Abstract:
The present invention relates to a method of inserting a plurality of inserts from a distinguishable set into a multi-sheet document, wherein the steps of inserting inserts into the document are in accordance with a job definition, such that a stack of inserts and processed sheets is obtained, said stack having at least one aligned side determining the number of surplus inserts wherein the surplus of inserts is inserted at the end of the document offset from the aligned side of said stack. The present invention also relates to a sheet processing apparatus, comprising a controller arrangement configured for executing the method according to the present invention.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims priority from European Patent Application No. 06121803.8 filed on Oct. 5, 2006, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to a method of inserting a plurality of inserts from a distinguishable set into a multi-sheet document, comprising the steps of inserting inserts into the document in accordance with a job definition, such that a stack of inserts and processed sheets is obtained, said stack having at least one aligned side and determining the number of surplus inserts.  
         [0003]     A method of this kind is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,619. The method inserts sets of covers and tab-sheets into the correct position of the documents and determines whether the number of inserts per set is larger than the required number of inserts. If so, the surplus of inserts is then purged to another tray different from the tray on which the document is outputted.  
         [0004]     However, it is a disadvantage of this known method, that the sets of inserts are broken up, and an additional tray and associated conveying means are needed to output the surplus of inserts and in general no distinct document dividing indication is available to indicate the start and ending of the documents in the stack.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     It is an object of the present invention to maintain the neatness of the complete sets of marking inserts while providing an indication of the documents division. To this end a method for inserting marking inserts is provided wherein the surplus of inserts is inserted at the end of the document offset at the aligned side of said stack. By inserting the surplus at the end of the document offset at the aligned side of the stack, the operator is provided with a document division indication and can choose to extract the surplus out of the document or to keep the document, including the surplus of inserts together.  
         [0006]     One could also insert the surplus of inserts at the end of the document, whereby all inserts are aligned with the rest of the document, including the surplus of inserts. However, there is the disadvantage that the extraction of the surplus out of the stack may easily result in a disalignment of the stack.  
         [0007]     The multi-sheet document may comprise processed and unprocessed sheets. The sheets may for example be paper sheets, such as A4 plain paper sheets, glossy media or the like, or transparent overhead sheets, or other synthetic sheets.  
         [0008]     A distinguishable set of inserts is a set of inserts that is distinguishable as a set. In general such a set has a predetermined number of members. These members may for example have a certain sequence of colors, such that the set is distinguishable as a set. Another example of a distinguishable set of inserts is a set of tab-sheets. Such a set typically has a number of tab-sheets per set, all having a tabbed part which is offset with respect to the previous tab-sheet in the set. Such a set is distinguishable as a set of inserts. Other cyclic media may also form a distinguishable set of inserts. Inserting marking inserts may be executed inline, i.e., in the same apparatus where sheets are printed or offline, in a different apparatus, for example an offline document finisher. An offline document finisher may comprise an input tray for inputting processed sheets of a multi-sheet document and a separate input tray for inputting marking inserts and which outputs a stack of documents.  
         [0009]     In the case of an error in which the sheet processing apparatus can not finish an active job wherein a set of inserts is partly used at the occurrence of the error, the surplus of inserts may be processed with the method according to the invention, such that the sheet processing apparatus can restart the aborted job, or continue with the next job with a new set of inserts, while the surplus of inserts which are place offset the aligned stack functions as a identifier for the aborted job.  
         [0010]     In another embodiment of the method according to the present invention the inserts are marking inserts having an extending portion, the method being such that the extending portion extends out of the stack when aligned at the side opposite to the extending portion. The extending portions contribute to an easier handling of the document as the marking inserts mark the set division inside the document.  
         [0011]     In a further embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the side opposite to the extending portion of the surplus of marking inserts each having a positive offset with respect to the aligned side of the stack in the direction that extends from the aligned side of the stack towards the extending portion of the marking inserts.  
