Recognition-based data entry for production print system

Systems and methods are provided for visual timelines for printer management of a print system. One embodiment includes a printer terminal device that receives printer statuses of the first printer and the second printer, and displays a GUI that includes a first visual timeline of printer statuses at the first printer and a second visual timeline of printer statuses at the second printer. The GUI also includes a line at a location of user interaction, the line extending across the first visual timeline and the second visual timeline to indicate a historical point of time. The printer terminal device retrieves event data of one or more print jobs of the first printer and the second printer based on the historical point of time, and displays at the GUI the event data along with the line to visually indicate context for a user entering the description for the printer status.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to the field of printing, and in particular, to management and display of printer data.

BACKGROUND

Production printers, which can print hundreds of pages per minute, are typically managed by a print operator that performs many tasks to make sure print jobs are printed correctly and efficiently. In addition to their other duties, print operators may be tasked with recording details about various states of a printer to help print supervisors assess productivity. However, in an effort to finish their other primary tasks, print operators often write up logs of what happened at the end of the day, and the information may thus be prone to errors and approximations.

SUMMARY

Embodiments described herein provide for visual timelines for printer management of a print system. A printer terminal device manages multiple printers of a print shop, and for each printer displays a visual timeline of a status history of the printer. Multiple visual timelines are displayed on the screen of the printer terminal device. A user, or print operator, is able to interact with the visual timelines to enter additional data about a particular printer status. As the operator interacts with the visual timelines, the graphical user interface (GUI) displays a marker (e.g., line) of time across the multiple visual timelines so the operator can see what was occurring at each printer at a particular time. Additionally, the GUI conveniently displays additional data near the marker to help the operator remember what occurred at the printers near that time. This additional context helps the print operator remember details of what previously occurred as they enter printer status descriptions, thereby improving accuracy in data collection for the print shop to help print operators identify and correct inefficiencies in printing operations.

One embodiment is a system that includes a printer terminal device in communication with a first printer and a second printer and configured to receive printer statuses of the first printer and the second printer over a period of time. The printer terminal device is further configured to present a Graphical User Interface (GUI) at a display that includes a first visual timeline of printer statuses at the first printer and a second visual timeline of printer statuses at the second printer, the first visual timeline and the second visual timeline displayed as separate timelines that are aligned with respect to time. The printer terminal device is also configured to receive user interaction with a printer status displayed on one of the first visual timeline and the second visual timeline for entering a description for the printer status, and display at the GUI a line at a location of the user interaction, the line extending across the first visual timeline and the second visual timeline to indicate a historical point of time that corresponds with the location. The printer terminal device is further configured to retrieve event data of one or more print jobs of the first printer and the second printer based on the historical point of time, and displaying at the GUI the event data along with the line to visually indicate context for a user entering the description for the printer status.

A further embodiment is a method. The method includes receiving printer statuses of a first printer and a second printer over a period of time, and presenting a Graphical User Interface (GUI) at a display that includes a first visual timeline of printer statuses at the first printer and a second visual timeline of printer statuses at the second printer, the first visual timeline and the second visual timeline displayed as separate timelines that are aligned with respect to time. The method also includes receiving user interaction with a printer status displayed on one of the first visual timeline and the second visual timeline for entering a description for the printer status, and displaying, at the GUI, a line at a location of the user interaction, the line extending across the first visual timeline and the second visual timeline to indicate a historical point of time that corresponds with the location. The method further includes retrieving event data of one or more print jobs of the first printer and the second printer based on the historical point of time, and displaying, at the GUI, the event data along with the line to visually indicate context for a user entering the description for the printer status.

Other exemplary embodiments (e.g., methods and computer-readable media relating to the foregoing embodiments) may be described below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1is a block diagram of a print system100in an illustrative embodiment. The print system100comprises any systems, devices, or components operable to print incoming print jobs. The print system100may be managed and monitored by a user, or print operator, interacting with a printer terminal device110in communication with printers120and130via a network140. Generally, the printer terminal device110includes a display118to present one or more Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) to the user, and utilizes user interface (I/F)112to receive user input pertaining to presented GUIs. For example, in some embodiments, the printer terminal device110comprises a tablet or similar device in which the display118and user I/F112are integrated in the form of a touch screen that the user may directly interact with. Alternatively or additionally, the user I/F112may comprise a keyboard, mouse, etc. for interacting with controls presented on such GUIs.

The printer terminal device110is enhanced to improve the accuracy of printer event data reported by a print operator by displaying multiple visual timelines of the multiple printers of the print system100. The display of visual timelines is further enhanced with the display of a marker or line that connects the visual timelines with respect to time. The location of the marker directs the display of additional contextual information for the print operator to remember details to add that can improve the accuracy of collected data for the print system100. Advantageously, print shops may use this improved data to help identify effective solutions for mitigating the expense of printer idling times.

Generally, the printer terminal device110manages user interactions to facilitate the handling of print jobs to be printed with the printers120/130. The network140carries communications between the printer terminal device110and printers120and130based on user interactions with GUIs presented via display118. The network140comprises any combination of devices and components for routing communications between the printer terminal device110, print job database150, and printers120and130. For example, the network140may comprise the Internet, a local intranet, etc.

The printer terminal device110also communicates with a print job database150via the network140. The print job database150stores data of previous print jobs that have been printed by the print system100. In particular, the print job database150may store print job metadata151, and the print job metadata151may be correlated with event data152to retrieve contextual cues for the print operator. As will be described in greater detail below, the printer terminal device110is enhanced to improve accuracy of the print job metadata151reported by the print operator, and further to use the event data152to generate useful prompts to the print operator via the display118.

The printers120and130physically mark print media based on received print jobs. While only two printers are illustrated, in further embodiments any suitable number of printers may be managed by the printer terminal device110. In this embodiment, printer120includes I/F124for exchanging data via the network140. In response to receiving print data from the network140, the printer120may engage in rasterization of the print data via Rasterization Image Processing (RIP) unit122, which may include multiple Rasterization Image Processors. The rasterized print data may then be used to direct the operations of a marking engine121(e.g., an inkjet marking engine, laser print engine, etc.) in order to mark physical media. The printer120may also include a display123. In some embodiments, functions and/or GUIs described with respect to the display118of the printer terminal device110may alternatively or additionally be implemented with the display123of the printer120. The printer130includes similar elements to those of printer120, such as marking engine131, RIP unit132, display133, and I/F134.

In one embodiment, the printer terminal device includes a processor114and memory116. The processor114is operable to perform the functions of the printer terminal device110, and may be implemented as custom circuitry, as a hardware processor executing programmed instructions stored in memory116, etc. Memory116may also store instructions for one or more GUIs to users of the printer terminal device110. Memory116may be implemented as a solid-state memory, spinning disk, etc. in order to electronically store data.

The printer terminal device110, print job database150, and printers120/130may include an Ethernet interface, Wi-Fi interface, etc. for engaging in communications with network140. Although the printer terminal device110and print job database150are shown and described as separate, remote components, it will be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the print system100may implement cloud functionality in which processing/storage functions of the printer terminal device110and print job database150may be at least partially implemented in the other, or implemented remotely via other component(s) or sever(s) connected to the network140. The particular arrangement, number, and configuration of components described herein are examples for purposes of discussion and are non-limiting.

FIG. 2shows a printer terminal device110in an illustrative embodiment. The printer terminal device110includes the display118to present one or more GUI(s)210displaying information of the print system100. In particular, the GUI210includes visual timelines211-213for each of a plurality of printers of the print system100. The visual timelines211-213are generally displayed as separate timelines that are aligned with respect to time. Each visual timeline211-213includes a series of printer statuses that adjoin along a single dimension to represent the status history of a printer over a period of time. For example, each visual timeline211-213may extend horizontally, with an adjacent visual timeline displayed above and/or below to align with respect to a horizontal dimension of time.

