Automatic control system for printer system

Abstract

To provide an automated printer system for loading a set of printed matter items which have been printed on a container.SOLUTION: A printer system is operable to determine a printer device to which a printing job is output from one or more available printer devices, so as to control the printer devices on the basis of an identifier mark provided to a container.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] AUTOMATED PRINTER SYSTEM FOR PRINTING PRINTED PRODUCT ITEMS FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automated printer system for printing printed matter items. The printer system may be operable to load a set of printed printed matter items into a container. [Background technology]

[0002] A business that sends customer information in the form of printed materials may want to send customized information to a particular customer. For example, if a customer acquires a particular product from the business (e.g., a product customized according to user selection), the business may want to send the customer information about other related products or instructions on how to use the particular product. Therefore, the business may arrange to print specific printed materials for a given customer.

[0003] A printer device can print customized items for each customer by using different print job data for each customer. In such scenarios, it is known to use packaging conveyors, such as those found in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011288678, which discloses automated insertion of documents into containers (e.g., boxes) transported using a conveyor in an order picking system. In such scenarios, businesses aim to accurately distribute printed materials into boxes, envelopes, or other types of items positioned on the conveyor. Sometimes, these printed materials are distributed as sets of printed material items.

[0004] Printed items are output by a printer device (also called a print engine) and distributed into containers, but because the printed items are placed directly into the containers, any malfunction of the printer and / or conveyor requires the conveyor to be stopped, which can result in the entire production line being stopped, creating a backlog of print jobs waiting to be printed and potentially causing financial losses to the company due to the interrupted output of print jobs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The invention is set out in the accompanying claims.

[0006] In a first aspect of the invention, in general terms, when a set of printed matter items is loaded into a container, "identifier marks" provided on at least one of the printed matter items and on the container, respectively, are read. Based on these, it is decided whether to perform a loading operation (e.g., whether the respective identifier marks match according to a database record). If a loading operation is not performed, one or both of the set of printed matter items and the container are transported along a rejection path leading to a space (e.g., a receptacle) in which the set of printed matter items can be stored, for example for subsequent use or disposal.

[0007] A specific expression of this concept is a printing system including one or more printer devices that print printed matter items, a first conveyor that transports a container for holding the printed matter to a dispensing position, and a second conveyor that transports one or more printed matter items constituting a set of printed matter items from the one or more printer devices to a leading position. A loading device is configured to load the set of printed matter items at the leading position into a container when the container is at the dispensing position. A printed matter item scanner reads printed matter identifiers on printed matter items of the set of printed matter items when the printed matter items are at the leading position and generates a first output based on the printed matter identifiers. A container scanner reads container identifier marks on the container when the container is at the dispensing position and generates a second output based on the container identifier marks. The one or more memory units store instructions that, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors (2) to selectively, based on the first output and the second output, (i) control the loading device to load the set of printed matter items at the leading position into a container at the dispensing position, (ii) control the loading device to transport the set of printed matter items at the leading position along a printed matter item removal path, and (iii) control the first conveyor to transport the container at the dispensing position along a container discharge path.

[0008] The above system can reduce the number of errors that can cause the first conveyor to stop.

[0009] Optionally, the printing system further includes a second container scanner that reads the container identifier marks on the containers when the containers are in the reading position and generates a recognition result, the first conveyor being arranged to transport the containers from the reading position to the dispensing position. In this option, the one or more memory storage units further store instructions that, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: determine a print job based on the recognition result, the print job including generating one or more print items constituting a set of print items; and instruct one or more printer devices to print the determined print job. By including the second container scanner in the reading position, the printer device is instructed to print the print job as a result of the corresponding container being scanned. This increases the likelihood that the print job is sent to the printer device in the same order as the containers on the first conveyor. Furthermore, because there is less risk of the print job being sent to the printer device incorrectly, the number of errors that result in the first conveyor being stopped may be reduced.

[0010] The concept of triggering a printer device to print a job based on recognizing a container identifier mark provides a separate second aspect of the present invention.

[0011] A specific embodiment of a second aspect of the present invention is a printing system including one or more printer devices that print printed matter items, a first conveyor that transports containers for holding the printed matter items to a dispensing position, and a first container scanner that reads container identifier marks on the containers and generates a recognition result. The one or more memory storage units store instructions that, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: determine a print job based on the recognition result, the print job including generating one or more printed matter items that constitute a set of printed matter items; and instruct one of the one or more printer devices to print the determined print job. In this printing system, the instruction to the printer device to print the print job occurs as a result of the corresponding container being scanned. This increases the likelihood that the print job is sent to the printer device in the same order as the containers on the first conveyor. Furthermore, because there is less risk of the print job being sent to the printer device incorrectly, the number of errors that result in the first conveyor stopping can be reduced.

[0012] The memory storage unit in any of the above-described printing systems may further store instructions that, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to obtain status information from each of the one or more printer devices and control the one or more printer devices based on the status information. Controlling the one or more printer devices based on the status information may include determining a list of available printer devices based on the status information, selecting a printer device from the list of available printer devices, and controlling the selected printer device to generate the set of print items. If an error occurs in a printer device or if the printer device needs more toner or ink or another consumable, the printing system can control another printer device (if another printer device is available) to generate the required set of print items by controlling the one or more printer devices based on the status information. This effectively means that a printer device that incorrectly generates a set of print items will not be instructed to print until, for example, after the error is corrected or the toner or ink is replenished. As a result, fewer incorrectly printed print items may be generated, reducing the number of errors that result in stoppage of the first conveyor.

[0013] The concept of choosing a printer device to print a job on based on selecting a printer from a list of available printers provides a separate third aspect of the present invention.

[0014] A specific expression of a third aspect of the present invention is a printing system including one or more printer devices for printing printed matter items, a first conveyor for transporting a container for holding the printed matter items to a dispensing position, a second conveyor for transporting one or more printed matter items constituting a set of printed matter items from the one or more printer devices to a leading position, and a loading device configured to load the set of printed matter items at the leading position into the container when the container is at the dispensing position. The one or more memory storage units store instructions that, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: obtain status information from each of one or more printer devices; determine a list of available printer devices based on the status information; select a printer device from the list of available printer devices; and control the selected printer device to generate a set of print items. If an error occurs in a printer device or if a printer device needs more toner or ink, the printing system can control another printer device (if another printer device is available) to generate the required set of print items by controlling the one or more printer devices based on the status information. If no other printer devices are available, the printing operation is stopped or interrupted. This effectively means that a printer device that incorrectly generates a set of print items will not be instructed to print until, for example, after the error is corrected or the toner or ink is replenished. As a result, fewer incorrectly printed print items may be generated, reducing the number of errors that result in the first conveyor stopping.

[0015] Optionally, the printing system further includes at least one of a monitor that displays status information of the one or more printer devices to a user, and a user interface using which the user can select at least one of the one or more printer devices, thereby preventing the one or more processors from controlling the at least one printer driver selected to generate the set of print items. The monitor and user interface allow the user to view live status information for the printing system, and in the case of the user interface, the user can even control the printing system based on the displayed status information. As a result, the number of errors that result in the first conveyor stopping can be reduced.

[0016] At least one of the printer devices may further include a corresponding integrity scanner that reads print identifier marks on print items produced by the corresponding printer device and generates an integrity result indicating whether a set of print items produced by the corresponding printer device is complete. The one or more memory storage units may store further instructions that, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to selectively either transport the print items to a print item discard path or control a second conveyor to transport the print items to a leading position.

[0017] The printed item discard path and the printed item reject path may be the same path, or at least may lead to a shared destination, such as a printed item container. The integrity scanner provides an additional check that the set of printed items was generated correctly. As a result, a set of printed items with errors can be removed from the second conveyor, thereby reducing the likelihood that a misprinted set of printed items will be placed in the container. Furthermore, printed items in the printed item discard path or the shared printed item container can be removed for inspection or use, perhaps to reduce the number of printed items that need to be generated for a print job. For example, if a set of printed items includes a single misprinted item, the remainder can be used so that only the single misprinted item is reprinted. As a result, waste due to printing errors by the printer device can be reduced.

[0018] At least one of the printer devices may further include a distributor configured to transport printed matter items produced by the printer device to a second conveyor and, in the case of a set of printed matter items including multiple printed matter items, group the set of printed matter items when the corresponding integrity scanner generates an integrity result indicating that the set of printed matter items is complete. The distributor may be further configured to store the multiple sets of printed matter items. Additionally, the distributor may be further configured to select one of the multiple sets of printed matter items and transfer the selected set of printed matter items to the second conveyor.

[0019] Optionally, the dispenser may maintain a log of integrity results for each of the multiple sets of printed matter items, and selecting one of the multiple sets of printed matter items may be based on the log. Advantageously, the dispenser may store multiple sets of printed matter items and may select individual sets of printed matter items for transfer to the second conveyor, thereby altering the sequence of the sets of printed matter items to reflect any changes to the sequence of corresponding containers, and thus reducing the number of errors that result in stopping the first conveyor.

[0020] The one or more memory storage units may further store instructions that, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to detect the status of the first conveyor and, if an error is detected, pause printing. The one or more memory storage units may also further store instructions that, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to detect the status of the second conveyor and, if an error is detected, pause printing. In either case, excessive production of printed product items is prevented until the error is resolved, so that normal printing procedures can resume with minimal impact when the error on the first or second conveyor is resolved. If printing is not paused when an error on the first or second conveyor is detected, there is a risk that a set of printed product items will end up in the wrong container or will overlap with another set of printed product items.

[0021] The printing system may also include at least one of a monitor that displays the detected conveyor status to a user and / or a user interface that allows the user to stop the conveyor for which the status is detected. The monitor and user interface allow the user to view live status information for the first and second conveyors, and in the case of the user interface, the user may even control one or both of the conveyors based on the displayed status information. As a result, the user can stop the conveyors as soon as they notice an error to prevent it from getting worse, or even preventatively stop one or both of the conveyors. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an example of an automated control system (ACS) layout according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 illustrates a computing device suitable for implementing embodiments. [Figure 3a] 1 shows a flowchart according to an embodiment. [Figure 3b] 1 shows a flowchart according to an embodiment. [Figure 4(a)] 1 is a flowchart according to an embodiment. [Figure 4(b)] We define some software variables used in Figure 4(a). [Figure 5] 1 illustrates work list management according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates work list management according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates work list management according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Next, a printing system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 1. The printing system includes an automation control system (ACS) 1, which includes at least an industrial PC (IPC) 1a, a programmable logic controller (PLC) 1b, and a human-machine interface (HMI) 1c. Software within these systems allows for the comprehensive management of all aspects of the print-on-demand (POD) infrastructure, as described below.

[0024] In addition to ACS 1, the printing system further includes one or more print engines 4, 5, referred to as printer devices; a print management system 2 (e.g., a RICOH ProcessDirector™ (RPD)); a distribution line 6, also referred to as a first conveyor 12 and a second conveyor; a print item scanner 9; a container scanner 11 (e.g., a barcode scanner); and a loading device (not shown, described below), all of which may be integrated with a customer's hardware and software infrastructure 3, also referred to as a warehouse infrastructure controller. In the example of FIG. 1, the warehouse infrastructure controller 3 includes a warehouse management system (WMS) server 3a, a PLC 3b, and a second PLC 3c. As shown in FIG. 1, ACS 1 is in communication with all of the above components. This communication is depicted by electronic cables, but it may also occur wirelessly, for example, via near field communication (NFC) or through an intermediary. Although only two printer devices 4, 5 are shown, there may be any number of printer devices, and the print items they produce are collected by a second conveyor 6.

[0025] Each printer device 4, 5 is any device capable of outputting an image and / or text onto a medium, the result of which is called a print item. The printer device 4, 5 can output the image and / or text onto the medium using toner or ink. In normal operation, the printer device 4, 5 receives a print job and instructions for outputting the print job. A print job is digital information representing a print item. After receiving the print job and instructions for printing the print job, the print job undergoes raster image processing. Raster image processing can be performed by a raster image processor (RIP) 4b, 5b integrated with the printer device 4, 5 as shown in FIG. 1, or by an external RIP that sends an output bitmap to the printer device 4, 5. Each printer device 4, 5 has an external interface I / O 4a, 5a that enables communication with the ACS 1 and the RIP 4b, 5b. The external interface I / O 4a, 5a is the means by which the ACS 1 monitors the status of the printer devices 4, 5 as described above and receives bitmaps from the RIPs 4b, 5b. Any external interface I / O that allows such communication can be used, such as the external interface I / O of EP 2908250. Once raster image processing is complete, the raster image is sent to the printer devices 4, 5. The printer devices 4, 5 apply toner or ink to media so that the output image and / or text corresponds to one or more print items represented by the print job. A single print job can represent multiple print items, which are considered a single set of print items. The printer devices 4, 5 do not need to simultaneously receive the print job and the instructions for outputting the set of print items 19 represented by the print job. In fact, the print job can be stored separately in the printer devices 4, 5 and accessed when instructions for printing the specified stored print job are received.In this manner, print jobs may be stored in a central storage system, for example, the print management server 2, accessible by multiple printer devices 4, 5, such that any printer device 4, 5 with access to the print management server 2 can be instructed to print a print job stored on the print management server 2. In addition to producing printed items, the printer devices 4, 5 may have additional capabilities, such as scanning or copying functions. The type and number of printer devices 4, 5 selected for a system are chosen based on speed, throughput, and volume capabilities and can vary based on the requirements for an individual installation.

[0026] The ACS 1 continuously monitors one or more printer devices 4, 5 and collects data about their status, availability, and print readiness. This includes consumable levels (toner, media, etc.), errors and warnings, print counters, waste collection, and other system vital information. When multiple printer devices are utilized, this information is used to manage printer device availability and load balancing. Information can be collected using standard protocols such as SNMP.

[0027] The printer devices 4, 5 are tuned to reduce or eliminate any mechanisms that pause printing, reduce throughput, or delay printing, so that they can print for extended periods of time with minimal start-up time and without interruption. ACS1 is responsible for performing any necessary periodic calibrations and adjustments, such as color registration, during any downtime or load balancing periods to maintain high quality of printing.

[0028] The objective of a printing system is to always be ready to accept a print job, also called a "Print-On-Demand" (PoD) job, and to produce it within the time required by the demands of the environment in which the printing system is located.

[0029] Print jobs are typically entered at the warehouse WMS server 3a, but could also be entered at one of the printer devices 4, 5, or at the IPC 1a of ACS 1, for example. If no printer device 4, 5 is available at the time the print job is received, the print job is placed in a print queue, and previously received print jobs are assigned to a printer device as they are generated. Print jobs may also be stored until instructed to join the print queue, upon receiving an instruction to print the print job.

[0030] The first conveyor 12 is a transport means for transporting containers 16 from a loading position 15 (where the containers 16 are placed on the first conveyor 12) to a final destination 17 (where the containers 16 containing printed matter items are removed from the first conveyor 12) via a dispensing position 13 where printed matter is inserted into the containers 16 by a loading device. The first conveyor 12 may be a single conveyor belt or may have merging, diverging, or sorting capabilities. The containers 16 transported on the container conveyor 12 may be any receptacle in which printed matter items can be placed, such as, for example, boxes, or possibly envelopes. In the following, it will generally be assumed that the containers 16 are boxes.

[0031] A container 16 placed at a loading position 15 on the first conveyor 12 is first transported to a reading position 18 where a scanner 10 (hereinafter referred to as the "second container scanner") reads a container identifier provided on the container 16. As discussed below, this triggers the execution of a corresponding print job, resulting in a corresponding set of print items 19 being printed.

[0032] The container 16 is then transported to a dispensing location 13 where a corresponding set of printed matter items can be dispensed into the container 16 by a loading device. After the dispensing location 13, the container 16 is transported to a final destination 17 where the container 16 can be removed from the first conveyor 12. Although only a single final destination 17 is shown in Figure 1, there may alternatively be multiple final destinations 17. For example, the final destinations 17 may be separate conveyor belts for specific customers.

[0033] Additionally, the first conveyor 12 has a (first) reject path (not shown) that removes containers 16 from the first conveyor 12, e.g., containers at the dispense location 13, and removes them from the printing system. The reject path branches off from the path along which containers are moved by the first conveyor 12, e.g., at the dispense location. A control system for transporting containers 16 to the reject path may be provided as a line control unit (“line control”) 20, although the line control 20 is not shown in FIG. 1 as being at the dispense location 13. As shown in FIG. 1, the ACS 1 communicates with the PLC 3d of the line control 20 via the warehouse infrastructure control 3. Once the container is placed on the reject path, it is returned to the loading location 15 so that the printing and dispensing process can begin again, or an operator can investigate why the process failed.

[0034] The second conveyor 6 is a transport means for transporting sets of printed matter items 19. Like the first conveyor 12, the second conveyor 6 may be a single conveyor belt or may have merging, branching or sorting capabilities. As sets of printed matter items are output from one or more printer devices 4, 5, they are placed on the second conveyor, for example by a distributor, as described below, and transported towards a head position 14.

[0035] The second conveyor 6 provides a (second) reject path (not shown) at the leading position 14 that removes the set of print items at the leading position 14 from the main transport path of the second conveyor 6 for removal from the printer system (e.g., for disposal). The process by which the set of print items is determined to be removed from the leading position 14 to the reject path is described below.

[0036] The printed item scanner 9 is located at or near the head position 14 of the second conveyor 6 that transports the printed items. The printed item scanner 9 reads a printed item identifier mark affixed to one printed item in the set of printed items located at the head position. The printed item identifier mark can be any mark associated with the print job corresponding to the set of printed items 19, such as a barcode (one-dimensional or two-dimensional), a character or a series of characters, for example. The printed item scanner 9 (and scanners 7 and 8, discussed below) are configured to be able to read these identifier marks (e.g., as a barcode reader). The printed item scanner 9 reads the printed item identifier mark from the set of printed items 19 located at the head position 14 and sends an output to the ACS1.

[0037] The container scanner 11 is located at or near the dispensing position 13 on the first conveyor 12, which transports the containers 16. The container scanner 11 reads container identifier marks on the containers 16 located at the dispensing position 13. The container identifier marks can be any mark associated with the print job corresponding to the container 16, such as a barcode (one-dimensional or two-dimensional), a character, or a series of characters. The container scanners 10, 11 are configured to read these identifier marks (e.g., as barcode readers). The container scanner 11 reads the container identifier marks from the containers 16 located at the dispensing position 13 and transmits an output to the ACS1. The purpose of the container identifier marks and the printed matter identifier marks is to ensure that a set of printed matter items associated with a particular customer is dispensed into the container 16 intended for that particular customer. In other words, the identifier marks facilitate sorting the correct set of printed matter items into the correct container 16.

