Abstract:
A method is disclosed. The method includes receiving print job data at a printing system, performing a first preflight of the print job data to collect job attribute data, detecting that one or more changes have been made to the print job data and performing a second preflight of the print job data using the job attribute data collected during the first preflight based on the one or more changes.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention relates to the field of printing systems, and in particular, to processing print jobs at a printing system. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    In the field of printing, users prefer systems that allow for flexible processing of print jobs, which typically comprise print data (e.g., a job data stream used to generate a printed output) as well as a job ticket. The job ticket includes attributes that assist in defining processing steps that may be performed for the print job. Typically, job attributes (e.g., media, finishing, layout, etc.) are collected from the data stream and associated job ticket during a pre-processing phase of receiving a job. This process is commonly referred to as job preflight. 
         [0003]    Preflight information is useful to decide whether to make a job eligible for printing if all media found during preflight is available in physical printer trays. In addition, the information may be used to predict the time it will take to complete the job after it is submitted for processing. In some instances the user may decide after the job has been preflighted (e.g., at the completion of the preprocessing phase) to make changes to the job ticket before the job is released for processing. As a result, a recalculation of some or all the preflight data (re-preflight) must be performed. 
         [0004]    A common approach to re-preflighting a job is to resubmit the data stream and an updated job ticket representing the merge of the original job ticket and the changes for pre-processing, which will force a replay of the entire job. This approach is not efficient since a re-preflight job must undergo pre-processing once again, thus re-performing calculations that may not be impacted by the change to the job ticket. For example, a 10 page duplex job with ‘Letter’ media in the job ticket will result in five ‘Letter’ sheets with two pages per sheet. If the ticket media is change to ‘A4’, the re-preflight change is simply renaming ‘Letter’ to ‘A4’. The layout information is unchanged (e.g., there are still five sheets and two pages per sheet). 
         [0005]    Accordingly, a mechanism to re-prefight a print job, due to a job ticket change, without having to resubmit the job for pre-processing is desired. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    In one embodiment, a method is disclosed. The method includes receiving print job data at a printing system, performing a first preflight of the print job data to collect job attribute data, detecting that one or more changes have been made to the print job data and performing a second preflight of the print job data using the job attribute data collected during the first preflight based on one or more changes. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained from the following detailed description in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of a printing system; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of print process; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of re-preflight process; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  illustrates re-preflight embodiments; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  illustrates one embodiment of a computer system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    A re-preflight mechanism is described. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the underlying principles of the present invention. 
         [0014]    Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a printing system  100 . Printing system  100  is a system used to provide marks on a media, such as a continuous forms printer or a cut sheet page printer. Printing system  100  may include any digital hardcopy output device, such as printers, copiers, multifunction printers (MFPs) and facsimiles. 
         [0016]    In one embodiment, printing system  100  is shared by multiple users. In such an embodiment, printing system  100  includes a print controller  102  and one or more print engines  104 . Print controller  102  includes any system, server, or components operable to interface one or more host systems  107  and  108 , and a printer  109 , via network  110  with one or more print engines  104 , and to control the printing of print jobs  136 - 138  received from the host systems  107  and  108 , and a printer  109 , respectively, on print engine  104 . Print engine  104  provides an imaging process to mark a printable medium, such as paper. 
         [0017]    According to one embodiment, print controller  102  includes memory  103  and a print job manager  112 . Memory  103  includes any storage system operable to store data. In one embodiment, print job manager  112  manages the printing of documents at printing system  100 . Particularly, print job manager  112  controls print jobs as they wait to print, arranges the priority of the print jobs, generates separator pages and distributes jobs to the destination print engine  104 . In one embodiment, print job manager  112  may be implemented using either InfoPrint Manager (IPM) or InfoPrint ProcessDirector (IPPD), although other types of print job managers may be used instead. 
         [0018]    In one embodiment, print job manager  112  holds received print jobs in memory  103  before processing the print job. In such an embodiment, memory  103  stores the print jobs as either a data file or rasterized file. For example, print jobs stored as rasterized files reduce print time for the held jobs versus those stored as data files. Once stored, each print job may be held until the user that generated the print job retrieves the corresponding document from printing system  100 , at which time the print job is processed and printed. 
         [0019]    In a further embodiment, a user may release a selected job for printing at printing system  100  via user input  106 . Printing system  100  thereby processes the print job by printing via print engine  104 . In still a further embodiment, multiple selected print jobs being held for a particular user may be simultaneously processed and printed at print engine  104 . Therefore, all print jobs for the same user are printed together when multiple print jobs are released to print. 
         [0020]    According to one embodiment, print job manager  112  includes a preflight module  120  that is implemented to collect job attribute data. In a further embodiment, preflight module  120  performs a subsequent preflight (or re-preflight) of a print job based on detected changes to the job ticket, without having to resubmit the entire job for pre-processing to recollect the job attribute data. In such an embodiment, pre-flight module  120  uses existing preflight data to determine re-preflight for job ticket changes (e.g., plex, media, nUpness, adding insert sheets before or after a page, etc.). 
