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US 7,855,799 B2Granted
Print workflow automation
OwnerPradip K. Shahinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Illustrative systems and methods provide a graphical user interface for establishing parameters for printing and finishing print jobs. In an illustrative system and method, print job parameters are defined, for example: by establishing print parameters corresponding to the position of a document in a print job and/or the position of a page in document; by establishing associations between values of fields in file names and print parameters; and by establishing associations between text at a particular position on a page of a document and print parameters. The user's inputs defining the printing and finishing parameters are stored in a file such as, for example, an XML file. The system retrieves the printing and finishing parameters and formats PDL and JCL commands which can be forwarded onto the printing and finishing system.
Claims38
A method for defining rules for printing an electronic document implemented at least in part on a computing system, comprising:
- identifying a plurality of page sizes of pages in an electronic document;
- displaying a list of the plurality of page sizes comprised in the electronic document;
- receiving an input selecting a first of the plurality of page sizes;
- displaying a list of media types that may be associated with the selected first of the plurality of page sizes;
- receiving an input selecting a first of the listed media types;
- storing an association between the selected first of the plurality of page sizes and the selected first of the listed media types;
- receiving an input selecting a second of the plurality of page sizes;
- receiving an input selecting a second of the listed media types;
- storing an association between the selected second of the plurality of page sizes and the selected second of the listed media types;
- and
- creating instructions for printing the electronic document, said instructions comprising instructions for printing pages of the electronic document having the first of the plurality of page sizes on the selected first of the listed media types and for printing pages of the electronic document having the second of the plurality of page sizes on the selected second of the listed media types.
8 more elements
A method of printing electronic documents implemented at
- least in part on a computing system, comprising:
- identifying a plurality of pages comprised in an electronic document;
- receiving an input identifying a first subset of the plurality of pages;
- receiving an input identifying a printing option to be performed on the first subset of the plurality of pages;
- storing information identifying the printing option to be performed on the first subset of the plurality of pages;
- and
- creating instructions for printing the electronic document, said instructions comprising instructions for implementing the selected printing option in connection with the first subset of the plurality of pages;
- wherein receiving an input identifying a printing option to be performed on the first subset of the plurality of pages comprises receiving an input identifying a printing option relating to at least one of the following:
- grouping documents;
- splitting documents into subsets;
- controlling the sequence of printing of documents;
- selecting a normal media;
- selecting an exception media;
- identifying page level override of the normal media;
- identifying finishing parameters for a document;
- identifying finishing parameters for a subset;
- identifying finishing parameters for a group;
- selecting simplex printing for a document;
- selecting simplex printing for a subset;
- selecting simplex printing for a group;
- inserting tabs between pages;
- inserting tabs between documents;
- printing on tabs;
- inserting sheets between pages;
- inserting sheets between documents;
- and inserting covers.
23 more elements
A method of controlling automated printing of electronic documents implemented at least in part on a computing system, comprising:
- identifying a plurality of electronic files, each electronic file having a unique file name comprising a plurality of fields, each field comprising at least one alpha-numeric character and separated from an adjacent field by a field separation character;
- displaying the file name for each of the plurality of electronic files;
- receiving an input identifying the character separator employed to delineate between the plurality of fields in each of the file names of the plurality of electronic files;
- for each of the plurality of electronic files, parsing the file name to identify each of the plurality of fields, identifying the at least one alpha-numeric character comprised in each of the plurality of fields, and displaying the alpha-numeric strings comprised in each field;
- receiving an input identifying a first printing parameter to be controlled by the value of the at least one alpha-numeric character comprised in a first field of each file name;
- receiving an input identifying a second printing parameter to be controlled by the value of the alpha-numeric character string assigned to a second field;
- and
- generating instructions for printing the plurality of files,
- wherein for each of the plurality of files, the value of the at least one alpha-numeric character in the first field is used to determine instructions relating to the first printing parameter and the value of the at least one alpha-numeric character in the second field is used to determine instructions relating to the second printing parameter.
6 more elements
A method of controlling automated printing of electronic documents implemented at least in part on a computing system, comprising:
- receiving an electronic file comprising a plurality of electronic documents;
- displaying the electronic file;
- receiving a first input identifying a first text item located in a first area of a first page in the file;
- receiving a second input identifying the first text item as a first document delineator;
- storing the first text item and the identification of the first text item as a first document delineator;
- receiving a third input identifying a second text item located in a second area of the page;
- receiving a fourth input identifying the second text item as a second document delineator;
- storing the second text item and the identification of the second text item as a second document delineator;
- identifying the first page as the beginning of a first document;
- identify the first text item located in the first area of a second page in the electronic file;
- confirming the existence of the second text item in the second area of the second page;
- and
- identifying the second page in the electronic file as the beginning of a second document.
