Preview RIP-Job Queue Head Placement for Print Systems
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing print systems face delays in generating preview images due to the raster image processor's (RIP) occupation with native print resolution image generation, leading to unresponsive user interfaces, especially in wide format printers, and inefficient use of RIP resources during unattended production.
Innovation Solution
Creating a preview RIP-job at the head of the RIP-job queue, which is processed before other jobs, ensuring that preview images are generated without the need for a priority system, and maintaining the preview RIP-job in the queue until system shutdown or restart, allowing continuous preview generation without interfering with native print resolution processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the RIP processes preview images on demand in a single-core architecture, then the user interface can display previews, but significant delays occur when the RIP is occupied with native print resolution image generation
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the RIP processing into multiple independent cores: one or more preview processing cores dedicated to generating preview images, and one or more print processing cores dedicated to generating native print resolution images. This segmentation allows preview and print processing to occur simultaneously without interfering with each other, eliminating the delays experienced in single-core architectures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-generating preview images using dedicated preview cores before the user interface needs to display them. This ensures that preview images are ready and available in the user interface without causing delays, as the preview generation occurs in advance and independently of the main print processing workflow.
2Reliability
If one RIP instance is dedicated to preview image generation in parallel architectures, then preview images are always available, but RIP resource utilization drops during unattended production
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically allocates RIP resources based on operational mode. During attended operation, dedicated preview cores ensure preview availability. During unattended production, the system can dynamically assign preview cores to additional print processing tasks, maximizing resource utilization. This dynamic flexibility resolves the contradiction between maintaining preview availability and optimizing productivity during different operational phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The preview processing cores are designed with multi-functionality: they can process preview images during attended operation, and can be reassigned to process additional print resolution images during unattended production. This universality allows the same hardware resources to serve multiple purposes, maintaining preview capability while maximizing productivity during different operational modes.
3Loss of time
If a priority system is implemented to allow preview images to bypass the queue, then preview generation delay is reduced, but the queueing system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of implementing a complex priority system within a single queue, the invention segments the processing into separate queues and separate processing cores: one queue and core for preview processing, and another queue and core for print processing. This segmentation simplifies the queueing system by eliminating the need for complex priority arbitration, while still achieving fast preview generation through dedicated preview processing resources.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
Method for generating a preview of an image in a print job comprising: creating a preview RIP-job at the head of a RIP-job queue, the RIP-job queue queueing in first-in-first-out order RIP-jobs to be submitted to and processed by a raster image processor, and the preview RIP-job arranged to register images to be submitted to the raster image processor for generating a preview of the image, registering the image in the preview RIP-job in order for the image to be submitted to the raster image processor, wherein the completion of the preview RIP-job is independent of the state of any print job as well as of the contents of the preview RIP-job.