Method and apparatus for routing pages to printers in a multi-print engine as a function of print job parameters
First Claim
1. A method for routing a plurality of print jobs in a printing system, according to print job parameters of two or more multi-page documents that are to be merged into a single document, comprising:
- storing bit-mapped images, each formed of page data representing a page in a document downloaded from a print file and rendered into bit-mapped images and having print job parameters associated therewith, in print buffers associated with the printing system;
creating a virtual job stack containing a number of sequential bit-mapped pages from a first multi-page document;
inserting a number of selected bit-mapped pages from a second multi-page document into the virtual job stack to create a single virtual print job; and
distributing the bit-mapped images of the single virtual print job to a print engine.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for routing page data of a print job to the printers in a multi-print engine based on print job parameters associated with the page data of the print job is disclosed. One or more virtual printers are configured, each with a plurality of individual print engines, each having associated printing characteristics. Page data of the print job, downloaded form a print file and having the print job parameters associated therewith, is rasterized and stored as bit-mapped images in print buffers associated with the multi-engined printing system. The bit-mapped images are distributed to select ones of the print engines based upon matching the print job parameters of each bit-mapped images with the printing characteristics of the print engine to be selected.
70 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for routing a plurality of print jobs in a printing system, according to print job parameters of two or more multi-page documents that are to be merged into a single document, comprising:
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storing bit-mapped images, each formed of page data representing a page in a document downloaded from a print file and rendered into bit-mapped images and having print job parameters associated therewith, in print buffers associated with the printing system; creating a virtual job stack containing a number of sequential bit-mapped pages from a first multi-page document; inserting a number of selected bit-mapped pages from a second multi-page document into the virtual job stack to create a single virtual print job; and distributing the bit-mapped images of the single virtual print job to a print engine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification