System and method for mitigating printer clutching

A method for determining whether a print job can be printed without clutching in a printing system, the method comprising in optional sequence:

• receiving a print job;
• performing actual or modeled processing of a portion of the print job;
• determining processing rate information associated with the actual or modeled processing of the portion of the print job;
• prior to providing any print-ready images to the print engine for the incoming print job, providing an assessment of whether the print job is likely to be printed without clutching based on the processing rate information;
• and
• if the assessment indicates that the incoming print job is unlikely to be printed without clutching, inhibiting provision of print-ready images to the print engine for the incoming print job;
• wherein performing actual or modeled processing of a portion of the print job comprises performing actual or modeled processing of a plurality of segments of the portion of the incoming print job;
• wherein determining the processing rate information comprises determining a segment processing rate for each processed segment;
• and
• wherein providing the assessment comprises:
• computing processing rate statistics based on the segment processing rates;
• and
• determining an assessed probability of the incoming print job printing without clutching based on the processing rate statistics,
• further comprising selectively inhibiting provision of print-ready images to the print engine for the incoming print job if the assessed probability is less than or equal to a print probability threshold, and
• further comprising causing creation of a complete set of print-ready images for the incoming print job and provision of the print-ready images to the print engine if the assessed probability is greater than the print probability threshold.

A system for mitigating clutching in a printing system, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• a processing system, implemented using the at least one processor, operative to process print jobs to create print-ready images;
• and
• an assessment system operatively coupled with the processing system, the assessment system, implemented using the at least one processor, operative to cause actual or modeled processing of a portion of a print job to determine corresponding processing rate information, to provide an assessment, prior to providing any print-ready images to the print engine for the incoming print job, of whether the incoming print job is likely to be printed without clutching based on the processing rate information and a print rate associated with a print engine of the printing system, and if the assessment indicates that the incoming print lob is unlikely to be printed without clutching, to fault the incoming print lob and inhibit provision of print-ready images to the print engine for the incoming print job;
• wherein the assessment system causes actual or modeled processing of a plurality of segments of the portion of the incoming print job, wherein the processing rate information comprises processing rate statistics, and wherein the assessment system determines an assessed probability of the incoming print job printing without clutching based on the processing rate statistics,
• wherein the assessment system selectively inhibits provision of print-ready images to the print engine for the incoming print job if the assessed probability is less than or equal to a print probability threshold, and
• wherein the assessment system causes creation of a complete set of print-ready images for the incoming print job and provision of the print-ready images to the print engine if the assessed probability is greater than the print probability threshold.