Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Memory
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-19
2003-02-11
Coles, Edward (Department: 2622)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Memory
C358S001120, C358S001130, C358S001150, C358S296000, C358S404000, C358S444000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06519053
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to print job streams and the optimization of print job tickets in print job streams.
BACKGROUND ART
FIG. 1A
depicts the typical operational flow of a print job originating on a client operated computer and sent through a network supporting a printer server system of printer servers in the prior art.
Operation
100
starts the operations of this flowchart. Arrow
102
directs the flow of execution from operation
100
to operation
104
. Operation
104
performs initiating a print job request by operating a client application on the client communicating-computer. Arrow
106
directs execution from operation
104
to operation
108
. Operation
108
performs using a resident PDL driver on the client communicating-computer to create a PDL file of print job and optionally to create a job ticket. Arrow
110
directs execution from operation
108
to operation
112
. Operation
112
performs sending the PDL file and the optional job ticket over the network to the printer server system. Arrow
114
directs execution from operation
112
to operation
116
. Operation
116
performs spooling the print job based upon the received PDL file and the optional job ticket by the printer server system. Arrow
118
directs execution from operation
116
to operation
120
. Operation
120
performs ripping the PDL file after using network to receive PDL file to create a ripped print job by printer server system. Arrow
122
directs execution from operation
120
to operation
124
. Operation
124
performs compressing the ripped print job based upon the ripped print job to create a compressed print job by the printer server system. Arrow
126
directs execution from operation
124
to operation
128
. Operation
128
performs sending the compressed (or uncompressed) print job to a printer by the printer server system. Arrow
130
directs execution from operation
128
to operation
132
. Operation
132
terminates the operations of this flowchart.
Ripping as used herein includes operations creating a ripped PDL file. A ripped PDL file includes a raster ordered bit or byte image of each page of the document to be printed.
Consider the activities regarding the client communicating-computer. Operation
100
and arrow
102
can be seen as the client interaction operating the client communicating-computer. These can include starting and using a client application, often through stimulating the computer by tactile interaction including touching keys, in some cases, speaking to the computer, and in others, by various ways of scheduling a print job request to be initiated at a predetermined time.
Operation
104
performs initiating a print job request by operating a client application on the client communicating-computer. Examples of the variety of applications running on client communicating-computers which initiate print job requests include presentation development software such as Microsoft™ Powerpoint™, word processors, spreadsheets and graphics development software such as Adobe™ Photoshop™. Arrow
106
directs execution from operation
104
to operation
108
by sending a message to a resident thread implementing at least part of operation
108
in the real-time operating system of the client communicating-computer. The message transfer often involves either passing a pointer to a buffer or block transfer of data from one buffer to another.
Operation
108
performs using a resident PDL driver on the client communicating-computer to create a PDL file of print job and optionally to create a job ticket. Today, print job tickets typically include information such as the priority of the print job, who initiated it, and perhaps routing instructions as to where the print-out is to be sent. In certain instances, specific kinds of printers are specified, such as high-resolution color printers. Sometimes specific printers are designated. Arrow
110
directs execution from operation
108
to operation
112
by sending a message to a resident thread implementing at least part of operation
112
in the real-time operating system of the client communicating-computer. The message transfer often involves either passing a pointer to a buffer or block transfer of data from one buffer to another. Operation
112
performs sending the PDL file and the optional job ticket over the network to the printer server system.
Note that a PDL file is a term defined herein as a collection of data in a specific print definition language. The data collection is typically treated as a sequential stream of data which may be stored in computer memory, including as a file in a file management system using one or more disk drives, or transmitted sequentially to another system component. Standard PDL formats comply with print definition languages. These include the various versions of postscript (including encapsulated PostScript® .eps and regular PostScript® .ps), TIFF and PCL.
Arrow
114
directs execution from operation
112
to operation
116
by communicating the PDL file and optional job ticket across the network to operation
116
in the real-time operating system of a print server computer in the printer server system.
Consider the activities regarding the printer server computers of the printer server system. Operation
116
performs spooling the print job based upon the received PDL file and the optional job ticket by the printer server system. Arrow
118
directs execution from operation
116
to operation
120
, which performs ripping the PDL file after using the network to receive PDL file to create a ripped print job by printer server system. Arrow
122
directs execution from operation
120
to operation
124
, which performs compressing the ripped print job based upon the ripped print job to create a compressed print job by the printer server system. Arrow
126
directs execution from operation
124
to operation
128
, which performs sending the compressed print job to a printer by the printer server system. Arrow
130
directs execution from operation
128
to operation
132
, which terminates the operations of this flowchart, removing the print job from the ongoing activities monitored, controlled or performed by the printer server system.
The ripping
120
entails achieving several results. The first is determining how many pages are to be printed. This is required because at least postscript does not include this information anywhere in the contents of a PostScript® file. This is one of the most important pieces of information required to optimally direct
128
a print job to a printer.
It is important to note that this flowchart is highly concurrent in practice. Each of the operations described above operates concurrently with the other operations in certain circumstances. The same operation may be actively and independently proceeding on more than one computer simultaneously. In particular, it is frequently the case that multiple clients initiate print job requests operating distinct client communicating-computers.
It is also important to note that there is a degree of concurrency represented by the arrows of the flowchart. Arrows
106
and
110
act as data flows between the operations
104
and
108
, all within the same client communicating-computer. The effect of this is near instantaneous communication, pointers to the data need only be set to achieve the communication of the print job from operation
104
to operation
108
in certain cases. More generally, block transfers are used with bus activities often running 100 million data transfers a second. Often, 32 and 128 bits are transferred in each data transfer. The resulting performance within a typical client communicating-computer of the late 1990's is between 3 and 10 gigabits per second in block transfer mode. Recall that this is happening on many client communicating-computers network-connected to a printer server system. The typical network bandwidth is currently between 10 megabits to 1 gigabits per second. Assume 10 to 200 client communicating-computers connected by a gigabit per second network, and it
Gunturu Ravindranath
Motamed Margaret
Someshwar Ravi
Coles Edward
Electronics for Imaging, Inc.
Lamb Twyler
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for smart job ticket processing for... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for smart job ticket processing for..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for smart job ticket processing for... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3180747