (A), for causing processing of the one or more print job documents of the first print job suite to occur prior to processing of the one or more print job documents of the second print job suite, wherein the processed first print job suite is ready for shipment to the first one of the two or more different physical destinations before the processed second print job suite is ready for shipment to the second one of the two or more different physical destinations.

15. The method of claim 14, in which at least one of the one or more print job documents of the first print job suite comprises a first group of one or more print job components and at least one of the one or more print job documents of the second print job suite comprises a second group of one or more print job components, wherein said (B) includes scheduling processing of the first group of one or more print job components and the second group of one or more print job components so that processing of at least some of the first group of one or more print job components starts prior to the processing of the second group of one or more print job components.

16. The method of claim 14, in which the first print job suite comprises a first print job document and a second print job document, and in which the first and second print job documents correspond respectively with a first print job completion time and a second print job completion time, wherein said (A) includes estimating each of the of the first and second print job completion times.

17. The method of claim 16, in which it is determined that the first print job completion time is greater than the second print job completion time, wherein said (B) includes scheduling the first and second print job documents for causing processing of the first print job document to start prior to the processing of the second print job document.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said (B) includes scheduling the first and second print job documents for causing processing of the first and second print job documents to end substantially coincidentally.

19. The method of claim 14, in which the first print job suite comprises a first quantity of print job sets and a second quantity of print job sets, wherein said (A) includes performing said estimating with the first and second quantities, and wherein said (B) includes performing said scheduling with the first and second quantities.

20. The method of claim 19, in which at least partial processing of the first and second quantities of print job sets occurs, further comprising:

(C) tracking said at least partial processing to determine an extent to which the first and second quantities of print job sets are obtainable.

21. The method of claim 20, in which one of the first and second quantities of print job sets corresponds with a print job component quantity, further comprising:

(D) responsive to (C), adjusting said print job component quantity when one or both of the first and second quantities of print job sets are not obtainable.

22. A method of scheduling two or more print job suites for shipment to two or more different physical destinations, the two or more print job suites including a first print job suite with one or more print job documents and a second print job suite with one or more print job documents, the first print job suite being intended for shipment to a first one of the two or more different physical destinations, and the second print job suite being intended for shipment to a second one of the two or more different physical destinations, comprising:

(A) estimating a time required to process the one or more print job documents of the first print job suite;

(B) estimating a time required to process the one or more print job documents of the second print job suite;

(C) when a first selected condition is met, scheduling processing of the first and second print job suites, with said time estimated in said (A), for causing processing of the one or more print job documents of the first print job suite to occur prior to processing of the one or more print job documents of the second print job suite, wherein the processed first print job suite is ready for shipment to the first one of the two or more different physical destinations before the processed second print job suite is ready for shipment to the second one of the two or more different physical destinations; and

(D) when a second selected condition is met, scheduling processing of the first and second print job suites, with said time estimated in said (B), for causing processing of the one or more print job documents of the second print job suite to occur prior to processing of the one or more print job documents of the first print job suite, wherein the processed second print job suite is ready for shipment to the second one of the two or more different physical destinations before the processed first print job suite is ready for shipment to the first one of the two or more different physical destinations.

23. The method of claim 22, in which a shipment priority can be assigned to one or both of the first and second print job suites, further comprising causing the first selected condition to be met by either (1) providing the first print job suite with a shipment priority that is at least as great as the second print job suite, or (2) failing to provide either the first print job suite or the second print job suite with a shipment priority.

24. The method of claim 22, in which a shipment priority can be assigned to one or both of the first and second print job suites, further comprising causing the second selected condition to be met by providing the second print job suite with a shipment priority that is greater than the first print job suite.

25. The method of claim 22, in which the first print job suite corresponds with a first print job due time and the second print job suite corresponds with a second print job due time, further comprising causing the first selected condition to be met when the first print job due time is less than the second print job due time.

26. The method of claim 22, in which the first print job suite corresponds with a first print job due time and the second print job suite corresponds with a second print job due time, further comprising causing the second selected condition to be met when the second print job due time is less than the first print job due time.