Abstract: A system for routing a document job in a printing system with a print engine. The routing system includes a controller providing a set of information including an indication to a user of the printing system that the print engine is busy producing a first set of prints from a first set of image data. The set of information is received at a user interface and the user, in response to receiving the set of information, directs the controller, by way of the user interface, to cause a second set of prints, representative of a second set of image data developed at the printing system while the first set of prints is being produced by the print engine, to be (i) produced subsequent to the producing of the first set of prints and (ii) delivered to one of one or more mailbox bins.

Abstract: There is provided a technique for multi-mode printing of a job in a printing machine with a memory section communicating with a controller in which the controller determines whether the job is to be printed in a first print out time minimization mode or a job cost saving mode. In response to determining that the job is to be printed in the first print out time minimization mode, commencing production of the first print, with a print subsystem, about as soon as image data corresponding with a portion of the first print is buffered in the memory section so that the first print is delivered to the output area in a minimum amount of time; and, in response to determining that the job is to be printed in the job cost saving mode, commencing production, with the print subsystem, after image data corresponding with a selected plurality of prints has been buffered in the memory section so that cost attributable to dead cycle time in the print subsystem is minimized.

Abstract: In a networked or other shared users electronic printing system for printing plural print jobs of plural printed sheets of the different users, with a printer mailbox having a sheet distribution system for automatically directing and stacking into different individual mailbox bins, which are electronically assigned to different respective users, the respective print jobs of the respective users, a bin almost-full sensing system detects and signals that the stacking level of the printed sheets in the bin has reached a preset almost-full level which is less than the preset limited sheet full stacking capacity of the bin.

Abstract: A method and apparatus provide for recovering from faults in an electronic reprographic system for scanning and synchronously or asynchronously processing and printing a plurality of jobs. The system is monitored for the occurrence of faults in a job, the faults are identified and recorded through a fault logging service and a specific response is initiated to the faults recorded by the fault logging service. Provision is made for using the log offline to determine the cause and effect of problems created by the faults in the system. The invention further provides for using the log online to monitor the occurrence of hardware faults in the system, and initiate the appropriate online diagnostic routine, whose response can further isolate a suspected problem.

Abstract: A two stage image processing apparatus and method wherein, in a first stage, successive groups of image pixels are used to address a RAM based look up table to provide a preliminary breakdown between halftone and textural images. As a second stage, to further enhance the differentiation between halftone and textural images, the output of the RAM address table is employed to generate a count signal. Previous counts stored in a succession of counters are used to determine a new count, a predetermined number of which are summed as a block by an adder in response to the count signal. The is compared with a preset threshold to generate a control signal for operating a pixel generator. The new counts are used to update the counters, the count on the counter serving to represent prior pixel processing conditions.