International Business Machines Corporation

Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC

Infoprintsolutions Company, LLC

Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Dennis Carney

Charles D Johnson

Ryan Hoa Nguyen

Allan Anthony Hren

Reinhard Heinrich Hohensee

David Earl Stone

Claudia C Alimpich

Harry Lewis

Larry David Teklits

Stephen Goddard Price

Steven Michael Wallace

Lisa A Morgan

Russel Neil Miller

John Thomas Varga

Linda Sue Liebelt

Robert F Jessen

Harry Reese Lewis, Jr

Karen Lynn Harrison

Katherine McCue Melton

David Stone

A method is disclosed including a print controller receiving print job data defined according to a first language, receiving a job ticket defined according to a second language, processing the print job data according to the second language and implementing counters defined according to the first language to track progress while processing the print job data.

Server printer synchronization for job ticket processing

A printer is disclosed. The printer includes one or more sub-components each having a meter to track energy usage at the sub-component during an event and a controller to receive energy usage data accrued at one or more of the meters during the event.

Mechanism for monitoring print system energy usage

Systems and methods are provided for wrapping a job ticket for a print job within a job ticket defined according to another language. One embodiment is a system comprising a client operable to acquire print data for a print job, and a job ticket manager. The job ticket manager is operable to generate a first job ticket that is defined according to a first language, and to wrap a second job ticket defined according to a second language within the first job ticket. The client is further operable to transmit the print data and the first job ticket to a server operable to process job tickets defined according to the first language.

Insertion of job tickets into job tickets of another language

A print controller and associated methods of purging a print data path are disclosed. A print controller comprises a job storage system that receives and stores print jobs, and a print data path, which includes components operable to process print jobs, from the job storage system to print engines. The control system receives registrations from the components for flush job messages, flush path messages, or both. The control system receives a request to purge the print data path, and identifies print jobs being processed in the print data path. The control system transmits flush job messages to the components registering for the flush job messages for each print job instructing the components to purge data for the print jobs. The control system also transmits a flush path message to the components registering for the flush path messages instructing the components to purge data for the print jobs being handled.

Purging of print jobs from a print data path

A print controller and associated methods of performing recovery processes responsive to a redrive event (i.e., print setting changes/hardware errors) are disclosed. A print controller in one embodiment comprises a job storage system that receives and stores print jobs from host systems, and a print data path from the job storage system to one or more print engines. The print data path includes components operable to process print jobs for imaging on the print engine. The print controller further comprises a redrive system that detects a redrive event, and identifies the print job interrupted by the redrive event. The redrive system also identifies a target page of the identified print job from which to restart the print job, and purges the identified print job from the print data path (along with other print jobs). The redrive system then reschedules the identified print job for processing followed by other eligible jobs.

Page level recovery on print jobs for production printing systems

Concurrent IPDS and non-IPDS print processing is provided. Because an IPDS print session may not usually be interrupted, non-IPDS print data is received through a separate, non-IPDS channel in the printer control unit. The non-IPDS data is rasterized ('ripped') using spare processing cycles and stored in a rip spool. At an appropriate time, such as when fully rasterized, an interrupt request may be submitted to the IPDS host then controlling the printer. When the IPDS host relinquishes control of the printer, such as when the IPDS print job has been completed, the rasterized non-IPDS print data may be de-spooled to the print engine and printed.

Concurrent IPDS and non-IPDS print processing

A print controller and associated methods are disclosed. Some print jobs received in the print controller are stored in a rasterized or ripped job spool. The release of these jobs is coordinated by a control system in the print controller. The control system processes an algorithm to determine a sequence of releasing one or more print jobs stored in the rasterized job spool. The control system generates a job despool token and transmits the job despool token to a rasterized job handling system through the data stream of the raw print jobs (such as through the interpreter). The job despool token follows the normal data stream of print jobs through the print controller to the rasterized job handling system. Responsive to receiving and processing the job despool token, the rasterized job handling system releases the print job from the rasterized job spool to a print queue.

Print controller using a job despool token to control the release of print jobs stored in a rasterized job spool

A method is disclosed. The method includes identifying a received object to be cached, calculating a time to rasterize the object, determining if the rasterize time is greater than a time to reuse a rasterized image of the object, caching the object if the reuse time is greater than the rasterize time and caching the rasterized image of the object if the rasterize time is greater than the reuse time.

Cache optimization mechanism

A printer and method of managing print jobs in the printer. Print job locations are identified in the printer. Each print job being printed is always in at least one of the print job locations and the locations are monitored for entering and exiting jobs. The printer includes a job location mask for each print job. Each bit location in the job location mask corresponds to one of the print job locations and a set bit indicates the presence of a print job in a corresponding print job location. As a print job enters a location, the location issues a call and the job location mask is updated to reflect the presence of the print job in that location.

Printer dynamically tracking print jobs and method of tracking print jobs

Methods and systems for synchronization and control of multiple processes in a printer controller using headers associated with data and exchanged among the processes of the printer controller. A first feature hereof provides a method for job control and synchronization among a plurality of processes operable in a printer controller. The method includes associating a job control header with all print data exchanged between the plurality of processes of the printer controller. The method then includes synchronizing operation of the plurality of processes in accordance with information in the job control header. The headers may be exchanged in conjunction with print data moving through the multiple processes and may be generated and exchanged for synchronization and control independent of any print data. Synchronization events may include beginning and/or end of processing for a job, a page, a document, a page description language, etc.

Integration of job control and synchronization with printer controller data exchanges

A method, apparatus, and computer-usable medium for registering a collection of components with a job monitor for job cancellation notification, wherein the collection of components are software components within a logical printer domain; receiving a job cancel request; initiating cancellation of a job corresponding to the job cancel request; sending the job cancellation notification to the collection of registered components; and in response to receiving the job cancellation notification, stopping processing of the job and purging data related to the job by the plurality of registered components.

System and method of implementing a job cancel broadcast notification and parallel processing of the request

A Job Monitor for providing printer recognition and management of a print job entity is described. The Job Monitor includes a repository of attributes and status associated with each print job that passes through the system. Interfaces to the Job Monitor provide the ability for components to process a job according to the unique requirements of the processing component, and report job attributes and processing status of the job to the Job Monitor for common access by other components. Each component has access to common variables and can present job attributes or status to its respective external interface according to the unique requirements dictated by the external interface. Additionally, internal job processing components interface with the Job Monitor to access and report current processing status. The common status repository provided by the Job Monitor is used by the Job Monitor and other components to control the sequence of processing within the printer.

Method and apparatus for providing printer recognition and management of a print job entity

Provided is a method, system, and program for sending notification to an Input/Output (I/O) device comprised of multiple components of an event from an originating device that transmits data to the I/O device. The originating device detects a notification event and generates a notification message in response to the detected notification event to transmit to the I/O device. In response to receiving the notification message, the I/O device activates at least one of the multiple components. The notification message may be transmitted to the I/O device on a first port at the I/O device, where data is received at a second port at the I/O device. In response to receiving the notification message on the first port, the I/O device activates at least one of the multiple components.

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Louisville, CO, United States of America

Dennis Carney