Patent ID: 6504621
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: G06F,H04N

Abstract:
In a printing system with a queue for structuring an order in which a plurality of jobs are to be processed with the printing system, a first set of resources being provided to the printing system for processing each of the plurality of jobs, one of the plurality of jobs being programmed with a second set of resources indicating the specific resources required for processing the job, a method for managing the processing of the one of the plurality of jobs when one or more of the resources of the second set of resources is currently unavailable in the first set of resources, comprising:(a) providing a policy dictating how a given job should be managed, relative to the queue, when a resource mismatch exists between the first set of resources and a set of resources programmed for the given job; (b) determining if a resource mismatch exists between the first set of resources and the second set of resources; (c) when it is determined with said (b) that a resource mismatch exists between the first set of resources and the second set of resources, using said policy to either, (i) hold the one of the plurality of jobs or the identifier for the one of the plurality of jobs in the queue until a first preselected condition is met, or (ii) prohibit holding of the one of the plurality of jobs or the identifier for the one of the plurality of jobs in the queue; and (d) configuring the policy so that (i) a job or job identifier corresponding with a first resource deficient job type is to be held in the queue until the first preselected condition is met and that a job or job identifier corresponding with a second resource deficient job type is not to be held in the queue for processing thereof, and (ii) only certain types of resource deficient jobs are held in the queue for processing.