Distributed enterprise print controller
First Claim
1. A distributed printing control system for transferring files between computer systems connected by a computer network, each of the computer systems having a memory, and printing files on printers coupled to the computer systems comprising:
- file database means for storing a file to and retrieving said file from the memory, said file containing a file mask specifying file identification, transfer, and printing parameters, and for storing and retrieving a predetermined set of file masks;
file mask processing means coupled to said file database means for comparing said file mask of said file against said predetermined set of file masks stored in said file database means, for creating a transfer job to transfer said file or a print job to print said file or both said transfer job and said print job according to said file mask when said file mask matches a file mask in said predetermined set of file masks, and for directing said file database means to store said file;
file transfer means coupled to said file database means and said file mask processing means for executing said transfer job to transfer said file according to said file mask to another computer system coupled to the computer network; and
file print means coupled to said file database means and said file mask processing means for executing said print job to print said file according to said file mask on a computer printer interfaced to a computer system coupled to the computer network.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for transferring and printing files originating on mainframe computer systems, workstations, or personal computers connected within a heterogeneous computer network is disclosed. The printer controller coordinates the distribution of print files across multiple computer systems to attached printers for printing. In response to incoming files received from another computer system within the network, the system utilizes file mask attributes to automatically generate transfer requests and print requests. In response to user inputs through a graphical user interface, the system updates various file databases, print attribute and transfer attribute libraries, and system configurations before generating a transfer or print request. Support for multiple page description languages and multiple printers is provided.
-
Citations
42 Claims
-
1. A distributed printing control system for transferring files between computer systems connected by a computer network, each of the computer systems having a memory, and printing files on printers coupled to the computer systems comprising:
-
file database means for storing a file to and retrieving said file from the memory, said file containing a file mask specifying file identification, transfer, and printing parameters, and for storing and retrieving a predetermined set of file masks; file mask processing means coupled to said file database means for comparing said file mask of said file against said predetermined set of file masks stored in said file database means, for creating a transfer job to transfer said file or a print job to print said file or both said transfer job and said print job according to said file mask when said file mask matches a file mask in said predetermined set of file masks, and for directing said file database means to store said file; file transfer means coupled to said file database means and said file mask processing means for executing said transfer job to transfer said file according to said file mask to another computer system coupled to the computer network; and file print means coupled to said file database means and said file mask processing means for executing said print job to print said file according to said file mask on a computer printer interfaced to a computer system coupled to the computer network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A computer-based distributed printing control system for transferring files between computer systems, each computer system having a memory, connected by a heterogeneous computer network and for printing the files on printers supporting different page description languages coupled to the computer systems comprising:
-
a system database for storing and retrieving files between a computer system'"'"'s memory, each of said files containing a file mask specifying file identification, transfer, and printing parameters; file input means for accepting a file sent by another computer system within the computer network, whereby said file input means interfaces with a computer system in the heterogeneous computer network by using a peer-to-peer protocol; user interface means for accepting requests from a user to control the transferring and printing of said file by modifying said file mask; user request processing means coupled to said user interface means and said system database for directing said system database to selectively update said file mask of said file stored in said system database; file mask processing means coupled to said file input means and said system database for comparing said file mask contained in said file received from said file input means against a predetermined set of file masks stored in said system database, for creating a transfer job to transfer said file or a print job to print said file or both said transfer job and said print job according to said file mask when said file mask matches one in said predetermined set of file masks, and for directing said system database to store said file; file transfer means coupled to said system database, said file mask processing means, and said user request processing means for executing said transfer job to automatically transfer said file according to said file mask to another computer system coupled to the computer network; and file print means coupled to said system database, said file mask processing means, and said user request processing means for executing print job to automatically print said file according to said file mask on a computer printer interfaced to a computer system coupled to the computer network. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. A computer-implemented process for transferring files between computer systems connected by a computer network and printing files on computer printers coupled to the computer systems, each of the files having an embedded file mask specifying file identification information, transfer attributes, and print attributes, each computer system having a file mask library for storing file masks, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) comparing a file mask embedded within a file stored on a computer system to the file masks in the computer system'"'"'s file mask library; (b) creating a print job for selectively printing said file on a printer when said file mask contained in said file contains print attributes; (c) creating a transfer job for selectively transferring said file to another computer system in the computer network when said file mask embedded within said file contains transfer attributes; and (d) executing said print job, said transfer job, or both said print job and said transfer job according to said file mask.
-
-
36. A computer-implemented process for transferring files between computer systems connected by a computer network and printing files on printers coupled to the computer systems, each of the files having an embedded file mask specifying file identification information, transfer attributes, and print attributes, each computer system having a file mask library for storing file masks, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) storing a file received by a computer system from another computer system over a computer network; (b) comparing a file mask embedded within said file to the file masks in the file mask library; (c) adding said file to a file group specified by an entry in said file mask library when said entry matches said file mask embedded within said file; (d) creating a print job for selectively printing said file on a computer printer when said file mask embedded within said file contains print attributes; (e) creating a transfer job for selectively transferring said file to another computer system in the computer network when said file mask embedded within said file contains transfer attributes; and (f) executing said print job, said transfer job, or both said print job and said transfer job according to said file mask. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
-
-
39. A computer-implemented process for transferring files between computer systems connected by a computer network and printing files on computer printers coupled to the computer systems, each of the files having an embedded file mask specifying file identification information, transfer attributes, and print attributes, each computer system having a file mask library for storing file masks, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) storing a file received by a computer system from another computer system over a computer network into a file database; (b) comparing a file mask embedded within said received file to the file masks in the file mask library; (c) adding said file to a file group specified by an entry in said file mask library when said entry matches said file mask embedded within said file; (d) creating a print job with printing attributes including an assigned priority, for selectively printing said file on a computer printer when said file mask contains print attributes; (e) creating a transfer job with transfer attributes including an assigned priority for selectively transferring said file to said destination computer system in the computer network when said file mask embedded within said file contains transfer attributes; (f) receiving a request from a user to modify said print job, said attribute job, or both said print job and said transfer job; (g) modifying said print job, said transfer job, or both said print job and said transfer job according to the request received from the user; (h) executing said print job, said transfer job, or both said print job and said transfer job according to said assigned priorities; and (i) deleting said file from said computer system. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
-
-
42. A computer-implemented process for transferring files between computer systems connected by a computer network and printing files on computer printers coupled to the computer systems, each of the computer systems having an attached computer display, each of the files having an embedded file mask specifying file identification information, transfer attributes, and print attributes, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) accepting a file by a computer system from another computer system in the computer network; (b) assigning said file to a file group when a file mask embedded in said file matches the file mask of said file group; (c) storing said file in a file database on said computer system with other files in said file group; (d) creating a print job with printing attributes including an assigned priority, printing characteristics for printing said file, and a printer identifier of said computer printer on which said file is to be printed, for selectively printing said file when said file mask contains print attributes; (e) creating a transfer job with transfer attributes including an assigned priority, a communications path for transferring said file, identification of said destination computer system to receive said file, and a time range when said file is to be transferred, for selectively transferring said file to said destination computer system in the computer network when said file mask embedded within said file contains transfer attributes; (f) updating the computer display coupled to said computer system to reflect the change in printing system status as a result of the creation of a print job, a transfer job, or both a print job and a transfer job; (g) accepting a request to modify a print job, a transfer job, or both a print job and a transfer job from a user; (h) modifying said print job, said transfer job, or both said print job and said transfer job according to the request received from the user; (i) executing said print job, said transfer job, or both said print job and said transfer job according to said assigned priorities; and (j) deleting said file from said computer system.
-
Specification