# US 9,517,619 B2 · Controller and method for industrial printing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,517,619 B2 - Document ID: US9517619B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/775,527 - Filed: 2014-03-13 - Published: 2016-01-28 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-13 - Assignees: Markem-Imaje Holding - Applicants: Markem-Imaje Holding - Inventors: Mikael Palmen; Isak Styf - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517619B2 ## CPC - B41J 2/04501: {Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits} - G06F 3/1204: {resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data} - G06F 3/1241: {Dividing a job according to job requirements, e.g. black/white and colour pages, covers and body of books, tabs} - G06F 3/1281: {Multi engine printer devices, e.g. one entity having multiple output engines} - G06F 3/1282: {High volume printer device} - G06F 3/1244: {Job translation or job parsing, e.g. page banding} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A method and printing controller for industrial printing with the use of a plurality of print-heads for a single printing assignment are described. Printing instructions for a single printing assignment are obtained. Different portions of the single printing assignment, and associated portions of the printing instructions, are assigned among respective print-heads of a plurality of print-heads. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method to improve printing control for industrial printing environment utilizing a plurality of various print-head technologies and/or print head types for a single printing assignment, the method comprising: obtaining printing instructions for the single printing assignment; analysing said printing instructions; detecting print head technology and/or type in said industrial printing environment; assigning different portions of the single printing assignment, and associated portions of the printing instructions, among respective print-heads of the plurality of print-head technologies and/or print head types based on detected print head technology and/or print head type; and sending at least one assigned printing instruction to a respective print-head type, wherein the analysing further comprises determining at least one printing technology which is required for a respective portion of the single printing assignment, wherein the at least one printing technology is a sub-group of printing technologies capable of being used for the respective portion of the single printing assignment, and wherein the sub-group is an ordered listing of printing-technologies with respect to a preferred use weighting. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the printing instructions are in a universal printing format. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining printing instructions further comprises retrieving said printing instructions from an external source. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the external source is CoLOS or an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) database, or a network server. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said printing instructions are user-provided. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining printing instructions further comprises one or more of: retrieving said printing instructions from a printing controller and/or at least one connecting print-head, and compiling the printing instructions for the single printing assignment with the use of an image creation procedure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning further comprises determining locations of print-heads corresponding to printing technologies identified by the analysing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the print-heads are associated with one or more of: a same controller, and at least two controllers which are in direct communication with one another. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a print-head availability report from at least one controller, said print-head availability report comprising a listing of print-heads associated with the at least one controller and available for receiving printing instructions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the receiving is performed based on at least one of a request, a periodic update, and a change of status update. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning is based on pre-defined rules, said pre-defined rules being based on at least one of a print-head capacity, a required resolution, and a required quality. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the sending further comprises one or more of: sending only assigned printing instructions to respective print-heads, and sending all printing instructions associated with single printing assignment to at least one print-head. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising switching at least one on-going printing task for at least two print-heads of the plurality of print-heads. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the switching is performed as a result of a fault or in at least one of an automatic, a pre-emptive and a manual manner. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of print-heads is of a same printing technology type. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of print-heads is of a different printing technology type. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the single printing assignment is a single label. ### Claim 18 An industrial printing controller in an industrial printing environment configured to utilize a plurality of various print-head technologies and/or print head types for a single printing assignment, the controller comprising: processing circuitry configured to obtain printing instructions for the single printing assignment; the processing circuitry further configured to analyse said printing instructions; the processing circuitry further configured to detect print head technology and/or print head types in said industrial printing environment; the processing circuitry also configured to assign different portions of the single printing assignment, and associated portions of the printing instructions, among respective print-heads of the plurality of print-head technologies and/or print head types based in said print head technology and/or print head type; and interface circuitry configured to send at least one assigned printing instruction to a respective print-head, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: retrieve said printing instructions from a printing controller and/or at least one connecting print-head to obtain the printing instructions; compile the printing instructions for the single printing assignment with the use of an image creation procedure to obtain the printing instructions; or determine at least one printing technology which is required for a respective portion of the single printing assignment to analyse the printing instructions, wherein the at least one printing technology is a sub-group of printing technologies which are capable of being used for the respective portion of the single printing assignment, and wherein the sub-group is an ordered listing of printing-technologies with respect to a preferred use weighting. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The controller of claim 18, wherein the printing instructions are in a universal printing format. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The controller of claim 18, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured retrieve said printing instructions from an external source. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The controller of claim 20, wherein the external source is CoLOS or an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) database, or a network server. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The controller of claim 18, wherein said printing instructions are user-provided. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The controller of claim 18, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to execute one or more of: assign the different portions of the single printing assignment based on pre-defined rules, said pre-defined rules being based on print-head capacity, required resolution, and/or required quality, send only assigned printing instructions to respective print-heads, send all printing instructions associated with single printing assignment to at least one print-head, switch at least one on-going printing task for at least two print-heads of the plurality of print-heads, switch the at least one on-going printing task as a result of a fault, switch the at least one on-going task in an automatic, pre-emptive and/or manual manner, and determine locations of print-heads corresponding to printing technologies identified by the analysis of the printing instructions. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The controller of claim 23, wherein the print-heads are associated with one or more of: a same controller; and at least two controllers in direct communication with one another. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The controller of claim 23, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to receive one or more of: a print-head availability report from at least one controller, said print-head availability report comprising a listing of print-heads which are associated with the at least one controller and are available for receiving printing instructions, and the print-head availability report based on a request, a periodic update, and/or a change of status update. ### Claim 26 (depends on 18) The controller of claim 18, wherein the plurality of print-heads is of a same printing technology type. ### Claim 27 (depends on 18) The controller of claim 18, wherein at least two of the plurality of print-heads is of a different printing technology type. ### Claim 28 (depends on 18) The controller of claim 18, wherein the single printing assignment is a single label. ### Claim 29 A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for improving printer controller for industrial printing environment utilizing a plurality of various print-head technologies and/or print head types for a single printing assignment, said method comprising: obtaining printing instructions for the single printing assignment; analysing said printing instructions; detecting print head technology and/or print head type in said industrial printing environment; assigning different portions of the single printing assignment, and associated portions of the printing instructions, among respective print-heads of the plurality of print-head technologies and/or print head types based on said detected print head technology and/or print head type; and sending at least one assigned printing instruction to a respective print-head, wherein the analysing further comprises determining at least one printing technology which is required for a respective portion of the single printing assignment, wherein the at least one printing technology is a sub-group of printing technologies capable of being used for the respective portion of the single printing assignment, and wherein the sub-group is an ordered listing of printing-technologies with respect to a preferred use weighting.