초록 ▼

A method and apparatus is provided for compositional modeling of print engines. The system automatically derives a complete list of all of the capabilities of a described print engine. The method includes providing compositional models of components forming the print engine. The models describe loca

A method and apparatus is provided for compositional modeling of print engines. The system automatically derives a complete list of all of the capabilities of a described print engine. The method includes providing compositional models of components forming the print engine. The models describe local capabilities of each component including part transformation abilities as well as timing constraints. Using the component models, configurations are created by connecting the components. Once the component models are connected, the capabilities of the configurations are directly derived. A capability is a part that can be produced by the configuration, together with the itinerary required to produce the part, the inputs from which the output is assembled, and the timing constraints to be observed when executing the itinerary. Capabilities are the fundamental connection between the description of a job to be printed by a print engine and the print engine scheduling and control software. Capabilities are themselves compositional and are used to automatically derive scheduling and control software for customer-configured print engines.

대표청구항 ▼

[ Having thus described the invention, it is now claimed:] [1.] In a print engine apparatus, a method of determining a capability of the print engine apparatus to assemble a first product described by a first product specification, the method comprising the steps of;providing a model for a print eng

[ Having thus described the invention, it is now claimed:] [1.] In a print engine apparatus, a method of determining a capability of the print engine apparatus to assemble a first product described by a first product specification, the method comprising the steps of;providing a model for a print engine apparatus configuration, the model including an interconnected set of transfer functions characterizing the print engine apparatus configuration, each transfer function among said set of transfer functions describing a capability of at least one of print engine components of the print engine apparatus configuration to generate an input part from an output part, at least one of the print engine components being a physical element of the print engine apparatus, and each print engine component being described independent of any reference to or interaction with other components;performing an event-based backwards simulation of said model by applying said first product specification to at least one output port of the model; and,determining a capability of the print engine apparatus to assemble said first product described by the first product specification based on a result of said event-based backwards simulation, said event-based backwards simulation acting to compose the capabilities of each of the print engine components by accumulating, attribute constraints; resource allocations and timing constraints; and, names and arguments of an executed capabilities stored in an itinerary list, whereby said capability of the print engine apparatus is realized based on an existence of a posting of a transformed work unit from a first one of the print engine components to an exit port of a second one of the print engine components when said exit port of said second one of the print engine components is said output port of said model of said print engine apparatus.