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US 6,962,449 B2Granted
Methods and apparatus for media selection in cluster printing systems
AssigneeElectronics for Imaging, Inc.
InventorsPierre Lermant, Nick Hatzel
Life of this patent
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AssigneeElectronics for Imaging, Inc.
InventorsPierre Lermant, Nick Hatzel
Estimating the term…
Methods and apparatus are provided for specifying media in cluster printing systems that include printers that use device-specific media selection techniques, such as paper catalogs, media tray pulldown menus and media attribute pulldown menus. A universal media selector is provided that includes a universal paper catalog, an editor, a paper catalog translator and a tray associator. The universal paper catalog is a two-dimensional array that includes one or more entries that associate a media label with corresponding media attributes. The editor may be used to create, import, export and edit paper catalog entries in the universal paper catalog. The paper catalog translator is a two-dimensional array that may be used to translate attribute labels and associated values in the universal paper catalog to corresponding attribute names and associated values used in device-specific paper catalogs of printers included in the cluster printing system. The tray associator is a two-dimensional array that associates paper catalog entries in the universal paper catalog to device-specific media trays (and optionally other media attributes) of printers included in the cluster printing system.
A cluster printing system comprising a server computer that comprises cluster printing software and that is coupled to a plurality of printers, each of the printers comprising a corresponding device-specific media selection technique, the server computer further comprising:
A cluster printing system comprising a server computer that comprises cluster printing software and that is coupled to a plurality of printers, each of the printers comprising a corresponding device-specific media selection technique, the server computer further comprising:
A cluster printing system comprising a server computer that comprises cluster printing software and that is coupled to a plurality of printers, one of the printers comprising a device-specific media selection technique that has a media tray pulldown menu including a media tray, the server computer further comprising:
A method for selecting media in a cluster printing system that comprises a virtual printer cluster comprising a plurality of printers, each of the printers comprising corresponding device-specific media selection technique, the method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.