System and method for managing a print job in a printing system

• US 8,407,316 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Harrington, Steven J
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): HENRY, MARIEGEORGES A
• Application Number:
  US12/261,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20100110473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,608 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 358 11- 16
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1244 Job translation or job parsing, e.g. page banding

Abstract

There is disclosed a system and method of processing a document converted, by a print driver, from a first format to a second format. The system includes a workstation with a browser communicating with both a user interface (having a display) and a network. The browser is used to access a services interface, the services interface including at least one selectable service available by way of the network. The browser, responsive to the print driver converting the document in the first format into the document in the second format, is opened to display the at least one selectable service of the services interface on the user interface display. Responsive to selecting the at least one selectable service from the displayed services interface, the at least one selectable service is applied to the document corresponding in the second format.

Claims

1. A print job processing system, comprising:

a workstation communicating with a network;

a custom service communicating with the network; and

said workstation including,

a document application for creating a document in a first format,

a print driver, communicating with said document application, for converting the document in the first format into a document in a second format,

a user interface, said user interface including a display and a user input device, and

a browser, communicating with said user interface and said custom service, for accessing a services interface associated with said custom services, the services interface including selectable services of said custom service,

said browser, responsive to said print driver converting the document in the first format into the document in the second format, being launched so as to display the selectable services of said custom service in the services interface on said display;

a file watching service communicating with the network;

said file watching service buffering the document in the second format;

said file watching service, responsive to selecting, though said user input device, one of the selectable services displayed in the services interface, transmitting the document in the second format to said custom service;

said custom service applying the selected selectable service to the document in the second format to form a print job;

said file watching service buffering the print job;

said file watching service transmitting the buffered print job to a printer for printing.

2. The print job processing system of claim 1, wherein the printer has a printing destination;

and said browser is apprised of the printing destination.

3. The print job processing system of claim 1, further comprising a web service, wherein information regarding the printing destination is delivered to said browser by said web service.

4. A print job processing system, comprising:

a workstation communicating with a web service by way of a network;

a custom service communicating with the network; and

said workstation including,

a document application for creating a document in a first format,

a print driver, communicating with said document application, for converting the document in the first format into a document in a second format,

a user interface, said user interface including a display and a user input device, and

a browser, communicating with said user interface and said custom service, for accessing a services interface associated with said custom services, the services interface including selectable services of said custom service;

said browser, responsive to said print driver converting the document in the first format into the document in the second format, being launched so as to display the selectable services of said custom service in the services interface on said display;

said custom service, responsive to selecting, though said user input device, one of the selectable services displayed in the services interface, applying the selected selectable service to the document in the second format to form a print job;

a printer communicating with the network and corresponding with a printing destination;

said browser is apprised of the printing destination.

5. The print job processing system of claim 4, further comprising a web service, wherein information regarding the printing destination is delivered to said browser by said web service.

6. A print job processing system, comprising:

a workstation communicating with a web service by way of a network; and

a custom service communicating with the network;

said workstation including,

a document application for creating a document in a first format,

a print driver, communicating with said document application, for converting the document in the first format into a document in a second format,

a user interface, said user interface including a display and a user input device, and

a browser, communicating with said user interface and said custom service, for accessing a services interface associated with said custom services, the services interface including selectable services of said custom service;

said browser, responsive to said print driver converting the document in the first format into the document in the second format, being launched so as to display the selectable services of said custom service in the services interface on said display;

said custom service, responsive to selecting, though said user input device, one of the selectable services displayed in the services interface, applying the selected selectable service to the document in the second format to form a print job.

7. The print job processing system of claim 6, further comprising a file watching service communicating with the network, wherein the document in the second format is transmitted to the file watching service for buffering of the document in the second format.

8. The print job processing system of claim 7, wherein the file watching service shares the document in the second format with said custom service for applying the selected selectable service to the document in the second format.

9. The print job processing system of claim 8, wherein the file watching service is integrated with said custom service.

10. The print job processing system of claim 7, further comprising a file storage communicating with the network, wherein the document in the second format is transmitted from the file storage to the file watching service.

11. The print job processing system of claim 8, further comprising a printer communicating with the network, wherein the print job is transmitted from said custom service to said printer for printing.

12. The print job processing system of claim 6, further comprising a file watching service communicating with the network, wherein the print job is transmitted to said file watching service for buffering.

13. The print job processing system of claim 12, further comprising a printer communicating with the network, wherein the print job is transmitted from said file watching service to said printer for printing.

14. The print job processing system of claim 6, further comprising:

a printer communicating with the network and corresponding with a printing destination; and

wherein said browser is apprised of the printing destination.

15. The print job processing system of claim 14, wherein said browser is appraised with a file including a print identification.

16. The print job processing system of claim 15, wherein the file comprises a cookie.

17. The print job processing system of claim 14, wherein said browser is apprised with information stored on the network.

18. The print job processing system of claim 17, further comprising a web service, wherein said information is delivered to said browser by said web service.

19. A method of processing a print job, comprising:

A. performing the following on a workstation;

(1) creating a document in a first format,

(2) using a print driver to convert the document in the first format into a document in a second format,

(3) accessing a services interface with a browser, the services interface including selectable services available by way of the network,

(4) responsive to said A(2), opening the browser to display the selectable services of the services interface on a user interface display, and

(5) selecting one of the selectable services from the displayed services interface; and

B. responsive to A(5), causing the selected selectable service to be applied to the document in the second format to form a print job.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

C. transmitting the document in the second format to a file watching service for buffering of the document in the second format.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

D. transmitting the document in the second format from the file watching service to the selected selectable service for application of the selected selectable service thereto; and

E. transmitting the print job from the selected selectable service to a printer for printing.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

C. transmitting the print job to a file watching service for buffering.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

D. transmitting the print job from the file watching service to a printer for printing.

24. The method of claim 19, in which the workstation communicates with a printer by way of a network and the printer corresponds with a printing destination, further comprising:

C. apprising the browser of the printing destination with a file including a print identification.

25. The method of claim 19, in which the workstation communicates with a printer by way of a network and the printer corresponds with a printing destination, further comprising:

C. apprising the browser of the printing destination with information stored on the network.