System and method for converting print jobs stored in printshop job description language files into printshop workflow

• US 7,064,848 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2000
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Rai, Sudhendu, Jackson, Warren B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, King Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/735,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20020071134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,016 Days
• Field of Search: 358 112- 115, 358/1.13, 364518-521, 364/468, 364/403, 345/740, 345/736, 345/733, 345/771, 707/10, 707102-103, 700 99-100, 700/101, 700/102, 705/7
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1217 achieving reduced idle time at the output device or increased asset utilization
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1244 Job translation or job parsing, e.g. page banding
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1268 Job submission, e.g. submitting print job order or request not the print data itself
• 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 3/1287 via internet

Abstract

A method for automatically converting print jobs stored in printshop job description language (PSDL) files into workflow for a specific printshop is disclosed. A print job stored in a PSDL file is extracted from the PSDL file and used to generate a proposed workflow and accompanying job cost estimate. The workflow generated by the illustrated embodiment merges the job resource requirements of the print job with the resource and material availability of the printshop. The generated workflow and an accompanying job cost estimate for producing the workflow in the printshop are transmitted to the original job submitter for approval prior to beginning the printing process. Alternately, the job submitter is capable of submitting the print job in PSDL format to a printshop via the Internet.

Claims

1. In a computer system, a method comprising the steps of:

providing a PSDL parser capable of automatically, without user intervention, extracting print job requirements from a PSDL file;

automatically, without user intervention, creating a proposed workflow for a printshop using said print job requirements extracted by said PSDL parser and resource knowledge recording resources in said printshop;

wherein said resource knowledge includes information regarding job costs and availability in said printshop of available machines, machine operators, work-in-progress and inter-process storage buffer levels and materials required to process said print job.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said proposed workflow is used to generate a job cost estimate.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said job cost estimate includes material costs and labor costs.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said proposed workflow and said job cost estimate are transmitted to a job submitter that submitted the print job for approval prior to processing said print job.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

said job submitter substituting new materials to replace materials included in said proposed workflow;

creating a new proposed workflow which includes said new materials;

generating a new job cost estimate for said new proposed workflow; and

transmitting said new job cost estimate and said new proposed workflow to said job submitter for approval.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

said job submitter substituting new machines to replace machines included in said proposed workflow;

creating a new proposed workflow which includes said new machines;

generating a new job cost estimate for said new proposed workflow; and

transmitting said new job cost estimate an said new proposed workflow to said job submitter for approval.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

said job submitter substituting new machine operators to replace operators included in said proposed workflow;

creating a new proposed workflow which includes said new machine operators;

generating a new job cost estimate for said new proposed workflow; and

transmitting said new job cost estimate an said new proposed workflow to said job submitter for approval.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said PSDL file is a Print Production Format (PPF) file.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said PSDL file is a JDF file.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said PSDL file is a PCX file.

11. In a computer system, a method comprising the steps of:

submitting a print job to a printshop having resources, said print job stored in a printshop job description language (PSDL) file;

automatically, without user intervention, extracting print job requirements from said PSDL file;

comparing said print job requirements, including material and labor requirements, from said PSDL file against available resources, status of the work-in-progress, current schedule and available materials in the printshop; and

automatically, without user intervention, creating a proposed workflow for said printshop from said print job requirements and from printshop resource knowledge resources, said proposed workflow dividing said print job into components and mapping said components of said print job to available resources of said printshop so as to set buffer space between machines to optimal levels while processing said print job.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

executing said print job in said printshop using said proposed workflow.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said resource knowledge includes information regarding job costs and availability in said printshop of machines, machine operators and materials used in processing said print job.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said resource knowledge further includes information regarding operational speed and capacity of machines in said printshop used in processing said print job.

15. A computer executable medium for use with a computer system, said medium holding computer-executable instructions for a method, said method comprising the steps of;

submitting a print job to a printshop having resources, said print job stored in a printshop job description language (PSDL) file;

automatically, without user intervention, extracting print job requirements from said PSDL file;

automatically, without user intervention, comparing said print job requirements against available resources, work-in-progress, current schedule and available materials in the printshop; and

automatically, without user intervention, creating a proposed workflow for said printshop, said proposed workflow dividing said print job into components and mapping said components of said print job to available resources of said printshop so as to set the-buffer space between machines to optimal levels while processing said print job.