Apparatus and method for programming a job ticket in a document processing system

• US 5,790,119 A
• Filed: 10/30/1995
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Salgado, David L., Sklut, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matthew M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Application Number:
  US08/550,272
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 395/349, 395/348, 395/339, 395/965, 395/969, 395/970, 395/978, 395/807, 395/101, 395/140, 399/81, 399/82, 399/83, 364/188, 345/349, 345/348, 345/339, 345/965, 345/970, 345/978, 345/302, 345/440
• US Class Current: 715/839
• 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 3/1253 Configuration of print job parameters, e.g. using UI at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1275 Print workflow management, e.g. defining or changing a workflow, cross publishing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1296 Printer job scheduling or printer resource handling

Abstract

A job ticket programming system, adapted for use in a printing system including a user interface, with a screen display, and an application server is provided. Preferably, the application server registers a first metaphor element corresponding with a first set of device selections and a second metaphor element correpsonding with a second set of device selections. In practice, the metaphor elements are "linked" with each other, on the screen display, and a user is apprised of the selections, in a resulting metaphor combination which are available for job ticket programming.

Claims

1. In a printing system with a plurality of metaphor elements being supplied for programming a job with a job ticket, each of the plurality of metaphor elements corresponding with either a set of document processing devices or a set of storage devices, a system for programming the job ticket with a metaphorical template being defined by one or more metaphorical combinations, each metaphorical combination including one or more of the metaphor elements, comprising:

a) an application server with a first memory for storing first and second selection sets, each of the first and second selection sets corresponding with either the document processing devices available in the set of document processing devices or the storage devices available in the set of storage devices, said application server registering a first one of the plurality of metaphor elements with the first selection set and a second one of the plurality of metaphor elements with the second selection set;

b) a user interface with a display screen for displaying the first one of the plurality of metaphor elements and the second one of the plurality of metaphor elements on the screen display of the user interface, wherein the first one of the plurality of metaphor elements comprises a first graphical image representative of the document processing devices or storage devices with which the first one of the plurality of metaphor elements corresponds and the second one of the plurality of metaphor elements comprises a second graphical image representative of the document processing devices or storage devices with which the second one of the plurality of metaphor elements corresponds;

c) a third graphical image for graphically coupling the first one of the plurality of metaphor elements and the second one of the plurality of metaphor elements to form one of the one or more metaphorical combinations, wherein the one of the one or more metaphorical combinations is depicted visually as a graphical representation of a virtual document processing workflow arrangement in which a document processing workflow relationship between the first one of the plurality of metaphor elements and the second one of the plurality of metaphor elements is shown through the graphical coupling of the first and second graphical images with the third graphical image;

d) wherein, (1) one of the selections in the first selection set is selected with said user interface and said application server determines which one or more selections in the second selection set are compatible for use with the selection of the first selection set, and (2) the job ticket is programmed with both the first selection set selection and one of the one or more selections of the second selection set; and

e) a subsystem for storing, in a second memory, the graphical representation along with both the first selection set selection and the one of the one or more selections in the second selection set and assigning an iconic representation to the combination of the graphical representation, the first selection set selection and the one of the one or more selections in the second selection set so that, in response to user selection of the iconic representation, the graphical representation along with both the first selection set selection and the one of the one or more selections in the second selection set are retrieved automatically from the second memory for display on said user interface display screen.

2. The job ticket programming system of claim 1, in which the printing system includes a document processing system communicating with said application server by way of the network, the document processing system including the second memory, wherein the iconic representation and copies of at least the first and second ones of the plurality of metaphor elements are stored in the second memory.

3. The job ticket programming system of claim 1, in which the one of the one or more selections in the second selection set corresponds with a document processing or storage device including a set of device attributes, wherein said application server automatically updates the set of device attributes in response to an occurrence of an event at the device.

4. The job ticket programming system of claim 1, wherein the device automatically informs said application server of the occurence of selected types of events occuring at the device.

5. The job ticket programming system of claim 1, further comprising:

a third selection set corresponding with either the document processing devices available in the set of document processing devices or the storage devices available in the set of storage devices, said application server registering a third one of the plurality of metaphor elements with the third selection set, wherein the third one of the plurality of metaphor elements comprises a fourth graphical image representative of the document processing devices or storage devices with which the third one of the plurality of metaphor elements corresponds;

a fifth graphical image for graphically coupling the first one or second one of the plurality of metaphors with the third one of the plurality of metaphors so that a virtual document processing workflow arrangement between the first, second and third ones of the plurality of metaphor elements is shown on said user interface display screen and incorporated into the iconic representation.

6. In a printing system with a plurality of metaphor elements being supplied by an application server for programming a job with a job ticket, each of the plurality of metaphor elements corresponding with either a set of document processing devices or a set of storage devices, a method for programming the job ticket with a metaphorical template being defined by one or more metaphorical combinations, each metaphorical combination including one or more of the metaphor elements, comprising:

a) storing first and second selection sets in a first memory, each of the first and second selection sets corresponding with either the document processing devices available in the set of document processing devices or the storage devices available in the set of storage devices, the application server registering a first one of the plurality of metaphor elements with the first selection set and a second one of the plurality of metaphor elements with the second selection set;

b) displaying, on a user interface display screen, the first one of the plurality of metaphor elements and the second one of the plurality of metaphor elements on the screen display of the user interface, wherein the first one of the plurality of metaphor elements comprises a first graphical image representative of the document processing devices or storage devices with which the first one of the plurality of metaphor elements corresponds and the second one of the plurality of metaphor elements comprises a second graphical image representative of the document processing devices or storage devices with which the second one of the plurality of metaphor elements corresponds;

c) graphically coupling the first one of the plurality of metaphor elements and the second one of the plurality of metaphor elements with a third graphical image to form one of the one or more metaphorical combinations, wherein the one of the one or more metaphorical combinations is depicted visually as a graphical representation of a virtual document processing workflow arrangement in which a document processing workflow relationship between the first one of the plurality of metaphor elements and the second one of the plurality of metaphor elements is shown through the graphical coupling of the first and second graphical images with the third graphical image;

d) wherein, (1) one of the selections in the first selection set is selected with the user interface and the application server determines which one or more selections in the second selection set are compatible for use with the selection of the first selection set, and (2) the job ticket is programmed with both the first selection set selection and one of the one or more selections in the second selection set; and

e) storing, in a second memory, the graphical representation along with both the first selection set selection and the one of the one or more selections in the second selection set and assigning an iconic representation to the combination of the graphical representation, the first selection set selection and the one of the one or more selections in the second selection set so that, in response to user selection of the iconic representation, the graphical representation along with both the first selection set selection and the one of the one or more selections in the second selection set are retrieved automatically from the second memory for display on the user interface display screen.

7. The method of claim 6, in which the printing system includes a document processing system communicating with the application server by way of the network, further comprising storing the iconic representation and copies of at least the first and second ones of the plurality of metaphor elements in the second memory.

8. The method of claim 6, in which one or more selections in the second selection set corresponds with a document processing or storage device including a set of device attributes, further comprising automatically updating the set of device attributes in response to an occurrence of an event at the device.