Creating and manufacturing documents that initially exceed equipment finishing capacity

• US 20080172302A1
• Filed: 01/12/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Knodt, Kurt
• Granted Patent: US 8,004,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 19/00 Multi-step processes for making books
• CPC Class Codes: B42P 2261/04 Producing books by printing sheets in following order, e.g. for ordering via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00282 Book
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization

Abstract

Techniques described herein overcome many of the issues that have previously made the printing of a single copy of a book from a digital version unattractive and infeasible. According to one embodiment of the invention, an automated mechanism such as a computer program automatically determines whether the spine thickness of a to-be-printed copy of a digital version of a book will exceed the specified maximum spine thickness that a specified binding or other finishing device can handle. In response to determining that the spine thickness will exceed the specified maximum spine thickness, the automated mechanism automatically splits the digital version of the book into two or more volumes such that, for each volume, the spine thickness of the printed version of that volume will be no greater than the specified maximum spine thickness that the specified binding or other finishing device can handle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for splitting a digital version of a document into multiple volumes, the method comprising:

determining a limitation of a specified finishing device, wherein the limitation of the finishing device prevents the finishing device from being able to finish a printed version of the entire document; and

based at least in part on the limitation of the specified finishing device, splitting the digital version of the document into multiple volumes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein splitting the document into multiple volumes comprises splitting the digital version into multiple volumes, each of which the specified finishing device is capable of finishing despite the limitation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the limitation of the specified finishing device comprises determining a maximum capacity of a binding device, and wherein splitting the digital version of the document comprises splitting a digital version of a book into at least (a) a first set of pages that does not exceed the capacity and (b) a second set of pages that does not exceed the capacity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the limitation of the specified finishing device comprises determining a maximum thickness of a stack of sheets that a binding device can bind together into a single bound volume, and wherein splitting the digital version of the document comprises splitting a digital version of a book into at least (a) a first set of pages printable on a first stack of sheets having a combined thickness that is no greater than the maximum thickness and (b) a second set of pages printable on a second stack of sheets having a combined thickness that is no greater than the maximum thickness.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, for each volume of the multiple volumes, an indication of a volume number of said volume, and placing said volume number on a cover of said volume.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for each volume of the multiple volumes, compressing text to fit on a spine portion of said volume, wherein each spine portion of each volume is thinner than a spine portion of a bound version of said document would be if said document were printed and bound.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, for two or more volumes of the multiple volumes, one or more covers that are visually distinct from at least one cover generated for at least one volume of the multiple volumes.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, for each volume of the multiple volumes, based on an estimated thickness of a printed version of said volume, a size of a cover sheet for said volume, and generating, for said volume, a cover sheet that is sized based on said size.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein splitting the digital version of the document into multiple volumes comprises splitting the digital version of the document based at least in part on chapter boundaries indicated in the digital version of the document.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein splitting the digital version of the document into multiple volumes comprises splitting the digital version of the document based at least in part on shipping considerations.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein splitting the digital version of the document into multiple volumes comprises splitting the digital version of the document based at least in part on split locations in the document.

12. A computer-implemented method for preparing a digital version of a document for printing, the method comprising:

determining a limitation of a finishing device, wherein the limitation prevents the finishing device from being able to finish a printed version of the entire document; and

based at least in part on the limitation, adjusting one or more attributes of the digital version of the document to form an adjusted digital version of the document;

wherein the adjusted digital version of the document, when printed, does not exceed the limitation.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the limitation comprises determining a maximum thickness of a stack of sheets that a binding device can bind together into a single bound volume, and wherein adjusting the one or more attributes comprises at least one of:

(a) adjusting a paper type on which the document is to be printed, (b) adjusting a sheet size of sheets on which the document is to be printed, (c) adjusting a font size of text contained in the document, (d) adjusting a font type of text contained in the document, (e) adjusting a margin size of pages in the document, and (f) adjusting a line spacing of text contained in the document.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining an estimated thickness of a printed copy of the document; and

based at least in part on the estimated thickness, selecting, from among a plurality of finishing devices, a particular finishing device that is capable of finishing the printed copy of the document.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

prior to printing the document, displaying, to a user, a visual indication of how a printed copy of the document will appear if printed from the adjusted digital version of the document.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

prior to printing the document, displaying, to a user, two or more options that include (1) printing the document from the adjusted digital version of the document and (2) printing the document as two or more separate volumes.

17. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for splitting a digital version of a document into multiple volumes, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

determining a limitation of a specified finishing device, wherein the limitation of the finishing device prevents the finishing device from being able to finish a printed version of the entire document; and

based at least in part on the limitation of the specified finishing device, splitting the digital version of the document into multiple volumes.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein splitting the document into multiple volumes comprises splitting the digital version into multiple volumes, each of which the specified finishing device is capable of finishing despite the limitation.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein determining the limitation of the specified finishing device comprises determining a maximum capacity of a binding device, and wherein splitting the digital version of the document comprises splitting a digital version of a book into at least (a) a first set of pages that does not exceed the capacity and (b) a second set of pages that does not exceed the capacity.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein determining the limitation of the specified finishing device comprises determining a maximum thickness of a stack of sheets that a binding device can bind together into a single bound volume, and wherein splitting the digital version of the document comprises splitting a digital version of a book into at least (a) a first set of pages printable on a first stack of sheets having a combined thickness that is no greater than the maximum thickness and (b) a second set of pages printable on a second stack of sheets having a combined thickness that is no greater than the maximum thickness.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

generating, for each volume of the multiple volumes, an indication of a volume number of said volume, and placing said volume number on a cover of said volume.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

for each volume of the multiple volumes, compressing text to fit on a spine portion of said volume, wherein each spine portion of each volume is thinner than a spine portion of a bound version of said document would be if said document were printed and bound.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

generating, for two or more volumes of the multiple volumes, one or more covers that are visually distinct from at least one cover generated for at least one volume of the multiple volumes.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

determining, for each volume of the multiple volumes, based on an estimated thickness of a printed version of said volume, a size of a cover sheet for said volume, and generating, for said volume, a cover sheet that is sized based on said size.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein splitting the digital version of the document into multiple volumes comprises splitting the digital version of the document based at least in part on chapter boundaries indicated in the digital version of the document.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein splitting the digital version of the document into multiple volumes comprises splitting the digital version of the document based at least in part on shipping considerations.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein splitting the digital version of the document into multiple volumes comprises splitting the digital version of the document based at least in part on split locations in the document.

28. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for preparing a digital version of a document for printing, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

determining a limitation of a finishing device, wherein the limitation prevents the finishing device from being able to finish a printed version of the entire document; and

based at least in part on the limitation, adjusting one or more attributes of the digital version of the document to form an adjusted digital version of the document;

wherein the adjusted digital version of the document, when printed, does not exceed the limitation.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein determining the limitation comprises determining a maximum thickness of a stack of sheets that a binding device can bind together into a single bound volume, and wherein adjusting the one or more attributes comprises at least one of:

(a) adjusting a paper type on which the document is to be printed, (b) adjusting a sheet size of sheets on which the document is to be printed, (c) adjusting a font size of text contained in the document, (d) adjusting a font type of text contained in the document, (e) adjusting a margin size of pages in the document, and (f) adjusting a line spacing of text contained in the document.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

determining an estimated thickness of a printed copy of the document; and

based at least in part on the estimated thickness, selecting, from among a plurality of finishing devices, a particular finishing device that is capable of finishing the printed copy of the document.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

prior to printing the document, displaying, to a user, a visual indication of how a printed copy of the document will appear if printed from the adjusted digital version of the document.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

prior to printing the document, displaying, to a user, two or more options that include (1) printing the document from the adjusted digital version of the document and (2) printing the document as two or more separate volumes.

33. A method for ordering a book, the method comprising:

receiving, over a network, a request that identifies a book;

in response to receiving the request, sending, over the network, a set of two or more different options for ordering the book;

receiving, over the network, a user'"'"'s selection of a particular option of the two or more options; and

in response to receiving the user'"'"'s selection of the particular option, satisfying an order of the book in accordance with the particular option;

wherein the two or more different options include at least one option for ordering the book as a single volume and at least one option for ordering the book as a multiple volume set.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

in response to receiving the user'"'"'s selection of the particular option, manufacturing the book in accordance with the particular option.