         [0012]     The resulting document division is clearly distinguishable from the set division and easily extractable by the operator. The positive offset of the surplus of marking inserts may be different for each individual marking insert of the surplus of marking inserts. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     The present invention will now be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of an example of a network system with workstations and a printer;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of an example of a printer for use according to the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of a set of a document;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is an illustration of a set of tab sheets;  
         [0018]      FIG. 5A  is a schematic side view of a print job, processed according to an embodiment of the method according to the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5B  is a schematic top view of a print job, processed according to an embodiment of the method according to the present invention; 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]      FIG. 1  shows a system of workstations (WS) and at least one printer (PR) connected by a network (N). Workstations, for example, are PC&#39;s and are in each case equipped with a processor unit, a monitor, a keyboard and a mouse or other indicator instrument. The term “printer” includes a digital copying machine in this context. A digital copying machine comprises a scanner, a printer, a user interface and a connection unit for connecting to the network and processing print jobs sent from the workstations. Users who wish to have a specific data file printed from their workstation may select one specific printer or all printers in the system.  
         [0021]     As an example,  FIG. 2  shows a digital copying machine  1  suitable for use in the system as shown in  FIG. 1 . The various parts being separately shown, diagrammatically. These parts comprise a document feeder  110  for physically handling the documents for copying, a scanner unit  112  for generating digital image data corresponding to an image appearing on a document, a printer unit  130  for making prints of images on print media in accordance with digital data, a multi-tray media supply unit  140  for supplying media to the printer unit  130  and a finishing and outputting section  150 , a user-interface unit  160 , a control unit  170  and a network communication unit  171 .  
         [0022]     The document feeder  110  is provided with an input tray  111  for inputting a stack of sheets of a document, a transport mechanism (not shown) for transporting the sheets one by one along the scanner unit  120  and an output tray  112  in which the sheets are placed after scanning.  
         [0023]     The scanner unit  120  comprises a flat bed scanner provided with a glass plate on which an original document can be placed, an optical image CCD sensor array and an imaging unit comprising a movable mirror and lens system for imaging the document on the CCD sensor array. During a scanning operation the CCD sensor array generates a series of electrical signals which are converted to digital image data in manner known per se.  
         [0024]     The printer unit  130  comprises an electro-photographic processing stage known per se, in which a photo-conductive medium  131  in the form of a band is charged by means of a corona unit  132  and then selectively discharged by exposing to a LED array  133  in accordance with digital image data. The charge image thus formed on the medium  131  is developed with toner powder in a developing unit  134 , whereafter the toner image is transferred, in a combined transfer and fixing unit  135 , to a heated rubber belt  136  on which the toner powder softens as a result of the heat of the belt  136  and becomes tacky. It is then transferred and fixed on a print media, usually a sheet of paper, fed from a media supply unit  140  via a conveyor  137 .  
         [0025]     A supply of print media (for example sheets of paper) in different formats and orientations is available in the media supply unit.  
         [0026]     The print media with the toner image is transported via a conveyor  138  to the finishing and outputting section  150 , which if necessary collects them into sets and then deposits them in the output tray  151 . Depending on the productivity and application of the digital copying machine  1  the outputting section  150  may comprise a high capacity stacking unit (not shown) for stacking many documents at a time.  
         [0027]     The user interface panel of the unit  160  is provided with a display screen and keys. Unit  160  is connected to the control unit  170  and the network communication unit  171 . The control unit of printer  1  is shown diagrammatically by reference  170 . It comprises modules for controlling the units  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140 ,  150  and  160  and an image processing module for processing the digital image data so that prints of good image quality can be made by printer unit  130 . The control unit  170  having a controller arrangement that is devised in order to have the system  1  to operate and perform the method according to the present invention.  
         [0028]     As already stated, the apparatus also includes a network communication unit  171  for communicating over a local network N, which is diagrammatically shown as cable  172 . The network communication unit  171  receives print jobs from the workstations, converts them to a format that can be processed by the printer unit  130  and in co-operation with the control unit  170  prints the associated images on a print media.  
         [0029]     A program for sending print jobs to the printer is operative in the workstations WS. A program of this kind is termed a “printer driver” and is logically coupled via the network N to one or more printers. When a user wants to send a print job, he executes the printer driver. In response, the printer driver displays a job window on the workstation monitor, in which the user can input specifications for the intended print job, such as the choice of print media, double or single sides printing and several finishing options.  
