System and method for saving power using priority printing
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorSrinivas Guddanti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for saving power in a printing system, by prioritizing printer jobs. Using a graphical user interface an end-user assigns a print time to a first job. The print time designation is attached to the first job and the first job is transmitted from the end-user station to a printer. Based on whether the printer is in ready state or in power save mode the first job is printed immediately or stored in memory. When the first job is stored in memory, computations are made to determine a printing time to initiate printing of the first job. The first job is then printed at the printing time or at an earlier printing time if a second job with an earlier printing time is stored in the memory.
Claims27
A method of printing comprising:
- receiving at a printer a job to be printed including length of job information and priority code information;
- checking printer status for power save mode or for ready state;
- if in power save mode when the job is received, computing a printing time of the received job based at least in part on the length of job information, and determining an amount of time that the received job can be delayed before printing based at least in part on the priority code information so as to maintain the printer in the power save mode for a longer time;
- and
- if in ready state when the job is received, printing the received job.
A printing system comprising:
- means for receiving at a printer a job to be printed including length of job information and priority code information;
- means for checking printer status for power save mode or for ready state;
- means for computing a printing time of the received job based at least in part on the length of job information, and determining an amount of time that the received job can be delayed before printing based at least in part on the priority code information so as to maintain the printer in the power save mode in response to the power save mode being detected;
- and
- means for printing the received job if the ready state is detected.
A printer, comprising:
- an input interface configured to receive a print job including a priority code indicative of a time requirement for printing the print job;
- logic configured to determine if the printer is in a power save mode;
- and
- logic configured, when the printer is in the power save mode, to determine an amount of time that the print job can be delayed before printing based at least in part on the priority code, so as to maintain the printer in the power save mode for a longer time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.