Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Infoprintsolutions Company, LLC

Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC

Joseph P Gaertner

Marquis G Waller

Joan Stagaman Goddard

Janeen Elizabeth Jahn

Kumar Venkata Kadiyala

Michael Glen Lotz

Jon Andrew Meilstrup

Thomas Margolis

Linda Sue Liebelt

Jeffrey Alan Sikkink

Brian Paul Doyle

Walter R Albers

Scott Thomas Ziegler

Ronald J LeMaster

Simon P Jones

Lance Jones

Marcel Stoica

Kumar V Kadivala

Ronald JLeMaster

Erik Jason Fritz

Neil McKinstrie

Joe Stradling

System and methods are provided for customizable media-based scheduling for a printing system. One embodiment is an apparatus that includes a print server. The print server is configured to receive a description of media in a printer, and to store a mapping that associates the description of media with at least one alternate description for the printer that is comparable to the description of media. The print server is also configured to receive a print job that specifies a media property that does not match the description of media in the printer. The print server is further configured to determine that the media property corresponds with the at least one alternate description for the printer based on the mapping, and to determine that the printer is eligible for scheduling the print job based on the determination that the media property corresponds with the at least one alternate description.

Customizable media-based scheduling for a printing system

A method disclosed. The method includes receiving a plurality of jobs at a printing environment, collecting a first set of the plurality jobs at a first filter based on one or more job properties, generating a first batch of one or more jobs to be processed from the first set of jobs in the first filter that and displaying the first filter and the first batch at a graphical user interface (GUI).

Print scheduling mechanism

A method disclosed. The method includes downloading a first print job data stream from a cloud computing network, transmitting the first print job data stream to a printer, monitoring a printing status of the printer to determine when the printer is ready to receive a second print job and downloading a second print job data stream from the cloud computing network upon determining that the printer is ready to receive the second print job.

Print processing network

Systems and methods are provided for notifying operators of tasks to perform on printers by inserting operator instructions onto separator pages that are placed between print jobs. One embodiment is a print server that includes a control system and a page generator. The control system is operable to identify a print job, and to identify an operator instruction for the print job indicating a physical task for an operator to perform on a printer before the print job is printed. Also, the control system holds the print job responsive to identifying the operator instruction. The page generator generates a separator page comprising the operator instruction that indicates the physical task to perform on the printer, and transmits the separator page for printing to inform the operator of the task before the print job is printed.

Insertion of printer operator instructions onto separator pages in a print shop environment

Systems and methods are provided for addressing conflicts when merging Job Definition Format (JDF) instructions. The system includes a memory that stores rules for prioritizing Job Definition Format (JDF) instructions. The system also includes a controller able to receive a print job and to identify multiple sets of JDF instructions for the print job. The controller is further able to generate a merged set of JDF instructions from the JDF instructions in each of the identified sets, and to identify conflicts within the merged set between JDF instructions that share page ranges with each other. The controller is also able to resolve the conflicts by altering JDF instructions based on the rules stored in memory.

Conflict resolution and optimization for job definition format instructions

Systems and methods are provided for altering the content of a PDF print job. The printing system includes a memory, an interface, and a markup engine. The memory includes criteria for identifying Portable Document Format (PDF) content stored in print jobs, and also includes a mark-up instruction for altering printable PDF content stored in print jobs, where the mark-up instruction references one or more of the criteria. The interface is operable to receive a PDF print job for processing. The markup engine is operable to access the mark-up instruction, to review the PDF print job to identify multiple segments of the print job that each include PDF content that matches the one or more criteria referenced by the mark-up instruction, and to alter the identified segments based on the mark-up instruction.

Altering a PDF print job based upon criteria stored in memory of a printing system

Systems and methods for print queue management are provided. The system performs a queue management process to identify a print job loaded in a first queue for a first printer, and to estimate a first time to print the print job on the first printer from the first queue. The system selects a second queue for a second printer, estimates a second time to print the print job on the second printer from the second queue if the print job were moved to the second queue, and calculates a difference in printing time between the first time to print and the second time to print. The system also moves the print job from the first queue to the second queue based on the calculated difference in printing time.

Print queue management in a print shop environment

Methods and systems are provided for visually representing print jobs in a print queue. In one embodiment, a system comprising a print queue, a scheduler, and a Graphical User Interface (GUI) is disclosed. The print queue stores print jobs for a printer. The scheduler estimates a time to print each of the print jobs on the printer. The GUI displays a graphical representation of each of the print jobs in the print queue, where a size of a graphical representation of each of the print jobs is based on the estimated time to print each of the print jobs.

Print job status identification using graphical objects

Methods and systems are provided for scheduling multiple types of print jobs in a print queue using a pseudo job. A pseudo job is a special type of non-printing job object that is added to a print queue. In one embodiment, a system includes a print queue that stores print jobs scheduled for a printer. The print queue also stores a pseudo job that defines a boundary in the queue between print jobs having a first set of print settings and print jobs having a second set of print settings. In another embodiment, a system includes a print queue, a control system, and a graphical user interface. The graphical user interface displays options for generating a pseudo job, and receives input indicating a scheduled change to a configuration of a printer. The control system generates the pseudo job based on the input, and inserts the pseudo job in the print queue.

Pseudo jobs in print queues for print job scheduling

Methods and systems are provided for scheduling multiple types of print jobs for a printer more efficiently by scheduling jobs together that share print settings. In one embodiment, a system includes a print queue that stores print jobs scheduled for a printer. The system also includes a scheduler that receives requests to schedule a print job for the printer. The scheduler compares the print settings of the requested print job to print settings of the print jobs already in the print queue. The scheduler then schedules the requested print job among the print jobs in the print queue that have print settings corresponding with the print settings of the requested print job.

Print job scheduling in a print shop environment

The systems and methods presented herein provide print operations to a client via a print application in a manner that makes the print application independently operable within a computing environment of the client. The system includes a print application initiator that is operable in the client to copy system definitions of the client that control computing sessions within the client, to retrieve print application definitions that control computing sessions for the print application, and to change one or more of the copied system definitions based on the print application definitions. The print application initiator is also operable to generate a computing session for the print application within the client based on the changed system definitions and to start the print application within the computing session to provide the print operations of a print processing device to the client.

Providing print operations to virtually any client regardless of the computing environment of the client

A method disclosed. The method includes receiving a Job Definition Format (JDF) job ticket indicating a document file to be printed is located in a JDF file path, mapping the JDF file path to a file path recognized at a print server, retrieving the document file and processing the document file for printing.

Growing community of inventors

Lafayette, CO, United States of America

Joseph P Gaertner