[0038] The loading device is configured to load print items from the head position 14 of the second conveyor 6 into a container 16 located at the dispensing position 13 of the first conveyor 12. This loading device may be provided with a container buffer (not shown). To illustrate, while the printing operation of an individual print-on-demand (PoD) print job typically takes only 2-3 seconds to complete, due to the size and complexity of the production printer devices 4, 5, it actually takes approximately 20 seconds to process and transport the job through the printer devices 4, 5. PoD jobs are processed by the automated dispensing function of the printer devices 4, 5, which can take an additional 10-20 seconds depending on the complexity of the configuration. This means that the overall cycle time of a print job, from request to dispense, can typically be 30-40 seconds. This does not take into account the time required to start and stop the production printer devices, which introduces additional delays. Customer requirements for dispensing items into the containers 16 vary widely. Typically, if the containers 16 are boxes, they move at a constant speed along the first conveyor 12 with a predictable periodicity. The time to process each individual box is known as its "takt" time. If the first conveyor 12 has a throughput of 900 boxes per hour, each box has a takt time of 4 seconds, meaning that a box appears at any particular point on the first conveyor every 4 seconds. Because print jobs take 30 to 40 seconds, the loading device at the dispensing location 13 may be provided with a container buffer, e.g., a box buffer. A box buffer is a small segment of the conveyor line where boxes can stop and wait for a period of time while a print job is prepared. This allows the PoD system and the first conveyor 12 to operate in an asynchronous manner. The number of boxes in the box buffer is typically optimized based on customer requirements for PoD.For example, if a PoD job cycle time is 32 seconds and a bin takt time is 4 seconds, the bin buffer takt time may typically be a minimum of eight bins (8 bins, each with a 4-second takt time = 32 seconds) to store bins to receive print items printed by, for example, eight printer devices 4 and 5. The bins in the bin buffer can stop, queue, and wait for individual PoD jobs, independent of the movement of bins before and after the bin buffer. With an efficient bin buffer, bins enter every four seconds, and those jobs are distributed and moved, but are delayed in the bin buffer by the PoD system cycle time, which is 32 seconds in the above example. Because the bin buffer has a known capacity, the loading device is configured to manage the same number of PoD jobs. Thus, in the above example, the loading device may be able to buffer at least eight jobs. The bin buffer also allows the PoD system to manage situations in which the first conveyor 12 downstream of the distribution location 13 stops due to an unpredictable event. PoD jobs requested before these line stops are completed and buffered in the loading device and fulfilled when the first conveyor 12 restarts. The bin buffer also allows for bin management in the event of an error within the PoD system. For example, if there is a jam in the loading device, the printing system stops and awaits attention from an operator. Any bins currently held in the bin buffer wait for the error to clear before production resumes. Depending on the severity of the error, the bin buffer can be temporarily suspended or prevented from accepting new jobs, although this is generally undesirable for maintaining maximum conveyor line throughput. For simplicity, the possibility of providing a container buffer is not further considered here. However, if such a buffer is provided, some of the following description can be generalized, for example, to allow multiple containers to wait at the dispensing location 13 to receive the appropriate set of printed products. The ACS 1, print management server 2, and / or warehouse infrastructure control unit 3 can be implemented as a computer system 200, as shown in FIG. 2.There may be a separate computer system 200 for each of ACS1, print management server 2, and warehouse infrastructure controller 3, or one or more of ACS1, print management server 2, and warehouse infrastructure controller 3 may be implemented on the same computer system 200. Computer system 200 includes a system bus 220 for communicating information and a processor 210 coupled to bus 220 for processing information.

[0039] Computer system 200 further includes a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device 225 (herein referred to as main memory) coupled to bus 220 for storing information and instructions executed by processor 210. Main memory 225 may also be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions by processor 210. Computer system 200 may also include a read-only memory (ROM) and / or other static storage device 226 coupled to bus 220 for storing static information and instructions used by processor 210.

[0040] A data storage device 227, such as a magnetic or optical disk and its corresponding drive, may also be connected to computer system 200 for storing information and instructions. Computer system 200 may also be connected to a second I / O bus 250 via I / O interface 230. Multiple I / O devices may be connected to I / O bus 250, including a display device 224, input devices (e.g., a keyboard (or alphanumeric input device) 223 and / or cursor control device 222). Communication device 221 is for accessing other computers (servers or clients). Communication device 221 may include a modem, a network interface card, or other well-known interface devices such as those used to connect to Ethernet, token ring, or other types of networks.

[0041] In embodiments, computer system 200 may be implemented as one or more microchips or integrated circuits interconnected using a motherboard, hardwired logic, software stored by a memory device and executed by a microprocessor, firmware, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or any combination thereof. The term "logic" may include, by way of example, software or hardware, and / or a combination of software and hardware.

[0042] Embodiments may be provided as a computer program product, which may include one or more machine-readable media storing machine-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more machines, such as, for example, a computer, a network of computers, or other electronic devices, may cause one or more machines to perform operations in accordance with the embodiments described herein. Machine-readable media may include, but are not limited to, floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory), and magneto-optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROMs (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), magnetic or optical cards, flash memory, or other types of media / machine-readable media suitable for storing machine-executable instructions.

[0043] Furthermore, embodiments may be downloaded as a computer program product that may be transferred from a remote computer (e.g., a server) to a requesting computer (e.g., a client) over a communications link (e.g., a modem or network connection) using one or more data signals embodied in and / or modulated by a carrier wave or other propagation medium.

[0044] The operation of the printing system of FIG. 1 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 3a, 3b, and 4 to 7. FIG.

[0045] 3a and 3b show a flow diagram starting at S301 when a print job is submitted at the warehouse infrastructure control unit 3. When a print job is submitted, it is stored in the print management server 2. In addition, a corresponding container 16 is prepared to receive the output set of print items associated with the print job. The container 16 may be prepared automatically, for example, by an automated box assembly machine, or may be prepared manually. The submitted print job is then associated with the prepared container 16 by marking the container 16 with a container identifier mark associated with the submitted print job. An entry associated with the identifiable container 16 is then added to a work list in the lowest available (i.e., empty) position and is called a box ID. The work list is a digital list stored by the ACS1. The work list has two columns: one representing each identifiable container when the print job is submitted, and the other representing each set of print items to be output by the printer device 4, 5 represented by the submitted print job. The work list columns representing identifiable containers have entries from list position 0 to n, where n is an integer number of identifiable containers and their order on the first conveyor 12 between the reading position 18 and the dispensing position 13. Position 0 indicates that the container will arrive at the dispensing position 13 next. The work list columns representing sets of printed product items output by the printer devices 4, 5 have entries from list position 0 to m, where m is an integer number of sets of printed product items being transported by the second conveyor 6 to the head position 14 and their order on the second conveyor 6. Position 0 indicates that the set of printed product items will arrive at the head position 14 next. For example, if the printer system has just started operating and the conveyors 6, 12 have just begun transporting sets of printed product items and containers, respectively, the boxes and sets at position 0 in the work list have not yet arrived at the head position 14 and the dispensing position 13. Examples of work lists can be seen in Figures 5-7 and are discussed further below.

[0046] In S302, the container 16 is scanned by the second container scanner 10 at the reading position 18. As shown in FIG. 1 , the reading position 18 is located at or near the loading position 15 where the container 16 is placed on the first conveyor 12. In a variant, the second container scanner 10 may be arranged to scan the container 16 before the container 16 is placed on the first conveyor 12. The first conveyor 12 is configured to transport the container 16 from the reading position 18 to the dispensing position 13. The second container scanner 10 reads the container identifier mark on the container 16 at the reading position 18 and outputs a recognition result, which is sent to the print management server 2. In addition to the recognition result, a request to print a print job associated with the container identifier mark is also sent to the print management server 2. The print management server 2 receives the recognition result in S303 and checks its stored print jobs (S304) to see if there is a print job associated with the container identifier mark. If no print job associated with the scanned container identifier mark is stored, the request to print the print job associated with the container identifier mark is canceled in S305. If a print job associated with the container identifier mark exists, the print request is forwarded to ACS1 along with the corresponding print job in S306. The second container scanner 10 advantageously provides the print management server 2 with the initial sequence of containers placed on the first conveyor 12, which is the same sequence as the print job being sent to be printed. As a result, the possibility that the output set of print items will be in a different order from the containers is reduced, and the number of times the first conveyor 12 must stop is also reduced. The second container scanner 10 is advantageous but not necessary for the operation of the printing system of FIG. 1. When a print job is submitted from the warehouse infrastructure control unit 3, the print job is automatically submitted along with the print request to the print management server 2, which then forwards the print job and print request to ACS1 and continues operation without steps S302 to S305.