In this example, a first visual timeline211includes printer statuses221-224for a first printer201, a second visual timeline212includes printer statuses231-233of a second printer202, and a third visual timeline213includes printer statuses241-242for a third printer203. Each visual timeline211-213displays the printer statuses in a manner that visually distinguishes changes to the type of printer status over time. For example, types of printer status may include printing states, idle states, and/or an error states. And, the visual timelines211-213may include a different visual representation for each of the printing state, the idle state, and the error state. For instance, in embodiments in which the different visual representation includes different colors, periods of normal printing may comprise green blocks/backgrounds, periods of idle times may comprise grey blocks/backgrounds, and periods of error states may comprise red blocks/backgrounds in the visual timeline.

Additionally, the visual timelines211-213may include control elements responsive to user interaction/selection. For example, areas of printer statuses on each visual timeline which may be selectable via user touch or pointer device clicks. In response to user selection of a printer status, the printer terminal device110may generate additional user prompts and/or contextual information for entering additional information regarding printer statuses as further described below.

Suppose, for this example, that a print operator managing printers201-203via the printer terminal device110is interacting with the GUI210to enter additional data regarding an idle period (i.e., periods in which a printer is not printing despite being capable of printing or not having errors that prevent printing). Thus, the operator may select/touch an area of printer status223which, in this example, corresponds with an idle period of the first printer201. In response, the printer terminal device110generates/displays a line250that extends across (e.g., in a vertical direction perpendicular to a horizontal dimension of time) one or more of the visual timelines211-213. The line250may be displayed at a location of the user interaction and indicate a historical point of time252that corresponds with the location. In this example, the horizontal position of the line250indicates a time of 11:30.

Additionally, the printer terminal device110may retrieve event data of one or more print jobs based on the historical point of time252. For example, the printer terminal device110may retrieve, from the print job database150, event data152that occurred for each printer during a window of time near 11:30. This retrieved contextual information may be displayed alongside the line250to help the print operator recognize or remember what happened with respect to the printer status223, thus making print shop data collection more accurate and reliable.

For example, with respect to the first printer201, the printer terminal device110may display a first print job name261of a print job that printed before the historical point of time252(e.g., visually correlated with a prior printer status222that is green to indicate a period of printing). It may further display a second print job name262of another print job that printed after the historical point of time252(e.g., visually correlated with a prior printer status224that is green to indicate a period of printing). The first print job name261may be displayed to one side of the line250, and the second print job name262may be displayed to another side of the line250. Thus, the displayed event data may include metadata or other information of print jobs associated with printer status(es) adjacent to the printer status selected by the user.

Alternatively or additionally, the printer terminal device110may retrieve event data of other printers that may help provide context for the print operator. For example, with respect to the second printer202, the printer terminal device110may retrieve/display an error description271of printer status233that coincided with the selected idle printer status223of the first printer201. As another example, with respect to the third printer203, the printer terminal device110may retrieve/display a warning message281received at the third printer203that occurred within a threshold period of time of the line250.

The printer terminal device110may also receive an operator schedule for a print operator managing the printers, and display at the GUI210an operator timeline290aligned with the visual timelines211-213with respect to time. The line250may extend to/across the operator timeline290to help an operator292visualize their activity throughout the day with respect to time and remember the details of print statuses to record for improved data collection accuracy.

FIG. 3shows the GUI210displaying a prompt300for user input in relation to the visual timeline211in an illustrative embodiment. In continuing with the previous example, suppose that the print operator has selected the printer status223having a grey background to indicate an idle period. In addition to the line250, the printer terminal device110may display the prompt300on the GUI210. The prompt300may include a graphical window with potential reasons for the printer status as selectable options301-305. For example, the operator may select the area of selectable option303to indicate that the idle period, or printer status223, was due to fetching supplies for the printer. Using patterns of this type of information collected over time, a print shop may make informed decisions to improve print shop efficiency such as determining to relocate their supplies closer to the print area based on the number of user responses indicating fetching supplies as a factor for printer idling periods.

