Method and apparatus to improve system concurrency for a job using a set of commonly shared resources such that a specific resource is used only for a portion of the job

Abstract

A method and apparatus for prioritizing the use of multifunctional printing system's basic processing resources to multiply active capability job resources for a basic resource under a certain condition. The printing system employs a controller with an improved job contention manager (JCM). A plurality of basic resources of the printing system are provided with a queue. One or more job services, at desired times, signals the JCM to carry out a sub-job of a given job. The signal for each of the sub-jobs includes information about the respective sub-job and its job service and priority. Responsive to the signal, the JCM adds, for a first video capability required by a first sub-job, a corresponding first basic job resource to the queues of each basic resource which the first video capability will require in order to perform the first sub-job. The first basic job resources for the first sub-job are placed in an “Active” state ready for processing, if the first basic job resource is at the top of all of the queues, of all the basic resources, required by the first video capability. Responsive to a second signal, the JCM adds, for a second video capability required by the second sub-job, a corresponding second basic job resource sub-job to the queues of each basic resource which the second video capability will require in order to perform the second sub-job. The, second basic job resources, which follow a first basic job resource in a basic resource queue, are placed in an “Active” state ready for processing after the first basic job resource, if the first and second basic job resources in the queue are submitted by the same job service and for the same job as the first sub-job. Any basic resources of the first sub-job which are not used for the second sub-job are then freed for use by other video capabilities.