Processing print jobs with a single sheet job model

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10241732-B2
Application number	US-201615251276-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2016
Priority date	Aug 30, 2016
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

System and methods for processing and printing print jobs with a single sheet job model job model. In one embodiment, a print controller includes an interface that receives a print job, and a processing unit that initiates a processing task for a group of pages in the print job. The print controller also includes a sheet controller that establishes a single sheet job model in memory for the processing task, and that iteratively inserts sheet properties of a set of pages of the group into the single sheet job model, provides the single sheet job model with the sheet properties to the processing task, and erases the sheet properties from the single sheet job model.

First claim

We claim:

1. A print controller of a print system, the print controller comprising:
an interface configured to receive a print job including a plurality of pages;
a processing unit configured to request sheet properties for a group of pages among the plurality of pages in the print job for performing a processing task on the group of pages, wherein the sheet properties are print properties for individual sheets; and
a sheet controller configured to receive the request from the processing unit, and to establish a single sheet job model in memory for the request, wherein the single sheet job model defines a unit of the memory designated to repeatedly refresh sheet property content of a predetermined number of pages;
the sheet controller further configured to provide the sheet properties of the group of pages to the processing unit to fulfill the request by iteratively:
retrieving sheet properties of a number of pages of the group based on the predetermined number of pages of the single sheet job model;
inserting the sheet properties of the number of pages of the group into the single sheet job model;
providing contents of the single sheet job model to the processing unit to supply the sheet properties of the number of pages to the processing task; and
erasing the sheet properties of the number of pages from the single sheet job model.

2. The print controller of claim 1 wherein:
the single sheet job model includes a job property portion that includes job properties of the group and a sheet property portion that includes the sheet properties; and
the sheet controller is configured to fulfill the request of the processing unit by iteratively: inserting the sheet properties of the number of pages into the sheet property portion of the single sheet job model, providing the sheet properties of the number of pages stored in the single sheet job model to the processing task, erasing the sheet properties of the number of pages from the sheet property portion of the single sheet job model, and maintaining the job properties of the print job in the job property portion of the single sheet job model during processing of the group of pages for the processing task.

3. The print controller of claim 2 wherein:
the processing unit is a preflight unit configured to process the print job for the job properties; and
the sheet controller is configured to insert the job properties obtained from the preflight unit into the job property portion of the single sheet job model, and to maintain the job property portion as a constant in the single sheet job model during processing of another group of pages for another task performed by one of a preview unit, an editing unit, or a Raster Image Processing (RIP) system.

4. The print controller of claim 2 wherein:
the sheet controller is configured to insert the sheet properties of the number of pages according to an N-up configuration of the group of pages, wherein N is greater than one; and
the single sheet job model in the memory represents sheet properties of all of the pages in the request for processing the group of pages for the processing task.

5. The print controller of claim 1 wherein:
the print controller is configured to determine that the print job is a redrive print job, and to create a multi-sheet job model for processing the print jobs instead of the single sheet job model, wherein the multi-sheet job model includes page offsets for reprocessing of the print job.

6. The print controller of claim 1 wherein:
the print controller is configured to determine that the print job is a multiple copy type print job, and to create a multi-sheet job model for processing the multiple copy type print job instead of the single sheet job model.

7. The print controller of claim 1 further comprising:
multiple processing units configured to initiate processing tasks for the print job;
wherein each of the multiple processing units includes its own sheet controller configured to perform processing tasks using the single sheet job models.

8. A method comprising:
receiving a print job that includes a plurality of pages;
receiving a request for sheet properties of a group of pages among the plurality of pages in the print job for a processing task by a processing unit, wherein the sheet properties are print properties for individual sheets;
establishing a single sheet job model in memory for the request, wherein the single sheet job model defines a unit of the memory designated to repeatedly refresh sheet property content of a predetermined number of pages; and
providing sheet properties of the group of pages to the processing unit to fulfill the request by iteratively:
retrieving sheet properties of a number of pages of the group based on the predetermined number of pages of the single sheet job model;
inserting the sheet properties of the number of pages of the group into the single sheet job model;
providing contents of the single sheet job model to the processing unit to supply the sheet properties of the number of pages to the processing task; and
erasing the sheet properties of the number of pages from the single sheet job model.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein:
the single sheet job model includes a job property portion that includes job properties of the group and a sheet property portion that includes the sheet properties; and
the method further comprises fulfilling the request of the processing unit by iteratively:
inserting the sheet properties of the number of pages into a sheet property portion of the single sheet job model;
providing the sheet properties of the number of pages stored in the single sheet job model to the processing task;
erasing the sheet properties of the number of pages from the sheet property portion of the single sheet job model; and
maintaining the job properties of the print job in the job property portion of the single sheet job model during processing of the group of pages for the processing task.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
processing the print job for the job properties with a preflight unit;
inserting the job properties obtained from the preflight unit into the job property portion of the single sheet job model; and
maintaining the job property portion as a constant in the single sheet job model during processing of another group of pages for another task by one of a preview unit, an editing unit, or a Raster Image Processing (RIP) system.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
inserting the sheet properties of the number of pages according to an N-up configuration of the group of pages, wherein N is greater than one, wherein the single sheet job model in the memory represents sheet properties of all of the pages in the request for processing the group of pages for the processing task.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
determining that the print job is a redrive print job; and
creating a multi-sheet job model for processing the print jobs instead of the single sheet job model, wherein the multi-sheet job model includes page offsets for reprocessing of the print job.

13. The method of claim 8 comprising:
determining that the print job is a multiple copy type print job; and
creating a multi-sheet job model for processing the multiple copy type print job instead of the single sheet job model.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying programmed instructions, which, when executed by a processor, are operable for performing a method comprising:
receiving a print job that includes a plurality of pages;
receiving a request for sheet properties of a group of pages among

Assignees

• Eng Katie Ashley
• Ward David
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Eng Katie Ashley
• Ward David

Classifications

• G06K15/1827

  Accessing generic data, e.g. fonts · CPC title

• G06F3/1206

  resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type · CPC title

• G06F3/122 Primary

  with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU · CPC title

• G06F3/1282

  High volume printer device · CPC title

• G06K15/1868

  for fitting to an output condition, e.g. paper colour or format · CPC title