Production planning and monitoring in inkjet devices

摘要

An inkjet printer is placed in communications with a print production planning and scheduling system to allow planning, monitoring, and adjusting of an automatic digital (ink jet) printing production line. In one embodiment, the order of the print jobs is defined by the print shop owner or by the associated supervisor. Each job becomes a paper based (printed) job ticket and the order in which the jobs arrive at the print operator side defines the print order. The same is true for the order at the RIP side. Any change in regards to this order requires a direct communication of the print shop owner or supervisor with the printer or RIP operator.

主权项

1. A printing workflow system, comprising:
a raster image processor (RIP) comprising a hub for establishing and maintaining communication, via messages having a common format, of multiple combinations of printer specific parameters between a planning and scheduling system and a plurality of printers lacking active monitoring and management functions, each of the plurality of printers associated with a printer interface comprising a printer adapter that establishes such active monitoring and management functions, said printer adapter configured to actively send messages to said RIP in the common format and translate messages received from the RIP from the common format into a printer specific machine language; wherein messages received from said plurality of printers announce features and options available at said plurality printers to said RIP, and wherein said RIP, actively announces the received features and options of said plurality of printers to said planning and scheduling system, and wherein the announced features and options available at said plurality of printers are presented via a user interface at said planning and scheduling system; wherein options selected, via said user interface at said planning and scheduling system, are sent to a particular printer of said plurality printers, via said RIP, with a print job as printer specific job parameters, wherein said particular printer is assigned by said planning and scheduling system to execute the print job based on the announced features available at said particular printer, the print job sent in the common format; and wherein a limitation of said particular printer is known in advance and only printing options that are available at said particular printer can be selected in jobs sent to said particular printer.