         [0021]    In a further embodiment, the existing preflight data is acted upon by a set of operations (e.g., insert, replace, split, join, fill, delete, shift to right, shift to left, etc.) for each detected change to determine the re-preflight data. Performing such operations on the existing preflight data is much more efficient and faster than resubmitting the job for preprocessing. In still a further embodiment, a job is resubmitted for pre-processing if the detected changes are not within the group of recognizable changes. In such an embodiment, unique data stream information that has been saved is not re-collected since any job ticket change will not impact existing data stream preflight data. In one embodiment, the unique data stream information includes pageSize, finishing information, printable area information, etc. Moreover, unique data stream information in the preflight data will be re-used to determine re-preflight layout information (sheets, sides, etc.). 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a printing process performed at print job manager  112 . At processing block  210 , a print job (e.g., the job data stream and job ticket) is received at print controller  102  for print processing. At processing block  220 , pre-flight module  120  performs a preflight process by collecting job attributes. After pre-flight, but prior to processing the job, a printing system  100  operator may change the job ticket. Thus, at decision block  230 , a determination is made as to whether the job ticket has been changed. If so, a subsequent preflight (or re-preflight) is performed. 
         [0023]    As discussed above, re-preflight is performed by using the existing preflight data to eliminate having to resubmit the entire job.  FIG. 3  is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a re-preflight process performed at preflight module  120 . At processing block  310 , attributes associated with the changed job ticket are collected. At processing block  320 , the attributes collected from the changed job ticket are compared to attributes in the preflight data. At processing block  330 , a change in one or more attributes in the changed job ticket is detected. At decision block  340 , a determination is made as to whether the changes are recognizable. 
         [0024]    If the changes are recognizable, an operation is performed for each attribute in the existing preflight data that has changed, processing block  350 . However if the changes are not recognized, job is resubmitted for re-collection of attribute data, processing block  360 . As discussed above, the unique data stream information is not re-collected since a job ticket change will not impact existing data stream preflight data. 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  illustrates exemplary embodiments of operations performed on a changed attribute during a re-preflight process. In each of the examples 1-5, a print job includes six pages and has a preflight attribute that has changed in the job ticket. Additionally, the examples show an operation that is performed to necessitate change of the attribute to reflect the changed job ticket. For instance, example 1 shows that a split operation is performed to change a duplex layout of six pages on three sheets to a simplex layout having six sheets. 
         [0026]    Referring back to  FIG. 2 , control is returned to decision block  230  after the re-preflight process is performed to determine whether the job ticket has again been changed. If so, pre-flight is again performed. Otherwise, the job is processed and printed, processing block  240 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 5  illustrates a computer system  500  on which printing system  100  may be implemented. Computer system  500  includes a system bus  520  for communicating information, and a processor  510  coupled to bus  520  for processing information. 
         [0028]    Computer system  500  further comprises a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device  527  (referred to herein as main memory), coupled to bus  520  for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor  510 . Main memory  527  also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions by processor  510 . Computer system  500  also may include a read only memory (ROM) and or other static storage device  526  coupled to bus  520  for storing static information and instructions used by processor  510 . 
         [0029]    A data storage device  525  such as a magnetic disk or optical disc and its corresponding drive may also be coupled to computer system  500  for storing information and instructions. Computer system  500  can also be coupled to a second I/O bus  550  via an I/O interface  530 . A plurality of I/O devices may be coupled to I/O bus  550 , including a display device  524 , an input device (e.g., an alphanumeric input device  523  and or a cursor control device  522 ). The communication device  521  is for accessing other computers (servers or clients). The communication device  521  may comprise a modem, a network interface card, or other well-known interface device, such as those used for coupling to Ethernet, token ring, or other types of networks. 
         [0030]    Embodiments of the invention may include various steps as set forth above. The steps may be embodied in machine-executable instructions. The instructions can be used to cause a general-purpose or special-purpose processor to perform certain steps. Alternatively, these steps may be performed by specific hardware components that contain hardwired logic for performing the steps, or by any combination of programmed computer components and custom hardware components. 
         [0031]    Elements of the present invention may also be provided as a machine-readable medium for storing the machine-executable instructions. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, optical disks, CD-ROMs, and magneto-optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, propagation media or other type of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. For example, the present invention may be downloaded as a computer program which may be transferred from a remote computer (e.g., a server) to a requesting computer (e.g., a client) by way of data signals embodied in a carrier wave or other propagation medium via a communication link (e.g., a modem or network connection). 
         [0032]    Whereas many alterations and modifications of the present invention will no doubt become apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art after having read the foregoing description, it is to be understood that any particular embodiment shown and described by way of illustration is in no way intended to be considered limiting. Therefore, references to details of various embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which in themselves recite only those features regarded as essential to the invention.