Information processing system, information processing method, and program product

Abstract

The invention discloses an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program product. The processor inputs input information including information related to each of a plurality of print jobs continuously processed and information related to print information respectively printed in the plurality of print jobs. Input of new print jobs including information pertaining to each of a plurality of print jobs newly continuously processed and information pertaining to print information printed in each of the plurality of print jobs to a previously learned model by outputting information pertaining to loop decline occurring between the plurality of print jobs The input information outputs information relating to a cycle drop occurring between the plurality of print jobs that are newly continuously processed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program product. BACKGROUND

[0002] In Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-39142, a printing system including a controller and a printing device is disclosed. The controller includes a RIP processing section that rasterizes each page of print data and generates image data. The printing device includes a print processing section that performs a print process based on the image data. In the printing system, the controller includes a RIP time calculation section that calculates a RIP processing prediction time required for the RIP processing of each page of the print data, and a print condition acquisition section that acquires print conditions for each page of the print data and transmits them to the printing device. The printing device includes an information acquisition section that acquires capability information and environment information of the print processing section, and a print processing information calculation section that calculates print processing information including a print processing prediction time required for the print processing of each page of the print data and a cycle-down occurrence prediction time indicating a time until a cycle-down occurs in an environment until the print of each page of the print data, based on the print conditions received from the controller and the capability information and the environment information, and transmits them to the controller. The controller further includes a timing control section that calculates a time from when the print processing of an nth (n is a positive number of 1 or more) page is completed to when the RIP processing of an (n+1)th page is completed using the print processing information received from the printing device and the RIP processing prediction time, determines a transmission timing of the image data after the (n+1)th page based on a comparison result of the time and the cycle-down occurrence prediction time of the nth page, and transmits the image data to the printing device in accordance with the determined transmission timing.

[0003] Here, in a case where print jobs are processed continuously, a cycle-down occurs in a specific condition at the time of print job switching. The cycle-down refers to a time in which the printing device prepares for printing, which occurs between print jobs.

[0004] Since the productivity decreases when the cycle-down occurs, it is desirable to operate in such a manner that the cycle-down does not occur as much as possible. However, the occurrence condition of the cycle-down is complex, and it is not possible to make a prediction related to the cycle-down before the print job is executed. Then, the operation of making a schedule of the print job taking into account the cycle-down cannot be achieved. SUMMARY

[0005] Thus, an object of the present application is to provide an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program product capable of predicting information related to cyclic degradation occurring between print jobs.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present application, there is provided an information processing system including a processor configured to, upon input of input information including information related to each of a plurality of print jobs processed in succession and information related to print information printed in the plurality of print jobs, respectively, output information related to cyclic degradation occurring between the plurality of print jobs processed in succession by inputting new input information including information related to each of the plurality of print jobs processed in succession and information related to print information printed in the plurality of print jobs, respectively, to a learned model learned in advance in a manner of outputting the information related to cyclic degradation occurring between the plurality of print jobs processed in succession.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the present application, in the information processing system according to the first aspect, the information related to the print jobs includes at least one of information related to a print surface, information related to a print sheet, information related to a pattern of print colors, and information related to an ejection address of a print sheet on which printing is completed.

[0008] According to a third aspect of the present application, in the information processing system according to the first or second aspect, the information related to the print information includes at least one of information related to a number of print colors, information related to toner, and information related to a special color.

[0009] According to a fourth aspect of the present application, in the information processing system according to any one of the first to third aspects, the input information further includes information related to an environment in which the plurality of print jobs are processed.

[0010] According to a fifth aspect of the present application, in the information processing system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the input information further includes information related to a print device in which the plurality of print jobs are processed.

[0011] According to a sixth aspect of the present application, in the information processing system according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the input information further includes information related to an order in which the plurality of print jobs are processed.

[0012] According to a seventh aspect of the present application, in the information processing system according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the information related to cyclic degradation occurring between the print jobs includes presence or absence of cyclic degradation occurring between the print jobs, or a time of occurrence of cyclic degradation occurring between the print jobs.

[0013] According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the information processing system according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, the learned model is a model learned using occurrence times of cyclic degradation occurring between the plurality of print jobs, calculated from information related to performance of a print device that processes the plurality of print jobs.

[0014] According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the information processing system according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, the processor outputs, for each of a plurality of patterns in which an order of print jobs included in a print schedule of a series of print jobs is changed, information related to cyclic degradation occurring between print jobs included in the pattern, using the learned model, for each of the print jobs.

[0015] According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the information processing system according to the ninth aspect, the processor recommends at least one of the plurality of patterns, based on the information related to cyclic degradation occurring between the print jobs, output for each of the plurality of patterns.

[0016] According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the information processing system according to the tenth aspect, the information related to cyclic degradation occurring between the print jobs includes presence or absence of cyclic degradation occurring between the print jobs, and the processor recommends a pattern in which a number of occurrences of cyclic degradation is the least, among the plurality of patterns.

[0017] According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the information processing system according to the tenth aspect, the information related to cyclic degradation occurring between the print jobs includes occurrence times of cyclic degradation occurring between the print jobs, and the processor recommends a pattern in which a total of the occurrence times of cyclic degradation is the least, among the plurality of patterns.

