Print Control Device Selective Preflight Processing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses face inefficiencies in reducing print time, particularly when handling large print jobs, as they often perform unnecessary preflight processing, which prolongs the printing process.
Innovation Solution
A print control device that determines whether to execute preflight processing based on print setting information and condition information, allowing for selective execution of preflight processing only when necessary, thereby reducing print time and preventing errors due to conflicting determination results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If preflight processing is performed for all pages to ensure printing quality and error prevention, then printing reliability is improved, but print time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by performing preflight processing selectively rather than on all pages. It identifies and processes only specific pages that require validation (such as pages with potential errors or special formatting requirements), while skipping pages that are certain to print correctly. This reduces the overall processing time while maintaining printing reliability for the pages that actually need validation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the print job into multiple page groups and applies different preflight processing strategies to each segment. Pages are divided into categories such as 'requires validation', 'skip validation', and 'conditional validation', allowing the system to process only the necessary segments thoroughly while handling other segments more efficiently.
2Productivity
If preflight processing is skipped to reduce print time, then productivity is improved, but printing errors may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial validation by performing preflight checks only on pages that are likely to contain errors or require special attention. Pages with standard formatting and content are processed without full validation, improving speed, while pages with complex layouts, embedded objects, or potential syntax issues undergo complete preflight processing to prevent errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary analysis of the print job to identify pages that require validation before the actual printing process begins. By pre-identifying problematic pages and preparing validation strategies in advance, the system can quickly process the entire job while ensuring that only necessary pages undergo time-consuming preflight checks.
3Measurement precision
If preflight processing is performed on a reduced resolution to enable user checking, then measurement precision is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent generates preview images at reduced resolution only for pages that require user validation or contain potential errors. Pages with straightforward content are either skipped or processed at minimal detail, reducing the overall time required for preview generation while maintaining sufficient accuracy for pages that need careful review.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different preview quality levels to different pages based on their characteristics. Pages with complex graphics, text, or layout elements receive higher resolution previews for accurate user review, while simple pages use lower resolution or are excluded from preview generation entirely, optimizing the balance between preview accuracy and processing time.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A print control device is configured to perform operations including: determining whether to execute a preflight processing for checking a print job based on a print setting information and a condition information specifying a condition for executing the preflight processing; upon determining to execute the preflight processing, executing the preflight processing and then generating a print output information for printing an image on a print sheet based on a print job information; and upon determining not to execute the preflight processing, generating the print output information based on the print job information without executing the preflight processing.