MEDIA PROCESSING SYSTEM WITH SCHEDULER

Abstract

A media processing system is arranged to process image receiving media under predetermined physical conditions. The system includes a scheduler arranged to schedule jobs to be processed in the system and to calculate predicted timings (T0) at which media will have to be ready for processing and to indicate the predicted timings on a user interface. The system further includes a buffer in which a supply of media that has been received from a first environment is kept in a specified second environment before being processed. The scheduler is configured to calculate an acclimatization time required for the media to acquire the predetermined physical conditions by being kept in the second environment in the buffer, and to calculate and indicate a predicted timing (T1) at which the media should be present in the sheet buffer at the latest in view of the calculated acclimatization time.

Claims

1. A media processing system arranged to process image receiving media under predetermined physical conditions, the system comprising: a scheduler arranged to schedule jobs to be processed from input bins in the system, to calculate first predicted timings (T0) at which media will have to be ready for processing and to indicate the first predicted timings on a user interface; a buffer in which a supply of media that has been received from a first environment is kept in a specified second environment before being processed, wherein the buffer is distinct from the input bins and comprises a local media store from which the media are to be transferred to a media input section from which the media will be supplied for being processed, and wherein the scheduler is configured to calculate an acclimatization time required for the media to acquire said predetermined physical conditions by being kept in the second environment in the buffer, and to calculate and indicate a second predicted timing (T1) as to prompt a user at which time the media should be present in the sheet buffer in view of the calculated acclimatization time.

2. A method of scheduling jobs to be processed in a media processing system, said method comprising the steps of: calculating a first timing (T0) at which image receiving media will have to be ready for processing from input bins of the media processing system; indicating the first timing (T0) on a user interface; calculating an acclimatization time required for the media to acquire a predetermined physical condition by being kept in a known environment in a buffer, the buffer being distinct from the input bins; and calculating and indicating a second timing (T1) as to prompt a user at which time the media should be present in the buffer on the basis of the calculated acclimatization time.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of calculating the acclimatization time includes a step of reading media specifications that describe physical properties of the media.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of calculating the acclimatization time comprises a step of reading data that specify a climate in the buffer.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of calculating the acclimatization time comprises a step of reading data that specify a climate in an environment where the media are kept before they are transferred into the buffer.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein said physical conditions comprise at least a temperature of the media.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein said physical conditions comprise at least a humidity content of the media.

8. The method according to claim 2, further comprising a step of scheduling a plurality of processing jobs waiting in a queue; and wherein, when the second calculated timing (T1) at which the media should be present in the buffer is in the past at the time of calculation, re-scheduling the jobs by giving priority to another job for which the media are already available in the buffer.

9. A software product comprising program code on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code causing the computer to perform the method according to claim 2.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

[0022] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a printing system to which the invention is applicable;

[0023] FIG. 2 is an example of a job schedule as displayed on a user interface of the printing system; and

[0024] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals have been used to identify the same or similar elements throughout the several views.

[0026] As an example of a sheet processing system, FIG. 1 shows a printing system 10 comprising an input section 12, a main processing section 14 and a finisher 16. The input section 12 is connected to a network for receiving print jobs from remote locations and includes a local scanner 18 where documents to be printed may be scanned-in. The input section further includes input bins 20 for storing media sheets of different types to be used for printing. The main processing section 14 includes a print engine for printing images on the media sheets supplied from the storage bins 20. The main processing section 14 further includes an electronic controller 22 and a local user interface 24. The finisher 16 is arranged to perform finishing operations (stapling, punching or the like) on the printed media sheets before the finished sheets are discharged on output trays 26.

[0027] While the input bins 20 are only capable of accommodating a limited supply of media sheets, a larger supply of media sheets of all types that may possibly be needed in the printing system 10 are kept ready in a local media store 28, which is provided in proximity of the printing system 10, preferably close to the input bins 20. Thus, the local media store 28 will be in the same room or at least in the same building as the printing system 10 and will consequently have a climate, which corresponds to the climate in the print shop in which the printing system 10 is installed. Since humans are working in the print shop, the climate can be expected to be characterized by a moderate temperature (e.g. room temperature) and a moderate humidity content of the air. In the simplest case, the local media store 28 may just be a place or a palette where the media sheets or packages of media sheets are stacked. In another embodiment, it is possible, however, that the local media store 28 is an air-conditioned enclosure in which a climate is maintained that is particularly suited for storing the media sheets and may be different from the climate in the rest of the print shop.

[0028] An even larger stock of media sheets of all types is stored in a warehouse 30, which may be a non-conditioned building or building part separate from the building or building part where the printing system 10 is installed.

[0029] Thus, as has been indicated by arrows in FIG. 1, media sheets are from time to time transferred from the warehouse 30 to the local media store 28, and smaller batches of media sheets will be transferred from the local media store 28 to the input bins 20 of the printing system in order to refill the input bins.

[0030] The controller 22 of the printing system 10 is arranged to receive commands from the local user interface 24 or from remote user interfaces via the network and to control all operations of the input section 12, the main processing section 14 and the finisher 16. Further, the controller 22 controls the user interface 24 for displaying messages and other information on a display of the user interface 24.

