Imposition process and apparatus for variable imaging system

Abstract

The present invention is useful for assembling a book. The inventive method includes the steps of specifying pagination information including an indication of whether a page is to be selectively included in the book, determining whether the page is to be assembled into the book based on the pagination information, and generating page description language instructions for production of the book in accordance with the pagination information.

1 - 13 . (canceled)  
   
   
       14 . An apparatus for controlling an electronic press, comprising: 
 means for developing first and second sets of template data representing associated first and second template pages, respectively, each set of template data having reusable data representing information to be printed on more than one output page and position data representing a position on a page at which variable information is to be printed; and    means responsive to the developing means and to a database having a number of entries each of which represents variable printed information for causing the electronic press to print output pages with the reusable data and selected variable printed information, wherein the causing means comprises means for identifying the reusable data for each set of template data prior to rasterization.    
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the causing means includes means for converting the sets of template data and the database into commands for the electronic press specifying sequence and content of page production.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the identifying means includes means for generating a reusable data set representing the reusable data from the sets of template data.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the identifying means further includes means for generating variable data sets representing the variable information from the sets of template data.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein auxiliary production devices are coupled to the causing means and wherein the database includes control information for controlling at least one of the electronic press and the auxiliary production devices.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the causing means further includes means for controlling a further electronic press such that a first portion of the output pages is printed by the further electronic press and a second portion of the output pages is printed by the first-named electronic press.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the first set of template data and the second set of template data are different so that the first and second template pages are different.  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the reusable data of the first and second sets of template data are different such that the reusable data of the first and second template pages are different.  
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the reusable data of the first and second sets of template data are identical, and a position of the reusable data in the first template page differs from a position of the reusable data in the second template page.  
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the variable information of the first and second sets of template data are identical, and the position of the variable information in the first template page differs from the position of the variable information in the second template page.  
   
   
       24 . An apparatus for controlling an electronic press, comprising: 
 means for developing template data representing a template page, the template data having reusable data representing information to be printed on more than one output page and position data representing a position on a page at which variable information is to be printed; and    means responsive to the developing means and to a database having a number of entries each of which represents variable printed information for causing the electronic press to print output pages with the reusable data and selected variable printed information, wherein the causing means comprises means for identifying the reusable data for the template data prior to rasterization.    
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the causing means includes means for converting the template data and the database into commands for the electronic press specifying sequence and content of page production.  
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the identifying means includes means for generating a reusable data set representing the reusable data from the template data.  
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the identifying means further includes means for generating a variable data set representing the variable information from the template data.  
   
   
       28 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein auxiliary production devices are coupled to the causing means and wherein the database includes control information for controlling at least one of the electronic press and the auxiliary production devices.  
   
   
       29 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the causing means further includes means for controlling a further electronic press such that a first portion of the output pages is printed by the further electronic press and a second portion of the output pages is printed by the first-named electronic press.