US 9,870,183 B2Granted

System and method for energy efficient print job queuing

AssigneesKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorLouis Ormond

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A document processing system includes a print job queue management system configured to temporarily hold print jobs in the print queue during periods of light use, so as to maximize the amount of time that the document processing system spends in energy efficient low power modes. The print job queue management system compares print jobs in the queue with print job hold criteria and releases print jobs for printing when certain criteria are met, such as when a threshold number of documents or pages are in the print queue, if an incoming print job is designated as high priority print job to be immediately printed, or during particular times of the day that are designated as peak use times, which can be determined from historical data. A user can manually force a document to print from the user interface of the document processing systems.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A document processing device, comprising:

an embedded controller including a processor, a memory in data communication with the processor, and a network interface in communication with the processor, the memory operable for storage of data and instructions, and the network interface configured to receive print jobs via an associated network,
wherein the processor is configured to
receive a print job via the network interface,
store the print job in a print queue,
compare the print job with print job hold criteria,
perform, based at least in part on the compare operation, exactly one of releasing the print job for printing by the document processing device, or holding the print job in the print queue without immediately printing,
poll a second print queue manager of a second document processing system for operational mode information including
a current operational mode, and
a schedule of a future operational mode,
transfer the print job from the print queue to a print queue of the second document processing system based at least in part on the received operational mode information, and
send notification of the transfer to a user associated with the print job.

8 more elements

A method, comprising:

receiving a print job by a document processing device via a network interface;
storing, by the document processing device, the print job in a print queue;
comparing the print job with print job hold criteria;
performing, based at least in part on the compare operation, exactly one of
releasing the print job for printing by the document processing device, or
holding the print job in the print queue without immediately printing;
polling a second print queue manager of a second document processing system for operational mode information including
a current operational mode, and
a schedule of a future operational mode;
and
transferring the print job from the print queue to a print queue of the second document processing system based at least in part on the received operational mode information;
and
sending notification of the transfer to a user associated with the print job.

10 more elements

A document processing system, comprising:

a network interface configured to receive a plurality of print jobs;
a memory configured to store the print jobs received on the network interface in a print queue;
a printer having at least a normal operational mode for printing print jobs and a power save operational mode;
and
a print job queue manager configured to
compare the print jobs in the print queue against one or more print job hold criteria,
selectively hold the print jobs in the print queue, without releasing the print jobs to the printer for printing, based on the printer being in the power save operational mode and based at least in part on the compare operation,
poll a second print job queue manager of a second document processing system for operational mode information including
a current operational mode, and
a schedule of a future operational mode;
and
transfer one or more print jobs from the print queue to a second print queue of the second document processing system based at least in part on the received operational mode information;
and
sending notification to each user associated with a transferred print job.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/133,678Filed 20 Apr 2016
Published: US 2017/0308341 A126 Oct 2017
Granted: 16 Jan 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

G06F 3/1267
Print job management: job repository, e.g. non-scheduled jobs, delay printing
G06F 3/1221
Reducing or saving of used resources, e.g. avoiding waste of consumables or improving usage of hardware resources: with regard to power consumption
G06F 3/126
Print job management: job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
G06F 3/1285
Specifically adapted to adopt a particular infrastructure: remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server