[0047] In S307, the ACS1 determines which printer device 4, 5 to send the print request and print job to. As described above, the ACS1 continuously monitors one or more printer devices 4, 5 and collects data on their status, availability, and print readiness. This includes consumable levels (toner, media, etc.), errors and warnings, print counters, waste collection, and other system-critical information. When multiple printer devices 4, 5 are utilized, this information is used to manage the availability and load balancing of the printer devices 4, 5. Thus, the ACS1 selects a printer device 4, 5 to send the print request and print job to based on the status of the printer devices 4, 5, while ensuring that the order of the sets of print items does not differ from the order of the corresponding bins. The selection of where to send the print request and therefore the print job may be performed to achieve load balancing, which balances the amounts printed by the printer devices 4, 5 according to a predetermined desired ratio of their amounts (e.g., so that the amounts printed by the printer devices 4, 5 are substantially equal when the printer devices are equivalent). For example, if one of the printer devices 4, 5 already has more than a certain threshold number of print jobs in its print queue and the other printer device 4, 5 does not, the ACS1 may send print requests and print jobs to the printer device 4, 5 with the shorter print queue. This may be done to allow a printer that has printed a large amount of data to rest. As another example, if one printer device 4, 5 is low on ink, toner, printing media, or another consumable, the ACS1 may send print requests and print jobs to a different printer device 4, 5 to create a period of non-printing time for the printer device 4, 5 that is low on consumables and allow the consumable to be replenished. As another example, if the ACS1 detects an error in one of the printer devices 4, 5, the ACS may again send print requests and print jobs to a different printer device 4, 5 to create a period of non-printing for the printer device 4, 5 with the error and allow it to be serviced.

[0048] Once the ACS1 determines to which printer device 4, 5 the print request and print job should be sent (in this case, printer device 4), in S308 the ACS sends the determined printer device 4 to the print management server 2. The ACS1 may also send the print job back to the print management server 2 along with the specific printer device 4 to prevent an error in which the print job is to be sent to the determined printer device 4. In S309, the print management server receives the determined printer device 4 and sends the print job to the RIP 4b of the determined printer device 4.

[0049] In S310, the RIP 4b of the determined printer device 4 receives the print job and performs raster image processing to output a bitmap of the received print job. The bitmap is then sent to the determined printer device 4 via the external interface I / O 4a of the determined printer 4. In S311, the determined printer device 4 receives the transmitted bitmap and outputs one or more print items that constitute the set of print items represented by the print job. When the determined printer 4 finishes outputting the set of print items represented by the print job, an entry associated with the output set of print items is added to the work list in the lowest available position and is called a set ID. The printer devices 4 and 5 may also include corresponding integrity scanners 7 and 8. The integrity scanners 7 and 8 are scanners that read print item identifier marks attached to the print items and determine a completion result indicating whether the set of print items generated by the corresponding printer device 4 and 5 is complete. For example, if a set of printed items is expected to have three printed items, the integrity scanner checks whether all three printed items have been output by scanning the printed item identifier on each printed item. If all printed item identifiers have been scanned, the set is complete. If one or more printed item identifiers are not scanned, the set is incomplete. A printed item identifier may not be scanned for various reasons, such as the identifier being unreadable, indicating poor print quality for the printed item, or the printed item being omitted from the print job. The integrity scanners 7, 8 reduce the number of errors by identifying sets of incorrectly printed printed items, which helps reduce the number of times the first conveyor 12 must stop. In step S312, the external interface I / O 4a of the determined printer 4 sends a scan request to the integrity scanner 7 of the determined printer 4 to scan the printed item identifier marks on the output printed items.The integrity results of integrity scanner 7 are then used in distribution logic flowchart 400, as described below with reference to FIG. 4(a). Steps S310-S313 were performed by printer device 4, corresponding RIP 4b, external interface I / O 4a, and integrity scanner 7, but if ACS1 determines to send the print job to printer device 5, steps S310-S313 are instead performed by printer device 5, corresponding RIP 5b, external interface I / O 5a, and integrity scanner 8. Similarly, the same steps occur if a third printer device not depicted in FIG. 1 is selected by ACS1.

[0050] At S314, the printed item scanner 9 reads the printed item identifier marks on the printed items that have reached the head position of the second conveyor 6 and transmits the results to be processed by ACS1 in accordance with the distributor logic flow chart at S400, as described below. It does not matter which printed item identifier marks are read by the printed item scanner 9, as the printed item identifier marks on any one (or more, e.g. all) printed items are associated with the same set of printed items.

[0051] Similarly, in S315, the container scanner reads the container identifier mark of the container that has reached the dispensing position on the first conveyor 12 and transmits the results, which are processed by ACS1 in accordance with the dispenser logic flow chart in S400, as described below.

[0052] FIG. 4(a) shows the dispenser logic flow chart at 400. It uses several software variables defined in FIG. 4(b). In step S401, it is determined whether a recognition result generated by the container scanner 11 has been received. This is indicated by the software variable box_scanned being "true." If so, ACS1 proceeds to S402. If not, ACS1 waits for a container to arrive at the dispense location 13 and be scanned by the container scanner 11.

[0053] In step S402, it is determined whether the recognition results generated by the printed item scanner 9 have been received. This is indicated by the software variable set_scanned being "true". If so, ACS1 proceeds to S403. If not, ACS1 waits for a set of printed items to arrive at the head location 14 and be scanned by the printed item scanner 9.

[0054] In S403, ACS1 checks the position in the work list of the box ID corresponding to the container scanned at the dispensing location. The value box_pos is set accordingly to indicate this position. If the container is not found in the work list, box_pos=-1 is set; otherwise, box_pos is set to a value greater than or equal to 0 to indicate the position of the container in the work list. Here, a box_pos value of 0 indicates the box at the top of the work list.

[0055] In S404, ACS1 determines whether there is a box ID associated with the scanned container at the dispensing position (i.e., whether box_pos=-1). If ACS1 does not find a box ID associated with the scanned container in the work list (i.e., box_pos=-1), for example because it has already been removed from or not entered into the work list, ACS1 proceeds to S405.

[0056] In S405, the container is rejected. As previously mentioned, the first conveyor 12 has a reject path (not shown) for removing rejected containers. Upon receiving a reject notification from ACS1, the line control unit 20 transports the rejected container onto the reject path. As one possibility, the reject path may be implemented at least in part manually; for example, the rejected container may be manually removed from the dispensing location upon an operator receiving a reject notification from ACS1.