[0018] According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program product including a program that causes a computer to execute processing, wherein, in the processing, when input information including information related to each of a plurality of print jobs processed consecutively and information related to print information respectively printed in the plurality of print jobs is input, by inputting new input information including information related to each of a new plurality of print jobs processed consecutively and information related to print information respectively printed in the new plurality of print jobs to a learned model learned in advance, in a manner of outputting information related to cyclic degradation occurring between the new plurality of print jobs, the information related to cyclic degradation occurring between the new plurality of print jobs is output.

[0019] According to a fourteenth aspect of the present application, there is provided an information processing method, wherein, when input information including information related to each of a plurality of print jobs processed continuously and information related to print information respectively printed in the plurality of print jobs is input, information related to cyclic degradation occurring between the plurality of print jobs processed continuously is output by inputting new input information including information related to each of the plurality of print jobs processed continuously and information related to print information respectively printed in the plurality of print jobs to a learned model learned in advance, in a manner of outputting information related to cyclic degradation occurring between the plurality of print jobs processed continuously.

[0020] (EFFECTS)

[0021] According to the first aspect, information related to cyclic degradation occurring between print jobs can be predicted.

[0022] According to the second aspect, information related to cyclic degradation occurring between print jobs can be predicted based on information related to a print surface, information related to a print sheet, information related to a pattern of print colors, or information related to an ejection address of a print sheet on which printing is completed.

[0023] According to the third aspect, information related to cyclic degradation occurring between print jobs can be predicted based on information related to a number of print colors, information related to toner, or information related to a special color.

[0024] According to the fourth aspect, information related to cyclic degradation occurring between print jobs can be predicted based on information related to an environment in which the plurality of print jobs are processed.

[0025] According to the fifth aspect, information related to cyclic degradation occurring between print jobs can be predicted based on information related to a print device that processes the plurality of print jobs.

[0026] According to the sixth aspect, information related to cyclic degradation occurring between print jobs can be predicted based on information related to an order in which the plurality of print jobs are processed.

[0027] According to the seventh aspect, whether or not cyclic degradation occurs between print jobs, or a time at which cyclic degradation occurs between print jobs can be predicted.

[0028] According to the eighth aspect, a time at which cyclic degradation occurs for learning can be calculated based on information related to performance of a print device that processes the plurality of print jobs.

[0029] According to the ninth aspect, information related to cycle drop can be predicted for each of a plurality of patterns in which the order of print jobs in a print schedule including a series of print jobs is changed.

[0030] According to the tenth aspect, at least one pattern can be recommended from among a plurality of patterns in which the order of print jobs in a print schedule including a series of print jobs is changed.

[0031] According to the eleventh aspect, a pattern in which the number of occurrences of cycle drop is small can be recommended.

[0032] According to the twelfth aspect, a pattern in which the total of occurrence times of cycle drop is small can be recommended.

[0033] According to the thirteenth aspect, information related to cycle drop occurring between print jobs can be predicted.

[0034] According to the fourteenth aspect, information related to cycle drop occurring between print jobs can be predicted. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the outline structure of an information processing system of the present embodiment;

[0036] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the main part structure of an electrical system of a print device in the information processing system of the present embodiment;

[0037] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the main part structure of an electrical system of a server and a management device in the information processing system of the present embodiment;

[0038] Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing the functional structure of a management device in the information processing system of the present embodiment;

[0039] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of performance information of a job;

[0040] Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the state of each job;

[0041] Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of performance information of a device;

[0042] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of performance information of a device;

[0043] Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example in which the order of print jobs in a print schedule is changed;

[0044] Figure 10 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of a server in the information processing system of the present embodiment;

[0045] Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of a learned neural network model;

[0046] Figure 12 is a diagram showing an example in which cyclic degradation occurs between jobs;

[0047] Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of a schedule in which print jobs are organized in order to suppress occurrence of cyclic degradation;

[0048] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of a learning process performed by the server of the information processing system of the present embodiment;

[0049] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of an estimation process performed by the server of the information processing system of the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] An example of the present embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present embodiment, an information processing system in which each of a management device, a print device, and a client computer, and the like are connected via a communication line such as a variety of networks is described as an example. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an outline configuration of the information processing system 10 of the present embodiment.

[0051] As shown in Figure 1 , the information processing system 10 of the present embodiment includes a server 11, a print device 12, and a management device 14, and the like. Each of the server 11, the print device 12, and the management device 14 is connected via a communication line 18 such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), the Internet, an intranet, and the like. Also, each of the server 11, the print device 12, and the management device 14 is capable of transmitting and receiving various data to and from each other via the communication line 18. In the present embodiment, an image corresponding to a print instruction is formed in the print device 12 by issuing the print instruction from the management device 14 to the print device 12.

[0052] Further, in Figure 1 , the server 11, the print device 12, and the management device 14 are shown as one, but can be plural, and any of them can be plural.

[0053] The printing device 12 of the present embodiment has a plurality of functions such as a printing function of performing a printing process, a post-processing function of performing a post-processing on a printed paper, and the like. As the plurality of functions, there can be a reading function of reading an original to acquire image information indicating the original, a copying function of copying an image recorded in the original on a paper, a facsimile function of transmitting and receiving various data via a telephone line not shown, a delivery function of delivering original information such as image information acquired by the reading function, and a cumulative function of accumulating original information such as image information acquired by the reading function.

