Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Memory
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-22
2003-01-07
Evans, Arthur G. (Department: 2622)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Memory
C358S001100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06504621
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
This invention relates generally to a multifunctional printing system including a queue and a set of resources and, more particularly, to a system which manages the selective holding of a job in the queue in accordance with a policy when a resource required by a program corresponding with the job is unavailable in the set of resources.
Electronic printing systems typically include an input section, sometimes referred to as an input image terminal (“IIT”), a controller, and an output section or print engine, sometimes referred to as an image output terminal (“IOT”). In one type of electronic printing system, manufactured by Xerox® Corporation, known as the DocuTech® electronic printing system, a job can be inputted to the printing system from, among other sources, a network or a scanner. An example of a printing system with both network and scanner inputs is found in the following patent:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,340
Patentees: Prokop et al.
Issued: Dec. 8, 1992
When a scanner is employed to generate the job, image bearing documents are scanned so that the images therein are converted to image data for use in making prints. When a network is used to generate the job, a stream of data, including various job related instructions and image data, expressed in terms of a page description language is captured, decomposed and stored for printing. As is known, a network job can have its origin in a remote client, such as a workstation, or a print server with a storage device. Jobs provided at the IIT may be stored in a memory section, sometimes referred to as “electronic precollation memory”. An example of electronic precollation memory may be found in the following patent:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,955
Patentees: Shope et al.
Issued: Sep. 10, 1991
U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,955 discloses a system in which input image data of a job is rasterized and compressed. The compressed, rasterized image data is then stored, in collated form, in a job image buffer. Once the job has been stored in the job image buffer, a selected number of job copies can be decompressed and printed without further job rasterization.
In one area related to electronic printing, namely digital copying, a demand for “multifunctionality” continues to grow. As illustrated by the following patent, a multifunctional digital copier can assume the form of an arrangement in which a single electrostatic processing printer is coupled with a plurality of different image input devices, with such devices being adapted to produce image related information for use by the printer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,071
Patentee: Jones
Issued: Jul. 27, 1971
U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,071 discloses that the image related information, in one example, could have its origin in video facsimile signals, microfilm, data processing information, light scanning platens for full size documents, aperture cards and microfiche.
The following patents also relate to the area of multifunctional digital copying:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,107
Patentees: Naito et al.
Issued: Apr. 11, 1989
U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,892
Patentees: Kita et al.
Issued: Jun. 4, 1991
U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,633
Patentees: Saito et al.
Issued: Dec. 29, 1992
U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,948
Patentees: Sakurai et al.
Issued: Jun. 29, 1993
U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,799
Patentee: Rivshin
Issued: Jan. 4, 1994
U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,458
Patentees: Freiburg et al.
Issued: Apr. 26, 1994
Multifunctional copying devices are typically adapted to store a plurality of jobs for eventual printing. In one example, jobs are ordered for printing in an arrangement referred to as a “print queue”. Xerox Network Systems have employed the concept of the print queue for at least a decade to manage jobs at network printers. Further teaching regarding network printing is provided in the following patent:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,730
Patentee: Hube
Issued: Jul. 25, 1995
The concept of a print queue is integral to the operation of various digital reproduction systems. Through appropriate queue management, a job currently in the process of being printed can be interrupted with an interrupt job in a manner disclosed by the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,735
Patentees: Gauronski et al.
Issued: Apr. 27, 1993
Referring particularly to the '735 Patent, a special job is obtained from a mass memory, shown by way of a “job file”, and inserted into the queue at a “logical point” with respect to the job currently being processed. When printing reaches the logical point at which the special job was inserted, the job currently being processed is interrupted so that the special job is processed. Upon completion of the processing of the special job, processing of the interrupted job is resumed.
The queue disclosed in the '735 Patent is managed, in the normal case, on a first-come-first-serve (“FIFO”) basis except when special or interrupt jobs are inserted into the queue. In the illustrated embodiment of the '735 Patent, the interrupt job is inserted into the queue as described above except when an interrupt job is currently in the process of printing. When an interrupt job is currently printing, a second interrupt job is placed behind the interrupt job in process. Essentially, priority is given to the interrupt job currently in process. The concerns associated with interrupting a first interrupt job with a second interrupt job are also addressed in the following patent:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,009
Patentee: Hansen
Issued: Jul. 9, 1996
The queue management arrangement of the '735 Patent is not optimally suited for use in a multifunctional context because it does not differentiate among job types for the purpose of managing the queue. Consequently, a print job cannot, in many common instances, be given priority over a copy job, or vice versa. Systems particularly well suited for use with a multifunctional printing systems are disclosed by the following references:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,345
Patentees: Paradise et al.
Issued: Aug. 7, 1990
Japanese Application 58-152821
Published: Aug. 22, 1983
Referring particularly to the '345 Patent, a first queue is used to store copy and print jobs, while a second queue, communicating with the first queue, is used to store facsimile (“fax”) jobs in parallel with the first queue. After a preselected number of one or more fax jobs is stored in the second queue, the stored job(s) is placed in front of the jobs of the first queue so that the one or more fax jobs can be printed ahead of the currently queued copy/print jobs.
Other queue management and/or job scheduling schemes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,113,355, 5,327,526 and 5,377,016. An abstract pertaining to each disclosure is provided below:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,355 discloses a printer control system for enabling queue identifiers, which identify different print jobs, to be sorted such that those queue identifiers identifying print jobs which require fonts that are already loaded in the print server are placed at the head of a print list, and those queue identifiers identifying print jobs which require fonts that are not loaded in the print server are placed at the end of the print list. The print jobs are then processed in the order that the queue identifiers appear on the print list. When a print job to be processed requires fonts that are not loaded into the system a message is displayed on a display unit in order to inform the operator which fonts need to be loaded into the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,526 discloses a print job control system which processes print requests to set an order of priority for printing print jobs. A print job manager checks the print request and determines what print option is selected and manipulates the queue identifiers associated with respective print jobs and enters them into a print queue table. One feature allows changing the print order thereby overriding the designated print option. Another feature allows for increasing the priority of low priority jobs regardless of the designated print option assuring that the low priority jobs will be printed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,016 discloses a control circuit which receives advance data representing
Cohen Gary B.
Evans Arthur G.
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