[0057] Once the rejected container has been removed from the dispensing position, in S406 the variable box_scanned is set to "false" since there are no more containers at the dispensing position 13. ACS1 returns to S401 and waits for the next container to arrive at the dispensing position 13 of the first conveyor 12.

[0058] If there is an entry in the working list associated with the container scanned at the dispensing location, ACS1 proceeds to S407 and finds the position in the working list of the set in the first position 14 (as detected by the scanner 9) and sets this value as set_pos. If the detected set is not in the working list, set_pos is set to -1. Otherwise, set_pos indicates the position in the working list, with set_pos=0 meaning the first entry in the list.

[0059] If an entry associated with the set of scanned printed matter items in the head position is in the working list, ACS1 proceeds to S408(a). In step S408(a), ACS1 checks whether the set is in the working list. If the set is not found in the working list (i.e., if set_pos is -1), the method proceeds to step S409, described below. In S408(b), ACS1 checks whether the set of scanned printed matter items in the head position is valid, i.e., complete. This check is performed using the integrity result sent from the integrity scanners 7, 8 in S313 of FIG. 3(b). If the set is not found in step S408(a), or if the integrity result in step S408(b) indicates that the set of scanned printed matter items is not complete, ACS1 proceeds to S409. In S409, the set is rejected and removed from the head position of the second conveyor 6. If a distributor control 6c is present, ACS1 may send a rejection notification to the distributor control 6c to divert the rejected set of printed matter items along the rejection path. One possibility is that the rejection path may be implemented at least partially manually, e.g., the rejected set of printed matter items may be manually removed after an operator receives notification that the set has been rejected from ACS1.

[0060] As described above, both cases of rejection removal from the second conveyor 6 occur when the set of printed items 19 is at the head position 14 of the second conveyor 6. However, the set of printed items may be rejected before reaching the head position of the second conveyor 6. Bridging the gap between the printer devices 4, 5 and the second conveyor 6 are distributors 6a, 6b, corresponding to the printer devices 4, 5, which transfer the printed items produced by the printer devices 4, 5 to the second conveyor 6. Furthermore, when the set of printed items 19 includes multiple printed items, the distributors 6a, 6b group the printed items into sets before or after transferring them to the second conveyor 6. The completeness scanners 7, 8 scan the printed items as they are output from the printer devices 4, 5. Therefore, it is possible to know whether the set of printed items produced by the printer devices 4, 5 is complete while it is on the distributors 6a, 6b. If a set of printed product items is determined to be incomplete while on the distributors 6a, 6b, the distributors 6a, 6b may distribute the incomplete set of printed product items to a location other than the second conveyor 6. Optionally, the location to which the distributors 6a, 6b distribute the incomplete set of printed product items may be a transport path that leads from the beginning of the second conveyor 6 to a reject path for rejected sets of printed product items. Advantageously, the distributors 6a, 6b may be able to store multiple sets of completed printed product items before distributing them to the second conveyor 6. By storing multiple sets of printed product items, the distributors 6a, 6b can effectively act as a buffer so that even if the printer devices 4, 5 stop printing, the distributors 6a, 6b can continue to distribute stored printed product items to the second conveyor 6, thereby preventing the first conveyor 12 and / or the second conveyor 6 from having to stop. Similarly, if there is a line stoppage that temporarily stops one or both of the first conveyor 12 and the second conveyor 6, the distributors 6a, 6b can store any output set of printed material items until they have no further storage space.This buffer can continue to accept new jobs even when the first conveyor 12 and / or the second conveyor 6 are not operating, until the distributors 6a, 6b run out of storage space. In addition, the distributors 6a, 6b may be able to selectively choose which of the sets of stored print items to distribute to the second conveyor 6, allowing for a reordering of the sets of print items distributed to the second conveyor 6. The distributors 6a, 6b can thus take into account the reordering of print jobs and even the changing of the position of entries in the work list associated with containers or sets of print items.

[0061] In S410, the rejected set of printed matter items 19 is removed from the head position 14 of the second conveyor 6, and there are no more sets of printed matter items 19 at the head position 14 of the second conveyor 6. Therefore, ACS1 returns to S401 and waits for the next set of printed matter items 19 to arrive at the head position 14 of the second conveyor 6.

[0062] If the set of printed matter items is complete (valid), ACS1 proceeds to S411. In S411, ACS1 checks whether the location of the box ID associated with the scanned container and the location of the set ID associated with the scanned set of printed matter items are both 0. If this condition is met, ACS1 proceeds to S412 and causes the loading device to distribute the set of printed matter items 19 from the leading position 14 of the second conveyor 6 to the container 16 located at the dispensing position 13 of the first conveyor 12.

[0063] In S413, ACS1 waits for confirmation from the loading device that the printed product items have been dispensed. Once ACS1 receives confirmation that the set has been dispensed in S414, the first conveyor 12 transports the container 16 past the dispense location 13. This is done either by an operator manually operating the first conveyor 12, or by ACS1 instructing the line control 3d to transport the container past the dispense location.

[0064] In S415, after the container leaves the dispensing position 13 of the first conveyor 12, there are no containers 16 to be scanned at the dispensing position 13, and therefore no scan results are received by ACS1 from the container scanner 11. The software variable box_scanned is set to "false."

[0065] Similarly, in S416, since the set of printed matter items 19 that were in the head position 14 have been loaded into the container 16, there are no printed matter items in the head position 14 of the second conveyor 6, and therefore no scan results are received by ACS1 from the printed matter item scanner 9. The software variable set_scanned is set to "false". ACS1 then proceeds to S417.

[0066] In S417, ACS1 removes from the work list the entry at position 0 on the work list. That is, both the box ID associated with the container at position 0 and the set ID associated with the set of printed matter items at position 0 are removed from the work list, and the positions of all remaining entries are decreased by 1. ACS1 then waits for the next container 16 to be scanned at the dispensing position 13 on the first conveyor 12, and proceeds again from S401.

[0067] FIG. 5 shows how the bin ID and set ID at position 0 of the work list are removed. As can be seen in the first cycle, there is a work list of three bin IDs and three set IDs. Each position in the work list has a single bin ID and a single set ID. After a set of printed product items is removed from the head position 14 of the second conveyor 6, either because it is being dispensed into a container 16 or because it is being rejected, the associated set ID and bin ID are removed from the work list. Similarly, after a container 16 is removed from the dispense position 13 of the first conveyor 12, either because it has been transported past the dispense position 13 or because it has been rejected, the associated set ID and bin ID are removed from the work list. The removal of the set or container of prints (performed in either step S412, S419, or S423 of FIG. 4) occurs when the cycle ends (i.e., just before the ACS returns to step 401), before the set ID and box ID are removed together (in either step S417, S421, S425, or S427).

[0068] FIG. 5 illustrates the execution of a cycle from step S401 to step S417, and shows how, in step S417, the set ID and box ID in position 0 in the work list are removed together when the cycle ends. That is, as a set of printed matter items is dispensed from the leading position into a container at the dispense position, and as the container is transported past the dispense position, both work list entries in position 0 are removed, ending the first cycle and starting the second cycle. Once the box ID and set ID entries in position 0 are removed, all remaining entries move to the previous (upward) position. For example, box ID XXXB, which was in position 1, moves to position 0, and set ID YYY3, which was in position 2, moves to position 1. The next set of printed matter items associated with set ID YYY2 is loaded into the container associated with box ID XXXB at the end of the second cycle, and after the container leaves the dispense position 13 on the first conveyor 12, the entry in position 0 is removed from the work list, starting the third cycle. As shown, to go from the second cycle to the third cycle, entries XXXB and YYY2 in position 0 of the working list are removed, and entries XXXC and YYY3, previously in position 1 of the working list, are moved to position 0 of the working list.

[0069] If the condition in S411 is not true, ACS1 proceeds to S418. In S418, ACS1 checks whether the position of the bin ID associated with the scanned container is greater than 0 and whether the position of the set ID associated with the scanned set of printed matter items is equal to 0. In other words, ACS1 checks whether the scanned container 16 that arrived at the delivery position 13 of the first conveyor 12 is not at position 0 in the work list while the set of printed matter items at the head position of the second conveyor 6 is at position 0 in the work list. An example of this condition is shown in the work list for the current cycle in FIG. 6 by the bolded entries, XXXB at position 1 and YYY1 at position 0. If this condition is met, it means that while the container has arrived at the feed position of the first conveyor 12, the corresponding set of printed matter items to be delivered to the container has not yet arrived at the head position of the second conveyor 6. As a result, ACS1 proceeds to S419 and rejects the set of printed matter items. Rejection of the set of printed matter items 19 is as described above and may be performed manually by an operator upon notification by ACS1, or automatically (i.e., substantially without human intervention) by the distributor controller 6c, if present, by sending a reject notification to the distributor controller 6c, which instructs the second conveyor 6 to send the set of printed matter items along a reject path. After the set of printed matter items 19 has been removed from the head position 14 of the second conveyor 6, in S420, ACS1 no longer receives scan results from the printed matter item scanner 9, so set_scanned is set to "false" and ACS1 proceeds to S421. In S421, ACS1 removes the bin ID and set ID entry at position 0 of the work list and decrements the positions of all other entries by one. This is shown in the work list for the next cycle in Figure 6, where entries XXXA and YYY1 have been removed and the positions of all other entries have been reduced by 1, so that XXXB, associated with the container currently in the dispensing position 13 of the first conveyor 12, is now in position 0, as is the corresponding set of printed product items YYY2 that have not yet reached the head position 14 of the second conveyor 6.After this, ACS1 returns to S401 to wait for the next set of printed matter items 19, in this case YYY2, to reach the head position 14 of the second conveyor 6.

[0070] If the condition of S418 is not met, ACS1 proceeds to S422, where it checks whether the position of the set ID associated with the set of scanned printed matter items is greater than 0 and whether the position of the bin ID associated with the scanned container is equal to 0. In other words, ACS1 checks whether the set of scanned printed matter items that arrived at the head position of the second conveyor 6 is not at position 0 in the work list while the container 16 at the delivery position 13 of the first conveyor 12 is at position 0 in the work list. An example of this condition is shown in the work list for the current cycle in FIG. 7 by the bolded entries, XXXA at ​​position 0 and YYY2 at position 1. If this condition is met, it means that while the set of printed matter items has reached the head position 14 of the second conveyor 6, the corresponding container has not yet arrived at the delivery position 13 of the first conveyor 12. As a result, ACS1 proceeds to S423, where it rejects the container 16 at the delivery position 13. Rejection of the container 16 is as described above and may be done manually by an operator upon notification by ACS1, or automatically by the line control unit 20, if present, by sending a reject notification to the line control unit 20 which instructs the first conveyor 12 to send the container along the reject path. After the container 16 is removed from the dispensing position 13 of the first conveyor 6, in S424, ACS1 no longer receives scan results from the container scanner 11, so box_scanned is set to "false" and ACS1 proceeds to S425. In S425, ACS1 removes the box ID and set ID entry at position 0 of the work list and decrements the positions of all other entries by one. This is shown in the work list for the next cycle in Figure 7, where entries XXXA and YYY1 have been removed and the positions of all other entries have been reduced by 1, so that YYY2, associated with the set of printed product items currently in the head position on the second conveyor 6, is now in position 0, as is the corresponding container XXXB, which has not yet reached its dispensing position on the first conveyor 12.After this, ACS1 returns to S401 and waits for the next container, in this case XXXB, to arrive at the dispensing position of the first conveyor 12.

[0071] If the condition of S422 is not met, ACS1 proceeds to S426, where the position of the bin ID associated with the container 16 scanned at the delivery position 13 of the first conveyor 12 and the position of the set ID associated with the set of printed material items 19 scanned at the head position 14 of the second conveyor 6 are both greater than 0. This condition must be true if none of the previous conditions of S411, S418, and S422 are true. ACS1 proceeds to S427, where it removes from the work list the entry for the bin ID and set ID at position 0 of the work list. The positions of all remaining entries are decreased by 1. After this, ACS1 returns to S401 and again proceeds to the flow diagram of FIG. 4(a) using the scan results received for the container still in the delivery position of the first conveyor 12 and the set of material items still in the head position of the second conveyor 6.

[0072] While the above process is largely automated, the printing system of FIG. 1 may further include a monitor or user interface 1c to display the status of the printer devices 4, 5 in a single location and allow an operator to control the printer devices 4, 5 from this central location. The user interface 1c may allow the operator to select the printer devices 4, 5 to receive input print jobs or to select the printer devices 4, 5 to which any future print jobs will not be assigned. The operator may also use the user interface 1c to pause print output of the selected printer devices 4, 5. In addition, the ACS 1 may monitor the status of the first conveyor 12 and the second conveyor 6 and display the status centrally to the operator. The operator may then operate the user interface 1c to stop either or both of the first conveyor 12 and the second conveyor 6. In this manner, the operator may centrally control all aspects of the printing system while receiving up-to-date status for each component in the system. The HMI 1c acts as a central user interface from which the various components of the printing system can be controlled, although each of the separate components, such as the printer devices 4, 5 and conveyors 6, 12, can also have individual HMI / operator panels from which they can be controlled. Even when each device in the printing system has a separate HMI, the central user interface 1c can advantageously highlight from a single location which component of the system has failed and direct the operator to the individual corresponding HMI as needed.