[0054] Further, in the following description, the facsimile function is sometimes referred to as a facsimile, the reading function is sometimes referred to as a scan, the printing function is sometimes referred to as a print, and the copying function is sometimes referred to as a copy.

[0055] Figure 2 is a block diagram indicating a main part structure of an electrical system of the printing device 12 in the information processing system 10 of the present embodiment.

[0056] As shown in Figure 2 , the printing device 12 of the present embodiment has a control unit 20. The control unit 20 can have a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0057] On the other hand, the printing device 12 of the present embodiment has an HDD (hard disk drive) 26 that stores various data, application programs, and the like. In addition, the printing device 12 has a display control section 28 that is connected to the user interface 22 and controls display of various operation screens and the like on a display of the user interface 22. In addition, the printing device 12 has an operation input detection section 30 that is connected to the user interface 22 and detects an operation instruction input via the user interface 22. Furthermore, in the printing device 12, the HDD 26, the display control section 28, and the operation input detection section 30 are electrically connected to a system bus 42. Further, in the printing device 12 of the present embodiment, the HDD 26 is applied as a storage section, but is not limited thereto, and a nonvolatile storage section such as a flash memory can be applied. In addition, in the present embodiment, the user interface 22 applies a touch panel that can perform display and operation input, but is not limited thereto, and a user interface in which a display and an operation section are different can be applied.

[0058] Further, the printing device 12 of the present embodiment has a print control section 34 that controls the print processing by the print section 24, the conveyance of the paper to the print section 24 by the conveyance section 25, and the post-processing by the post-processing section 46. The printing device 12 can also have a reading control section that controls the reading operation of the optical image by the original reading section, and the conveyance operation of the original by the original conveyance section. Further, the printing device 12 has a communication line I / F (interface) section 36 that is connected to the communication line 18, and transmits and receives the communication data with other external devices such as the management device 14 connected to the communication line 18. Further, the printing device 12 can have a facsimile I / F (interface) section that is connected to a telephone line not shown, and transmits and receives the facsimile data with a facsimile device connected to the telephone line. Further, the printing device 12 can have a transmission and reception control section that controls the transmission and reception of the facsimile data via the facsimile I / F section 38. Further, in the printing device 12, the print control section 34 and the communication line I / F section 36 are electrically connected to the system bus 42.

[0059] With the above structure, the printing device 12 of the present embodiment performs the control of the display of the operation screen, various messages, and the like on the display of the user interface 22 via the display control section 28 by the control unit 20. Further, the printing device 12 performs the control of the operation of the print section 24, the conveyance section 25, and the post-processing section 46 via the print control section 34, and the transmission and reception of the communication data via the communication line I / F section 36 by the control unit 20. Further, the printing device 12 performs various controls based on the operation content in the user interface 22 based on the operation information detected by the operation input detection section 30 by the control unit 20, and performs the grasping of the operation content.

[0060] Further, as an example of the application stored in the HDD 26, in the present embodiment, an application that performs a function such as printing is included.

[0061] Next, the main part structure of the electric system of the server 11 and the management device 14 of the present embodiment will be described. Figure 3 is a block diagram that shows the main part structure of the electric system of the server 11 and the management device 14 in the information processing system 10 of the present embodiment. Further, since the server 11 and the management device 14 are generally computer structures, the following description will be given taking the server 11 as a representative.

[0062] As shown in Figure 3As shown, the server 11 of this embodiment includes, as an example, a CPU 11A, a ROM 11B, a RAM 11C, a storage device 11D, an operation unit 11E, a display unit 11F, and a communication line I / F (interface) unit 11G. The CPU 11A manages the overall operation of the server 11. The ROM 11B pre-stores various control programs, various parameters, etc. The RAM 11C serves as a working area for the CPU 11A when executing various programs. The storage device 11D stores various data, application programs, etc. The operation unit 11E is used to input various information. The display unit 11F is used to display various information. The communication line I / F unit 11G is connected to a communication line 18 and performs various data transmission and reception with other devices connected to the communication line 18. Alternatively, the communication line I / F unit 11G can be configured to communicate directly with various devices using various known wireless communications. All parts of the server 11 are electrically connected to each other via a system bus 11I. Furthermore, in the server 11 of this embodiment, a storage device 11D is used as a storage unit, but as an example of a storage device, a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory is used.

[0063] With the above structure, the server 11 in this embodiment performs access to the ROM 11B, RAM 11C, and storage device 11D via the CPU 11A, acquires various data via the operation unit 11E, and displays various information on the display unit 11F. Furthermore, the server 11 controls the transmission and reception of communication data via the communication line I / F unit 11G via the CPU 11A.

[0064] In the information processing system 10 configured in this way, the management device 14 manages a series of manufacturing processes. The series of manufacturing processes includes, for example, a fabrication process, a pre-press preparation process, a plate-making process, a printing process, a processing process, and a delivery process.

