Volume of work estimating for combined processing and unprocessed imaging jobs
AssigneeSharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
InventorAndrew R. Ferlitsch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method generally for output handling a new imaging job, and specifically for handling such a job by delivering it to one of several currently job-engaged imaging output devices (illustrated as printers) including the steps of (a) examining the current job-processing statuses of such devices, and (b) from the result of that examining, determining the respective remainders in the amounts of current-job work still to be performed by those devices. The method thus features the acquisition and use of output device busyness information as an important part of the approach toward promoting efficient output handling of new imaging jobs.
Claims9
A method for controlling the output handling of imaging jobs so as to improve imaging output handling in a system having plural, available imaging output devices which may have different operational capabilities, and any one or more of which may, at a given moment in time, be busy with an associated, but yet unfinished, active current job, said method comprising,
- for each such output device being considered for selection to handle a selected, but not yet distributed, new imaging job, examining the respective processing statuses of any currently active job by performing a first job-decomposition of the job into states including (a) processing, (b) pending, and (c) spooling, and, with respect to any such current job which is in a processing state, performing a second, processing-state-decomposition into conditions including (a) already output, (b) processed, and (c) unprocessed,
- by said examining, determining the remainder amount of current job work still to be performed by a device handling that job, and thereby establishing the busyness status of that device,
- comparing the established busyness statuses of the considered output devices, and
- utilizing results from said comparing, choosing the most appropriate output handling for a selected new job.
For use in a network environment which includes plural, prospectively available, imaging output devices, each of which is presently engaged in handling an associated, current imaging job, a method for most effectively guiding the handling of a new imaging job based upon knowledge relating to the respective capabilities and current statuses of busyness of such devices, said method comprising
- examining the respective processing statuses of such currently-being handled jobs, wherein said examining, for each current job, includes performing a first job-decomposition of the job into states including (a) processing, (b) pending, and (c) spooling, and, with respect to a current job which is in a processing state, performing a second, processing-state-decomposition into conditions including (a) already output, (b) processed, and (c) unprocessed
- from said examining, determining the remainder amounts of current-job work still to be performed by the respective, associated output devices, and
- based upon said determining, establishing the statuses-of-busyness information currently related to such output devices.
A method for delivering a new imaging job to one of several currently job-engaged imaging output devices comprising
- examining the current job processing statuses of such devices, wherein said examining, for each current job, includes performing a first job-decomposition of the job into states including (a) processing, (b) pending, and (c) spooling, and, with respect to a current job which is in a processing state, performing a second, processing-state-decomposition into conditions including (a) already output, (b) processed, and (c) unprocessed, and
- from said examining, determining the respective remainders in the amounts of current-job work still to be performed by those devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.