Claims
- 1. An image-forming machine comprising:
a marking engine; a finisher disposed to receive at least one sheet from the marking engine; and at least two finishing destinations each disposed to receive the at least one sheet from the finisher, where the finisher automatically changes from one finishing destination to an other finishing destination when the one finishing destination has one of an unlock condition and a full condition, and where the one and the other finishing destinations are different types of finishing destinations.
- 2. The image-forming machine according to claim 1, where the at least two finishing destinations comprise at least one of a stacker finishing destination, a stapler finishing destination, a stapler tote area, and a top exit.
- 3. The image-forming machine according to claim 1, where the marking engine cycles down when a change to another finishing destination cannot be made.
- 4. The image-forming machine according to claim 1, where the marking engine cycles down in response to the unlock condition and stapling being selected.
- 5. The image-forming machine according to claim 1, where the marking engine cycles down in response to the unlock condition and a paper size conflict.
- 6. The image-forming machine according to claim 1, where the finisher changes to another finishing destination when the at least one sheet comprises one of a set, subset, and job boundary.
- 7. An image-forming system comprising:
a marking engine; and a finisher connected to the marking engine; where at least one of the marking engine and the finisher comprises a first finishing destination and a second finishing destination, where the first finishing destination receives an imaging job from the marking engine, where the imaging job switches from the first finishing destination to the second finishing destination in response to at least one of an unlock trigger and a full condition, and where the first and the second finishing destinations are different types of finishing destinations.
- 8. The image-forming machine according to claim 7, where the marking engine cycles down in response to one of the unlock trigger and the full condition when the second finishing destination is unable to receive the imaging job.
- 9. The image-forming machine according to claim 8, where the marking engine cycles down to a standby operation.
- 10. The image-forming machine according to claim 7, where the imaging job switches to the second finishing destination at a break point
- 11. The image-forming machine according to claim 10, where the break point is one of a set boundary, a subset boundary, and a job boundary.
- 12. The image-forming machine according to claim 7, where the imaging job switches back to the first finishing destination.
- 13. A method for automatic finish output chaining in an image-forming machine, comprising:
detecting at least one of an unlock condition and a full condition in one finishing destination; determining whether an imaging job can switch to another finishing destination, where the one and the other finishing destinations are different types of finishing destinations; if an unlock condition, determining whether stapling is selected; if no stapling selected, determining whether there is a paper size conflict; and if no paper size conflict, switching the imaging job to another finishing destination.
- 14. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 13, further comprising cycling down a marking engine in the image-forming machine if stapling is selected.
- 15. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 13, further comprising cycling down a marking engine in the image-forming machine if there is a paper size conflict.
- 16. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 13, further comprising cycling down a marking engine in the image-forming machine if the switching to another finishing destination cannot be made.
- 17. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 13, further comprising switching to one of a stacker finishing destination and a stapler tote area when the imaging job has a stapler and stacker configuration.
- 18. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 13, further comprising switching to one of a top exit and a stapler tote area when the imaging job has a stapler configuration.
- 19. A method for automatic finish output chaining in an image-forming machine, comprising:
detecting at least one of an unlock condition and a full condition in one finishing destination; determining whether an imaging job can switch to another finishing destination, where the one and the other finishing destinations are different types of finishing destinations; if the full condition, determining whether switch can be made at one of a set boundary, a subset boundary, and a job boundary of an imaging job; if the switch can be made at one of the set boundary, the subset boundary, and the job boundary of the imaging job, switching the imaging job to another finishing destination; and if the switch cannot be made at one of the set boundary, the subset boundary, and the job boundary of the imaging job, switching the imaging job to a next exit finishing destination.
- 20. A method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 19, further comprising cycling down a marking engine in the image-forming machine if the switching to another finishing destination cannot be made.
- 21. A method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 19, where switching to another finishing destination comprises switching to one of a stacker finishing station and a stapler tote area when the imaging job has one of a stapler and a stacker configuration.
- 22. A method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 19, where switching to another finishing destination comprises switching to one of a top exit and a stapler tote area when the imaging job has a stapler configuration.
- 23. A method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 19, where switching to the next exit finishing destination comprises switching to one of a stapler finishing station and a stacker finishing destination when the imaging job has a stacker configuration.
- 24. A method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 19, where switching to the next exit finishing destination comprises switching to one of a top exit and a stapler tote area when the imaging job has a stapler configuration.
- 25. A method for automatic finish output chaining in an image-forming system having at least two finishing destinations, comprising:
detecting whether a default finishing destination of an imaging job is no longer usable; switching the imaging job from the default finishing destination to an alternate finishing destination in response to the default finishing destination being no longer usable, where the default and the alternate finishing destinations are different types of finishing destinations; and cycling down a marking engine in the image-forming system when a chaining operation is not enabled.
- 26. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 25, further comprising cycling down the marking engine to a standby operation.
- 27. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 25, where the default finishing destination is no longer usable in response to at least one of an unlock condition and a full condition.
- 28. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 27, further comprising:
switching the imaging job to the alternate finishing destination at a break point if the switch may be made at the break point; and switching the imaging job to the alternate finishing destination essentially immediately if the switch cannot be made at the break point.
- 29. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 28, where the break point is one of a set boundary, a subset boundary, and a job boundary.
- 30. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 28, where the imaging job has a number of remaining sheets to reach the break point, where the default destination can receive a predetermined number of sheets beyond the full condition and where the remaining sheets to reach the break point is less than the predetermined number of sheets beyond the full condition.
- 31. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 30, where the predetermined number of sheets is about 100 sheets.
- 32. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 27, further comprising:
detecting an unlock delay; and switching the imaging job to the alternate finishing destination at a break point in response to the unlock delay.
- 33. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 32, where the break point is one of a set boundary, a subset boundary, and a job boundary.
- 34. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 25, further comprising:
determining whether the default finishing destination is available; and switching the imaging job back to the default finishing destination if available.
- 35. A method for automatic finish output chaining in an image-forming system having at least two finishing destinations, comprising:
detecting whether a default finishing destination of a current imaging job has at least one of an unlock trigger and a full condition; and switching the current imaging job from the default finishing destination to an alternate finishing destination in response to at least one of the unlock trigger and the full condition, where the default and the alternate finishing destinations are different types of finishing destinations.
- 36. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 35, further comprising cycling down a marking engine in the image-forming system in response to at least one of the unlock trigger and the full conditions when a chaining operation is not enabled for at least one of the unlock trigger and the full condition.
- 37. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 35, further comprising switching the current imaging job to the alternate destination essentially immediately when the current imaging job cannot be switched at a break point.
- 38. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 35, further comprising switching the current imaging job to the alternate finishing destination at a break point.
- 39. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 38, where the break point comprises one of a set boundary, a subset boundary, and a job boundary.
- 40. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 35, further comprising:
switching the current imaging job to the alternate finishing destination at one of the set boundary and the subset boundary; and continuing the current imaging job to the default finishing destination when the switch can be made at the job boundary.
- 41. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 35, further comprising switching the next imaging job to the alternate finishing destination when the next imaging job and the current imaging job have the same default destination.
- 42. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 41, further comprising:
switching the next imaging job to the default finishing destination when the default destination is available; and switching the next imaging job to the alternate finishing destination when the default destination is not available.
- 43. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 35, further comprising switching to the alternate destination essentially immediately in response to the unlock trigger.
- 44. The method for automatic finish output chaining according to claim 35, further comprising switching to the alternate destination at a break point in response to the unlock trigger.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based on Provisional Application Serial No. 60/317,589 entitled “IMAGE-FORMING SYSTEM WITH AUTOMATIC FINISH OUTPUT CHAINING” filed on Sep. 5, 2001. The benefit of the filing date of the Provisional Application is claimed for this application.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60317589 |
Sep 2001 |
US |