Method and apparatus to optimize transition of resources from a lower priority to a higher priority job

摘要

A method and apparatus for prioritizing the use of multifunctional printing system's basic processing resources. The printing system employs a controller with an improved job contention manager (JCM). A plurality of basic resources of the printing system are provided with a queue. One or more job services, at desired times, signals the JCM to carry out a sub-job of a given job. The signal for each of the sub-jobs includes information about the respective sub-job and its priority. Responsive to the signal from the job service the JCM adds a corresponding basic resource sub-job to the queues of each basic resource which the sub-job will require to perform the sub-job. Each respective sub-job is ready for processing, when it is first in line in all the queues of all the basic resources required to perform the sub-job.