Assembly trees for canonical representation of documents and blending multiple functions

摘要

An electronic image processing apparatus includes a controller and a plurality of resources in an arbitrary configuration. Each of the resources provides an associated processor storing data related to operational capabilities of the associated resource. The controller is adapted to dynamically configure the image processing apparatus to operate in accordance with the the operational capabilities of each of the processors by defining job requirements as a combination of images defining a set of sheets and specifying compilations of sheets. The job requirement is converted into an assembly tree relationship for merging into additional assembly trees for formulating the job requirement. The controller responds to the data related to the operational capabilities of each of the modules and to the the assembly tree relationship of images, copy sheets, and compilations of copy sheets for providing a production tree relationship of the operational capabilities of the modules including timing relationships for operating the image processing apparatus. The production tree relationship further permits arbitrary definition of a job requirement into a first segment independent of the capabilities of the modules and a second segment dependent upon selected capabilities of selected modules to allow the image processing apparatus to be partially configured based upon operator entered constraints. This technique further allows adaptive control of selective diagnostics.