Patent US6476927B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6476927B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Job token printer assignment system
Assignee: Electronics for Imaging Inc
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Filing: 1998-01-21
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Granted: 2002-11-05
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Expires: 2018-01-21
Abstract
Abstract A client provides a job ticket token to a print server, which contains the profile of a print job to be printed. The print server parses the job ticket token, determines an appropriate printer for the print job, and returns a selected printer token to the client, that includes the network address and name of the selected printer. The client then sends the print job, accompanied by the selected printer token, to the appropriate printer. In this way, the print job is assigned to a proper printer for the print job by the print server. One advantage of the job token printer assignment system is that the print server does not see the print job, but merely the job ticket token of the print job. Accordingly, the print server does not have to spool a large print job, but merely has to identify the characteristics contained in the job ticket token, and assign the print job to an appropriate printer. Further, because the print job is not transferred to the print server, but merely from the client to the printer, the network does not have to carry the print job twice.
Inventors
- 👤 James K. Schwarz, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 06:12
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/12; G06F3/1201; G06F3/1202; G06F3/1203; G06F3/1205; G06F3/1223; G06F3/1224; G06F3/1226; G06F3/1229; G06F3/1231; G06F3/1237; G06F3/126; G06F3/1278; G06F3/1285; G06F3/1288; G06F3/1286
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
108 words
A process for scheduling a print job, comprising the steps of: sending a job ticket token from a client to a print server, said job ticket token containing a specification for said print job; selecting an appropriate printer for said print job at said print server, based upon said contained specification for said print job within said sent job ticket token; sending a selected printer token from said print server to said client, said selected printer token containing an address of said selected appropriate printer; and sending said print job from said client directly to said selected appropriate printer, based on said address of said selected appropriate printer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
108 words
A process for scheduling a print job, comprising the steps of: sending a job ticket token from a client to a print server, said job ticket token containing a specification for said print job; selecting an appropriate printer for said print job at said print server, based upon said contained specification for said print job within said sent job ticket token; sending a selected printer token from said print server to said client, said selected printer token containing an address of said selected appropriate printer; and sending said print job from said client directly to said selected appropriate printer, based on said address of said selected appropriate printer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 1 , wherein said specification for said print job includes at least one print job option.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1 , wherein said specification for said print job includes a printer selection override option.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 1 , wherein said appropriate printer is selected from a plurality of printers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
71 words
The process of claim 4 , wherein said step of selecting an appropriate printer for said print job further comprises the steps of: matching compatible printers from said plurality of printers, based on said job ticket token; polling said compatible printers for printer availability; checking that at least one of said compatible printers is online; and selecting said appropriate printer for said print job from one of said compatible online printers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 1 , further comprising the step of: storing information relating to said print job on said print server.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process of claim 1 , further comprising the step of: sending a status request datagram from said client to said appropriate printer regarding status of said print job.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process of claim 1 , further comprising the step of: sending a status information datagram from said appropriate printer to said client regarding status of said print job.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
130 words
A process for scheduling a print job, comprising the steps of: creating a job ticket token on a client computer, said job ticket token containing a specification for said print job; sending said job ticket token to a print server; parsing said job ticket token at said print server to determine said specification of said print job; determining an appropriate printer for said print job based upon said parsed job ticket token; creating a selected printer token based on said determined appropriate printer; sending said selected printer token to said client computer, said selected printer token containing an address of selected printer based on said job ticket token; and sending said print job from said client computer directly to said appropriate printer, based on said address of said selected printer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
130 words
A process for scheduling a print job, comprising the steps of: creating a job ticket token on a client computer, said job ticket token containing a specification for said print job; sending said job ticket token to a print server; parsing said job ticket token at said print server to determine said specification of said print job; determining an appropriate printer for said print job based upon said parsed job ticket token; creating a selected printer token based on said determined appropriate printer; sending said selected printer token to said client computer, said selected printer token containing an address of selected printer based on said job ticket token; and sending said print job from said client computer directly to said appropriate printer, based on said address of said selected printer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 9 , wherein said specification for said print job includes at least one print job option.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 9 , wherein said specification for said print job includes a printer selection override option.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 9 , wherein said appropriate printer is determined from a plurality of printers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
72 words
The process of claim 12 , wherein said step of determining an appropriate printer for said print job further comprises the steps of: matching compatible printers from said plurality of printers, based on said parsed job ticket token; polling said compatible printers for printer availability; checking that at least one of said compatible printers is online; and determining said appropriate printer for said print job from one of said compatible online printers.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 9 , further comprising the step of: storing information relating to said print job on said print server.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process of claim 9 , further comprising the step of: sending a status request datagram from said client computer to said appropriate printer regarding status of said print job.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process of claim 9 , further comprising the step of: sending a status information datagram from said appropriate printer to said client computer regarding status of said print job.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
97 words
An apparatus for scheduling a print job, comprising: a client computer adapted to construct a job ticket token containing a specification for said print job; and a print server adapted to receive said job ticket token from said client computer, select an appropriate printer for said print job, construct a selected printer token containing an address of said selected printer, and send said selected printer token to said client computer; wherein said client computer is also adapted to receive said selected printer token from said print server, and send said print job directly to said selected printer.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
97 words
An apparatus for scheduling a print job, comprising: a client computer adapted to construct a job ticket token containing a specification for said print job; and a print server adapted to receive said job ticket token from said client computer, select an appropriate printer for said print job, construct a selected printer token containing an address of said selected printer, and send said selected printer token to said client computer; wherein said client computer is also adapted to receive said selected printer token from said print server, and send said print job directly to said selected printer.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said specification for said print job includes at least one print job option.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said specification for said print job includes a printer selection override option.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said appropriate printer is selected from a plurality of printers.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-11-04 | 2006-05-06 | 2006-11-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-11-04 | 2010-05-06 | 2010-11-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-11-04 | 2014-05-06 | 2014-11-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |