Distributed control systems and methods that selectively activate respective coordinators for respective tasks

US7873962B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Xerox Corporation · US

Inventors

• Lara S. Crawford · Belmont, US
• Haitham Hindi · Menlo Park, US
• Markus P. J. Fromherz · Palo Alto, US
• Craig Eldershaw · Belmont, US
• Wheeler Ruml · Palo Alto, US
• Kimon Roufas · Mountain View, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 8, 2005
• Grant date: Jan 18, 2011
• Expiry date: Sep 4, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P90/02
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Respective coordinators are spawned or activated to coordinate activities with regard to respective tasks. Where the respective tasks require cooperative efforts of a plurality of controllers, the respective coordinators ensure cooperative efforts by generating and communicating cooperative commands to the plurality of controllers. The coordinators may act as clearinghouses for system data, selectively requesting and relaying system information to appropriate controllers. For example, a document processing system activates respective coordinators for respective sheets of print media. The respective coordinators orchestrate the transportation of the sheets by sequentially orchestrating the activities of sequentially selected pluralities of transportation actuator controllers. Selected sheet position information from sensors and/or from models maintained by the actuator controllers may be relayed by the coordinators to selected actuator controllers as appropriate to the sheet transportation tasks.