Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Input/output data buffering
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-12
2004-01-13
Perveen, Rehana (Department: 2182)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Input/output data buffering
C710S033000, C710S035000, C710S053000, C710S057000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06678757
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a print data management system and method for a digital print reproduction system, in which print data are loaded into a set memory prior to be being printed. More specifically, the invention addresses the problem of providing a clear and reliable indication to a user of the state of occupation of the set memory so to ensure an optimum use of print resources.
A classical print data management system centralises print data from one or a group of sending sources, such a scanner, a personal computer or other terminal and directs that data to one or several printer(s) under appropriate conditions (form, sequence, print parameters etc.).
A typical example of a system in which a print management system is implemented comprises a print data source such as a scanning means in which paper originals are scanned and converted to electronic image data, a set memory for storing the electronic image data, and printing means for printing the the image data stored in the memory. The print management system controls the set memory to ensure that the print data from the source(s) are properly printed under appropriate conditions.
The use of a set memory from which print data are fed to the printing means is now common in modern digital print reproduction systems. Such a set memory is provided with bit-map data from the print data source, corresponding to the contents of the page(s) to be printed. Its capacity has to be sufficient to store print data corresponding to a number of pages of printed documents in a printing queue, commonly referred to as print jobs. If the print data source loads a quantity of data into the set memory exceeding the remaining capacity of the latter, an overflow condition occurs. In this case, the operation of loading the data is interrupted and has to be repeated at a later stage when the set memory resumes sufficient free space to accept the data. This situation slows down the printing process and often calls for additional manipulations on behalf of the operator, resulting in a lower operating efficiency.
In view of this problem, it is known in the prior art to provide a visual indication of the state of occupation of the memory. This indication is generally implemented in the form of an electronic display bar which shows the percentage of the memory already used at any one time. However, it has been found that such a display fails to inform clearly to the user when the memory occupation reaches such a level that the next transfer of print data into the set memory—e.g. from a scanning operation—is likely to create an overflow.
It is an object of the present invention to improve the quality of the visual indication provided to the user and thereby solve the technical problem of enabling the operator to achieve a more efficient control of flow of print data during printing.
To this end, the present invention provides a print data management system comprising: means for receiving print data, memory means for storing said received print data, control means for controllably reading out data from said memory means and transferring said print data to printing means, and visual indication means for informing a user of the degree of occupation of said memory means by said print data, characterised in that said visual indication means has at least first and second visually distinct forms of indication respectively corresponding to a range of relatively low occupation and a range of relatively high occupation.
By thus dividing the indication means into visually distinct forms of indication, the user can quickly determine the range of degree of occupation of the memory means simply by noticing the form of the indication. It can be noted that the ranges are complementary.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the visual indication means comprises a third form of indication, visually distinct from said first and second forms, and corresponding to an intermediate range of occupation of said memory means.
The layout of the indication means can adopt many forms. In a preferred embodiment, the indication means forms a bar graph implemented by a monitor screen. The latter can form part of personal computer associated with the print management system. It can also be envisaged to use linear arrays of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or equivalent elementary display devices, or a liquid crystal display configured to an appropriate pattern of symbols.
Advantageously, the forms of indication are made visually distinct by colour, e.g. by using different colours for the ranges forming a bar graph or other presentation. For example, a first colour such as green is used to indicate a relatively low range of degrees of occupation and a second colour, such as red, is used to indicate a relatively high range of degrees of occupation. If used, the third form of indication, corresponding to the aforementioned intermediate range of degree of occupation, can be distinguished in form from the other two ranges by a third colour, such as orange.
Naturally, the present invention can be implemented with more than one visually distinct intermediate range, e.g. by using different colours for different the intermediate ranges.
Instead of using a bar graph presentation, the display means can provide e.g. by a pie chart, pictorial representations, etc.
There are other ways than by colour of making the forms of visual indication distinct. For example, each displayed range can be correspond to a specific display pattern. The patterns can differ from each other by levels of grey in a monochrome display, by the shape of symbols used to express the degree occupation for each range, or by the size of the symbols used to express the degree of occupation for each range.
It is also envisageable to make the forms of indication visually distinct by playing on the dynamic parameters of the display. For instance, the indication showing a degree of occupation in a low range can be flashed at a low frequency, or be static, whilst the indications showing a high degree of occupation can be made to flash at a higher frequency.
The ranges of degree of occupation shown by the visual indication means need not necessarily have fixed boundaries. Indeed, the ranges can be made variable by user command and/or by internal commands. To this end, the apparatus in accordance with the present invention may be provided with means for setting the extent of at least the range corresponding to a relatively high degree of occupation.
In this way, the ranges of degree of occupation can be tailored to specific applications or circumstances. For instance, the user may wish the visual indication means to inform him or her of the degree of occupation more in terms of an estimated number of print documents that can be loaded into the memory means before an overflow condition is likely to arise. For example, the operator may want the visual indication means to start to indicate a high level of occupation when only about three (say) more print documents can be loaded into the memory means. This in turn calls for a configuration of the ranges as a function of the known or estimated lengths of the print documents. Such information may be held by the user, for instance based on his or her experience, or on the nature of the tasks concerned by the application. In this case, means may be provided to set manually the different range limit(s) according to requirements.
The print data management system can also be provided with means for determining the size of the print documents about to be loaded into the memory means and for adjusting the range(s) shown in the visual indication means correspondingly, so that the high occupation range is entered when a predetermined number of print documents can be loaded before an overflow condition arises. As a general rule, it can be stated that the larger the size of the print document(s) to be loaded into the memory, the larger the extent of the zone corresponding to an indication of high memory occupation.
The print data management system can equally be provided with means f
Conard Didier Pierre
Paulus Damien
Oce--Technologies B.V.
Perveen Rehana
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