Management device

Abstract

This allows for precise scheduling of print jobs based on the amount of physical resources consumed during execution, the time required for execution, and the scheduled execution times of other print jobs. [Solution] The management device 2 includes a calculation unit 211 that calculates the amount of physical resources (such as ink and paper) consumed and the time required for execution of a new print job stored in the job queue 250; a determination unit 213 that sets a scheduled execution time for the new print job, based on the amount of physical resources consumed and the time required, the deadline set for the new print job, the available time of the printing device, and the predicted amount of physical resources that can be consumed by the printing device based on future consumption and replenishment, so as to ensure that the amount of physical resources consumed and the time required for execution of the new print job are secured within the available time of the printing device until the deadline; and an update unit 214 that updates the execution schedule based on the scheduled execution time set by the determination unit 213.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a management device that manages the execution schedule of print jobs.

Background Art

[0002] Print jobs are usually executed in the order in which they are stored (entered) in the job queue. The following Patent Document 1 describes displaying information (production process and resource information) necessary for adjusting the schedule of print jobs. Further, the following Patent Document 2 describes creating an execution schedule of a print job from the securing information of materials (ink, paper, etc.) used for the print job.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the technology described in the above Patent Document 1, schedule adjustment needs to be performed manually by the user. Further, in the technology described in the above Patent Document 2, although it is described that an execution schedule of a print job is created from the securing information of materials used for the print job as described above, the execution schedule of the print job cannot be accurately set unless the execution scheduled times of other print jobs are also considered in addition to securing physical resources such as ink and paper.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to enable accurate setting of the execution schedule of a print job based on the consumption amount of physical resources consumed in the execution of the print job, the required time for execution, and the execution scheduled times of other print jobs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A management device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a job queue for storing print jobs; a control unit for executing print jobs according to the execution schedule of the print jobs stored in the job queue on a printing device; a calculation unit for calculating the amount of physical resources consumed and the time required for execution of a new print job based on a new print job stored in the job queue; a prediction unit for calculating a predicted value of the amount of physical resources that can be consumed by the printing device based on future consumption and replenishment of the physical resources; a determination unit for determining a scheduled execution time for executing a new print job, based on the amount of physical resources consumed and the time required calculated by the calculation unit, the delivery date set for the new print job, the available time of the printing device, and the predicted amount of physical resources that can be consumed by the printing device predicted by the prediction unit, such that the amount of physical resources consumed and the time required for execution of the new print job can be secured within the available time of the printing device until the delivery date; and an update unit for updating the execution schedule based on the scheduled execution time determined by the determination unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] This invention makes it possible to accurately set the execution schedule for print jobs based on the amount of physical resources consumed during the execution of a print job, the time required for execution, and the scheduled execution times of other print jobs. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows the overall layout of a printing system that includes a control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a functional block diagram schematically showing the main internal configuration of a control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a print job execution schedule. [Figure 4]This flowchart shows an example of the process for adjusting the execution schedule of print jobs by the management device. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a print job execution schedule. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a print job execution schedule. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a print job execution schedule. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, a control device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the overall layout of a printing system that includes a control device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] A printing system 11 according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a printing device 1, a management device 2, an operator management device 3, an order management device 4, an inventory management device 5, and a plurality of terminal devices 6, all located on a network such as the Internet. The printing device 1 has a printer function and, for example, forms an image on a recording medium (media) using an electrophotographic method with a developer containing four toners (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black).

[0011] The management device 2 includes a job queue 250 (see Figure 2), which is a storage area for print jobs, and manages the execution schedule for causing the printing device 1 to execute the print jobs stored in the job queue 250.

[0012] The operator management device 3, the order management device 4, and the inventory management device 5 each include a computer equipped with a CPU, such as a processor.

