US 12,030,332 B2
Printing system and printing method
Tetsuya Ishida, Kyoto (JP); Susumu Takahashi, Kyoto (JP); and Seiya Nomura, Kyoto (JP)
Assigned to SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD., Kyoto (JP)
Filed by SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD., Kyoto (JP)
Filed on Feb. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/677,140.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-046821 (JP), filed on Mar. 22, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0297462 A1, Sep. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. B42C 19/08 (2006.01); B41J 11/42 (2006.01); B42C 1/12 (2006.01); G06K 15/00 (2006.01); G06K 15/02 (2006.01); G06K 15/16 (2006.01); B42C 19/02 (2006.01)
CPC B42C 19/08 (2013.01) [B41J 11/42 (2013.01); B42C 1/12 (2013.01); G06K 15/022 (2013.01); G06K 15/16 (2013.01); G06K 15/404 (2013.01); G06K 15/4065 (2013.01); B42C 19/02 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A printing system including a printing apparatus configured to send a print medium after printing to a post-processing machine group including one or more post-processing machines, the printing apparatus being capable of performing continuous printing based on a plurality of jobs, the printing system comprising:
a conveyance mechanism configured to convey the print medium and provided inside the printing apparatus;
a print medium buffer for temporarily holding a print medium after printing when printing based on a job for which a required print time is shorter than a minimum processing time is performed, the print medium buffer being provided between the printing apparatus and the post-processing machine group, the required print time being a time per set required for printing by the printing apparatus, the minimum processing time being a least required time from a start time of a process for one set to a start time of a process for a next one set in the post-processing machine group;
a required print time calculation unit configured to calculate the required print time for each of the jobs;
an increase and decrease amount calculation unit configured to calculate, for each of the jobs, an increase and decrease amount of a consumption amount of the print medium buffer per set on a basis of a difference between the minimum processing time and the required print time;
a predicted value calculation unit configured to obtain a predicted value of the consumption amount of the print medium buffer by accumulating increase and decrease amounts calculated by the increase and decrease amount calculation unit; and
a conveyance control unit configured to control a conveyance speed at which the conveyance mechanism conveys the print medium on a basis of the predicted value.
 
14. A printing method in a printing system including a printing apparatus configured to send a print medium after printing to a post-processing machine group including one or more post-processing machines, the printing being capable of performing continuous printing based on a plurality of jobs,
the printing system including
a conveyance mechanism configured to convey the print medium and provided inside the printing apparatus, and
a print medium buffer for temporarily holding a print medium after printing when printing based on a job for which a required print time is shorter than a minimum processing time is performed, the print medium buffer being provided between the printing apparatus and the post-processing machine group, the required print time being a time per set required for printing by the printing apparatus, the minimum processing time being a least required time from a start time of a process for one set to a start time of a process for a next one set in the post-processing machine group,
the printing method comprising:
a required print time calculation step of calculating the required print time for each of the jobs;
an increase and decrease amount calculation step of calculating, for each of the jobs, an increase and decrease amount of a consumption amount of the print medium buffer per set on a basis of a difference between the minimum processing time and the required print time;
a predicted value calculation step of obtaining a predicted value of the consumption amount of the print medium buffer by accumulating increase and decrease amounts calculated by the increase and decrease amount calculation step; and
a conveyance control step of controlling a conveyance speed at which the conveyance mechanism conveys the print medium on a basis of the predicted value.