초록 ▼

A system is provided to allow for automated scheduling and completion of print jobs in a printing machine. A generic system for describing functionality of various modules forming a print engine is described. Such a module description is provided for each of a plurality of subassemblies which form t

A system is provided to allow for automated scheduling and completion of print jobs in a printing machine. A generic system for describing functionality of various modules forming a print engine is described. Such a module description is provided for each of a plurality of subassemblies which form the printing machine. A component communicates description information about itself to a scheduling unit once it is integrated into a complete printing machine. The scheduling unit, in turn, analyzes all functions available from various subassemblies comprising the machine. This analysis returns data representative of all available functions to the printing machines. Upon receipt of user input on one or more printing jobs, the scheduler then correlates the user information with the available properties of the printing machine to schedule resource allocations to efficiently complete all printing tasks, taking into account dynamic, environmentally-driven allocations.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of modelling print engine resources for scheduling of printing tasks comprising: retrieving, from components of a print engine, resource availability data representative of all resources available thereto, at least one of the components being a physical element of the print engine, each of

A method of modelling print engine resources for scheduling of printing tasks comprising: retrieving, from components of a print engine, resource availability data representative of all resources available thereto, at least one of the components being a physical element of the print engine, each of the components being described independent of reference to descriptions of or interactions with other components; communicating retrieved resource availability data to an associated generic scheduler, the associated generic scheduler configured without component specific information; retrieving, from each component, resource allocation data representative of a resource requirement and a required time interval during which an associated resource is required; communicating retrieved resource allocation data to the associated generic scheduler; retrieving, from each component, resource constraint data representative of acceptability of multiple allocations of a same resource; communicating retrieved resource constraint data to the associated generic scheduler; and composing each of the retrieved and communicated resource availability data, resource allocation data, and resource constraint data to obtain an overall model of a print engine, whereby the associated generic scheduler is adapted to schedule printing tasks of each component in order to obtain overall print engine resources for scheduling of printing tasks.