[0065] Next, the functional structure of the management device 14 will be explained. Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional structure of the management device 14.

[0066] like Figure 4 As shown, the management device 14 is functionally composed of an equipment collaboration unit 50, a work performance database (DB) 51, an equipment performance database (DB) 52, a learning data creation unit 53, an input unit 54, a work analysis unit 55, a planning unit 56, a pre-press preparation processing unit 57, and a work sending unit 58.

[0067] The equipment collaboration unit 50 obtains equipment performance information, including equipment status information, and job performance information, including job status information, printing history, or processing history, from the printing unit 24 and post-processing unit 46 of the printing device 12.

[0068] The work performance database 51 stores work performance information obtained by the equipment coordination department 50. For example, it includes... Figure 5 The printed or processing history of the job shown, and such as Figure 6 The status information of the tasks shown is displayed, and the performance information of the tasks is stored in the task performance database 51. Figure 5 The text shows examples of job status information for each job, including "Status," "Number of Pages," "Number of Copies," "Color," "Special Color 1," "Special Color 2," "Double-sided," "Media," "Paper Size," "Paper Color," "Paper Type," "Paper Weight," "Output Address," "Stabilizer," "Punch," and "Fold." Figure 6 The example shown includes job status information such as "sending address", "job status", "sending time", "print start time", and "print completion time".

[0069] The equipment performance database 52 stores equipment performance information obtained by the equipment collaboration department 50. For example, it includes... Figure 7 The device status information and device performance information shown are stored in the device performance database 52. Figure 7 The device status information includes items such as "Printing Device Name", "Status", "Status Details", and "Update Date and Time". Figure 8 As shown, in "Printing Device A", an example is shown where a cyclic descent occurs between job A and job B.

[0070] The learning data creation unit 53 creates learning data that includes input information related to multiple print jobs processed in the past and paired information corresponding to that input information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs.

[0071] Input information may include information related to each of multiple print jobs processed consecutively. Print job-related information may include information related to print job settings. Specifically, print job-related settings information includes at least one of the following: information related to the print surface, information related to the paper type, information related to the print color mode, and information related to the ejection address of the printed paper. Information related to the print surface may include, for example, information indicating whether it is duplex printing. Information related to the paper type may include, for example, paper size, paper color, and paper type. Information related to the print color mode may include information indicating whether it is monochrome or color mode. Information related to the ejection address of the printed paper may include, for example, information identifying the stacker crane that served as the ejection address.

[0072] The learning data creation unit 53 collects and continuously processes relevant information from the job performance database 51 of the management device 14 for each of the multiple print jobs.

[0073] Additionally, the input information may include information related to the print information printed in multiple consecutive print jobs. The information related to the print information may include information obtained by parsing the print information. Specifically, the information obtained by parsing the print information includes at least one of the following: information related to the quantity of print colors, information related to toner, and information related to special colors. Information related to toner may include, for example, the toner dosage. Information related to special colors may include, for example, the presence or absence of special colors, and the type of special color.

[0074] The learning data creation unit 53 collects information related to the printing information printed in multiple consecutively processed print jobs from the job performance database 51 of the management device 14.

[0075] Input information may include information related to the environment in which multiple print jobs are being processed. Environmental information may include, for example, temperature or humidity.

[0076] The temperature and humidity detected by the sensor are input into the management device 14 and managed by the management device 14 as historical information.

[0077] The learning data creation unit 53 obtains information related to the environment for processing multiple print jobs from the history information contained in the management device 14.

[0078] The input information may include information related to the printing device 12 that processes multiple print jobs. Information related to the printing device 12 may include, for example, information identifying the printing device 12 or information indicating the type of printing device 12.

[0079] Information identifying the printing device 12 or information indicating the type of the printing device 12 is input into the management device 14 and managed by the management device 14 as history information.

[0080] Additionally, the input information may include information related to the order in which multiple print jobs are processed.

[0081] The learning data creation unit 53 obtains information related to the printing device 12 that processes multiple print jobs from the history information contained in the management device 14.

[0082] Information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs is calculated by the learning data creation unit 53 based on information related to the performance processed by the printing device 12.

[0083] The learning data creation unit 53 acquires information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs.

[0084] Information related to cyclic drops between print jobs includes whether or not cyclic drops occur between print jobs, or when cyclic drops occur between print jobs.

[0085] Specifically, the learning data creation unit 53 obtains the presence or absence of a cycle drop between print jobs, or the occurrence time of a cycle drop between print jobs, from the device performance information stored in the device performance database 52.

[0086] In the above Figure 7 In the example, based on the difference between the update date "14:00:00.0000000" for the status "Setting" and the update date "14:05:00.0000000" for the status "Printing", the occurrence time of the cycle drop between print jobs is obtained as "0:05:00.0000000".

[0087] The input unit 54 accepts instruction information input by the user. This instruction information includes product specifications, customer address, delivery date, etc. Additionally, the input unit 54 accepts information input by the user related to each of multiple consecutively processed print jobs. For example, the user accesses a WebUI through a browser displayed on a user terminal, and inputs instruction information and information related to each print job via the WebUI. Print jobs are generated based on the input instruction information and the information related to each print job.

[0088] Furthermore, the above explanation uses the example of a user inputting information related to each of the continuously processed print jobs, but it is not limited to this. For example, the user could also select multiple jobs from the already generated print jobs and input information related to each of the continuously processed print jobs.

[0089] The job parsing unit 55 obtains the printing information (e.g., PDF data) printed in the print job from the file server (illustration omitted), parses the printing information, and obtains information related to the number of printing colors, information related to toner, and information related to special colors.

[0090] For each of the multiple patterns in a print schedule that includes a series of print jobs, the planning department 56 communicates with the server 11 to obtain information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs, for each of the print jobs included in the pattern. At this time, the server 11 uses the learned model to output the information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs.

[0091] In addition, Planning Department 56 recommends the pattern with the fewest occurrences of cyclical descent among multiple patterns as the print schedule (see reference). Figure 9 Alternatively, the planning department 56 may recommend to the user the pattern with the smallest total time of occurrence of cyclic descent among multiple patterns as the printing schedule.

[0092] exist Figure 9 The diagram shows an example where the cyclic descent occurs three times in a pattern executed in the order of Operations A, B, C, and D, while the cyclic descent occurs only once in a pattern executed in the order of Operations A, C, B, and D.

[0093] The prepress preparation department 57 performs prepress checks, imposition, adding barcodes, or adding watermarks, etc.

[0094] The job sending unit 58 sends printing information and information related to the printing job to the printing device 12.

[0095] Next, the functional structure of server 11 will be explained. Figure 10 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional structure of server 11.

[0096] like Figure 10 As shown, the server 11 is functionally configured to include a collection unit 101, a learning data storage unit 102, a learning unit 103, a model storage unit 104, a receiving unit 105, an estimation unit 106, and an output unit 107.

[0097] The collection unit 101 collects learning data that includes input information related to multiple print jobs processed in the past and paired information corresponding to that input information and related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs.

[0098] The learning data storage unit 102 stores multiple learning data collected by the collection unit 101.

[0099] Learning Unit 103 constructs a neural network model based on multiple learning data inputs to infer information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs, corresponding to the input information.

[0100] Specifically, the learned neural network model receives input information including at least one of the following: information related to the print surface, information related to the print paper, information related to the print color pattern, information related to the ejection address of the printed paper, information related to the number of print colors, information related to the toner, information related to special colors, information related to the environment, information related to the printing device 12, and information related to sequence. It outputs the occurrence time of the cyclic descent between print jobs, corresponding to the input information (see reference).Figure 11 As an example of a learning algorithm, deep learning can be used, or a neural network model can be built to output the timing of the cyclical decline of the learning data between print jobs, given the input information of the learning data.

[0101] More specifically, the model parameters can also be updated as follows: input information of the input learning data is used as the model output to estimate the occurrence time of the cyclic descent between print jobs, the estimated occurrence time of the cyclic descent is compared with the occurrence time of the cyclic descent in the learning data, the error of the occurrence time of the cyclic descent is calculated, and the error value is minimized.

[0102] Alternatively, the output of the learned neural network model can be set to indicate the presence or probability of a cyclical decline occurring between print jobs. In this case, the model parameters can be updated as follows: the input information of the learning data is used as the model output to estimate the presence or probability of a cyclical decline occurring between print jobs; the estimated probability of a cyclical decline is compared with the probability of a cyclical decline occurring in the learning data; the error of the probability of a cyclical decline is calculated, and the error value is minimized.

[0103] Here, the relationship between input information and information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs is explained.

[0104] Since cyclic descent occurs due to print job switching, hypotheses about the conditions under which it occurs can be proposed based on information related to print jobs printed before and after the cyclic descent. Information related to the cyclic descent is obtained based on the operational performance of the printing device 12, thereby verifying the hypotheses and improving accuracy. This allows the neural network model to learn from this. For example, as... Figure 12 The diagram illustrates an example of a cyclical decline occurring when print job C is in "Color + Special Color" color mode and print job B is in "Monochrome" color mode.

[0105] Furthermore, for example, when inputting information for jobs A and B, the predicted cycle descent time may vary depending on whether processing is performed in the order of job A → job B or job B → job A. Therefore, there is a correlation between information related to the order and information related to the cycle descent occurring between print jobs.

[0106] As long as it is possible to predict information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs using a learned neural network model, it is possible to... Figure 13 As shown, this is a schedule for organizing print jobs in the order that prevents cyclical decline from occurring. Figure 13The image shows an example of a print job schedule where changes occur in each of the multiple print jobs processed in succession, and the print job schedule is organized in order of the number of times the cycle of decline occurs.

[0107] The model storage unit 104 stores the learned neural network model.

[0108] The receiving unit 105 accepts input information related to multiple print jobs that are presumed to be processed in a new continuous process.

[0109] The input information includes information related to each of the multiple print jobs processed consecutively. Information related to print jobs may include information related to print job settings. Specifically, information related to print job settings includes at least one of the following: information related to the print surface, information related to the print paper, information related to the print color mode, and information related to the ejection address of the printed paper. For example, the receiving unit 105 accepts user input indicating whether it is duplex printing ("duplex"), paper size ("A4"), print color mode ("color"), and information identifying the stacker crane as the ejection address ("stacker crane 1").

