System and method for displaying color reproduction status on a job scheduling screen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9753678-B1
Application number	US-201615280162-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 29, 2016
Priority date	Sep 29, 2016
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A method, job management apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed for a job management apparatus, the job management apparatus managing a print job for at least one printer, wherein the code computer readable code configured to cause the job management apparatus to display a job scheduling screen. The process includes (a) obtaining first information on a job to be executed by the at least one printer; (b) obtaining second information on color reproduction state of the at least one printer; and (c) generating the job scheduling screen, wherein the job scheduling screen is a two dimensional chart in which a first axis indicates an execution length of time for the job or a number of sheets of paper to be used for the job, and in which a part of a second axis of the two dimensional chart indicates the color reproduction state of the at least one printer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product comprising a computer usable non-transitory medium having a computer readable program code embedded therein for a job management apparatus, the job management apparatus managing a print job for at least one printer, wherein the code computer readable code configured to cause the job management apparatus to display a job scheduling screen, the process comprising:
obtaining first information on a job to be executed by the at least one printer;
obtaining second information on color reproduction state of the at least one printer;
generating the job scheduling screen, wherein the job scheduling screen is a two dimensional chart in which a first axis indicates an execution length of time for the job or a number of sheets of paper to be used for the job, and in which a part of a second axis of the two dimensional chart indicates the color reproduction state of the at least one printer; and
illustrating a color validation bar and a color calibration bar on the second axis, the color validation bar and the color calibration bar illustrating a time for performing a color validation process and a color calibration process on the at least one printer, respectively.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , comprising:
illustrating the color reproduction state of the at least one printer on the second axis in a form of a line extending along the first axis.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 , comprising:
providing an over criteria indicator for a region in which the color reproduction state exceeds the criteria line.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , comprising
illustrating a difference of the color reproduction state between at least two printers on the second axis.

5. The computer program product of claim 4 , wherein the difference of color reproduction state between the at least two printers on the second axis being an average of color difference of color patches between each of the at least two printers.

6. The computer program produce of claim 4 , comprising:
selecting an area corresponding to a printer of the at least two printers, and illustrating only the difference of the color reproduction state between the printer and each of the at least two printers.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 , comprising:
illustrating the color reproduction state for each print media within the at least one printer on the second axis in a form of a line which extends along the first axis.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 , comprising:
illustrating each tray of the at least one printer separately on the second axis, the each tray includes a job bar that illustrates a job history or planned job corresponding to the tray.

9. The computer program product of claim 1 , comprising:
illustrating each print media stored in at least one printer separately on the second axis, the each print media includes a job bar that illustrates a job history or planned job corresponding to the print media.

10. The computer program product of claim 1 , comprising:
adding a validation process or calibration process to a print job by placing a cursor along the first axis in a color validation cell or a color calibration cell, and instructing the at least one printer to perform the validation process or the calibration process at a time or a paper count for the print job; or
canceling a scheduled color validation by placing the cursor in the color validation bar and instructing the at least one printer to cancel the scheduled color validation; or
changing a print media for the scheduled color calibration by placing the cursor in the color calibration bar and selecting a tray from a list of trays to be used for the color calibration.

11. The computer program product of claim 1 , comprising:
changing a timing of a validation process or a calibration process for a print job by placing a cursor in the color calibration cell and instructing the at least one printer to perform the validation process or the calibration process at a time or a paper count for the print job; or
canceling a scheduled color validation by placing the cursor in a color validation bar and instructing the at least one printer to cancel the scheduled color validation.

12. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the first information on the job comprises:
a size of a print media, attributes of the print media, and/or a weight of the print media.

13. A method for generating a job scheduling screen on a job management apparatus, the job management apparatus managing a print job for at least one printer, the method comprising:
obtaining first information on a job to be executed by the at least one printer;
obtaining second information on color reproduction state of the at least one printer;
generating the job scheduling screen, wherein the job scheduling screen is a two dimensional chart in which a first axis indicates an execution length of time for the job or a number of sheets of paper to be used for the job, and in which a part of a second axis of the two dimensional chart indicates the color reproduction state of the at least one printer; and
illustrating a color validation bar and a color calibration bar on the second axis, the color validation bar and the color calibration bar illustrating a time for performing a color validation process and a color calibration process on the at least one printer, respectively.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
illustrating the color reproduction state of the at least one printer on the second axis in a form of a line extending along the first axis; and
providing an over criteria indicator for a region in which the color reproduction state exceeds the criteria line.

15. The method of claim 13 , comprising
illustrating a difference of the color reproduction state between at least two printers on the second axis, and wherein the difference of color reproduction state between the at least two printers on the second axis being an average of color difference of color patches between each of the at least two printers; and
selecting an area corresponding to a printer of the at least two printers, and illustrating only the difference of the color reproduction state between the printer and each of the at least two printers.

16. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
illustrating the color reproduction state for each print media within the at least one printer on the second axis in a form of a line which extends along the first axis; and/or
illustrating each tray of the at least one printer separately on the second axis, the each tray includes a job bar that illustrates a job history or planned job corresponding to the tray.

17. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
illustrating each print media stored in at least one printer separately on the second axis, the each print media includes a job bar that illustrates a job history or planned job corresponding to the print media;
adding a validation process or calibration process to a print job by placing a cursor along the first axis in a color validation cell or a color calibration cell, and instructing the at least one printer to perform the validation process or the calibration process at a time or a paper count for the print job;
canceling a scheduled color validation by placing the cursor in the color validation bar and instructing the at least one printer to cancel the scheduled color validation;
changing a print media for the scheduled color calibration by placing the cursor in the color calibration bar and selecting a tray from a lis

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Laboratory Usa Inc

Inventors

• Yoshida Hidetaka

Classifications

• G06F3/1217 Primary

  achieving reduced idle time at the output device or increased asset utilization · CPC title

• G06F3/126

  Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device · CPC title

• G06F3/1229

  Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels · CPC title

• H04N1/00477

  Indicating status, e.g. of a job (for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N2201/3219) · CPC title

• H04N2201/0094

  Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception · CPC title