SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING MULTIPLE MAILING SERVICES ORDERS OF VARYING QUANTITIES AND ADDRESS LISTS

• US 20140049795A1
• Filed: 08/17/2012
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cimpress Schweiz GmbH (Cimpress Plc)
• Original Assignee: Vistaprint Technologies Limited (Cimpress Plc)
• Inventors: Arpino, Daniel, Sheehan, Robert, Tanner, Marc, Shea, Brendan, Hyman, Jacob, Griego, Adrian, Nietlispach, Philipp, Marcos, John, Olson, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,941,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1211 Improving printing performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1262 by grouping or ganging jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1272 Digital storefront, e.g. e-ordering, web2print, submitting a job from a remote submission screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1275 Print workflow management, e.g. defining or changing a workflow, cross publishing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis

Abstract

Methods and systems for processing multiple mailing services orders for print items of varying quantities include filling 3-dimensional gangs configured to receive print-ready items with print-ready items in a stack-wise manner. Individual stacks can be submitted to the system for reprint without holding up remaining items in an order.

Claims

1. A method for processing multiple mailing services orders for print items of varying quantities, the multiple orders each specifying a respective print item, a respective list of addresses, a respective specified quantity to be printed, and a respective order ID, and having associated therewith an active quantity initialized to the same number as the respective specified quantity to be printed, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a gang file, the gang file comprising a plurality of empty cells organized in a 3-dimensional grid, wherein at least one dimension corresponds to pages to be printed on a substrate and the other two dimensions correspond to to positions of individual stacks to be printed;

obtaining a stack identifier corresponding to an unfilled stack having available empty content slots in the gang file;

determining a current number of available slots in the stack identified by the stack identifier;

receiving an open order having a non-zero active quantity;

creating a new fulfillment item identifier and associating the new fulfillment item identifier with the stack identifier;

determining whether the active quantity associated with the open order is less than or equal to the current number of available slots in the stack identified by the stack identifier;

if the active quantity associated with the open order is less than or equal to to the current number of available slots in the stack identified by the stack identifier, obtaining a quantity of addresses associated with the mailing list associated with the open order in a quantity equal to the active quantity associated with the open order, rendering a quantity of individual print-ready files containing the print item associated with the open order with each individual print-ready file containing a different one of the obtained addresses, associating the addresses and order identifier with the fulfillment item identifier, and inserting the individual print-ready files into respective empty cells of the gang within the stack identified by the stack identifier;

if the active quantity associated with the open order is greater than the current number of available slots in the stack identified by the stack identifier, obtaining a quantity of addresses associated with the mailing list associated with the open order in a quantity equal to the current number of available slots, rendering a quantity of individual print-ready files containing the print item associated with the open order with each individual print-ready file containing a different one of the obtained addresses, associating the addresses and order identifier with the fulfillment item identifier, and inserting the individual print-ready files into respective empty cells of the gang within the stack identified by the stack identifier;

reducing the active quantity associated with the open order by a number equal to the quantity of obtained addresses; and

repeating the obtaining step through the reducing step until the existence of at least one of the gang file is filled, no more open orders are available, or a predetermined period of time passes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising reprinting individual stacks that do not pass a quality control inspection, the reprinting comprising:

determining a stack identifier associated with the individual stack of print items;

determining existing fulfillment item identifiers associated with the stack identifier;

for each determined fulfillment item identifier, determining the associated order identifier, determining a quantity of addresses associated with the fulfillment item identifier, adding the determined quantity to the active quantity associated with the order identifier, and de-associating the order identifier and all addresses associated with the fulfillment item identifier from the fulfillment item identifier.