         [0030]     Documents may come in a large variety in sizes, forms and finishing. Depending on the intended use, a document may comprise marking inserts such as, for example tab-sheets. Tab-sheets mark the position of a part of the document. The divided parts of a document are called sets.  FIG. 3  is a diagram of a set  2  of documents. The diagrammatically illustrated set  2  comprises five sheets of print media  4  which are covered by a tab-sheet  3 . This tab-sheet  3  has an extending portion for easy marking of and browsing to the position of the set  2 .  
         [0031]      FIG. 4  is an illustration of a set of tab-sheets  5 . A set of this kind is commonly used for marking sets of printed media in a document. Usually such sets of marking inserts are supplied in fixed sizes. The illustrated set of tab-sheets  5  comprise six tab-sheets  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11 . The extending portion of tab-sheet  7  is placed at an offset with respect to the extending portion of tab-sheet  6 , the extending portion of tab-sheet  8  is placed at an offset with respect to the extending portion of tab-sheet  7 , and so on. The offsetting of the extended portions of the tab-sheets is chosen for easy indexing of the individual tab-sheets  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11  and the associated sets of printed media. The tab-sheets  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11  are pre-perforated with perforations  12  for easy handling. It will be clear for the skilled person that tab-sheets may be supplied in all kinds of forms and features. Usually tab-sheets have at least one side for aligning with the stacked set of printed media and one side, usually opposite to the aligning side with an extending portion, for easily identifying the tab-sheet and associated set of printed media.  
         [0032]      FIG. 5A  is a schematic side view and  FIG. 5B  is a schematic top view of a print job, processed according to an embodiment of the method according to the present invention. An exemplary print job  20  comprises two documents, document  25  and document  26 . This print job  20  is prepared to be executed on a printing system, comprising a controller arrangement that is devised in order to have the printing system perform a method according to the present invention. Such a controller arrangement can be a single piece of hardware, such as an ASIC, but can also be devised as an arrangement which is distributed over several components or even separate hardware devices, optionally partly or substantially completely constituted in software. For the skilled man it will be clear that the actual constitution of the controller arrangement is not essential for enabling the application of the present invention.  
         [0033]     Before sending the print job to the printing system, a user can program the requirements for the print job in the printer driver window on a workstation. In this printer driver the user can set the option for inserting marking inserts to “ON”. The user may now enter the number of marking inserts in the available set. In the example on hand, the user enters that the set of marking inserts comprises six inserts. By defining the position of the marking inserts, document  25  is divided into sets  30 . In this case, all of the four sets  30  are provided with one of the set of six marking inserts available in each set of marking inserts. These options and settings may also be entered on a local user interface, such as the graphical user interface  
         [0034]     The controller now determines the number of surplus marking inserts and starts operation. The sheets of print media  4  are printed in the print unit of the printing system. In a timed fashion the marking inserts are fed to the output tray such that the marking inserts are correctly placed at the end of each set  30  in the document  25 . The marking inserts may be supplied in plural in a separate input tray of the media supply unit  140 . At the output tray the document  25  comprising the printed media  4  and the marking inserts  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10  and  11  are aligned. After conveying the last sheet of printed media to the output tray the controlling assembly controls the conveyance of the surplus of marking inserts to the output tray. These surplus of marking inserts are inserted offset the aligned side of the stack such that the surplus of marking inserts extend out of the stack, such that these surplus marking inserts are recognisable over the marking inserts that indicate the set dividing of the document. This procedure is repeated for document  26   
         [0035]     The number of marking inserts in each distinguishable set may be counted automatically upon inserting the sets. In that case a user does not have to enter the number of marking inserts manually.  
         [0036]     The amount of offset may be set in the controller or in the printer driver. If a user intends to extract the surplus of marking inserts manually he may require a larger offset than in the case of a user who uses the offset of the surplus of marking inserts merely as a document divider and keeps the complete set, including the surplus of marking inserts together.  
         [0037]     The set of marking inserts may be inserted into the document directly from the marking inserts storage, or the marking inserts may enter into the printing unit. The latter enables the marking inserts to be provided with a printed image, such as chapter name and number or a colored coding to distinguish between the sets in the document.  
         [0038]     The 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 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.