MANAGING PRINT JOBS
First Claim
1. A print job management system comprising:
- one or more web servers which receive information defining discrete print jobs, the discrete print jobs comprising graphical print data and commercial print job data;
a printing server which aggregates a plurality of the discrete print jobs into an aggregate print job, the aggregate print job comprising a layout and aggregate commercial data, the layout being configured for printing as a single print job on units of a common substrate and having different individual discrete print jobs arranged on respective portions of the layout, the aggregate commercial data comprising commercial information from the commercial print job data of the discrete print jobs in the aggregate print job;
a bidding web server comprising a bidding program which provides information concerning the aggregate print job and allows printing firms to post a bid for printing the aggregate print job.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for managing print jobs associated with multiple customers. Customer-editable design templates for printed products and design software tools enabling creation by customers of custom print product designs are provided, via a network, to multiple customers operating corresponding electronic devices. Individual print jobs corresponding to custom print product designs created by multiple different customers via the electronic devices are received and automatically aggregated into an aggregate print job comprising individual print jobs from different customers. The aggregated individual print jobs in the aggregate print job are printed simultaneously on one or more units of a shared substrate when the aggregate print job is printed.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A print job management system comprising:
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one or more web servers which receive information defining discrete print jobs, the discrete print jobs comprising graphical print data and commercial print job data; a printing server which aggregates a plurality of the discrete print jobs into an aggregate print job, the aggregate print job comprising a layout and aggregate commercial data, the layout being configured for printing as a single print job on units of a common substrate and having different individual discrete print jobs arranged on respective portions of the layout, the aggregate commercial data comprising commercial information from the commercial print job data of the discrete print jobs in the aggregate print job; a bidding web server comprising a bidding program which provides information concerning the aggregate print job and allows printing firms to post a bid for printing the aggregate print job. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method comprising:
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receiving, via a web server, information defining discrete print jobs, the discrete print jobs comprising graphical print data and commercial print job data; aggregating, by a printing server, a plurality of the discrete print jobs into an aggregate print job, the aggregate print job comprising a layout and aggregate commercial data, the layout being configured for printing as a single print job on units of a common substrate and having different individual discrete print jobs arranged on respective portions of the layout, the aggregate commercial data comprising commercial information from the commercial print job data of the discrete print jobs in the aggregate print job; a bidding program executing on a bidding web server providing information concerning the aggregate print job and providing a mechanism via the web server to allow printing firms to post a bid for printing the aggregate print job. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification