Abstract: A method for simulating and optimizing performance of work in a distributed work environment includes determining operational parameters for one or more locations, and optimizing a staffing function using the operational parameters to produce a staffing schedule. The method includes determining one or more batches to be processed by the regular operators and ad-hoc operators of the one or more locations, and optimizing a task function using the staffing schedule and specifications of the different tasks to produce an assignment of the one or more batches to each of the regular operators and the ad-hoc operators at the one or more locations. The method includes optimizing a routing function using the assignment of the one or more batches to the operators at the one or more locations to produce a sequenced schedule of performance for the one or more batches.

Abstract: A method and system for accurately predicting the remaining useful life of devices and components based on rigorous statistical analysis data to reduce service costs by implementing condition-based maintenance. One rigorous statistical model is the general degradation path model, which can be used to generate simulated data that shares similar data characteristics of historical field failure data. This generated data can be used in a reliability study based on, for example, Monte Carlo techniques for RUL prediction. The study can be used to investigate the effects of influential factors such as suspension percentage and heavy-tailed behavior. The remaining useful life prediction is based on both the fixed-time predictors and time-dependent covariates.

Abstract: A method and system for accurately predicting the remaining useful life of devices and device components based on rigorous statistical analysis data to reduce service costs by implementing condition-based maintenance is disclosed. One such rigorous statistical model is the general degradation path model. The General Path Model is used to generate simulated data that shares similar data characteristics of historical field failure data. This generated data can be used in a reliability study based on Monte Carlo techniques for RUL prediction. The study can be used to investigate the effects of influential factors such as suspension percentage and heavy-tailed behavior. The remaining useful life prediction is based on both the fixed-time predictors (such as the market segment) and the time-dependent covariates (e.g., dark decay, printing rate, etc.).

Abstract: A system for handling media sheets is provided which comprises a plurality of hardware components including a first image marking engine operative to mark media sheets, and a second image marking engine operative to mark media sheets. In addition, the plurality of hardware components can include a first object delivery path operative to transport media sheets presented by the first image marking engine to a first destination, and a second object delivery path operative to transport media sheets presented by the second image marking engine to a second destination. The first and second destinations may be a single destination, separate destinations, or interchangeable destinations. One of the first and second delivery paths can be redundant.

Abstract: A system for handling media sheets is provided which comprises a plurality of hardware components including a first image marking engine operative to mark media sheets, and a second image marking engine operative to mark media sheets. In addition, the plurality of hardware components can include a first object delivery path operative to transport media sheets presented by the first image marking engine to a first destination, and a second object delivery path operative to transport media sheets presented by the second image marking engine to a second destination. The first and second destinations may be a single destination, separate destinations, or interchangeable destinations. One of the first and second delivery paths can be redundant.

Abstract: A method for scheduling print jobs for a plurality of printers (40,42,44,46, 48, 50) includes, for each of a plurality of print jobs, determining a number of pages of a first print modality (such as black only printing) and of a second print modality (such as color printing) for the print job. A file header is determined, based on the number of pages of the first and second print modalities in the print job. The file header is associated with the print job and the print job transmitted, along with the file header, to a print job scheduler (10). The scheduler schedules a sequence for printing the plurality of print jobs by the plurality of printers, based on minimizing, for at least one of the plurality of printers, a number of periods of time during the sequence of printing where the at least one printer is in a non-operational mode; and/or maximizing continuous run time for at least one of the printers.