System and method for prioritizing print jobs in a batch

摘要

Systems and methods for prioritizing print jobs of different families within a print job batch are provided. Such a system may include, for example, an input/output port and a processor. The input/output port may output a print job batch including at least one print job of a first family and at least one print job of a second family. The processor configured may determine the order of priority of the print job batch based at least in part on a first trend of expected differences in setup times between print machines when the first family is prioritized before the second family and a second trend when the second family is prioritized before the first family.

主权项

1. A system comprising:
an input/output port configured to output a print job batch including at least one print job of a first family and at least one print job of a second family to be processed on a plurality of print machines in a workflow, wherein processing the at least one print job of the first family on a first of the plurality of print machines in the workflow after the first of the plurality of print machines in the workflow has processed the at least one print job of the second family involves a first setup time and processing the at least one print job of the second family on the first of the plurality of print machines in the workflow after the first of the plurality of print machines in the workflow has processed the at least one print job of the first family involves a second setup time different from the first setup time, and wherein the at least one print job of the first family and the at least one print job of the second family are prioritized in an order of priority in the print job batch; and a processor configured to determine the order of priority of the print job batch based at least in part on expected trends comprising a first trend of expected differences in setup times between the plurality of print machines in the workflow when the at least one print job of the first family is prioritized before the at least one print job of the second family and a second trend of expected differences in setup times between the plurality of print machines in the workflow when the at least one print job of the second family is prioritized before the at least one print job of the first family, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the expected trends in setup time differences from one successive operation to another were a plurality of artificial jobs comprising the at least one print job of the first family and the at least one print job of the second family processed by print machines of a print service provider, by determining a plurality of vectors associated respectively with the artificial jobs according to a relationship in which setup time differences are associated with successive operations from a first operation to a last operation.