Print operations comprising user specified printing tasks and cleaning operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021286293-A1
Application number	US-201616332442-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 6, 2016
Priority date	Oct 6, 2016
Publication date	Sep 16, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

In an example, a method includes receiving, by at least one processor, an instruction to print a user specified printing task to at least one media sheet. Print operation instructions may be determined. Such print operation instructions may comprise instructions to control a print apparatus to print user specified printing print apparatus to print the user specified printing task and instructions to control a print apparatus to carry out at least one cleaning operation, wherein the cleaning operation comprises duplex printing a print media sheet.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
receiving, by at least one processor, an instruction to print a user specified printing task to at least one media sheet; and determining, by the processor, print operation instructions, the print operation instructions comprising instructions to control a print apparatus to print the user specified printing task and instructions to control a print apparatus to carry out at least one cleaning operation, wherein the cleaning operation comprises duplex printing a print media sheet.

2 . A method according to claim 1 further comprising:
printing a plurality of media sheets according to the print operation instructions.

3 . A method according to claim 1 in which determining the print operation instructions comprises determining instructions to print a first and second side of a media sheet in a sequence in a cleaning operation which is not interrupted with printing a media sheet of the user specified printing task.

4 . A method according to claim 1 wherein determining the print operation instructions comprises:
determining instructions to control the print apparatus to print the user specified printing task wherein a print parameter has a first value for printing the user specified printing task; and
determining instructions to carry out at least one cleaning operation, wherein the print parameter has a second value for carrying out the cleaning operation, and wherein the second value is different to the first value.

5 . A method according to claim 4 wherein the print parameter comprises at least one of a transfer force, a voltage, a temperature and a destination of a media sheet.

6 . A method according to claim 1 wherein:
determining the print operation instructions comprises determining instructions to control the print apparatus to print the user specified printing task to a media sheet of a first type; and
determining the print operation instructions comprises determining instructions to carry out at least one cleaning operation by duplex printing to a media sheet of a second type, wherein the second type is different to the first type.

7 . A method according to claim 1 wherein determining the print operation instructions comprises determining instructions to print to a first region of a first side of a print media sheet in a cleaning operation and instructions to print to a second region of a second side of the print media sheet in a cleaning operation, wherein first region and the second region are of different sizes.

8 . A method according to claim 1 wherein determining the print operation instructions comprises an instruction to include an idle cycle if the number of print apparatus cycles would otherwise be odd.

9 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the instructions to carry out at least one cleaning operation comprise instructions to print a solid block of color.

10 . Print apparatus comprising:
a pattern receiving surface to receive a pattern of print agent according to print instructions, and to transfer the pattern of print agent to a print media sheet; and processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is to: receive an instruction to print a user specified printing task to at least one media sheet; control the print apparatus to carry out a print operation comprising the user specified print task; and schedule, within the print operation, a cleaning operation, wherein the cleaning operation comprises duplex printing at least one print media sheet.

11 . Print apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the processing circuitry is to schedule a cleaning task operation such that cleaning operation prints are interleaved with other cleaning prints and not with non-cleaning prints.

12 . Print apparatus according to claim 10 comprising an electrostatic imaging cylinder to receive print agent to form the pattern of print agent and to transfer the pattern to the pattern receiving surface.

13 . Print apparatus according to claim 12 comprising a first print agent source and a second print agent source and in which the electrostatic imaging cylinder comprises a first semicylinder and a second semicylinder, wherein each semicylinder is to receive print agent from one of the first and second print agent source, and wherein the processing circuitry is to control the print operation such that, for the print operation, the first semicylinder receives print agent from the first print agent source and the second semicylinder receives print agent from the second print agent source.

14 . A machine readable media comprising instructions which, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to determine a print scheduling for a received print job, the print scheduling comprising the received print job and a duplex media sheet cleaning print operation and being determined such that cleaning print operations are interleaved with other cleaning print operations and not with print operations of the received print job.

15 . A machine readable media according to claim 14 further comprising instructions which, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to determine a print scheduling such that:
a duplex media sheet cleaning print operation comprises an idle period if the number of print apparatus cycles would otherwise be odd; and/or
idle periods associated with duplex printing are minimised using page pairing, given that cleaning print operations are not interleaved with print operations of the received print job.

Assignees

• Hp Indigo Bv

Inventors

• Portnoy Vitaly
• Assenheimer Michael
• Nachmias Yoav

Classifications

• G03G21/00 Primary

  Arrangements not provided for by groups G03G13/00 - G03G19/00, e.g. cleaning, elimination of residual charge · CPC title

• G03G15/23

  specially adapted for copying both sides of an original or for copying on both sides of a recording or image-receiving material · CPC title

• G03G15/2025

  with special means for lubricating and/or cleaning the fixing unit, e.g. applying offset preventing fluid · CPC title

• G03G2215/00531

  transported through the apparatus for non-imaging purposes, e.g. cleaning · CPC title

• G03G15/11 Primary

  Removing excess liquid developer, e.g. by heat · CPC title