Methods and systems for suspending and resuming print jobs based on priority

1. A method for processing print jobs, comprising:

determining whether a second print job being processed by an RIP is needed to pause according to a priority of a first print job requesting to be printed;

storing, where the second print job is needed to pause, a processing state of the second print job and processing the first print job by the RIP;

determining whether a third print job being processed by a print device is needed to pause according to the priority of the first print job;

storing, where the third print job is needed to pause, a processing state of the third print job, and printing the first print job by the print device after the first print job is processed by the RIP;

resuming the processing for the second print job according to the stored processing state of the second print job after the first print job is processed by the RIP; and

resuming the processing for the third print job according to the stored processing state of the third print job after the first print job is printed by the print device,

wherein when the second print job being processed by the RIP is needed to pause, the method further comprises the following step:

identifying a print property of the first print job and performing the pauses of the second and third print jobs according to the print property of the first print job, and

wherein when the first print job is identified to have a direct print property and the third print job is needed to pause according to the priorities, the third print job pauses and the processing state of the third print job is stored, then the second print job pauses and the processing state of the second print job is stored, and then the first print job is processed by the RIP and the processed first print job is transmitted to the print device for printing; and

when the first print job is identified to have a hold print property, the second print job pauses and the processing state of the second print job is stored, and then it is to determine whether the third print job being processed by the print device is needed to pause according to the priority of the first print job.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of storing a processing state of the second print job further comprises:

dropping, if data output when the second print job pauses is incomplete, the incomplete data and adjusting a page counter to have a correct value.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, where the second and third print jobs are needed to pause, the following steps:

determining whether the second print job and the third print job are the same print job; and

if the second print job and the third print job are the same, making the third print job to pause, storing the processing state of the third print job, and then making the second print job to pause, and storing the processing state of the second print job.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the processing of the second print job pauses by the RIP at the end of processing a whole page of the second print job, when the second print job is determined to pause; and/or

the printing of the third print job pauses by the print device at the end of processing a whole page of the third print job, when the third print job is determined to pause.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:

resuming the processing of the second print job by the RIP from the end of the whole page stored at the time of the pause of the second print job, when the paused second print job is resumed; and/or

resuming the printing of the third print job by the print device from the end of the whole page stored at the time of the pause of the third print job, when the paused third print job is resumed.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, where the third print job is needed to pause, the following steps:

determining whether the print device is performing a double-sided printing, if it is the case, the third print job pauses after a back side of a page being output is printed completely; or

determining whether the third print job is a double-sided print job, if it is the case, the third print job pauses by the print device after the back side of the page being output is printed completely.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, before the print device prints the first print job, the following step:

determining whether the print device has two or more paper-providing boxes, if it is the case, the print device uses one of the boxes, which is different from that for the third print job, for the printing of the first print job.

8. A system for processing print jobs, comprising:

an RIP;

a print device;

a first pause module configured to determine whether a second print job being processed by the RIP is needed to pause according to a priority of a first print job requesting to be printed, wherein if the second print job is needed to pause, the first pause module stores a processing state of the second print job and transmits the first print job to the RIP for processing;

a second pause module configured to determine whether a third print job being processed by the print device is needed to pause according to the priority of the first print job, wherein if the third print job is needed to pause, the second pause module stores a processing state of the third print job and transmits the first print job to the print device for printing after the first print job is processed by the RIP;

a first resumption module configured to resume the processing of the second print job by the RIP according to the stored processing state of the second print job after the first print job is processed by the RIP;

a second resumption module configured to resume the processing of the third print job by the print device according to the stored processing state of the third print job after the first print job is printed by the print device; and

a second control module configured to identify a print property of the first print job and control pauses of the second and third print jobs according to the print property of the first print job, when the second print job being processed by the RIP is needed to pause,

wherein the second control module comprises:

a first processing unit configured for, when the first print job is identified to have a direct print property and the third print job is needed to pause based on the priorities, controlling the first pause module to let the third print job pause and to store the processing state of the third print job, and then controlling the second pause module to let the second print job pause and to store the processing state of the second print job; and

a second processing unit configured for, when the first print job is identified to have a hold print property, controlling the second pause module to let the second print job pause and to store the processing state of the second print job, and then controlling the second pause module to determine whether the third print job being processed by the print device is needed to pause based on the priority of the first print job.

9. The system according to claim 8 , further comprising:

an adjusting module configured to drop incomplete data which are output at a pause of the second print job determined by the first pause module, and to adjust a page counter to have a correct value.

10. The system according to claim 8 , further comprising:

a first control module configured to identify whether the second print job and the third print job are the same print job when each of the second and third print jobs is needed to pause, wherein if the second and third print jobs are the same, the first control module controls the second pause module to let the third print job pause and to store the processing state of the third print job, and then the first control module controls the first pause module to let the second print job pause and to store the processing state of the second print job.

11. The system according to claim 8 , wherein

the first pause module is further configured to let the processing of the second print job pause at the end of processing a whole page of the second print job by the RIP when the second print job is determined to pause; and/or

the second pause module is further configured to let the printing of the third print job pause at the end of processing a whole page of the third print job by the print device when the third print job is determined to pause.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein

the first resumption module is further configured to resume the processing of the second print job from the end of the whole page stored at the time of a pause of the second print job when the paused second print job is resumed; and/or

the second resumption module is further configured to resume the printing of the third print job by the print device from the end of the whole page stored at the time of a pause of the third print job when the paused third print job is resumed.

13. The system according to claim 8 , further comprising a double-sided control module,

wherein when the third print job is needed to pause, the double-sided control module is configured to determine whether the print device is performing a double-sided printing, and if the print device is performing a double-sided printing, the third print job pauses after a back side of a page being output is printed completely, or

wherein when the third print job is needed to pause, the double-sided control module is configured to determine whether the third print job is a double-sided print job, and if the third print job is double-sided, the third print job pauses by the print device after the back side of the page being output is printed completely.

14. The system according to claim 8 , further comprising:

a paper-providing box control module configured to determine whether the print device has two or more paper-providing boxes before the print device prints the first print job, wherein if the print device has two or more paper-providing boxes, the print device uses one of the boxes, which is different from that for the third print job, for printing of the first print job.