Apparatus for printing information automatically combined from two different sources

• US 6,473,760 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2000
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OpenPrint LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: ImageX Inc. (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Klatt, Cory, Krum, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones, Charles L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARDO, THUY N
• Application Number:
  US09/479,909
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/200, 707/203, 707/205, 395/200.32, 270/52.02
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1243 Variable data printing, e.g. document forms, templates, labels, coupons, advertisements, logos, watermarks, transactional printing, fixed content versioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1259 Print job monitoring, e.g. job status
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Information stored in a corporate database is monitored and used to determine when certain business-related events have occurred. Event information is transmitted over the Internet to a print production facility, where it is used to fire one or more event rules, which in turn automatically generate print requisitions or print production orders. In one variation, print requisitions are routed through an existing and commercially available procurement system before a print production order is generated. The system can monitor and handle events from multiple corporations, each having its own business-related event rules, and each potentially having its own procurement approval system.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

receiving a first portion of a print requisition or print production request from a print production system, the first portion relating to a client of the print production system;

receiving a second portion of the print requisition or print production request from the client of the print production system; and

automatically combining, without human intervention, the first portion and the second portion into a format for the print requisition or print production request that is printable by a printing vendor.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions include instructions for

receiving the first portion from a storage device maintained by the print production system; and

receiving the second portion via a network communication.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the network communication is an Internet communication.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further including instructions for notifying the client after the first portion and the second portion have been automatically combined.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further including instructions for sending the printable format for the print requisition or print production request to the printing vendor.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, further including instructions for receiving approval of the printable format from the client, and sending the printable format to the printing vendor in response to the approval from the client.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the instructions include instructions for selecting the printing vendor based upon criteria designated by the client.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the instructions include instructions for selecting the printing vendor based upon criteria designated by the client.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions include instructions for automatically combining the first portion and the second portion based upon at least one event rule.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein at least one event rule is previously designated by the client.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second portion is specific to the client.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions include instructions for receiving the second portion from an enterprise resource planning system maintained by the client.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions include instructions for receiving the second portion in response to a change of data in the enterprise resource planning system.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further including instructions for

receiving a third portion of the print requisition or print production request from a second enterprise resource planning system maintained by the client, and

automatically combining, without human intervention, the first portion, the second portion and the third portion into a format for the print requisition or print production request that is printable by a printing vendor.