[0110] Additionally, the input information may include information related to the print information printed in multiple consecutive print jobs. The information related to the print information may include information obtained by parsing the print information. Specifically, the information obtained by parsing the print information includes at least one of information related to the number of print colors, information related to toner, and information related to special colors. For example, the receiving unit 105 receives information related to the number of print colors ("two colors"), toner dosage, and the presence or absence of special colors ("yes") parsed by the job parsing unit 55.

[0111] Additionally, the input information may include information related to the environment in which multiple print jobs are processed. Environment-related information may include, for example, temperature or humidity. For instance, the receiving unit 105 receives information from a sensor that detects the temperature or humidity of the environment in which the printing device 12 is located, such as a temperature of "20 degrees" and a humidity of "40%".

[0112] Additionally, the input information may include information related to the printing device 12 that processes multiple print jobs. Information related to the printing device 12 may include, for example, information identifying the printing device 12 or information indicating the type of printing device 12. For example, the receiving unit 105 accepts the information "Printing device A" input by the user, which identifies the printing device 12.

[0113] Additionally, the input information may include information related to the order in which multiple print jobs are processed. For example, the receiving unit 105 accepts information input by the user related to the order in which multiple print jobs are processed, such as "Job A → Job B".

[0114] The estimation unit 106 uses the learned neural network model stored in the model storage unit 104 to estimate information related to the cyclic descent that occurs between print jobs, corresponding to the received input information.

[0115] Specifically, the various information contained in the received input information is converted into data structures (e.g., scalar values, vectors, etc.) that can be input into the learned neural network model. Based on the output of the learned model, information related to the cyclic descent that occurs between print jobs is inferred.

[0116] The output unit 107 sends estimated information related to the cyclic decline that occurs between print jobs to the management device 14. Consequently, the planning unit 56 of the management device 14, for each of multiple patterns in a print schedule that has changed the order of print jobs, obtains information related to the cyclic decline that occurs between print jobs for each of the print jobs included in that pattern. The planning unit 56 recommends the pattern with the fewest occurrences of cyclic decline among the multiple patterns as a print schedule to the user. Alternatively, the planning unit 56 recommends the pattern with the shortest total occurrence time of cyclic decline among the multiple patterns as a print schedule to the user.

[0117] Next, the specific processing performed in the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, as described above, will be explained.

[0118] First, in the management device 14, the equipment collaboration unit 50 obtains equipment performance information including device status information from the printing unit 24 and post-processing unit 46 of the printing device 12, stores it in the equipment performance database 52, and obtains performance information of the job including job status information, printing history or processing history, and stores it in the job performance database 51.

[0119] Then, the learning data creation unit 53 creates learning data that includes input information related to multiple print jobs processed in the past and paired information corresponding to that input information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs.

[0120] Information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs is calculated by the learning data creation unit 53 of the management device 14 based on information related to the performance of the printing device 12 that processes multiple print jobs.

[0121] Next, in server 11, CPU 14A reads the learning program from ROM 14B or storage device 14D, expands it in RAM 14C, and executes it, thereby performing... Figure 14 The learning process is shown below.

[0122] In step S100, CPU14A, as collection unit 101, collects learning data created by learning data creation unit 53 of management device 14, which includes input information related to multiple print jobs processed in the past and information corresponding to the input information related to the cyclic decline that occurs between print jobs, and stores it in learning data storage unit 102.

[0123] In step S102, the CPU14A, as the learning unit 103, learns a neural network model based on multiple learning data inputs to estimate information related to the cyclic descent that occurs between print jobs, corresponding to the input information, and stores it in the model storage unit 104, thus ending the learning process.

[0124] Next, in the management device 14, the input unit 54 receives instruction information input by the user. Additionally, the input unit 54 receives information input by the user related to each of the multiple print jobs being processed consecutively.

[0125] The job parsing unit 55 obtains the printing information (e.g., PDF data) printed in the print job from the file server, parses the printing information, and obtains information related to the number of printing colors, information related to toner, and information related to special colors.

[0126] For each of the multiple patterns in a print schedule that has changed the order of print jobs, including a series of print jobs, the planning department 56 sends input information related to the multiple print jobs to the server 11 as a presumed object between each print job included in the pattern.

[0127] At this point, in server 11, CPU 14A reads the estimated program from ROM 14B or storage device 14D, expands it in RAM 14C, and executes it, thereby performing... Figure 15 The presumption treatment shown.

[0128] In step S110, CPU14A, as receiving unit 105, receives input information from the user that is presumed to be related to multiple print jobs to be processed in a new continuous process.

[0129] In step S112, the CPU14A, as the estimation unit 106, uses the learned neural network model stored in the model storage unit 104 to estimate information related to the cyclic descent that occurs between print jobs, corresponding to the received input information.

[0130] In step S114, the CPU14A, as the output unit 107, sends the estimated information related to the cyclic decline that occurs between print jobs to the management device 14, and ends the estimation process.

[0131] The planning unit 56 of the management device 14 acquires information related to the cyclical decrease that occurs between print jobs for each of the multiple patterns in a print schedule that has changed the order of print jobs in a series of print jobs.

