Error management for a tandem printing system
US6724494B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 25, 2000 |
| Grant date | Apr 20, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 25, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F3/1285
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for handling error occurrences in an image outputting system. The system comprises plural multifunction peripherals (MFPs) for printing a document. Each MFP is communicatively coupled to a single control unit, the control unit being communicatively coupled to a computer workstation on a computer network. The control unit receives a print job from the computer workstation and then sends the print job to one or more hard output units. The control unit monitors the status of the print job with respect to each MFP to determine whether an error is present in any of the MFPs. If the control unit detects an error, it waits a predetermined time period to provide a user time to fix the error. If the user does not fix the error within the predetermined time period, the control unit then polls the status of the remaining MFPs to determine whether any other MFPs are error-free. The control unit then sends the print job to one or more of the error-free MFPs. If the print job includes multiple copies of a single document, the control unit desirably divides the copies between several MFPs in order to minimize the overall print time.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.