System and method of sorting print jobs
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsSteven J. Simske, Ehud Chatow
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to method and systems of sorting print jobs for assignment to a plurality of printers having different printing characteristics. Print jobs can be received, sorted based on the print parameters of the print jobs, combined into print job groupings based on printing prioritizations, and sent to a plurality of printers having printing configurations that achieve the print parameters and the printing prioritizations.
Claims19
A method of sorting print jobs for assignment to a plurality of printers having different printing characteristics, comprising:
- receiving a plurality of unassigned print jobs having a plurality of print parameters at a print server, wherein individual print jobs have multiple print parameters being represented in a portion of the plurality of print jobs;
- selecting a prioritization factor including a member selected from the group of print job cost, print job time to completion, print job quality, print job size, print job sustainability, printing location, and combinations thereof;
- sorting the plurality of print jobs into a plurality of print job groupings based on common print parameters and the prioritization factor;
- identifying a plurality of printers having a plurality of printing configurations, such that individual printers have an established printing configuration;
- and
- sending the plurality of print job groupings to the individual printers to achieve the common print parameters and the prioritization factor.
A system for sorting print jobs for assignment to a plurality of printers having different printing characteristics, comprising:
- a print server operable to receive a plurality of print jobs, the print jobs having multiple print parameters;
- a user interface system configured to receive a prioritization factor including a member selected from the group of print job cost, print job time to completion, print job quality, print job size, print job sustainability, printing location, and combinations thereof;
- a sorting logic system in communication with the print server and the user interface system, the sorting logic system being operable to sort the plurality of print jobs into a plurality of print job groupings based on common print parameters and the prioritization factor;
- and
- an output port operable to be in communication with a plurality of printers having a plurality of established printing configurations, wherein the sorting logic system is operable to identify the plurality of established printing configurations and to send the plurality of print job groupings to the plurality of printers based on the common print parameters and the prioritization factor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.