System and method for printing electronic files

• US 20050068563A1
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Corporation, Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Corporation, Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Mylonas, George, Su, William, Nguyen, Truc
• Application Number:
  US10/674,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20050068563A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00957 Compiling jobs, e.g. for batch processing H04N1/3208 takes precedence; program code compilation G06F8/41
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3212 of data relating to a job, e.g. communication, capture or filing of an image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3216 of a job size, e.g. a number of images, pages or copies, size of file, length of message
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3222 of processing required or performed, e.g. forwarding, urgent or confidential handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for printing electronic files. The present invention enables a user to create a plurality of electronic files, specify print setting information for each electronic file, and associate the specified print setting information with each electronic file in a manner adapted for storage. The present invention further enables a user to print a plurality of electronic files in response to a print request, wherein each of the electronic files is printed in accordance with the specified print setting information.

Claims

1. A system for printing electronic files comprising:

means adapted for receiving an electronic file, wherein the electronic file is representative of a document;

means adapted for generating print setting information;

conversion means adapted for converting the electronic file to an image file;

means adapted for creating a print job by associating the image file with the print setting information;

means adapted for receiving data representative of a user request to select the print job for output to at least one selected destination, the at least one selected destination including at least one of a printed copy of the document, an e-mail inclusive of the image file, and an electronic copy of the image file; and

means adapted for receiving data representative of a user request to output the print job.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the print job comprises at least one command representative of the specified print setting information.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the means adapted for creating a print job includes a printer driver.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising storage means adapted for storing the print job.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means adapted for receiving at least one additional electronic file, wherein the at least one additional electronic file is representative of a document image;

means adapted for specifying at least one additional print setting information;

means adapted for creating at least one additional print job by associating the at least one additional electronic file with the specified print setting information;

means adapted for receiving data representative of a user request to select the at least one additional print job; and

means adapted for receiving data representative of a user request to output the at least one additional print job to a selected output destination.

3. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one command is in a printer job language format.

7. A method for printing electronic files comprising:

receiving an electronic file, wherein the electronic file is representative of a document;

generating print setting information;

converting the electronic file to an image file;

creating a print job by associating the image file with the print setting information;

receiving data representative of a user request to select the print job for output to at least one selected destination, the at least one selected destination including at least one of a printed copy of the document, an e-mail inclusive of the image file, and an electronic copy of the image file; and

receiving data representative of a user request to output the print job.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the print job comprises at least one command representative of the specified print setting information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one command is in a printer job language format.

10. The method of claim 10, wherein the print job is created with a printer driver.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving at least one additional electronic file, wherein the at least one additional electronic file is representative of a document image;

specifying at least one additional print setting information;

creating at least one additional print job by associating the at least one additional electronic file with the specified print setting information;

receiving data representative of a user request to select the at least one additional print job; and

receiving data representative of a user request to print the at least one additional print job.

12. A computer readable medium of instructions for printing electronic files comprising:

means adapted for receiving an electronic file, wherein the electronic file is representative of a document;

means adapted for generating print setting information;

conversion means adapted for converting the electronic file to an image file;

means adapted for creating a print job by associating the image file with the print setting information;

means adapted for receiving data representative of a user request to select the print job for output to at least one selected destination, the at least one selected destination including at least one of a printed copy of the document, an e-mail inclusive of the image file, and an electronic copy of the image file; and

means adapted for receiving data representative of a user request to output the print job.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the print job comprises at least one command representative of the specified print setting information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one command is in a printer job language format.

16. The system of claim 12 further comprising a storage means adapted for storing the print job.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

means adapted for receiving at least one additional electronic file, wherein the at least one additional electronic file is representative of a document image;

means adapted for specifying at least one additional print setting information;

means adapted for creating at least one additional print job by associating the at least one additional electronic file with the specified print setting information;

means adapted for receiving data representative of a user request to select the at least one additional print job; and

means adapted for receiving data representative of a user request to print the at least one additional print job.

15. The system of claim 15 wherein the means adapted for creating a print job is a printer driver.

18. A computer-implemented method for printing electronic files comprising:

receiving an electronic file, wherein the electronic file is representative of a document;

generating print setting information;

converting the electronic file to an image file;

creating a print job by associating the image file with the print setting information;

receiving data representative of a user request to select the print job for output to at least one selected destination, the at least one selected destination including at least one of a printed copy of the document, an e-mail inclusive of the image file, and an electronic copy of the image file; and

receiving data representative of a user request to output the print job.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the print job comprises at least one command representative of the specified print setting information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one command is in a printer job language format.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the print job is created via a printer driver.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving at least one additional electronic file, wherein the at least one additional electronic file is representative of a document image;

specifying at least one additional print setting information;

creating at least one additional print job by associating the at least one additional electronic file with the specified print setting information;

receiving data representative of a user request to select the at least one additional print job; and

receiving data representative of a user request to print the at least one additional print job.