Method for processing aggregate print jobs

• US 6,976,798 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cimpress USA, Incorporated (Cimpress Plc)
• Original Assignee: VistaPrint USA Incorporated (Cimpress Plc)
• Inventors: Coursol, Sebastien, Robertson, Erik, Keane, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAU, MINH H
• Application Number:
  US10/608,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20040000246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 400/76, 400/70, 400/61, 400/62, 358 11- 19, 358 111- 115
• US Class Current: 400/76
• 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 3/1251 for continuous media, e.g. web media, rolls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1252 for sheet based media
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1262 by grouping or ganging jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

The invention provides methods for managing print jobs. One such method includes (a) accumulating discrete print jobs electronically from respective customers, (b) aggregating the discrete print jobs into aggregate print jobs, each of the aggregate print jobs being printable at one time on units of an integral print medium, and (c) electronically distributing the aggregate print jobs to respective printers for printing.

Claims

1. A method for processing aggregate print jobs comprising

receiving an aggregate print job to be printed in a print run quantity, the aggregate print job containing individual print jobs arranged in a two-dimensional layout having a plurality of individual print jobs from different customers positioned in each of its two dimensions, and

printing the aggregate print job on a substrate, the substrate being of a sufficiently large size to accommodate the simultaneous printing of all individual print jobs in the aggregate print job.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the aggregate print job is received electronically.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising cutting the substrate after printing to separate the individual print jobs.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising

repetitively printing the aggregate print job on the substrate until the print run quantity of the aggregate print job has been printed,

assembling the printed substrate into a stack, and

cutting the stack to separate the individual print jobs.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising receiving an aggregate meta file associated with the aggregate print job, the aggregate meta file containing at least an identifier of the cutting program to be used to control the operation of an automated cutter during the step of cutting.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the individual print jobs in the received aggregate print job are arranged in one of a plurality of predetermined arrangements.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the cutting step is performed by an automated cutter controlled by a cutting program associated with the arrangement of individual print jobs in the aggregate print job.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising placing an aggregation template on the stack prior to cutting, the aggregation template corresponding to the arrangement of individual print jobs in the aggregate print job.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the aggregation template has information printed thereon to facilitate identification of individual print jobs after they have been separated.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising packaging and shipping the individual print jobs.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is paper.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the paper comprises rolls of paper.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the paper comprises cut sheets of paper.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving an aggregate meta file associated with the aggregate print job.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the aggregate meta file contains at least the print run quantity to be printed of the aggregate print job.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the aggregate meta file contains at least an aggregate print job batch number.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the aggregate meta file contains at least an identifier of an aggregation template to be used with the aggregate print job.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the aggregate meta file contains at least individual customer information files associated with the individual print jobs in the aggregate print job.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the individual customer information files in the aggregate meta file contain at least the shipping addresses for the individual print jobs.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising printing shipping labels for individual print jobs based on at least shipping address information from the aggregate meta file.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the individual customer information files contain delivery date information for the individual print jobs.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising selecting one or more shipping carriers for delivery of individual print jobs based on at least delivery date information from the aggregate meta file.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the individual customer information files contain information identifying whether an individual print job is related to one or more other individual print jobs.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising combining multiple related individual print jobs into a single shipment.

25. The method of claim 14 further comprising requesting delivery of the aggregate meta file.

26. The method of claim 14 further comprising reviewing at least some of the aggregate meta file information prior to receiving the aggregate print job.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising requesting to receive the aggregate print job based on at least the aggregation meta file information.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising submitting a bid for the aggregate print job prior to receiving the aggregate print job.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the aggregate print job is received in response to an accepted bid for the aggregate print job.

30. The method of claim 14 wherein at least a portion of the aggregate meta data is displayed on at least one terminal to at least one operator at the printing facility where the aggregate print job is being printed.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising displaying to one or more printing press operators at least aggregate print job production information from the aggregate meta data.

32. The method of claim 30 further comprising displaying to one or more operators at least an identifier from the aggregate meta data of an aggregation template to be added to the aggregate print job.

33. The method of claim 30 further comprising displaying to one or more operators individual print job packaging instructions from the aggregate meta data.

34. The method of claim 1 wherein the location receiving the aggregate print job had previously requested to receive the aggregate print job.

35. The method of claim 1 wherein the aggregate print job is received based on at least the availability at the receiving location of the printing equipment required to print the aggregate print job.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the aggregate print job is received further based on at least the delivery time of one or more individual print jobs in the aggregate print job and on the availability of printing capacity at the receiving location to print the aggregate print job in advance of the delivery time.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising making at least information about the availability of printing equipment at the receiving location available for review by one or more parties responsible for selecting a location to receive the aggregate print job.

38. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending at least one meta file to the sender of the aggregate print job notifying the sender of the status of the aggregate print job.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein at least one meta file sent to the sender comprises a notification that the aggregate print job has been printed.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein at least one meta file sent to the sender comprises a notification that one or more individual print jobs have been shipped.

41. The method of claim 1 further comprising processing the received aggregate print job to create color-separated printing plates suitable for printing the aggregate print job on an offset printing press.