Dynamic Page Imposition for Variable Length Documents
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current printing technologies lack the ability to dynamically resize and impose individual document pages based on their importance, limiting flexibility in large-scale printing environments.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic imposition system that uses a page ranking module to assign ranks to pages based on importance and an imposition specification module to select allowable impositions, allowing for variable page sizes and layouts to optimize sheet usage, with production rules guiding the selection of impositions for printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If all document pages are printed to their specified size, then printing quality is maintained, but sheet usage efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating page treatment based on importance. Important pages (ranked higher) are printed at their original specified size to maintain printing quality, while less important pages are dynamically resized to fit better on sheets. This selective approach allows the system to maintain high printing quality for critical pages while improving overall sheet usage efficiency through optimization of less critical pages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by introducing dynamic resizing capability. Instead of all pages being printed at a fixed specified size, the system dynamically adjusts page sizes based on their importance ranking and the available sheet space. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize sheet usage efficiency while maintaining printing quality for important pages through selective scaling.
2Productivity
If dynamic resizing is implemented for all pages, then sheet usage efficiency is improved, but printing quality for important pages may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction through local quality by applying different printing strategies to different pages based on their importance ranking. High-ranking important pages are printed at their original specified size to preserve printing quality, while lower-ranking pages are dynamically resized to maximize sheet usage efficiency. This localized differentiation ensures that printing quality is maintained where it matters most while achieving efficiency improvements overall.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual imposition is used, then flexibility in page arrangement is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by implementing an automated imposition system that independently determines optimal page arrangements. The system uses algorithms to automatically assign pages to sheets and determine their positions, eliminating the need for manual imposition while maintaining flexibility. This automation significantly reduces processing time while preserving the ability to handle diverse page arrangement requirements through programmable imposition rules.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual imposition process with an automated computational system. Instead of manually arranging pages, the system uses software algorithms to automatically determine optimal impositions based on page importance, sheet capacity, and arrangement rules. This substitution of manual mechanical operations with automated computation maintains flexibility in page arrangement while dramatically reducing processing time.
4Productivity
If automated imposition is used, then processing speed is improved, but adaptability to different printing requirements deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by designing an automated imposition system that can handle multiple printing requirements through a single unified algorithm. The system incorporates configurable parameters and rules that can be adjusted to accommodate different printing scenarios, such as varying page importance rankings, different sheet capacities, and custom arrangement requirements. This multi-functional design maintains high processing speed while providing adaptability to diverse printing requirements through programmable control parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
A dynamic imposition system provides for the printing of variable length documents onto a predefined number of pages. The more important pages in the document can be printed at their default size and resolution while less important pages can be automatically scaled down and printed at half size or less. The system automatically assigns ranks to the page descriptions in a print job based on each page's importance and then assigns one or more allowable impositions to each page description. The system then selects the imposition specifications that permit the imposition of the document onto a predetermined number of sheets. The document can then be imposed and printed in accordance with the selected imposition specifications.