10 more elements
A system for defining rules for printing an electronic document, comprising:
- computing processor;
- computing memory communicatively coupled with the computing processor, the computing memory having executable instructions stored thereon that if executed by the system cause the system to perform operations comprising:
- identifying a plurality of page sizes of pages in an electronic document;
- displaying a list of the plurality of page sizes comprised in the electronic document;
- receiving an input selecting a first of the plurality of page sizes;
- displaying a list of media types that may be associated with the selected first of the plurality of page sizes;
- receiving an input selecting a first of the listed media types;
- storing an association between the selected first of the plurality of page sizes and the selected first of the listed media types;
- receiving an input selecting a second of the plurality of page sizes;
- receiving an input selecting a second of the listed media types;
- storing an association between the selected second of the plurality of page sizes and the selected second of the listed media types;
- and
- creating instructions for printing the electronic document, said instructions comprising instructions for printing pages of the electronic document having the first of the plurality of page sizes on the selected first of the listed media types and for printing pages of the electronic document having the second of the plurality of page sizes on the selected second of the listed media types.
10 more elements
A system for printing electronic documents, comprising:
- a computing processor;
- computing memory communicatively coupled with the computing processor, the computing memory having executable instructions stored thereon that if executed by the system cause the system to perform operations comprising:
- identifying a plurality of pages comprised in an electronic document;
- receiving an input identifying a first subset of the plurality of pages;
- receiving an input identifying a printing option to be performed on the first subset of the plurality of pages;
- storing information identifying the printing option to be performed on the first subset of the plurality of pages;
- and
- creating instructions for printing the electronic document, said instructions comprising instructions for implementing the selected printing option in connection with the first subset of the plurality of pages;
- wherein receiving an input identifying a printing option to be performed on the first subset of the plurality of pages comprises receiving an input identifying a printing option relating to at least one of the following:
- grouping documents;
- splitting documents into subsets;
- controlling the sequence of printing of documents;
- selecting a normal media;
- selecting an exception media;
- identifying page level override of the normal media;
- identifying finishing parameters for a document;
- identifying finishing parameters for a subset;
- identifying finishing parameters for a group;
- selecting simplex printing for a document;
- selecting simplex printing for a subset;
- selecting simplex printing for a group;
- inserting tabs between pages;
- inserting tabs between documents;
- printing on tabs;
- inserting sheets between pages;
- inserting sheets between documents;
- and inserting covers.
24 more elements
A system for controlling automated printing of electronic documents, comprising:
- a computing processor;
- computing memory communicatively coupled with the computing processor, the computing memory having executable instructions stored thereon that if executed by the system cause the system to perform operations comprising:
- identifying a plurality of electronic files, each electronic file having a unique file name comprising a plurality of fields, each field comprising at least one alpha-numeric character and separated from an adjacent field by a field separation character;
- displaying the file name for each of the plurality of electronic files;
- receiving an input identifying the character separator employed to delineate between the plurality of fields in each of the file names of the plurality of electronic files;
- for each of the plurality of electronic files, parsing the file name to identify each of the plurality of fields, identifying the at least one alpha-numeric character comprised in each of the plurality of fields, and displaying the alpha-numeric strings comprised in each field;
- receiving an input identifying a first printing parameter to be controlled by the value of the at least one alpha-numeric character comprised in a first field of each file name;
- receiving an input identifying a second printing parameter to be controlled by the value of the alpha-numeric character string assigned to a second field;
- and
- generating instructions for printing the plurality of files,
- wherein for each of the plurality of files, the value of the at least one alpha-numeric character in the first field is used to determine instructions relating to the first printing parameter and the value of the at least one alpha-numeric character in the second field is used to determine instructions relating to the second printing parameter.
8 more elements
A system for controlling automated printing of electronic documents, comprising:
- a computing processor;
- computing memory communicatively coupled with the computing processor, the computing memory having executable instructions stored thereon that if executed by the system cause the system to perform operations comprising:
- receiving an electronic file comprising a plurality of electronic documents;
- displaying the electronic file;
- receiving a first input identifying a first text item located in a first area of a first page in the file;
- receiving a second input identifying the first text item as a first document delineator;
- storing the first text item and the identification of the first text item as a first document delineator;
- receiving a third input identifying a second text item located in a second area of the page;
- receiving a fourth input identifying the second text item as a second document delineator;
- storing the second text item and the identification of the second text item as a second document delineator;
- identifying the first page as the beginning of a first document;
- identify the first text item located in the first area of a second page in the electronic file;
- confirming the existence of the second text item in the second area of the second page;
- and
- identifying the second page in the electronic file as the beginning of a second document.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.