摘要:
A method implemented in a print job management apparatus for processing print jobs in a multiple-printer print shop environment is described. Each print job specifies job ticket parameters representing printing requirements. Each received job is processed by comparing the printing requirements of the job with capabilities of the printers. If a printer cannot satisfy all printing requirements of the job, it is eliminated as a candidate printer. Then, from all printers that can satisfy all printing requirements of the job, one printer is selected based on a pre-defined priority preference and the job is submitted to the selected printer. The printer priority preference is created by the operator based on cost and other factors. The operator can also select an alternative execution mode where, among all printers that can satisfy all requirements of the job, the one with minimum wait time is selected.
摘要:
A method is described for managing a print shop system in which a plurality of printers are connected to and managed by a server. When a document to be printed contains both color and black and white pages, the server splits the print job into a color and a black and white sub-job. Each print job includes a job ticket containing a plurality of parameters and the document to be printed. The server splits the original print job by generating a color sub-document and a black and white sub-document based the color characteristics of the pages of the original document, and generating a color sub-job ticket and a black and white sub-job ticket based on the original job-ticket parameters, by suitably retaining some original parameters, overriding some, deleting some, retaining some with page shifting, and adding some parameters. The two sub-jobs are printed by two different printers and then merged.
摘要:
A method used in a print shop for collecting and tracking the amount of resources used for a print job is described. The print shop includes a plurality of copy production devices such as printers and finishing devices and a server for managing them. Each copy production device collects information regarding actual resource usage for a copy production job, such as the amount of paper used, the amount of toner used, the number of staples used, etc., and provides the information to the server after the job is executed. The server generates total resource usage information for executing the job, and stores the information. The actual perjob resource usage information may be analyzed to enable the print shop to set a price structure that more accurately reflects and ultimately recaptures the cost incurred.
摘要:
A method for managing a print shop system having a plurality of printers connected to a management server is described. A paper name database is maintained on the server and each printer, and contains a plurality of paper name definitions each associating a paper name to a plurality of paper attributes such as paper size, weight, etc. The paper name databases are synchronized with each other. When creating a job ticket on the server, the operator specifies the paper name but does not need to specify the paper attributes. The server generates a job ticket containing the paper name and/or the paper attributes (retrieved from the paper name database using the paper name entered by the operator). When a printer receives a job ticket that contains a papa name, it retrieves the paper attributes associated with the paper name from the local paper name database and executes the job.
摘要:
A print shop management system for automatically handling overage for customer print or copy jobs is described. An overage refers to extra copies of a customer job produced for internal use at the print shop. The print shop management system allows the operator to create overage formulas, each formula specifying a set of criteria and an overage value for customer jobs meeting the criteria. The system then automatically applies the overage formulas to each customer job to print the requested number of copies and the extra copies. The system can also keep track of actual resource usage for each job
摘要:
A useful method for analyzing a print job in a multiple-printer environment is provided. The method includes receiving a print job, the print job specifying values of job parameters, reading out values of the job parameters specified in the print job, determining whether the printer settings of the plurality of printers conform to said read out values of the job parameters of the print job, and communicating a result of the conformity determination to a user.
摘要:
Print management apparatus and method for managing a print shop system are described. A server defines one or more virtual queues as a virtual printing device to which print jobs may be submitted. Each virtual queue designates a physical printer and has a set of pre-defined job parameters (parameters that define how a print job will be printed) associated with it. Each print job managed by the server also has a set of job parameters associated with it to define how the print job is to be printed. When a print job is submitted to a virtual queue for printing, the server overrides the job parameters of the submitted print job, and prints the job on the printer designated by the virtual queue using the job parameters associated with the virtual queue. A warning message may be displayed before the server proceeds with the printing to alert the operator.
摘要:
A method is described for managing a print shop system in which a plurality of printers are connected to and managed by a server. The server receives a print job including a job ticket and source document to be printed, and generates two or more sub-jobs each including a sub-job ticket and a sub-document by analyzing the job ticket and the content of the source document. The two or more sub-jobs are submitted to a plurality of printers and/or finishing devices in accordance with the sub-job tickets. One particular example is color split printing where black and white pages and color pages of a source document are split into two sub-jobs to be printed by a black and white printer and a color printer, respectively.
摘要:
A method for managing printers, implemented in a print job management apparatus, is provided. The method includes displaying a list of the printers and a list of one or more virtual printing devices on a display monitor, each virtual printing device being defined by designating one or more of the printers together with pre-defined rules for processing a print job, receiving a command from a user to select a virtual printing device, and in response to said command, visually distinguishing the one or more of the printers designated by the selected virtual printing device among the printers listed on the display monitor.
摘要:
A method implemented in a print job management apparatus for processing print jobs in a multiple-printer print shop environment is described. When an operator manually assigns a print job to a printer, the print job requirements are compared with capabilities of the printer to detect any constraints (i.e. incompatibilities between printer capabilities and print job requirements). The job is printed if no constraint is detected. If a constraint of a first category is detected (e.g. incompatible color capabilities, paper size and type, layout, etc.), printing will not proceed and an error message is displayed. If a constraint of a second category is detected (e.g. inadequate finishing capabilities), a warning message is displayed with a request for operator instruction regarding whether to proceed with printing. If the operator chooses to proceed, the job will be printed, and a banner page containing instructions regarding uncompleted job requirements is generated.