[0073] The ACS1 can also stop print output from the printer devices 4, 5 without operator input if an error is detected in the printer devices 4, 5. When there are multiple printer devices 4, 5, additional print jobs can be assigned to printer devices 4, 5 that are still operating to avoid production losses. Also, if an error is detected in one of the printer devices 4, 5 and print output from that printer device 4, 5 is interrupted, a notification may be sent to the operator. The ACS1 may even preemptively switch incoming print jobs to alternative printer devices 4, 5 if the printer devices 4, 5 reach a predetermined threshold for load balancing. The threshold can be configured by the operator before accepting a print job or during print output. Using the load balancing threshold, the ACS1 attempts to maintain the output of all printer devices 4, 5 for a print item within a specific range so that one printer device 4, 5 does not do more work than another printer device. If a printer device 4, 5 is removed from the pool of available printer devices 4, 5 for a period of time, the output of print items from that printer device 4, 5 may be reduced. To address this, when the printer device 4, 5 becomes available again, ACS1 may prioritize that printer device 4, 5 for outputting print jobs so that the output of print items returns to within the desired range. If an error is detected in the conveyor 6, 12, the conveyor 6, 12 may be stopped without operator input. A notification may be sent to the operator when an error is detected. In either case, automatically stopping the respective printer device 4, 5 or conveyor 6, 12 as soon as an error is detected reduces the likelihood of the fault causing the error becoming worse and reduces the risk that the error will go unnoticed.

[0074] The ACS1 may also monitor the distributors 6a, 6b and automatically stop the corresponding printer devices 4, 5 from outputting print items when an error is detected. In such a case, any queued print jobs may be sent to the printer devices 4, 5 with the still-functioning distributors 6a, 6b. The ACS1 may notify an operator when such an error is detected in a distributor 6a, 6b. Alternatively, when an error is detected in a distributor 6a, 6b, the corresponding printer devices 4, 5 may not be automatically controlled, and instead a notification may be sent to the operator so that the operator can decide how to respond to the error.

[0075] If the print queue reaches its print job limit as a result of errors or slow printing, no further print jobs will be accepted from the print queue until a job is completed to free up space for a new print job to join the queue. Any boxes issued during the period when no print jobs are being accepted may be rejected at the dispensing location 13 or the reading location 18.

Claims

1. 1. A printing system comprising: one or more printer devices for printing print items; a first conveyor for transporting containers for holding printed matter items to a dispensing location; a second conveyor for conveying one or more print items constituting a set of print items from said one or more printer devices to a leading position; a loading device configured to load the set of printed product items located at the leading position into the container when the container is located at the dispensing position; a printed matter item scanner that reads printed matter identifiers on printed matter items of the set of printed matter items when the set of printed matter items is in the leading position and generates a first output based on the printed matter identifiers; a container scanner that reads a container identifier mark on the container when the container is at the dispensing location and generates a second output based on the container identifier mark; one or more processors; one or more memory storage units, which, when processed by the one or more processors, provide to the one or more processors, based on the first output and the second output: (i) controlling the loading device to load the set of printed product items at the leading position into the container at the dispensing position; (ii) controlling the loading device to transport the set of printed matter items in the leading position along a printed matter item removal path; (iii) controlling the first conveyor to transport the container at the dispensing position along a container discharge path.

2. a second container scanner configured to read a container identifier mark on the container when the container is in a reading position to generate a recognition result, the first conveyor being arranged to transport the container from the reading position to the dispensing position; The one or more memory storage units, when processed by the one or more processors, provide the one or more processors with: determining a print job based on the recognition result, the print job including generating the one or more print items that constitute the set of print items; 2. The printing system of claim 1, further storing instructions to: instruct one of the one or more printer devices to print the determined print job.

3. 1. A printing system comprising: one or more printer devices for printing print items; a first conveyor for transporting containers for holding printed matter items to a dispensing location; a first container scanner for reading a container identifier mark on a container and generating a recognition result; one or more processors; one or more memory storage units, which, when processed by the one or more processors, provide the one or more processors with: determining a print job based on the recognition result, the print job including generating one or more print items that constitute a set of print items; and instructing one of the one or more printer devices to print the determined print job.

4. The one or more memory storage units, when processed by the one or more processors, provide the one or more processors with: obtaining status information from each of the one or more printer devices; 4. The printing system of claim 3, further storing instructions for: controlling the one or more printer devices based on the status information.

5. controlling the one or more printer devices based on the status information determining a list of available printer devices based on the status information; selecting a printer device from the list of available printer devices; and controlling the selected printer device to generate the set of print items.

6. 1. A printing system comprising: one or more printer devices for printing print items; a first conveyor for transporting containers for holding printed matter items to a dispensing location; a second conveyor for conveying one or more print items constituting a set of print items from said one or more printer devices to a leading position; a loading device configured to load the set of printed product items located at the leading position into the container when the container is located at the dispensing position; one or more processors; one or more memory storage units, which, when processed by the one or more processors, provide the one or more processors with: obtaining status information from each of the one or more printer devices; determining a list of available printer devices based on the status information; selecting a printer device from the list of available printer devices; and controlling the selected printer device to generate the set of print items.

7. a monitor that displays the status information of the one or more printer devices to a user; and a user interface using which a user can select at least one of one or more printer devices, thereby preventing the one or more processors from controlling the selected at least one printer device to generate a set of print items.

8. At least one of the printer devices a corresponding integrity scanner that reads print identifier marks on print items produced by the corresponding printer device and generates an integrity result that indicates whether a set of print items produced by the corresponding printer device is complete; The one or more memory storage units, when processed by the one or more processors, provide the one or more processors with: transferring the printed item to a printed item disposal path; or and controlling the second conveyor to transport the printed item to the leading position.

9. The printing system of claim 8 , wherein the printed item waste path and the printed item reject path lead to a shared printed item receptacle.

10. The at least one of the printer devices 10. The printing system of claim 8 or 9, further comprising a distributor configured to transport printed matter items produced by the printer device to the second conveyor and, in the case of a set of printed matter items including a plurality of printed matter items, group the set of printed matter items when the corresponding integrity scanner produces an integrity result indicating that the set of printed matter items is complete.

11. The printing system of claim 10 , wherein the distributor is further configured to store a plurality of sets of print items.

12. the distributor is further configured to select one of the plurality of sets of printed matter items and transfer the selected set of printed matter items to the second conveyor; 12. The printing system of claim 11, wherein the distributor maintains a log of the integrity results for each of the plurality of sets of printed matter items, and wherein selecting one of the plurality of sets of printed matter items is based on the log.

13. The one or more memory storage units, when processed by the one or more processors, provide the one or more processors with:

10. The printing system of claim 1, further comprising instructions for detecting a state of the first conveyor and pausing printing if an error is detected.

14. The one or more memory storage units, when processed by the one or more processors, provide the one or more processors with:

10. The printing system of claim 1, further comprising instructions for detecting a state of the second conveyor and pausing printing if an error is detected.

15. a monitor that displays the detected conveyor status to a user; a user interface using which a user can stop the conveyor where the condition is detected.

Images