System and method for processing multiple mailing services orders of varying quantities and address lists

• US 8,941,868 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2012
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cimpress Schweiz GmbH (Cimpress Plc)
• Original Assignee: Vistaprint Schweiz GmbH (Cimpress Plc)
• Inventors: Arpino, Daniel, Sheehan, Robert, Tanner, Marc, Shea, Brendan, Hyman, Jacob, Griego, Adrian, Nietlispach, Philipp, Marcos, John, Olson, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, II, Jerome
• Application Number:
  US13/588,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20140049795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 358/1.12, 358/1.18, 358/1.17
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• 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 3/1211 Improving printing performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1262 by grouping or ganging jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1272 Digital storefront, e.g. e-ordering, web2print, submitting a job from a remote submission screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1275 Print workflow management, e.g. defining or changing a workflow, cross publishing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis

Abstract

Methods and systems for processing multiple mailing services orders for print items of varying quantities include filling 3-dimensional gangs configured to receive print-ready items with print-ready items in a stack-wise manner. Individual stacks can be submitted to the system for reprint without holding up remaining items in an order.

Claims

1. A method for processing multiple mailing services orders for print items of varying quantities, the multiple orders each specifying a respective print item, a respective list of addresses, a respective specified quantity to be printed, and a respective order ID, and having associated therewith an active quantity initialized to the same number as the respective specified quantity to be printed, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a gang file, the gang file comprising a plurality of empty cells organized in a 3-dimensional grid, wherein at least one dimension corresponds to pages to be printed and the other two dimensions correspond to positions of individual stacks to be printed;

obtaining a stack identifier cooresponding to an unfilled stack having available slots corresponding to empty cells belonging to the same individual stack but different pages in the gang file;

determining a current number of available slots in the stack identified by the stack identifier;

receiving an open order having a non-zero active quantity;

creating a new fulfillment item identifier and associating the new fulfillment item identifier with the stack identifier;

determining whether the active quantity associated with the open order is less than or equal to the current number of available slots in the stack identified by the stack identifier;

if the active quantity associated with the open order is less than or equal to the current number of available slots in the stack identified by the stack identifier, obtaining a quantity of addresses associated with the mailing list associated with the open order in a quantity equal to the active quantity associated with the open order, rendering a quantity of individual print-ready files containing the print item associated with the open order with each individual print-ready file containing a different one of the obtained addresses, associating the addresses and order identifier with the fulfillment item identifier, and inserting the individual print-ready files into respective empty cells of the gang within the stack identified by the stack identifier;

if the active quantity associated with the open order is greater than the current number of available slots in the stack identified by the stack identifier, obtaining a quantity of addresses associated with the mailing list associated with the open order in a quantity equal to the current number of available slots, rendering a quantity of individual print-ready files containing the print item associated with the open order with each individual print-ready file containing a different one of the obtained addresses, associating the addresses and order identifier with the fulfillment item identifier, and inserting the individual print-ready files into respective empty cells of the gang within the stack identified by the stack identifier;

reducing the active quantity associated with the open order by a number equal to the quantity of obtained addresses; and

repeating the obtaining step through the reducing step until the existence of at least one of the gang file is filled, no more open orders are available, or a predetermined period of time passes.

2. A mail services order processing system for printing items of varying quantities, comprising:

one or more processors configured to perform the method of claim 1.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising reprinting individual stacks that do not pass a quality control inspection, the reprinting comprising:

determining a stack identifier associated with the individual stack of print items;

determining existing fulfillment item identifiers associated with the stack identifier;

for each determined fulfillment item identifier, determining the associated order identifier, determining a quantity of addresses associated with the fulfillment item identifier, adding the determined quantity to the active quantity associated with the order identifier, and de-associating the order identifier and all addresses associated with the fulfillment item identifier from the fulfillment item identifier.

4. A mail services order processing system for printing items of varying quantities, comprising:

one or more processors configured to perform the method of claim 2.

5. A method for processing multiple mailing services orders for print items of varying quantities, each order specifying at least a respective print item, a respective quantity of the specified print item to be printed, and a respective order identifier (ID), and each order for a respective print item having associated therewith a list of addresses, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a gang, the gang comprising a plurality of cells each configured to receive print item content, the plurality of cells organized to correspond to a plurality of stacks, the plurality of cells organized in two dimensions to define a plurality of uniquely identified stack positions corresponding to respective unique stack identifiers and organized in a third dimension to define a depth of the plurality of stacks;

selecting from the gang an unfilled stack having at least one cell available to receive print item content;

determining a current number of unfilled cells in the selected stack that have yet to be filled with print item content;

receiving an open order corresponding to an order wherein at least a non-zero quantity of the print item remains to be printed;

creating a new fulfillment item identifier and associating the new fulfillment item identifier with the selected unfilled stack;

determining whether the quantity of the print item associated with the open order which remains to be assigned to a cell in a gang for printing is less than or equal to the current number of unfilled cells in the selected unfilled stack;

if the determined quantity is less than or equal to the current number of unfilled cells in the selected unfilled stack, receiving one or more addresses from a mailing list associated with the open order, the received number of addresses being of a quantity equal to the determined quantity, rendering a quantity of individual print-ready files containing the print item associated with the open order such that each individual print-ready file contains a different one of the received addresses, associating the received addresses and order identifier with the fulfillment item identifier, and inserting the individual print-ready files into respective empty cells of the gang within the selected unfilled stack;

if the determined quantity is greater than the current number of unfilled cells in the selected unfilled stack, receiving one or more addresses from a mailing list associated with the open order, the received number of addresses being of a quantity equal to the current number of unfilled cells in the selected unfilled stack, rendering a quantity of individual print-ready files containing the print item associated with the open order with each individual print-ready file containing a different one of the received addresses, associating the received addresses and order identifier with the fulfillment item identifier, and inserting the individual print-ready files into respective empty cells of the gang within the selected unfilled stack; and

repeating the selecting step through the inserting steps until the existence of at least one of the gang file is filled, no more open orders are available, or a predetermined period of time passes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the receiving step comprises receiving addresses from the mailing list associated with the open order that have not yet been associated with any fulfillment identifier that is associated with the open order.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the gang is filled in a stackwise manner by filling each stack in order before filling a next stack in the gang.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one unique stack identifier is inserted in the cell corresponding to the first page of the grid and in its associated stack position.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one unique stack identifier comprises a barcode.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising reprinting individual stacks that do not pass a quality control inspection, the reprinting comprising:

determining a stack identifier associated with an individual stack to be reprinted;

determining existing fhlfillment item identifiers associated with the stack identifier;

for each determined fulfillment item identifier, determining the associated order identifier, determining a quantity of addresses associated with the fulfillment item identifier, adding the determined quantity to the active quantity associated with the order identifier, and de-associating the order identifier and all addresses associated with the fulfillment item identifier from the fulfillment item identifier.

11. A mail services order processing system for printing items of varying quantities, comprising:

one or more processors configured to perform the method of claim 5.

12. A mail services order processing system for printing items of varying quantities, comprising:

one or more processors configured to perform the method of claim 10.