Apparatus and methods for distributing print jobs
AssigneeElectronics for Imaging, Inc.
InventorsMichael Barry, Jeffrey Dockman, Kevin O'Neill, Robert Pennington, Michael Raines, Matthew Shumaker, Elliot Tompkins
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for distributing print jobs. A print job is generated at an application node of a network, and has associated therewith print parameters. The print job is routed to a distribution node on the network. The parameters are then parsed from the generated print job and the print job parameterized with predetermined metrics that are a function of at least one of the parsed parameters. The parameterized print job is then routed to a destination device on a destination node on the network.
Claims16
A method for distribution of a page description language (“PDL”) file to a plurality of destination devices, the method comprising:
- extracting printing parameters from the PDL file;
- raster image processing the PDL file to determine page size and page count;
- appending a text file to the PDL file to create a modified PDL file, the text file comprising the extracted printing parameters and the determined page size and page count;
- generating a script based on the extracted printing parameters and the determined page size and page count, the script comprising instructions for routing the modified PDL file to one or more of the destination devices;
- generating PDL commands in accordance with the script instructions to control how the modified PDL file will be printed by the one or more destination devices;
- and
- routing the modified PDL file to the one or more destination devices.
Apparatus for distribution of a page description language (“PDL”) file to a plurality of destination devices, the apparatus comprising:
- a database comprising a plurality of destination queues, each destination queue comprising a script describing how a PDL file will be routed to the plurality of destination devices;
- and
- a print job distributor coupled to and the plurality of destination devices and the database, the print job distributor adapted to route the PDL file to one of the destination queues for processing by the plurality of destination devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.