Methods and printing system for peer-to-peer resource management
AssigneeKYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
InventorJavier A. MORALES
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A peer-to-peer network of printing devices is configured to share information and color printing resources, such as TRCs, spot colors, and ICC profiles, as well as paper catalogs within the network without the need for a centralized server or cloud service. The digital front ends (DFEs) of the printing devices manage printing device information which is made available to all printing devices. When an update occurs at a printing device within the peer-to-peer network, its DFE sends a signal to the other printing devices to synchronize their information with the updated information. When a new printing device is added to the peer- to-peer network, its information and color printing resources are merged or replaced with the information within the network.
Claims20
A method for managing printing operations, the method comprising:
- connecting a controller of a second printing device to a controller of a first printing device to form a peer-to-peer network, wherein the controller of the first printing device includes a first set of printing resources and the controller of the second printing device includes a second set of printing resources, and
- wherein the first printing device and the second printing device process incoming print jobs separately;
- synchronizing printing device information between the controller of the first printing device and the controller of the second printing device, wherein the printing device information includes the first set of printing resources and the second set of printing resources;
- detecting a change in the first set of printing resources;
- updating the printing device information at the controller of the first printing device with the change in the first set of printing resources;
- and
- updating the printing device information at the controller of the second printing device with the change in the first set of printing resources.
A method for managing color printing resources between a plurality of printing devices, the method comprising:
- connecting a controller of a second printing device to a controller of a first printing device to form a peer-to-peer network, wherein the controller of the first printing device includes a first paper catalog and the controller of the second printing device includes a second paper catalog, and
- wherein the first printing device and the second printing device process incoming print jobs separately;
- synchronizing the first paper catalog and the second paper catalog such that printing resource information for each paper catalog is available within the peer-to-peer network;
- updating an entry in the first paper catalog at the controller of the first printing device;
- and
- updating an entry of the second paper catalog at the controller of the second printing device with the updated entry of the first paper catalog.
A peer-to-peer printing device network comprising:
- a first printing device having a controller, wherein the controller includes a first set of printing resources;
- a second printing device having a controller, wherein the controller includes a second set of printing resources,
- wherein the first printing device and the second printing device process incoming print jobs separately;
- and
- a connection between the controller of the first printing device and the controller of the second printing device,
- wherein the controller of the first printing device is configured to
- synchronize printing device information including the first set of printing resources and the second set of printing resources between the controller of the first printing device and the controller of the second printing device,
- detect a change in the first set of printing resources,
- update the printing device information at the controller of the first printing device with the change in the first set of printing resources, and
- update the printing device information at the controller of the second printing device with the change in the first set of printing resources.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.