[0132] The planning department 56 recommends the pattern with the fewest occurrences of cyclic descent among multiple patterns as the print schedule. Alternatively, the planning department 56 recommends the pattern with the shortest total occurrence time of cyclic descent among multiple patterns as the print schedule.

[0133] By processing in this way, it is possible to predict information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs when processing multiple print jobs in succession.

[0134] <Variation Example>

[0135] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and applications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0136] In the above embodiments, an information processing system can be constructed by pairing printing devices and management devices in multiple enterprises, or by including the printing devices and management devices of each enterprise. This allows the use of learning data obtained from each enterprise to learn a neural network model.

[0137] Furthermore, the example given is the case where information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs is inferred from various types of input information. However, it is also possible to infer information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs using only a portion of the various types of input information, rather than all of it.

[0138] Furthermore, the example given is the case where server 11 learns a model and estimates information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs. However, it can also be configured as a learning device for learning a model and an estimation device for estimating information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs.

[0139] In addition, in the above embodiments, processor refers to processor in a broad sense, including general-purpose processors (such as CPUs) and special-purpose processors (such as GPUs: Graphics Processing Units, ASICs: Application Specific Integrated Circuits, FPGAs: Field Programmable Gate Arrays, programmable logic devices, etc.).

[0140] Furthermore, the actions of the processor in the above embodiments are not performed by a single processor, but can be performed collaboratively by multiple processors located in physically separate positions. Additionally, the order of the processor's actions is not limited to the order described in the above embodiments and can be appropriately modified.

[0141] In addition, the "system" in this embodiment is described as an example of a system composed of multiple devices, but it can also be a system composed of a single device that has some of the functions of multiple devices.

[0142] Furthermore, the processing performed by the printing apparatus 12 according to the above embodiments can be software-based, hardware-based, or a combination of both. Additionally, the processing performed by the printing apparatus 12 can be stored as a program in a storage medium for distribution. Furthermore, the technology of the present invention can also be applied to program products.

[0143] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above content. Various modifications and implementations can be made without departing from its spirit.

[0144] (Postscript) (((1)))

[0146] An information processing system, wherein,

[0147] It has a processor, the processor

[0148] When inputting information that includes information related to each of the multiple print jobs being processed in succession and information related to the print information printed in each of the multiple print jobs, the pre-learned model is fed new input information that includes information related to each of the multiple print jobs being processed in succession and information related to the print information printed in each of the multiple print jobs, in order to output information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between the multiple print jobs, and outputs information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between the multiple print jobs being processed in succession. (((2)))

[0150] According to the information processing system described in ((1)), wherein,

[0151] Information related to the printing job includes at least one of the following: information related to the printing surface, information related to the printing paper, information related to the printing color mode, and information related to the ejection address of the printed paper. (((3)))

[0153] According to the information processing system described in ((1)) or ((2)), wherein,

[0154] The information related to the printing information includes at least one of the following: information related to the number of printing colors, information related to toners, and information related to special colors. (((4)))

[0156] The information processing system according to any one of ((1))) to ((3))) wherein,

[0157] The input information also includes information related to the environment in which the multiple print jobs are processed. (((5)))

[0159] The information processing system according to any one of ((1))) to ((4))) wherein,

[0160] The input information also includes information related to the printing device that processes the plurality of print jobs. (((6)))

[0162] The information processing system according to any one of ((1))) to ((5))) wherein,

[0163] The input information also includes information related to the order in which the multiple print jobs are processed. (((7)))

[0165] The information processing system according to any one of ((1))) to ((6))) wherein,

[0166] Information related to the cyclic drop that occurs between the print jobs includes whether or not a cyclic drop occurs between the print jobs, or the timing of the cyclic drop that occurs between the print jobs. (((8)))

[0168] The information processing system according to any one of ((1))) to ((7))) wherein,

[0169] The learned model is a model calculated based on information related to the performance of the printing device that processes the multiple print jobs, and learned using the occurrence time of the cyclical decline that occurs between the multiple print jobs. ((9)))

[0171] The information processing system according to any one of ((1))) to ((8))) wherein,

[0172] The processor is designed for each of a plurality of patterns in a print schedule that has changed the order of print jobs, which consists of a series of print jobs.

[0173] For each of the print jobs included in the pattern, the learned model is used to output information related to the cyclic descent that occurs between the print jobs. (((10)))

[0175] According to the information processing system described in (9), wherein,

[0176] The processor recommends at least one of the plurality of patterns based on information related to the cyclic descent that occurs between the print jobs for each of the plurality of patterns output. (((11)))

[0178] According to the information processing system described in ((10)), wherein,

[0179] Information related to the cyclic drop that occurs between the print jobs includes whether or not a cyclic drop occurs between the print jobs.

[0180] The processor recommends the pattern among the plurality of patterns that has the fewest occurrences of cyclic descent. (((12)))

[0182] According to the information processing system described in ((10)), wherein,

[0183] Information related to the cyclic descent that occurs between the print jobs includes the time when the cyclic descent occurs between the print jobs.

