Patent ID: 7995225
Filing Date: 2011-08-09
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A system comprising: a first processing component which identifies preliminary attributes of print jobs to be printed on sheets; a job scheduler which receives the preliminary attributes of a plurality of print jobs to be printed from the first processing component and assigns each of the print jobs to one of a plurality of job queues in time order for printing, whereby print jobs spanning the same time are scheduled for printing contemporaneously, the job scheduler having a mode of operation in which the assignment of the print jobs to the job queues is based on the preliminary attributes of the print jobs and on the application of at least one constraint which affects contemporaneous printing of at least two of the plurality of print jobs, but not based on detailed attributes of the print jobs that are not yet determined by the system; a second processing component which identifies the detailed attributes of the print jobs which have been assigned by the job scheduler to the job queues, the detailed attributes comprising sheet content; and a sheet scheduler which receives information on the assignments of the print jobs to the job queues and the detailed attributes of the print jobs and forms an itinerary for each sheet to be printed.