US 6,407,820 B1Granted

Efficient use of print resources within a job stream

AssigneeHeidelberg Digital L.L.C.

InventorsDavid R. Hansen, Tomas Roztocil

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Abstract

A system and method for managing production printing workflow is disclosed. The system includes workflow management software which manages and facilitates the procedural stages of the workflow including job originations job preparation, job submission and job fulfillment. The workflow management software provides an integrated object oriented interface which visually reflects and interacts with the workflow. Further the disclosed system facilitates efficient use of output resources by optimally utilizing resources with different output capabilities to produce output optimized for those capabilities. Further the disclosed system and method facilitates seamless integration and automation of dividing production among multiple output resources and re-assembling disparate production into the finished product.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A system for efficient use of first and second print resources operative to receive information to be printed and generate printed output, each of said first and second print resources being characterized by respective capabilities, said system comprising:

a receiver for receiving a document, said document comprising a first portion and a second portion, said first and second portions comprising information to be printed and characterized by a pre-determined ordering and further wherein said first portion is optimized for a first of said respective capabilities of said first and second print resources and said second portion is optimized for a second of said respective capabilities of said first and second print resources, said first and second portions further comprising an attribute operative to indicate which of said respective capabilities they are optimized for;
a resource allocator coupled with said receiver and said first and second print resources and operative to receive said document and read said attribute from each of said first and second portions and route each of said first and second portions to said corresponding print resource with said corresponding of said first and second of said respective capabilities to generate printed output;
and
an assembler coupled with said first and second print resources and operative to receive said printed output from said first and second print resources and assemble a finished document according to said predetermined ordering.

1 more element

A method for efficiently using first and second print resources, each of said first and second print resources being characterized by respective capabilities, said method comprising:

(a) receiving a document, said document comprising a first portion and a second portion, said first and second portions comprising information to be printed and characterized by a pre-determined ordering and further wherein said first portion is optimized for a first of said respective capabilities of said first and second print resources and said second portion is optimized for a second of said respective capabilities of said first and second print resources, said first and second portions further comprising an attribute operative to indicate which of said respective capabilities they are optimized for;
(b) indicating in said attribute which of said respective capabilities of said first and second print resource should be used for each of said first and second portions;
(c) transmitting said document to a resource allocator;
(d) reading said attribute from said first and second portion by said resource allocator;
(e) routing each of said first and second portion to one of said first and second print resource by said resource allocator based on said indicated capability and said respective capabilities;
(f) generating printed output from each of said first and second print resources of said first and second portions;
and
(g) assembling a finished document from said printed output according to said pre-determined ordering.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/572,108Filed 17 May 2000
Granted: 18 Jun 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

G06F 3/1205
Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management: resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings,…
G06F 3/1241
Print job management: dividing a job according to job requirements, e.g. black/white and colour pages, covers and body of books, tabs
G06F 3/1275
Specifically adapted to use a particular technique: print workflow management, e.g. defining or changing a workflow, cross publishing
G06F 3/1282
Specifically adapted to adopt a particular infrastructure: high volume printer device