International Business Machines Corporation

Infoprintsolutions Company, LLC

Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC

Leonard Corning Lahey

Dwight Ross Palmer

Adam A Swartz

Robert Curt Nielsen

Anthony Franke Stuart

Brent James Winters

Jagdish Mooljee Nagda

John Stuart Walker

Marquis G Waller

Linda Sue Liebelt

Arthur Ray Roberts

Deborah Elizabeth Neuhard

Luana Linda Vigil

Ned Otey

Scott Thomas Ziegler

Michael G Lotz

Deborah Elisabeth Neuhard

James R Carlock

Edwin L Greene

Robert Patrick Smyth

Chris Samuel Goertz

Systems and methods are provided for managing a print job archive. The system includes a plurality of databases that store print job properties, wherein at least one database is designated to record the print job properties as a function of a predetermined characteristic of the print job. The system also includes an interface that receives multiple print jobs, and a data distribution module coupled with the plurality of databases and the interface. For each of the multiple print jobs, the data distribution module categorizes the print job based on at least one predetermined characteristic, identifies a database among the plurality of databases that is designated for the print jobs as a function of the at least one predetermined characteristic, and stores the print jobs in the identified database as a function of the at least one predetermined characteristic.

Distributed data tables for print jobs in a print workflow system

System and methods for presentation of predicted steps in a print workflow. One embodiment is a system that identifies a print workflow with interconnected steps of multiple potential paths. The system identifies a print job, generates a copy of the print job, and simulates execution a step in the print workflow with the copy of the print job. The execution comprises: determining whether the step includes conditional branching, and, when the step includes conditional branching, predicting a subsequent step by evaluating conditions of the step against property values of the copy of the print job. The execution also comprises updating the property values based on the execution of the step. The system repeats the execution for each subsequently predicted step to predict a path of the print job. The system includes a graphical user interface to display the path that is predicted for the print job in the print workflow.

Presentation of predicted steps in a print workflow

The systems and methods presented herein provide for processing print jobs in an Automated Document Factory (ADF) system. More specifically, these embodiments provide for the selected removal of certain documents after processing of the print job has already initiated (e.g., printing, sorting, inserting, etc.). In one embodiment, a method of processing print jobs through the ADF system includes receiving a print job from a host system via the ADF system. The print job comprises a plurality of documents. The method also includes initiating printing of the documents in the print job, and processing an instruction that identifies at least one document in the print job for removal after initiating printing of the print job. The method also includes removing the at least one document from the print job based on the instruction and processing the remaining documents in the print job through the ADF.

Print job processing in an automated document factory environment

A method disclosed. The method includes a print application determining if capacity is available at a print server to receive print jobs in a print job queue, analyzing the characteristics of the print jobs in the print job queue if there is no capacity available at the print server to receive the print jobs and automatically prioritizing the print jobs in the print job queue based upon the characteristics.

Automatic adjustment print job submission mechanism

A system and method for enforcing a usage control for a document, including: receiving an encrypted message, the encrypted message including a first key and a usage information authorization for the document, the encrypted message responsive to a second key to extract the first key and the usage information authorization; accepting an encrypted device datastream and securely decrypting the encrypted device datastream using the first key by a device, the device manager: generating a decrypted device datastream derived from the encrypted device datastream, transmitting the decrypted device datastream to the device without writing the decrypted device datastream to a user-accessible memory; and using the second key to access a datastore and to update a usage record for the document with the usage information authorization and a device status signal, the serializer providing the device manager with the print authorization signal when a device request is consistent with the usage record.

Secure print control and rights management system

A customer record is generated to include fields specifying at least one product, customer preferences, and a selected delivery option indicating a method to deliver generated output material on the product. A job record including a status field is added to a job status table and set to a first status. A first worker is invoked if the selected job has the first status to generate output material from processing the product and customer preference fields in the customer record for the selected job. The status for the selected job in the job status table is set to a second status after generating the output material with the first worker. A second worker is invoked if the selected job has the second status to determine whether a selected one of a plurality of delivery options from the customer record for the selected job and transmits the output material via the determined delivery option to the customer specified in the customer record.

Database driven workflow management system for generating output material based on customer input

Disclosed is a workflow management system for creating and delivering output material. A customer record is generated to include fields specifying at least one product, customer preferences, and a selected output method to deliver generated output material on the product specified in the customer record. A job record including a status field is added to a job status table for the customer record and set to a first status. A first worker generates output material from processing the product and customer preference fields in the customer record for the selected job, and sets the status for the selected job to a second status. A second worker determines a selected one of a plurality of delivery options from the customer record for the selected job and transmits the output material via the determined delivery option to the customer specified in the customer record.

Disclosed is a method, system, and program for processing a job in a workflow environment. A signal is generated when status for the job is changed from a first status to a second status. A work process associated with the second status is notified that one job had its status changed to the second status in response to the signal. The work process processes the job that had its status changed from the first status to the second status and modifies the status of the job after completing the processing of the job.

Method, system, and program for processing a job in an event driven workflow environment

The present invention concerns a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for managing print files associated with a job ticket describing a plurality of print files included in a print job. The print files are stored in a library within a server. When space usage in the library has exceeded a predetermined limit, print files are migrated from the library to a backup unit. For each file migrated from the first storage device to the second storage device, a stub file is generated which includes information on the migrated file. A computer is used to select a print file to include in the print job described in the job ticket. If the print file selected is stored in the backup unit and a stub file is stored in the library, then the server will access the stub file upon selection of the print file. The stub file in the library is replaced with the print file in the backup unit when the stub file is accessed. When the print job including the selected print file is submitted for printing, the print file is transmitted from the library to the printer.

Method for organizing files in a library in a network printing system

Disclosed is a customizable search dialog box which is used to locate files in a network printing system when building print jobs. The search dialog box includes a plurality of search fields and for each search field, a search operator field and a search value field into which information is entered. A customize dialog box is used to modify the contents of the search dialog box in real time. The customize dialog box includes customization fields in which information is entered to modify the display of information in the search dialog box. The search dialog box is redrawn in accordance with the information entered in the customization fields. The customized search dialog box can be immediately used to search a database of print files. The located print files may be added to the print job.

Method for real time customization of a dialog box for accessing a library within a network printing system

A system, method, and program of this invention enable a user to create a new file that is like a pre-existing file. When a file menu option, referred to herein as &ldquo;New Like&rdquo;, is selected by a user, an &ldquo;Open&rdquo; dialog is displayed to a user which enables the user to specify any pre-existing file to be opened. When the pre-existing file is opened as the new file, the new file is opened without the pre-existing file name being associated with the new file. The new file contains a subportion of the data of the pre-existing file that has been designated to be copied from the pre-existing file to the new file upon the opening of the specified pre-existing file. Upon saving the new file for the first time, the user interface requires the user to save the new file under a new file name. As such, any pre-existing file can be used as a template for a new file without any accidental modifications to the pre-existing file and without managing special template files.

File menu option for making file templates from pre-existing files

The present invention concerns a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for creating a job ticket on a computer, wherein the job ticket includes information on components and print attributes of a print job. The created job ticket includes an identification record including information identifying the job ticket, a document record including information on a document included in the print job and print attributes for the document, and an item record including information on an item that is a component of the document and print attributes for the item. The item may be a print image file. The job ticket may further include a record including information on scheduling options for the print job. The item record is arranged in a lower hierarchical relationship to the document record such that the print attributes for the document apply to the item. After creating the job ticket, the present invention processes the job ticket and, then, transmits the processed job ticket to a printer. A GUI program may be installed on the computer used to create the job ticket. In such case, the user would use an input device, such as a mouse pointer and keyboard, to enter information in the job ticket records.

Method, system, and program for creating a job ticket inlcuding information on components and print attributes of a print job

The present invention discloses a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for organizing files associated with a job ticket in a computer system linked to a storage device. The job ticket includes information on a document included in a print job, information on a plurality of files that are associated with the document, and location information indicating the location of the files. The user specifies a directory location in the storage device in which to copy the job ticket and related print job files. The files are accessed using the location information and copied, along with the job ticket, to the user specified directory location in the storage device. The invention may further include the step of modifying the location information to indicate that the files copied to the directory location are in a location relative to the location of the job ticket. The user may enter the directory location using a GUI on a computer. With the disclosed system, the computer system can organize files located on different computers linked together over a network into a common directory location within the network.

Method for organizing files associated with a job ticket used in a

Use of a single pass print data stream conversion process when sufficient memory is available to store all the page data to be printed and reversion to a double pass conversion when insufficient memory is available. Scanning of the input data stream, storing the page data, and downloading the resource data to the printer continues so long as sufficient memory to store the page data is available. If the available memory is filled before the entire page is scanned, the stored page data is discarded. The scanning continues to download the resource data but the page data is no longer stored. When the page has been completely scanned, the scanning is restarted at the beginning of the page, downloading the page data to the printer and discarding the resource data during the second scan.

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Boulder, CO, United States of America

Leonard Corning Lahey