Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
147 words
A printing machine for printing image data from one of a plurality of image files, the image files being associated with transfers, respectively, the transfers being designated by sets of parameters, respectively, comprising: an image input terminal for providing the plurality of image files; a system memory, communicating with said image input terminal, being adapted to store selected image data temporarily and the sets of parameters; a plurality of disk drive devices having a combined bandwidth upon which the image data of the image files can be stored with each of said plurality of disk drive devices communicating with said system memory; and a resource manager for controlling and scheduling transfers of image data between said system memory and each of said plurality of disk drive devices with the sets of parameters in a manner which maximizes the combined bandwidth of said plurality of disk drive devices.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
47 words
The printing machine of claim 1, in which a first transfer and a second transfer are scheduled on the selected disk drive device, wherein a third transfer is scheduled on the selected disk drive device to be performed after the first transfer and before the second transfer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The printing machine of claim 1 or 2, wherein the sets of parameters are ordered in a queue.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
The printing machine of claim 3 in which each set represents a selected one of a first file type and a second file type, wherein said queue is sorted so that transfers associated with sets of the first file type are performed substantially prior to transfers associated with sets of the second file type.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
The printing machine of any of the preceding claims, in which the sets of parameters are ordered in a plurality of queues, further comprising means for searching said queues to dispatch a transfer to a selected one of said plurality of disk drive devices.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
50 words
The printing machine of claim 5, in which a transfer is being performed currently on each of said plurality of disk drive devices, wherein the dispatched transfer is transferred to the selected one of said plurality of disk drive devices as soon as the transfer being performed thereon is completed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
The printing machine of any of the preceding claims, wherein said image input terminal comprises a scanning device for generating the image data of the plurality of image files, the machine preferably further comprising a printing device, communicating with said plurality of disk drive devices, for printing image data associated with a selected one of the image files.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
212 words
A method for scheduling transfers in a printing machine of the type having a scheduler communicating with both a first disk and a second disk, the first and second disks having a combined bandwidth, comprising the steps of: (a) scheduling, with the scheduler, a first transfer to be performed on a first location of the first disk during a first time interval and a second transfer to be performed on a second location of the first disk during a second time interval so that a first time gap interval exists between the first time interval and the second time interval; (b) scheduling, with the scheduler, a third transfer to be performed on a first location of the second disk during a third time interval and a fourth transfer to be performed on a second location of the second disk during a fourth time interval so that a second time gap interval exists between the third time interval and the fourth time interval; and (c) scheduling, with the scheduler, a fifth transfer to be performed during a fifth interval, the fifth interval occurring during a selected one of the first time gap interval and the second time gap interval in a manner that maximizes the combined bandwidth of the first and second disks.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
147 words
A method for processing a file of data in an electroreprographic machine of the type having an input/output device communicating with a selected one of a plurality of disks, each file having a set of parameters designating a transfer to be performed with the file and a selected one of the plurality of disks, each set of parameters being disposed in one of a plurality of disk queues, comprising the steps of: (a) selecting one of the sets of parameters from one of the disk queues for designating a transfer to be performed with a selected one of the plurality of disks; (b) determining whether the designated transfer can be performed with a selected one of the disks; and (c) dispatching the designated transfer to the selected one of the disks of said determining step when it is determined that the designated transfer can be performed therewith.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
A programmable printing apparatus when suitably programmed for carrying out the method of claim 8 or 9.