[0184] The processor recommends the pattern with the smallest total occurrence time of cyclic descent among the multiple patterns. (((13)))

[0186] An information processing program that causes a computer to perform the following processing:

[0187] When inputting information that includes information related to each of the multiple print jobs being processed in succession and information related to the print information printed in each of the multiple print jobs, the pre-learned model is fed new input information that includes information related to each of the multiple print jobs being processed in succession and information related to the print information printed in each of the multiple print jobs, in order to output information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between the multiple print jobs, and outputs information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between the multiple print jobs being processed in succession.

[0188] According to (((1)), it is possible to predict information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs.

[0189] According to ((2)), it is possible to predict information related to the cyclic descent that occurs between print jobs based on information related to the print surface, information related to the print paper, information related to the print color mode, or information related to the ejection address of the printed paper.

[0190] According to ((3)), it is possible to predict information related to the cyclical decrease that occurs between print jobs based on information related to the quantity of printed colors, information related to toners, or information related to special colors.

[0191] According to ((4)), it is possible to predict information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs based on information related to the environment in which multiple print jobs are processed.

[0192] According to ((5)), it is possible to predict information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between printing jobs based on information related to the printing device that processes multiple printing jobs.

[0193] According to ((6)), it is possible to predict information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs based on information related to the order in which multiple print jobs are processed.

[0194] According to ((7)), it is possible to predict whether a cyclic drop occurs between print jobs, or the timing of a cyclic drop between print jobs.

[0195] According to ((8)), it is possible to calculate the time of occurrence of the cyclical decline for learning based on information related to the actual results processed by the printing device that processes multiple print jobs.

[0196] According to (9), it is possible to predict information related to cyclic descent for each of multiple patterns in a print schedule that changes the order of print jobs, which includes a series of print jobs.

[0197] According to (((10)), at least one pattern can be recommended from multiple patterns that change the order of print jobs in a print schedule that includes a series of print jobs.

[0198] Based on (((11)), patterns with fewer occurrences of cyclic descent can be recommended.

[0199] Based on (((12)), it is possible to recommend a pattern with a smaller total occurrence time of cyclical decline.

[0200] According to (((13)), it is possible to predict information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between print jobs.

Claims

1. An information processing system, characterized in that: Equipped with a processor The processor When inputting information that includes information related to each of the multiple print jobs being processed in succession and information related to the print information printed in each of the multiple print jobs, the pre-learned model is fed new input information that includes information related to each of the multiple print jobs being processed in succession and information related to the print information printed in each of the multiple print jobs, in order to output information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between the multiple print jobs, and outputs information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between the multiple print jobs being processed in succession.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, Information related to the printing job includes at least one of the following: information related to the printing surface, information related to the printing paper, information related to the printing color mode, and information related to the ejection address of the printed paper.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The information related to the printing information includes at least one of the following: information related to the number of printing colors, information related to toners, and information related to special colors.

4. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The input information also includes information related to the environment in which the multiple print jobs are processed.

5. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The input information also includes information related to the printing device that processes the plurality of print jobs.

6. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The input information also includes information related to the order in which the multiple print jobs are processed.

7. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, Information related to the cyclic drop that occurs between the print jobs includes whether or not a cyclic drop occurs between the print jobs, or the timing of the cyclic drop that occurs between the print jobs.

8. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The learned model is a model calculated based on information related to the performance of the printing device that processes the multiple print jobs, and learned using the occurrence time of the cyclical decline that occurs between the multiple print jobs.

9. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The processor is designed for each of a plurality of patterns in a print schedule that has changed the order of print jobs, which consists of a series of print jobs. For each of the print jobs included in the pattern, the learned model is used to output information related to the cyclic descent that occurs between the print jobs.

10. The information processing system according to claim 9, wherein, The processor recommends at least one of the plurality of patterns based on information related to the cyclic descent that occurs between the print jobs for each of the plurality of patterns output.

11. The information processing system according to claim 10, wherein, Information related to the cyclic drop that occurs between the print jobs includes whether or not a cyclic drop occurs between the print jobs. The processor recommends the pattern among the plurality of patterns that has the fewest occurrences of cyclic descent.

12. The information processing system according to claim 10, wherein, Information related to the cyclic descent that occurs between the print jobs includes the time when the cyclic descent occurs between the print jobs. The processor recommends the pattern with the smallest total occurrence time of cyclic descent among the multiple patterns.

13. A program product comprising a program that causes a computer to perform processing, characterized in that, Regarding the aforementioned processing, When inputting information that includes information related to each of the multiple print jobs being processed in succession and information related to the print information printed in each of the multiple print jobs, the pre-learned model is fed new input information that includes information related to each of the multiple print jobs being processed in succession and information related to the print information printed in each of the multiple print jobs, in order to output information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between the multiple print jobs, and outputs information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between the multiple print jobs being processed in succession.

14. An information processing method, characterized in that, When inputting information that includes information related to each of the multiple print jobs being processed consecutively and information related to the print information printed in each of the multiple print jobs, the pre-learned model is given new input information that includes information related to each of the multiple print jobs being processed consecutively again and information related to the print information printed in each of the multiple print jobs, in order to output information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between the multiple print jobs, and outputs information related to the cyclical decline that occurs between the new multiple print jobs being processed consecutively.

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