Web-based imaging service providing reservation

• US 20030084151A1
• Filed: 10/30/2001
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Simpson, Shell S., Foster, Ward S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,305,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00954 Scheduling operations or managing resources H04N1/0096 takes precedence; program initiating or switching G06F9/48; allocation of computer resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32561 using a programmed control device, e.g. a microprocessor

Abstract

In a web-based imaging environment, a user accesses a destination service representing a production device, which retrieves user'"'"'s imaging data and configures available processing job options. The user selects production options, after which the destination service estimates the time required to process user'"'"'s job. The user is provided an option of reserving a deferred start time for the processing job. If the user opts to reserve, then a deferred start time is selected, avoiding periods when the production device is unavailable, for example when previously reserved, and user'"'"'s job is stored until the deferred start time. Advantageously, resources for the job are estimated, reserved, and monitored, displaying until deferred start time. Other jobs cannot consume these resources, which are reported with a warning message as if already consumed, whenever a reserved resource is depleted to a quantity insufficient for the deferred processing.

Claims

1. A method of relieving competition between processing jobs sharing a production device, said method comprising the steps of:

a. accessing from a user'"'"'s browser a destination service representing at least one production device;

b. retrieving said user'"'"'s imaging information by said destination service;

c. selecting among production options provided by said destination service for determining a processing job to process said imaging information using said at least one production device;

d. estimating the time duration required to process said processing job using said at least one production device with said selected production options;

e. providing said user an option of reserving a deferred start time for deferred processing of said processing job using said at least one production device in accordance with said selected production options; and

f. if said user opts to reserve a start time, then setting a deferred start time, storing said deferred processing job during a deferral period until said deferred start time occurs, and then deferred processing said deferred processing job using said production device in accordance with said selected production options.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing job is stored in a medium selected from the group consisting of a hard disk and an image store associated with said user'"'"'s identity.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said setting said deferred start time includes avoiding conflict with unavailable deferred start times of said production device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising estimating the resources required to process said processing job using said production device with said selected production options.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said setting step f. further comprises the step of reserving quantities of said respective resources required to process said processing job during said deferral period.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said reserved resources required to process said processing job are monitored during said deferral period.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein during said deferral period a warning message is displayed whenever any of said reserved resources is depleted to a quantity not greater than said reserved quantity of said reserved resource.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein during said deferral period said reserved resources are reported as if said reserved quantities of said reserved resources had already been consumed.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein during said deferral period said warning message is removed if said reserved resources are replenished above said reserved quantity.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of interrupting an existing processing job having a first arrived at priority, that is currently using a production device, such that another processing job can use said production device, said another processing job having a second arrived at priority different from said first arrived at priority.

11. A destination service representing a production device, said destination service operable to:

download content into a user'"'"'s browser;

retrieve said user'"'"'s imaging information;

select under user interactive control via said web content from among production options for processing said imaging information using said production device;

estimate the time duration required to process said imaging information using said production device in accordance with said selected production options;

provide said user an option of reserving a deferred start time for deferred processing of said imaging information; and

if said user elects to reserve a deferred start time, interactively determine said deferred start time and implement deferred processing of said imaging information in accordance with said selected production options.

12. The destination service of claim 11 further operable to estimate resources required to process said imaging information in accordance with said selected production options.

13. The destination service of claim 12 further operable to reserve until said deferred start time said required resources in quantities sufficient to process said imaging information in accordance with said selected production options.

14. The destination service of claim 13 further operable to monitor until said deferred start time said required resources and to display a warning message whenever any of said reserved resources is depleted to a quantity not greater than said reserved quantity of said reserved resource.

15. A system for relieving competition between processing jobs sharing a production device, said system comprising:

a user'"'"'s browser; and

a destination service accessible from said user'"'"'s browser and operable to download content into said user'"'"'s browser, said destination service further representing a production device and operable to arrive at a reservation time for each said processing job and to defer said processing of each said processing job using said production device until said arrived at reservation time.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said destination service is further operable to store each said processing job until said arrived at reservation time.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said destination service is further operable to determine the quantities of resources required for each said deferred processing job.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said destination service is further operable to reserve said determined quantities of resources required for each said deferred processing job until said arrive at reservation time.

19. The system of claim 15 further comprising means for web based imaging interconnected with said user'"'"'s browser and said destination service.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein said destination service is remote from said user'"'"'s browser.