[0013] The operator management device 3 executes a process of managing an operator (worker) who performs operations such as maintenance of the printing device 1, conveyance of a recording medium, and conveyance of a printed result by the printing device 1. The order management device 4 executes a process of managing the ordering of physical resources (for example, toners of each color, each medium, stapler pins) consumed in the execution of a print job. The inventory management device 5 executes a process of managing the inventory quantity of physical resources at a storage location such as a warehouse.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the main internal configuration of the management device 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The management device 2 is, for example, a personal computer, and includes a control unit 21, an operation unit 22, a display unit 23, a communication unit 24, and a storage unit 25. These components are capable of transmitting and receiving data or signals to and from each other via a communication bus.

[0015] The operation unit 22 is composed of a keyboard, a mouse, etc., inputs commands and characters to the control unit 21, and further operates a pointer on the screen of the display unit 23. The operation unit 22 receives an input of an instruction from the user based on the operation by the user. The display unit 23 is composed of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or the like, and displays a response and a data result under the control of the control unit 210.

[0016] The communication unit 24 is a communication interface that performs transmission and reception of various data with external devices such as the printing device 1, the operator management device 3, the order management device 4, the inventory management device 5, and the terminal device 6 within a local area or on the Internet.

[0017] The storage unit 25 is a large-capacity storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores various control programs and the like. Further, the storage unit 25 has a job queue 250, an execution schedule storage unit 251, a remaining quantity information storage unit 252, an inventory quantity information storage unit 253, and a predicted consumable quantity information storage unit 254 as storage areas.

[0018] The job queue 250 stores print jobs in the order of their reception. The execution schedule storage unit 251 stores information regarding the execution schedule of the print jobs stored in the job queue 250 in the printing apparatus 1. As one of the information regarding the schedule, the incoming shipment schedule information of physical resources is transmitted from the order management device 4 to the management device 1 periodically or irregularly. The control unit 210, which will be described later, updates the information stored in the execution schedule storage unit 251 each time the incoming shipment schedule information is received.

[0019] The remaining quantity information storage unit 252 stores remaining quantity information indicating the remaining quantity in the printing apparatus 1 of various physical resources (for example, each color toner, each type of media, stapler pins, a unit that needs to be replaced according to the number of printed sheets such as a photoreceptor drum, etc.) consumed in the execution of the print job. The remaining quantity information is transmitted from the printing apparatus 1 periodically or irregularly. The control unit 210 updates the information stored in the remaining quantity information storage unit 252 each time the remaining quantity information is received.

[0020] The stock quantity information storage unit 253 stores stock quantity information indicating the stock quantity in the storage location (such as a warehouse) of various physical resources consumed in the execution of the print job. The stock quantity information is transmitted from the inventory management device 5 periodically or irregularly. The control unit 210 updates the information stored in the stock quantity information storage unit 253 each time the stock quantity information is received.

[0021] The predicted consumable quantity information storage unit 254 stores predicted consumable quantity information indicating the predicted consumable quantity of physical resources in the printing apparatus 1 predicted by a prediction unit 212, which will be described later. The predicted consumable quantity is the sum of the remaining quantity of physical resources in the printing apparatus 1 and the stock quantity in the storage location of the physical resources.

[0022] The control unit 21 comprises a processor, RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), and dedicated hardware circuits. The processor is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The control unit 21 includes a control unit 210, a calculation unit 211, a prediction unit 212, a determination unit 213, an update unit 214, and an order unit 215.

[0023] The control unit 21 functions as a control unit 210, calculation unit 211, prediction unit 212, decision unit 213, update unit 214, and order unit 215 through the operation of the processor in accordance with the control program stored in the memory unit 25. However, the control unit 210 and the others can also be configured by hardware circuits, rather than by operation in accordance with the control program of the control unit 21. The same applies to each embodiment below unless otherwise specified.

[0024] The control unit 210 is responsible for the overall operation control of the management device 2. The control unit 210 is connected to the operation unit 22, the display unit 23, the communication unit 24, and the storage unit 25, and performs drive control of each of these units. For example, when the control unit 210 receives a print job execution request transmitted from the terminal device 6 via the communication unit 24, it stores the received print job in the job queue 250, and transmits each print job to the printing device 1 according to the execution timing of each print job indicated by the execution schedule described later, causing the printing device 1 to execute the print job. A print job includes various information necessary for printing, such as the number of pages to print, the number of copies, the paper size, whether it is color or monochrome printing, the layout settings, the density, and information indicating the deadline for completing the print job.

[0025] The calculation unit 211 calculates the amount of physical resources (for example, units that need to be replaced depending on the number of printed pages, such as toners of each color, media, staples, and photoreceptor drums) consumed by executing a new print job, and the time required to execute it, based on the new print job stored in the job queue 250 and the processing capacity (printing speed, etc.) of the printing device 1 that has been stored in advance. For example, the calculation unit 211 analyzes the new print job and calculates the amount of each physical resource consumed, C, and the time required, T, based on the performance of the printing device 1 (toner consumption rate, printing speed, etc.).

[0026] The prediction unit 212 calculates a predicted value (predicted consuming amount) of the amount of physical resources that can be consumed by the printing device 1, based on the future consumption and replenishment of physical resources. As described above, the predicted consuming amount is the sum of the remaining amount of physical resources in the printing device 1 and the amount of inventory at the storage location of the physical resources.

[0027] For example, if the forecasting unit 212 predicts that the amount of paper that can be consumed is 9,000 sheets and a print job with a consumption of 1,000 sheets is scheduled to be executed, it will reduce the predicted amount of paper that can be consumed after the execution of the print job by 1,000 sheets and recalculate the amount of paper that can be consumed as 8,000 sheets. Also, based on information indicating that 100,000 sheets are scheduled to arrive, the forecasting unit 212 will increase the predicted amount of paper that can be consumed after the scheduled date (after arrival) by 100,000 sheets.

[0028] The determination unit 213 determines the scheduled execution time for a new print job within the available time of the printing device 1 until the deadline, ensuring that the amount of physical resources consumed by the printing device 1 is secured and that the required time T is secured. This is based on the amount of physical resources consumed by the printing device 1 calculated by the calculation unit 211, the deadline set for the new print job, the available time of the printing device 1, and the predicted amount of physical resources that can be consumed by the printing device 1 predicted by the prediction unit 212. The determination unit 213 obtains the available time of the printing device 1 from information stored in the execution schedule storage unit 251, and obtains the predicted amount of physical resources that can be consumed from information stored in the predicted amount of physical resources that can be consumed from information stored in the predicted amount of physical resources that can be consumed from information stored in the predicted amount of physical resources that can be consumed from information stored in the prediction amount information storage unit 254. In this embodiment, the determination unit 213 determines the earliest possible time that can be determined as the scheduled execution time for a new print job.

[0029] Furthermore, if the decision unit 213 determines that it cannot determine an execution schedule that can secure both the consumption amount C and the required time T, it changes the execution schedule of each print job that is waiting to be executed and prioritizes determining the execution schedule of the new print job.

[0030] The update unit 214 updates the execution schedule stored in the execution schedule storage unit 251 each time the execution time for a print job is determined by the determination unit 213.

[0031] The ordering unit 215 executes predetermined ordering processes necessary for ordering physical resources. For example, the ordering unit 215 executes the above ordering process on the order management device 4 according to instructions received by the operation unit 22 through user operation.

[0032] Figure 3 shows an example of a print job execution schedule. In this example, print job J1 is scheduled to run at 13:00 on July 27th, and print job J2 is scheduled to run at 14:00 on July 27th. This example also shows that print job J1 will consume 1000 sheets of media A (e.g., A4 size plain paper) and will be due at 16:00 on July 29th, while print job J2 will consume 3000 sheets of media A and will be due at 17:00 on September 30th. Note that the print job with the earliest scheduled execution time will be removed from the execution schedule as soon as it is completed. Therefore, in this embodiment, the print job with the earliest scheduled execution time will be in progress if the printing environment is ready at the time it is set.

[0033] This example also shows that executing print job J1 reduces the estimated usable quantity of media A to 8,000 sheets, and executing print job J2 reduces the estimated usable quantity of media A to 5,000 sheets. Furthermore, this example indicates that 100,000 sheets of media A are scheduled to arrive at 10:00 AM on August 10th.

[0034] Next, an example of the process for adjusting the execution schedule of print jobs by the management device 2 will be explained using the flowchart shown in Figure 4. This process is performed when a new print job is stored in the job queue 250.

[0035] The calculation unit 211 calculates the amount of physical resources C consumed by executing a new print job stored in the job queue 250 (S1), and calculates the required time T for executing the new print job (S2). Furthermore, based on the calculated required time T and the deadline set for the print job, the calculation unit 211 calculates the final required start date and time that will allow the printing to be completed by the deadline (S3). For example, if the deadline is 16:00 on July 29th and the required time T is 60 minutes, the calculation unit 211 calculates the final required start date and time as 15:00 on July 29th. The calculation unit 211 may also calculate the required time T by adding a predetermined transport time for the operator to transport the printed product from the printing device 1 to a predetermined location.

[0036] Next, the determination unit 213 determines, based on the amount of physical resources consumed C and the required time T calculated by the calculation unit 211, the deadline set for the new print job, the available time of the printing device 1, and the predicted amount of physical resources that can be consumed by the printing device 1, whether the amount of physical resources consumed C and the required time T can be secured within the available time of the printing device 1 until the deadline (S4).

[0037] If the decision unit 213 determines that both the consumption amount C and the required time T can be secured (YES in S4), it determines the scheduled execution time for the new print job (S5). Subsequently, the update unit 214 updates the execution schedule based on the scheduled execution time determined by the decision unit 213 (S6). After that, this process ends.

[0038] The determination unit 213 extracts all time periods during which the printing device 1's available time up to the deadline can secure the amount of resources consumed C for executing a new print job and the required time T. In this embodiment, the determination unit 213 determines the time period during which the print job can be completed as quickly as possible within the deadline as the scheduled execution time. Therefore, when the determination unit 213 determines the scheduled execution time and the update unit 214 updates the execution schedule, the control unit 210 may immediately transmit the print job from the communication unit 24 to the printing device 1, and the printing device 1 may immediately execute the print job.

[0039] For example, under the conditions shown in Figure 5, where two preceding print jobs, print job J1 scheduled to run at 13:00 on July 27th and print job J2 scheduled to run at 14:00 on July 27th, are already set in the execution schedule, and the amount of media A consumed by the execution of the new print job NJ1 is "2000 sheets" (calculated by the calculation unit 211 based on the number of pages and copies to be printed), and its due date is "15:00 on July 30th", the decision unit 213 determines that the required time T for the new print job NJ1 can be secured by the completion of the second print job J2, and that the amount of physical resources C consumed by the execution of the new print job NJ1 can also be secured (because the predicted amount of media A that can be consumed is 5000 sheets).

[0040] On the other hand, if the decision unit 213 determines that it cannot secure either or both the consumption amount C and the required time T (NO in S4), it determines whether it can secure the scheduled execution time for a new print job by changing the scheduled execution time of each print job that is waiting to be executed (S7).

[0041] For example, under the conditions shown in Figure 6, where two preceding print jobs, print job J1 scheduled to run at 13:00 on July 27th and print job J2 scheduled to run at 14:00 on July 27th, are already set in the execution schedule, and the amount of media A consumed by the execution of the new print job NJ2 is "6000 sheets", and the deadline is "15:00 on July 30th", the decision unit 213 determines that the required time T can be secured by the completion of the second print job J2, but the amount of physical resources C consumed by the execution of the new print job NJ2 cannot be secured. This is because the predicted amount of media A that can be consumed is 5000 sheets, and there is a shortage of 1000 sheets of media A for the execution of the new print job NJ2.