After the print operator has selected one of the selectable options301-305, the prompt300, line250, and/or contextual information may be removed from display at the GUI210. The selectable options301-305may alternatively or additionally include other control elements or actions to facilitate collecting operator data. For example, the selectable option305may trigger opening a camera application to capture an image of an error barcode printed by the printer in association with the printer status. The prompt300may additionally or alternatively include options to pop-up a window for typing input and/or to open a file explorer for browsing/attaching a file to the printer status. Further illustrative details of the printer terminal device110, GUI210, and visual timelines211-213are described below.

FIG. 4is a flowchart illustrating a method400of prompting data collection for a printing system in an illustrative embodiment. The steps of the method400are described with reference to the print system100, the printer terminal device110, and GUI210described above, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that the method400may be performed in other systems. The steps of the flowcharts described herein are not all inclusive, may include other steps not shown, and may be performed in an alternative order.

In step402, the printer terminal device110receives printer statuses of at a first printer and a second printer over a period of time. In step404, the printer terminal device110presents the GUI210at the display118that includes a first visual timeline of printer statuses at the first printer and a second visual timeline of printer statuses at the second printer. As earlier described, the first visual timeline and the second visual timeline may be displayed as separate timelines that are aligned with respect to time.

In step406, the printer terminal device110receives user interaction with a printer status displayed on one of the first visual timeline and the second visual timeline for entering a description for the printer status. In step408, the printer terminal device110displays at the GUI210a line at a location of the user interaction, the line extending across the first visual timeline and the second visual timeline to indicate a historical point of time that corresponds with the location.

In step410, the printer terminal device110retrieves event data of one or more print jobs of the first printer and the second printer based on the historical point of time. And, in step412, the printer terminal device110displays at the GUI210the event data along with the line to visually indicate context for a user entering the description for the printer status. Thus, in using the method400, the print operator is visually prompted to enter printer status metadata for improved print shop data collection.

Embodiments disclosed herein can take the form of software, hardware, firmware, or various combinations thereof. In one particular embodiment, software is used to direct a processing system of printing system100to perform the various operations disclosed herein.FIG. 5illustrates a processing system500operable to execute a computer readable medium embodying programmed instructions to perform desired functions in an exemplary embodiment. Processing system500is operable to perform the above operations by executing programmed instructions tangibly embodied on computer readable storage medium512. In this regard, embodiments of the invention can take the form of a computer program accessible via computer-readable medium512providing program code for use by a computer or any other instruction execution system. For the purposes of this description, computer readable storage medium512can be anything that can contain or store the program for use by the computer.

Computer readable storage medium512can be an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor device. Examples of computer readable storage medium512include a solid state memory, a magnetic tape, a removable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a rigid magnetic disk, and an optical disk. Current examples of optical disks include compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM), compact disk-read/write (CD-R/W), and DVD.

Processing system500, being suitable for storing and/or executing the program code, includes at least one processor502coupled to program and data memory504through a system bus550. Program and data memory504can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code, bulk storage, and cache memories that provide temporary storage of at least some program code and/or data in order to reduce the number of times the code and/or data are retrieved from bulk storage during execution.

Input/output or I/O devices506(including but not limited to keyboards, displays, pointing devices, etc.) can be coupled either directly or through intervening I/O controllers. Network adapter interfaces508may also be integrated with the system to enable processing system500to become coupled to other data processing systems or storage devices through intervening private or public networks. Modems, cable modems, IBM Channel attachments, SCSI, Fibre Channel, and Ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network or host interface adapters. Display device interface510may be integrated with the system to interface to one or more display devices, such as printing systems and screens for presentation of data generated by processor502.