Method and system for merging scan files into a color workflow

• US 20060114488A1
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics For Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electronics For Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Motamed, Margaret
• Granted Patent: US 8,139,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.130
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00384 Key input means, e.g. buttons or keypads electromechanical details of key input means in general H01H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00432 using tabs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00442 Simultaneous viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. using a mosaic display arrangement of thumbnails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00448 horizontally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00453 arranged in a two dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00461 marking or otherwise tagging one or more displayed image, e.g. for selective reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00474 outputting a plurality of functional options, e.g. scan, copy or print
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00482 outputting a plurality of job set-up options, e.g. number of copies, paper size or resolution
• 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 1/32358 using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter H04N1/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32464 Changing the arrangement of pages or documents, e.g. for producing pages to be bound
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3875 combined with enlarging or reducing enlarging or reducing per se H04N1/393
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3288 Storage of two or more complete document pages or image frames

Abstract

A method and system for scanning documents in a network environment and merging the resulting scan files with other documents into a printing workflow provides a user interface in which the user merges a scan file and a document file on a page basis by selecting thumbnail images of the desired pages and dragging and dropping the thumbnails so that a new merged document results. An alternative embodiment allows the user to apply predefined merge templates to the selected pages. The predefined merge templates may include printing and formatting instructions such as color settings and a page layout.

Claims

1. A method of merging document files into a printing workflow, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of document files, each file comprising a page, at least one of the files a scan file;

displaying an image of each page of each document file;

selecting a page from each of at least two of the document files; and

combining the selected pages in a desired order, wherein the scanned files are merged with the document files on a page-by-page basis so that the combined pages comprise a new document file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein combining comprises selecting and applying a previously created merge template, the merge template comprising instructions for combining the selected pages in a specified order.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the merge template further comprises at least one of:

instructions for imposing multiple pages on a single sheet;

instructions for resizing pages;

specified color choices;

specified layout options; and

specified print options.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein combining comprises:

providing scripted merging instructions; and

applying the scripted merging instructions, wherein the merging instructions comprise instructions for combining pages in a specified order and at least one of;

instructions for imposing multiple pages on a single sheet;

instructions for resizing pages;

specified color choices;

specified layout options; and

specified print options.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein combining comprises:

creating merging instructions using a workflow application; and

applying the merging instructions, wherein the merging instructions comprise instructions for combining pages in a specified order and at least one of;

instructions for imposing multiple pages on a single sheet;

instructions for resizing pages;

specified color choices;

specified layout options; and

specified print options.

6. A system for merging scan files into a printing workflow, the system comprising;

a print server;

a client workstation in communication with the print server;

a scanning device, the scanning device connected to one of the workstation and the print server;

means for initiating and customizing scans, the scans performed by the 20 scanning device; and

means for merging the scan files with document files on a page-by page basis so that a single, merged document file is produced.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the means for initiating and customizing scans comprises a first software module;

and the means for merging the scan files with the document files comprises a second software module.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the scan files and the document files include one or more pages, and wherein the second software module displays images of the pages, so that a user may select at least one page from at least one scan file and at least one page from at least one document file and combine the selected pages in a desired order, the combined pages comprising a new document file.