Queue processor for document servers
First Claim
1. A method for handling documents of various types, the method comprising:
- receiving a document at a document server;
analyzing metadata associated with the received document;
evaluating a resource at the document server to determine whether an additional document flow is to be allocated;
when it is determined that an additional document flow is to be allocated, allocating an additional document flow; and
causing the received document to be processed by the allocated document flow wherein the processing includes;
forwarding the document and associated metadata to one of multiple document transport modules, wherein a document transport module provides rule-based routing of documents;
assessing dialing or routing rules based on the metadata for the document;
routing the document by the document transport module via one of multiple communication methods, including without limitation, a Public Service Telephone Network (“
PSTN”
), another document transport module, Internet, mobile device network, wireless device network, document server, fax server, or a board server containing one or more communications hardware devices, and wherein the routing is based on at least one dialing or routing rule; and
repeating the associating, forwarding, assessing and routing for any subsequent document transport module that receives the document, wherein the dialing or routing rules are applied independently at each document transport module encountered by the document during processing of the document.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A configurable queue processor for document servers is described. The configurable queue processor strives to allocate server resources in an optimal manner such that document servers can process documents efficiently. In various embodiments, the facility includes a configurable queue processor for allocating document flows for handling documents, document transport module for transporting documents between network devices, such as printers, fax boards, and content servers and across local and wide-area networks; functionality for routing optimization with other communications networks, such as messaging services, telephony, and IP networks; and flexible document transport capabilities to workflow applications and multifunction devices (such as all-in-one print/scan/copy/fax/telephone/answering machine devices) and multifunction devices enhanced with video & video capture, messaging, email, network router & gateway capabilities.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for handling documents of various types, the method comprising:
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receiving a document at a document server;
analyzing metadata associated with the received document;
evaluating a resource at the document server to determine whether an additional document flow is to be allocated;
when it is determined that an additional document flow is to be allocated, allocating an additional document flow; and
causing the received document to be processed by the allocated document flow wherein the processing includes;
forwarding the document and associated metadata to one of multiple document transport modules, wherein a document transport module provides rule-based routing of documents;
assessing dialing or routing rules based on the metadata for the document;
routing the document by the document transport module via one of multiple communication methods, including without limitation, a Public Service Telephone Network (“
PSTN”
), another document transport module, Internet, mobile device network, wireless device network, document server, fax server, or a board server containing one or more communications hardware devices, and wherein the routing is based on at least one dialing or routing rule; and
repeating the associating, forwarding, assessing and routing for any subsequent document transport module that receives the document, wherein the dialing or routing rules are applied independently at each document transport module encountered by the document during processing of the document. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause at least one data processing platform to process a document under a document processing method, the method comprising:
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recognizing at least one document request based on a received document;
interacting with one or more document routing rules and one or more workflow requirements with respect to the received document;
evaluating a load at the document server to determine whether a document flow is to be allocated;
when it is determined that a document flow is to be allocated, allocating a document flow; and
causing the received document to be processed by the allocated document flow wherein the processing includes;
managing content flows between network nodes or devices, wherein a same processing architecture is employed for document handling or transporting, wherein a common scheduling and a common queue support multiple transport types, and wherein the managing of content flows includes selecting document-specific or hardware-specific processing tasks by reference to a type of protocol associated with the document or a desired handling of the document. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for handling various documents within a network, the apparatus comprising:
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document transport means for transporting documents between network devices, wherein the network devices include printers, fax boards, multifunction devices, and content servers;
queue processor means for allocating document flows that provide documents in a queue to the document transport means; and
means for routing optimization wherein the other communications networks include messaging services, telephony, Internet, mobile and wireless networks, IP networks, or other document transport modules. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21-29. -29. (canceled)
Specification