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US 7,411,691 B2Granted
Image-forming system with automatic finish output chaining
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsMark Hughes, Frederick E. Altrieth, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention provides an image-forming system having automatic finish output chaining, where an imaging job can switch to an alternate destination when a default destination is no longer usable.
Claims32
An image-forming system comprising:
- a marking engine;
- and
- a finisher connected to the marking engine;
- wherein at least one of the marking engine and the finisher comprises a first finishing destination and a second finishing destination, the first finishing destination receives an imaging job from the marking engine, the imaging job switches from the first finishing destination to the second finishing destination when the first finishing destination becomes unavailable and then switches back to the first finishing destination when the first finishing destination is later available, the first and the second finishing destinations are different types of finishing destinations, the first finishing destination is capable of handling all of the imaging job, and the second finishing destination is incapable of handling part of the imaging job;
- and
- wherein the imaging job switches back to the first finishing destination when the part of the imaging job that the second finishing destination is incapable of handling is received and the first finishing destination is available.
3 more elements
A method for automatic finish output chaining in an image-forming system during printing of an imaging job having a plurality of sheets, comprising:
- beginning delivery of the imaging job to a default finishing destination compatible with all of said sheets;
- detecting whether the default finishing destination is no longer usable;
- determining whether an alternate finishing destination compatible with some of said sheets and incompatible with others of said sheets is available;
- switching the imaging job from the default finishing destination to the alternate finishing destination in response to the default finishing destination being unusable and the alternate finishing destination being available;
- continuing delivery of the imaging job until one of said incompatible sheets is reached;
- determining whether the default finishing destination has again become available;
- switching back to the default finishing destination when the first finishing destination has again become available;
- continuing delivery of the imaging job;
- and
- cycling down a marking engine in the image-forming system when a respective finishing destination is determined to be unavailable.
7 more elements
A method for automatic finish output chaining in an image-forming system having at least two finishing destinations, comprising:
- detecting whether a default finishing destination of a current imaging job has an unlock trigger, the unlock trigger representing a physical unlocking of the default finishing destination to provide physical access thereto;
- and
- switching the current imaging job from the default finishing destination to an alternate finishing destination in response to the unlock trigger, the default and the alternate finishing destinations being different types of finishing destinations wherein the default finishing destination is compatible with all of the current imaging job and the alternate finishing destination is incompatible with part of the current imaging job:
- before the incompatible part of the current printing job is reached, determining whether the unlock trigger is gone;
- and
- then switching back to the default destination.
3 more elements
An image-forming machine comprising:
- a marking engine printing an imaging job having a plurality of sheets;
- a finisher disposed to receive the imaging job from the marking engine;
- and
- first and second finishing destinations, each finishing destination being disposed to receive the sheets from the finisher, the first finishing destination, when available, being compatible with all of said sheets, and the second finishing destination, when available, being incompatible with some of said sheets;
- wherein the finisher uses the first finishing destination for one or more of said sheets, then automatically changes from the first finishing destination to the second finishing destination when the first finishing destination becomes unavailable and said second finishing destination is available, and then automatically changes back to the first finishing destination when one of the sheets incompatible with the second finishing destination is received by the finisher and the first finishing destination is again available.
2 more elements
A method for automatic finish output chaining in an image-forming machine, comprising, in order:
- printing an imaging job having a plurality of sheets;
- beginning delivery of the imaging job to a first finishing destination compatible with all of said sheets;
- determining that the first finishing destination has become unavailable;
- determining that a second finishing destination is compatible with some of said sheets and incompatible with others of said sheets;
- switching to the second finishing destination;
- continuing delivery of the imaging job until one of said incompatible sheets is reached;
- determining whether the first finishing destination has again become available;
- switching back to the first finishing destination when the first finishing destination has again become available;
- and continuing delivery of the imaging job.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.