Print sequence scheduling for reliability

A method for scheduling print jobs for a plurality of printers, the method comprising:

• for each of a plurality of print jobs:
• with a print driver of a workstation or a network print server:
• determining a number of pages of a first print modality for a print job;
• and
• determining a number of pages of a second print modality for the print job;
• placing the print jobs in a print job queue;
• with a print job scheduler implemented as software executed on a computer, scheduling a sequence of printing the plurality of print jobs by the plurality of printers based on at least one of:
• minimizing, for at least one of the plurality of printers, a number of periods of time during the sequence of printing where the at least one of the plurality of printers is in a non-operational mode;
• and
• maximizing continuous run time during the sequence of printing for at least one of the plurality of printers, the scheduling including:
• prior to printing, combining print jobs in the print job queue into a plurality of super jobs, at least one of the super jobs comprising the set of print jobs, the super job being scheduled for printing contemporaneously on a plurality of printers;
• and
• arranging the super jobs into the sequence.

A method for scheduling jobs for a printing system, the method comprising:

• for each of a plurality of print jobs, by a print driver of a computer:
• determining a number of pages of a first print modality for the print job;
• determining a number of pages of a second print modality for the print job;
• determining a file header based on the number of pages of the first modality and the number of pages of the second modality in the print job;
• and
• associating the file header with the print job;
• transmitting the print job along with the file header to a print job scheduler implemented as software executed by a computer processor;
• and
• with the scheduler, scheduling a sequence of printing for the plurality of transmitted print jobs by a plurality of printers, which sequence is predicted to lead to an increase in reliability of the plurality of printers over that which is predicted for a sequence in which the print jobs are printed in the same order that they arrive at the print job scheduler by reducing a total number of periods of time in which the plurality of printers are in a non-operational mode, the scheduling including, prior to printing, combining print jobs into a plurality of super jobs, at least one of the super jobs comprising the set of print jobs, the super job being scheduled for printing contemporaneously on a plurality of printers, and arranging the super jobs into the sequence.

A device for scheduling print jobs in a printing assembly comprising:

• a print driver, the print driver determining, a number of pages of a first print modality for a print job and a number of pages of a second print modality for the print job, determines a file header based on the number of pages of the first print modality and the number of pages of the second print modality in the print job, and transmits the print job along with the file header to a print job scheduler, the print job being placed with other print jobs in a print job queue as the jobs arrive;
• a the print job scheduler which scheduling the print job for printing in a sequence of print jobs drawn from the print job queue without maintaining the arrival order, based on at least one of:
• minimizing a number of periods of time where an associated printer is in a non-operational mode;
• and
• maximizing continuous run time for at least one associated printer, the scheduler combining print jobs into a plurality of super jobs, at least one of the plurality super jobs comprising the set of print jobs, a super job being scheduled for printing contemporaneously on a plurality of printers and arranging the super jobs into the sequence.