Print job allocation system and method
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsSudhendu Rai, Jie Lin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a print job distribution method, a distribution is determined that assigns distribution portions of a plurality of print jobs to selected print shops. The determining of the distribution includes: (i) estimating a per job turnaround time metric for each print job respective to those print shops capable of performing the print job; (ii) estimating a per shop turnaround time metric for each print shop based on the per job turnaround time metrics estimated for that print shop and distribution portions assigned to that print shop; and (iii) optimizing respective to the distribution a load-balancing metric that is functionally dependent upon the per-shop turnaround time metrics of the print shops.
Claims20
A print job distribution method comprising:
- receiving a plurality of print jobs;
- and
- determining a distribution that assigns distribution portions of the plurality of print jobs to selected print shops, the determining of the distribution including:
- (i) estimating a per-job turnaround time metric for each print job respective to those print shops capable of performing the print job,
- (ii) estimating a per-shop turnaround time metric for each print shop based on the per-job turnaround time metrics estimated for that print shop and distribution portions assigned to that print shop, and
- (iii) optimizing respective to the distribution a load-balancing metric functionally dependent upon the per-shop turnaround time metrics of the print shops.
A digital storage medium storing instructions executable by a digital computer, controller, or processor to perform a method for determining a distribution assigning distribution portions of a plurality of print jobs to selected print shops, the method including:
- (i) estimating a per-shop turnaround time metric for each print shop based on per-job turnaround time metrics estimated for that print shop scaled by distribution portions assigned to that print shop by the distribution, and (ii) optimizing respective to the distribution a load-balancing metric that is functionally dependent upon the per-shop turnaround time metrics of the print shops.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.