[0031] When one or more print jobs are received at the receiving section 12, a specific module in the controller 22, which is called a scheduler 32, sorts the received jobs by their priorities and arranges them in a print queue, which determines the sequence in which the jobs will be processed. Further, based on more or less detailed information on the processing operations to be performed in the main processing section 14 and the finishers 16, the scheduler calculates for each job an estimate of the time that will be needed for processing the job. Based on these estimates, the scheduler calculates a time schedule 34, which will be displayed on the user interface 24 (and possibly also on remote user interfaces).

[0032] FIG. 2 shows an example of such a time schedule for the simple case that only three print jobs “job 1”, “job 2”, “job 3” are waiting in the print queue. A column 36 on the left margin of the display screen identifies the print jobs, and a time bar 38 is displayed for each job. The time bars 38 symbolize the expected durations of the respective print jobs and indicate the start and end times of the jobs. These times can be read on a time scale 40 that is displayed below the time bars.

[0033] Further, the scheduler calculates the expected timings of certain events, which require an activity from the user or the operator of the printing system, such as refilling an input bin 20, removing sheets from an output tray 26, and the like.

[0034] The estimates for the duration of the job processing as symbolized by the time bars 38 may be based on a more or less detailed model of the processing operations that are to be performed in the processing system and the times needed for each of these operations.

[0035] Timings T0 at which new media sheets are to be loaded into the input bins 20 are indicated by solid black bars in FIG. 2. The time at which the sheets for a given job must be loaded into the input bin is given by the position of the solid black line relative to the time scale 40. A column 45 at the right margin of the display screen indicates for each job the type of the media sheets that are needed for the job as well as the input bin 20 into which these sheets are to be loaded.

[0036] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the timings T0 coincide essentially with the beginning of the processing of the respective job, although certain reserve times may be provided between the timing T0 and the actual start of processing of the job. This means that the dwell times of the media sheets in the input bin 20 may be extremely short, especially for the first few sheets to be processed. Consequently, when the sheets had not been stored for a certain time in the local media store 28, but had been fetched directly from the warehouse 30, there is a certain likelihood that the temperature of the sheets would be too low and/or the humidity too high for proper processing in the print engine.

[0037] In order to avoid this risk, the scheduler 32 is configured to calculate for each job, depending on the media specifications and reasonable (worst case) assumptions for the climate in the warehouse 30, a minimum acclimatization time 44 for which the sheets should be kept in the local media store 28 in order for the temperature and humidity of the sheets to adjust to the climate in the store 28 and, consequently, to values suitable for processing the sheets. Timings T1, which represent the latest possible time at which the sheets should be transferred from the warehouse 30 into the local store 28 in order to assure a sufficient acclimatization time are indicated by hatched vertical bars in FIG. 2. A legend 46 displayed on the bottom part of the screen of the user interface helps to explain the meaning of the timings T0 and T1. Thus, the user or operator is prompted to transfer the required media sheets from the warehouse 30 to the local store 28 no later than the timings T1 as read on the time scale 40. The user or operator may be prompted by a dedicated message to be displayed on the screen of the user interface.

[0038] As has been shown for “job 3” in FIG. 2, a job may involve processing of more than one type of media, e.g. because insert sheets are to be inserted in-between the regular sheets. In that case, separate time bars 38 are shown for each media type, and each time bar represents the time span in which the respective media type will be processed. Of course, the timings T1 may be different for the different media types.

[0039] Conversely, one and the same media type may be needed for different jobs. Then, a timing T1 will be indicated only for the job that is the first to require media sheets of this type.

[0040] The essential steps of a representative example of a scheduling method according to the invention have been shown in a flow diagram in FIG. 3.

[0041] A new job is received, added to the print queue and scheduled in step S1. The time T0 at which the media sheets for this job should be available in the input bin 20 is calculated in step S2. The media specifications describing the physical properties of the media sheets and the environment conditions in the local media store are read in steps S3 and S4, respectively. The environment conditions in the local media store may, for example, be measured by means of a thermometer, an air humidity meter, and the like. If no suitable equipment for measuring these values is available, the data may just be based on reasonable assumptions.

[0042] The environment conditions in the warehouse 30 are read in step S5. Again, rather than actually measuring the climate in the ware house, it is possible to estimate the climate based on reasonable assumptions, taking the physical properties of the building, the time of the year, and the like into consideration.

[0043] The data gathered in steps S3 to S5 permit to calculate the acclimatization time in step S6. Further, subtracting the acclimatization time from the time T0 calculated in step S2 yields the time T1 when the media sheets should be present in the local store.

[0044] In step S7, it is checked whether the time T1 calculated in step S6 is in the past. If this is the case (Y), this would mean that the sheets cannot be processed properly and the print process would have to be interrupted. In order to avoid this, the workflow branches to a step S8 where the print jobs are rescheduled. For example, if other jobs are waiting in the print queue, and media sheets for these jobs are already present in the local store 28, then the job for which the timing T1 has been calculated in step S7 may be shifted to a later position in the print queue. This will result in a later time T1 which is in the future, so that the print processing can be continued without interruption.

[0045] When it is found in step S7 that the time T1 is in the future, the timings T0 and T1 are displayed on the user interface in step S9.

[0046] The present invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.