System and method for simultaneously commencing output of disparately encoded electronic documents

• US 7,870,486 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Wei, Hongfeng, Wang, Jianxin, Su, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen S
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, I CHAN
• Application Number:
  US11/736,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20080189610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 715/273, 715/274, 715/276, 715/277
• US Class Current: 715/277
• 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 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1245 by conversion to intermediate or common format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1257 by using pre-stored settings, e.g. job templates, presets, print styles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

The subject application is directed to a system and method for simultaneously commencing output of disparately encoded electronic documents. Selection data representative of multiple electronic documents encoded in multiple disparate formats is first received. For example, the electronic documents are capable of being encoded in MICROSOFT OFFICE WORD, MICROSOFT OFFICE EXCEL, ADOBE ACROBAT formats, and the like. Each of the disparate formats is associated with a corresponding software module and then retrieved in accordance with received selection data. Next, the electronic documents are communicated to corresponding software modules, and the document processing device commences a selected document processing operation on each of the electronic documents by a corresponding software module. Each application-specific module is adapted for processing a document processing request for one or more types of documents that are associated with one specific application.

Claims

1. A system for simultaneously commencing output of disparately encoded electronic documents comprising:

a document processing device including a processor and associated data storage;

means adapted for receiving, into the document processing device, selection data representative of a plurality of different user-selected electronic documents, each of the plurality of documents being encoded in a unique one of a plurality of disparate formats;

association means adapted for associating each of the plurality of disparate formats with at least one software module;

means adapted for retrieving the plurality of user-selected electronic documents in accordance with received selection data;

means adapted for communicating each of the plurality of user-selected electronic documents to one of a plurality of corresponding software modules in accordance with an output of the association means;

means adapted for acquiring common document output characteristics associated with each of the plurality of user-selected electronic documents;

means adapted for communicating configuration data corresponding to acquired document output characteristics to each of a plurality of unique software modules in a format compatible thereto; and

document processor means adapted for commencing a selected document processing operation on each of a series of the user-selected electronic documents by calling a sequence of the software modules, with each module corresponding to one of the series of user-selected electronic documents such that each module is operative in accordance with the common document output characteristics.

2. The system for simultaneously commencing output of disparately encoded electronic documents of claim 1 further comprising means adapted for prompting an associated user for input of common document output characteristics in accordance with common features associated with each software module.

3. The system for simultaneously commencing output of disparately encoded electronic documents of claim 1 further comprising means adapted for outputting data representative of an event wherein at least one of the plurality of user-selected electronic documents has no software module associated therewith.

4. The system for simultaneously commencing output of disparately encoded electronic documents of claim 1 wherein the document processor means includes means adapted for commencing each document processing operation in a selected order.

5. The system for simultaneously commencing output of disparately encoded electronic documents of claim 1 further comprising means adapted for communicating an output of each software module to a common document output device.

6. A method for simultaneously commencing output of disparately encoded electronic documents comprising the steps of:

receiving selection data representative of a plurality of different user-selected electronic documents, each of the plurality of documents being encoded in a unique one of a plurality of disparate formats;

associating each of the plurality of disparate formats with at least one software module;

retrieving the plurality of user-selected electronic documents in accordance with received selection data;

communicating each of the plurality of user-selected electronic documents to one of a plurality of corresponding software modules in accordance with an output of associating each of the plurality of formats with at least one software module;

acquiring common document output characteristics associated with each of the plurality of selected electronic documents; and

communicating configuration data corresponding to acquired document output characteristics to each of the software modules in a format compatible thereto; and

commencing a selected document processing operation on each of a series of the user-selected electronic documents by calling the software modules, with each module corresponding to one of the series of user-selected electronic documents in accordance with the common document output characteristics.

7. The method for simultaneously commencing output of disparately encoded electronic documents of claim 6 further comprising the step of prompting an associated user for input of common document output characteristics in accordance with common features associated with each software module.

8. The method for simultaneously commencing output of disparately encoded electronic documents of claim 6 further comprising the step of outputting data representative of an event wherein at least one of the plurality of user-selected electronic documents has no software module associated therewith.

9. The method for simultaneously commencing output of disparately encoded electronic documents of claim 6 wherein the step of commencing a selected document processing operation on each of the documents includes commencing each document processing operation in a selected order.

10. The method for simultaneously commencing output of disparately encoded electronic documents of claim 6 further comprising the step of communicating an output of each software module to a common document output device.

11. A system for simultaneously commencing output of disparately encoded electronic documents comprising:

a document processing device including a processor and associated data storage;

an input operable for receiving, into, selection data representative of a plurality of different user-selected electronic documents, each of the plurality of documents being encoded in a unique one of a plurality of disparate formats;

the processor operable for associating each of the plurality of disparate formats with at least one software module;

the processor further operable for retrieving the plurality of user-selected electronic documents in accordance with received selection data;

an output operable for communicating each of the plurality of user-selected electronic documents to one of a plurality of corresponding software modules in accordance with an output of the association;

the processor further operable for acquiring common document output characteristics associated with each of the plurality of user-selected electronic documents;

an output operable for communicating configuration data corresponding to acquired document output characteristics to each of a plurality of unique software modules in a format compatible thereto; and

the processor further operable for commencing a selected document processing operation on each of a series of the user-selected electronic documents by calling a sequence of the software modules, with each module corresponding to one of the series of user-selected electronic documents such that each module is operative in accordance with the common document output characteristics.

12. The system for simultaneously commencing output of disparately encoded electronic documents of claim 11 wherein the processor is further operable for prompting an associated user for input of common document output characteristics in accordance with common features associated with each software module.

13. The system for simultaneously commencing output of disparately encoded electronic documents of claim 11 further comprising an output operable for outputting data representative of an event wherein at least one of the plurality of user-selected electronic documents has no software module associated therewith.

14. The system for simultaneously commencing output of disparately encoded electronic documents of claim 11 wherein the processor is further operable for commencing each document processing operation in a selected order.

15. The system for simultaneously commencing output of disparately encoded electronic documents of claim 11 further comprising an output operable for communicating an output of each software module to a common document output device.