[0042] In this case, as shown in Figure 6, print job J2 is scheduled to run at 2 PM on July 27th, but there is still time before its deadline (5 PM on September 30th). Furthermore, since media A is scheduled to arrive on September 30th (10 AM on August 10th), the deadline for print job J2 can be met even if the execution date is changed to after the scheduled arrival date of August 10th (10 AM), and the amount of physical resources consumed and the required time for print job J2 can also be secured. For this reason, the decision unit 213 changes the execution of print job J2 to a predetermined time after August 10th (10 AM). As a result, the physical resources that were allocated to print job J2 are allocated to the new print job JN2, and the amount of physical resources consumed C for the execution of the new print job JN2 can be secured.

[0043] If the decision unit 213 determines that it can secure the execution time of a new print job by changing the execution time of a print job that is currently waiting to be executed (YES in S7), it changes the execution time of the print job that is currently waiting to be executed (S8) and determines the execution time of the new print job (S9). The decision unit 213 determines the earliest possible time when print job JN2 can be executed as the execution time of print job JN2. In this example, as shown in Figure 7, the decision unit 213 determines that 24:00 on July 27th, which was previously the execution time of print job J2, is the execution time of print job JN2.

[0044] After this, the update unit 214 updates the execution schedule according to the scheduled execution time determined by the decision unit 213 (S6). After this, this process ends.

[0045] Figure 7 shows an example of a print job execution schedule. It shows that the execution of print job J2 has been changed to 10:00 AM on August 10th, the scheduled arrival date of media A, and that a new print job NJ2 is scheduled to be executed at 2:00 PM on July 27th. Figure 7 also shows that the execution of the new print job NJ2 will result in a predicted usable quantity of media A of 2000 sheets.

[0046] If the decision unit 213 determines that it is not possible to secure an execution time for a new print job by changing the scheduled execution time of a print job that is currently waiting to be executed (NO in S7), the control unit 210 sends information via the communication unit 24 to the terminal device 6 that is the source of the new print job, indicating that the print job cannot be completed by the deadline (S10). After that, this process ends.

[0047] In the above embodiment, within the available time of the printing device 1 until the delivery date, a scheduled execution time for a new print job is determined that ensures the amount of physical resources C consumed by the execution of the new print job and the required time T is secured, and the execution schedule is updated. Therefore, it becomes possible to create an appropriate execution schedule according to the amount of physical resources C consumed by the execution of the print job and the required time T required for execution. Accordingly, according to this embodiment, it becomes possible to accurately set the execution schedule for a print job based on the amount of physical resources consumed by the execution of the print job, the required time for execution, and the scheduled execution times of other print jobs.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the predicted consuming amount is the sum of the remaining amount of physical resources in the printing device 1 and the amount of inventory in the storage location (warehouse, etc.). However, in order to make the physical resources stored in the storage location usable in the printing device 1, it is necessary for workers to transport and store the physical resources from the storage location to the printing device 1.

[0049] Therefore, in another embodiment, the prediction unit 212 acquires progress information indicating the progress of the work performed by the workers from the storage location to the printing device 1, and adds the amount of storage indicated by the progress information to the inventory amount at the storage location to calculate the predicted amount of consuming material. For example, if the amount of material transported by one worker per hour is 10,000 sheets, then the work time for one worker to transport 100,000 sheets is 10 hours. Therefore, if there are two workers available for the transport work, 20,000 sheets can be added to the predicted amount of consuming material after 1 hour from the start of work, and 40,000 sheets can be added after 2 hours from the start of work. In other words, 5 hours are required to add 100,000 sheets to the predicted amount of consuming material.

[0050] Furthermore, since workers are not only responsible for transporting physical resources, it is not always possible to secure workers at the same time as the arrival of physical resources. Therefore, the prediction unit 212 obtains the number of workers who can engage in the transport of physical resources from the worker work schedule managed by the operator management device 3, and calculates the storage capacity (number of items that can be replenished) as progress in the work related to the transport of physical resources based on that number and the amount that one worker can transport per hour, and adds this storage capacity to the inventory amount at the storage location to calculate the predicted amount that can be consumed.

[0051] Furthermore, the time required to transport the printed output from the printing device 1 to a predetermined location may also be added to the time T required to execute a new print job. This time is calculated based on the operator's capabilities.

