Patent ID: 8233175
Filing Date: 2012-07-31
Classification: B42C,G03G,G06F

Abstract:
1. A control system that controls a document production system having an image output terminal (IOT) that produces document sets of sheets having images thereon, at least two similar finishing devices that receive the document sets, and a document set transport connected between the IOT and the finishing devices, the control system comprising: a master controller in communication with the document set transport, wherein when the master controller detects an end of set command from the IOT for a first document set being delivered to a first finishing device of the finishing devices, the master controller issues a signal that causes the document set transport to deliver a second document set to a second finishing device of the finishing devices, bypassing the first finishing device, wherein the second finishing device is a next finishing device from the first finishing device according to a predetermined order, and the predetermined order is a continuous loop in which the finishing devices are ordered by their transport distance from the IOT on the document set transport, the loop beginning with one of the finishing devices having a longest transport distance between it and the IOT, the loop continuing from a last finishing device back to the one finishing device having the longest transport path such that the last finishing device is the finishing device with a shortest transport path between it and the IOT.