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US 8,151,267 B2Granted
Printing system scheduler methods and systems
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsSteven Robert Moore, Barry Paul Mandel, Saurabh Prabhat
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided are printing system scheduler methods and systems. Specifically, a shadow scheduler is disclosed which provides alternative modular printing system configurations to execute one or more print jobs, relative to a base modular printing system configuration. According to one exemplary method, a primary scheduler metric value and a shadow scheduler metric value are compared before executing the one or more print jobs.
Claims22
A method of providing one or more alternative modular printing system configurations relative to an actual modular printing system configuration including a primary scheduler for one or more printing jobs and a shadow scheduler for the one or more printing jobs, the method comprising:
- a) receiving data representing the one or more printing jobs and communicating the data to the primary scheduler and the shadow scheduler;
- b) the primary scheduler, scheduling the execution of the one or more print jobs by identifying a set of printing system module capabilities associated with the actual modular printing system configuration capable of executing the one or more printing jobs, and determining a sequence of operations associated with the actual modular printing system configuration capable of executing the one or more printing jobs;
- c) determining a metric value associated with the execution of the one or more print jobs for the actual modular printing system configuration;
- d) the shadow scheduler, scheduling the execution of the one or more print jobs by identifying a set of printing system module capabilities associated with the alternative modular printing system configuration capable of executing the one or more printing jobs, determining a sequence of operations associated with the alternative modular printing system configuration capable of executing the one or more print jobs, and determining the metric value associated with the execution of the one or more print jobs for the alternative modular printing system configuration;
- e) performing a comparison of the metric value associated with the execution of the one or more print jobs for the actual modular printing system configuration relative to the metric value associated with the execution of the one or more print jobs for the alternative modular printing system configuration;
- f) producing comparison results;
- and
- g) communicating the comparison results to a data receiving device.
5 more elements
A computer program product comprising:
- a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of providing one or more alternative modular printing system configurations relative to an actual modular printing system configuration, the method comprising:
- a) receiving data representing one or more printing jobs;
- b) a primary scheduler program, scheduling the execution of the one or more print jobs by identifying a set of printing system module capabilities associated with the actual modular printing system configuration capable of executing the one or more printing jobs, and determining a sequence of operations associated with the actual modular printing system configuration capable of executing the one or more printing jobs;
- c) determining a metric value associated with the execution of the one or more print jobs for the actual modular printing system configuration;
- d) a shadow scheduler program, scheduling the execution of the one or more print jobs by identifying a set of printing system module capabilities associated with the alternative modular printing system configuration capable of executing the one or more printing jobs, determining a sequence of operations associated with the alternative modular printing system configuration capable of executing the one or more print jobs, and determining the metric value associated with the execution of the one or more print jobs for the alternative modular printing system configuration;
- e) performing a comparison of the metric value associated with the execution of the one or more print jobs for the actual modular printing system configuration relative to the metric value associated with the execution of the one or more print jobs for the alternative modular printing system configuration;
- f) producing comparison results;
- and
- g) communicating the comparison results to a data receiving device.
6 more elements
A modular printing system comprising:
- one or more printing modules;
- one or more sheet feeder modules operatively connected to the one or more printing modules;
- one or more sheet output modules operatively connected to the one or more printing modules;
- and
- one or more controllers operatively connected to the one or more printing modules, the one or more controllers comprising a primary scheduler and a secondary scheduler, the one or more controllers configured to
- a) receive data representing one or more printing jobs and communicate the data to the primary scheduler and the shadow scheduler;
- b) the primary scheduler configured to schedule the execution of the one or more print jobs by identifying a set of printing system module capabilities associated with the modular printing system capable of executing the one or more print jobs, and determine a sequence of operations associated with the modular printing system for executing the one or more print jobs;
- c) determine a metric value associated with the execution of the one or more print jobs for the modular printing system;
- d) the shadow scheduler, schedule the execution of the one or more print jobs by identifying a set of printing system module capabilities associated with an alternative modular printing system capable of executing the one or more print jobs, and determine the metric value associated with the execution of the one or more print jobs for the alternative modular printing system;
- e) perform a comparison of the metric value associated with the execution of the one or more print jobs for the modular printing system, relative to the metric value associated with the execution of the one or more print jobs for the alternative modular printing system;
- f) produce comparison results;
- and
- g) communicate the comparison results to a data receiving device.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.