[0052] The calculation unit 211 acquires work information indicating the progress of the work performed by the workers transporting the printed products from the printing device 1 to a predetermined location, and calculates the required time T by adding the work time indicated by the work information. For example, if the amount of products that one worker can transport per hour is 1000, and three workers can be secured for the transport work, all printed products can be transported to the predetermined location after two hours of work time from the start of the work.

[0053] Furthermore, as mentioned above, workers do not only transport the printed materials, so it is not always possible to secure workers at the time printing is completed. Therefore, the calculation unit 211 obtains the number of workers who can engage in transporting the printed materials from the worker schedule managed by the operator management device 3, and calculates the transport volume and work time as progress of the work related to transporting the printed materials based on the number of workers and the amount of materials transported per hour by one worker, and calculates the required time T by adding the work time.

[0054] Furthermore, irregular events may occur in the printing device 1, such as paper jams or the need for maintenance. The frequency of these events can be predicted from the history logs of the printing device 1. Therefore, the calculation unit 211 may calculate the required time T by adding the downtime of the printing device 1 due to the occurrence of these events, or it may calculate the available time of the printing device 1 without including the downtime.

[0055] In yet another embodiment, if the ordering unit 215 determines that it cannot determine an execution time in which the consumption amount C can be secured by the decision unit 213, it executes a predetermined ordering process to order the physical resources for which the consumption amount C cannot be secured. For example, the ordering unit 215 creates an email indicating an order for a predetermined number of recording paper to a predetermined supplier and has the communication unit 24 send it to the supplier's email address. This ensures that the ordering of the insufficient physical resources is carried out without delay.

[0056] The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiments and various modifications are possible. Furthermore, the configuration and processing shown in the above embodiments using Figures 1 to 7 are merely one embodiment of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention to such configuration and processing. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 1 Printing device 2 Management device 211 Calculation Section 212 Prediction Section 213 Decision Section 214 Update Department 215 Ordering Department 250 Job Queues

Claims

1. The job queue is a memory area that stores print jobs, A control unit that executes a print job according to the execution schedule of the print job stored in the job queue on the printing device, A calculation unit calculates the amount of physical resources consumed and the time required to execute a new print job based on a new print job stored in the job queue, A prediction unit that calculates a predicted value of the amount of physical resources that can be consumed by the printing apparatus based on the future consumption and replenishment of the physical resources, Based on the amount of physical resources consumed and the required time calculated by the calculation unit, the delivery date set for the new print job, the available time of the printing device, and the predicted amount of physical resources that can be consumed by the printing device predicted by the prediction unit, A determination unit determines the scheduled execution time for executing the new print job, within the available time of the printing device until the delivery date, such that the amount of physical resources consumed by executing the new print job can be secured, and the required time can be secured. A management device comprising: an update unit that updates the execution schedule based on the execution schedule time determined by the decision unit; and an update unit that updates the execution schedule based on the execution schedule time determined by the decision unit.

2. The management device according to claim 1, wherein if the determination unit determines that it cannot determine the scheduled execution time that can secure both the consumption amount and the required time, it changes the scheduled execution time of a print job that is waiting to be executed and prioritizes determining the scheduled execution time of the new print job.

3. The management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the prediction unit calculates the sum of the remaining amount of the physical resources in the printing device and the amount of inventory of the physical resources in the storage location as the predicted value of the predicted amount of consuming resources.

4. The management device according to claim 3, wherein the prediction unit acquires progress information indicating the progress of the work performed by the worker from the storage location to the printing device in which the physical resources are transported and stored, and adds the amount of storage indicated by the progress information to the inventory amount at the storage location to calculate the predicted value of the predicted amount of available consumption.

5. The management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the calculation unit acquires work information indicating the progress of work by an operator transporting the printed product from the printing device to a predetermined location, and calculates the required time by adding the work time indicated by the work information.

6. The management device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an ordering unit that, when the determination unit determines that it cannot determine the scheduled execution time at which the consumption amount can be secured, executes a predetermined ordering process necessary to order the physical resources for which the consumption amount cannot be secured.

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