Managing print jobs

• US 9,152,362 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2014
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cimpress USA, Incorporated (Cimpress Plc)
• Original Assignee: Cimpress USA, Incorporated (Cimpress Plc)
• Inventors: Keane, Robert, Coursol, Sebastien, Robertson, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): GARCIA, GABRIEL I
• Application Number:
  US14/159,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20140132988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.1, 358/1.9, 358/1.15, 358/1.18, 358/448, 358/474, 715/202, 715/247, 715/234, 709/203, 345/619, 345/628
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1211 Improving printing performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1262 by grouping or ganging jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing print jobs associated with multiple customers. Customer-editable design templates for printed products and design software tools enabling creation by customers of custom print product designs are provided, via a network, to multiple customers operating corresponding electronic devices. Individual print jobs corresponding to custom print product designs created by multiple different customers via the electronic devices are received and automatically aggregated into an aggregate print job comprising individual print jobs from different customers. The aggregated individual print jobs in the aggregate print job are printed simultaneously on one or more units of a shared substrate when the aggregate print job is printed.

Claims

1. A system for managing print jobs associated with multiple customers, comprising:

at least one web server configured to provide to a plurality of customers operating a plurality of corresponding electronic devices, via a network, a plurality of corresponding customer-selected editable design templates for printed products and one or more design software tools to enable customer editing of the corresponding customer-selected editable design template at the corresponding customer'"'"'s electronic device to create a corresponding custom print product design,

the at least one web server further configured to electronically receive multiple corresponding individual print jobs comprising corresponding custom print product designs created by different corresponding customers operating different individual ones of the plurality of electronic devices, each received individual print job having associated therewith corresponding customer information and one or more printing requirements;

non-transitory electronic storage configured to store the received multiple individual print jobs and the associated corresponding customer information and printing requirements;

at least one backend printing server configured to automatically aggregate a plurality of the stored individual print jobs that are characterized by having at least some common printing requirements to create an aggregate print job, the aggregate print job comprising a plurality of individual print jobs associated with different customers spatially placed in predefined individual print job positions of corresponding predefined sizes in each of two dimensions of a corresponding two-dimensional aggregate print job layout, whereby the individual print jobs in the aggregate print job are printed at one time on one or more units of a shared substrate when the aggregate print job is printed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the individual print job positions and corresponding print job position sizes in the two-dimensional layout of the aggregate print job are predefined by a selected standard aggregation template, the selected standard aggregation template defining a plurality of predefined individual print job positions of corresponding predefined sizes and characterizing where cuts need to be made after printing in order to separate the individual print jobs of an aggregate print job generated in accordance with the selected standard aggregation template definition.

3. The system of claim 2, the at least one backend printing server further configured to create a two-dimensional aggregate print job layout characterized by the selected standard aggregation template, the created layout configured to receive therein individual print jobs in each of the predefined individual print job positions of the created layout, the at least one backend printing server further configured to automatically search the associated printing requirements of the stored individual print jobs to identify individual print jobs that are characterized by having the at least some common printing requirements and having a corresponding individual print job size which corresponds to the predefined size of at least one print job position in the created layout, and to place at least some of the identified individual print jobs into respective print job positions of corresponding predefined size in the created layout to generate the aggregate print job.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the selected standard aggregation template is selected from a plurality of different standard aggregation templates, each defining a different two-dimensional layout, and wherein the selection of the selected standard aggregation template is based at least on the predefined sizes of the predefined individual print job location definitions.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least some common printing requirements comprise at least one from the group consisting of delivery date, paper grade, and post-press processing requirements.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the identified individual print jobs are processed into prepress format prior to placement into a respective print job position in the created layout.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more design software tools are configured to enable customer editing of the customer-selected editable design template by receiving customer-supplied content and incorporating the customer-supplied content into the customer-selected editable design template.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the customer-supplied content comprises text.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the customer-supplied content comprises one or more image.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the aggregate print job comprises a meta file and a layout file, the meta file comprising commercial print job data of the aggregated individual print jobs and the layout file comprising the corresponding graphical print job data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the customer-supplied one or more image is uploaded to the at least one web server for incorporation by the at least one web server into the customer-selected editable design template.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer-selected editable design template is downloaded to the customer'"'"'s electronic device and presented in a web browser executing on the customer'"'"'s electronic device, the one or more design software tools configured to enable the customer to edit the downloaded editable design template locally at the customer'"'"'s electronic device.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer-selected editable design template comprises a partially completed print product design.

14. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a printing system configured to receive and print the aggregate print job onto one or more units of a shared substrate.

15. A method for managing print jobs associated with multiple customers, comprising:

providing over a network by one or more web server to a plurality of electronic devices operated by corresponding customers, a plurality of corresponding customer-selected editable design templates for printed products and one or more design software tools to enable customer editing of the corresponding customer-selected editable design template at the corresponding customer'"'"'s electronic device to enable customer creation of a corresponding custom print product design,

electronically receiving, by the one or more web server and from the plurality of electronic devices, multiple individual print jobs comprising corresponding custom print product designs created by different corresponding customers operating different individual ones of the plurality of electronic devices, each received individual print job having associated therewith corresponding customer information and one or more printing requirements;

automatically aggregating by one or more backend printing server a plurality of the received individual print jobs that are characterized by having at least some common printing requirements to create an aggregate print job, the aggregate print job comprising a plurality of individual print jobs associated with different customers spatially placed in predefined individual print job positions of corresponding predefined sizes in each of two dimensions of a corresponding two-dimensional aggregate print job layout, whereby the individual print jobs in the aggregate print job are printed at one time on one or more units of a shared substrate when the aggregate print job is printed.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the individual print job positions and corresponding print job position sizes in the two-dimensional layout of the aggregate print job are predefined by a selected standard aggregation template, the selected standard aggregation template defining a plurality of predefined individual print job positions of corresponding predefined sizes and characterizing where cuts need to be made after printing in order to separate the individual print jobs of an aggregate print job generated in accordance with the selected standard aggregation template definition.

17. The method of claim 16, the aggregating step comprising:

creating a two-dimensional aggregate print job layout characterized by the selected standard aggregation template, the created layout configured to receive therein individual print jobs in each of the predefined individual print job positions of the created layout,

automatically searching the associated printing requirements of the stored individual print jobs to identify individual print jobs having the at least some common printing requirements and having a corresponding individual print job size which corresponds to the predefined size of at least one print job position in the created layout, and

placing at least some of the identified individual print jobs into respective print job positions of corresponding predefined size in the created layout to generate the aggregate print job.

18. The method of claim 17, the aggregating step further comprising selecting the selected standard aggregation template from a plurality of different standard aggregation templates, each defining a different two-dimensional layout, and wherein the selection of the selected standard aggregation template is based at least on the predefined sizes of the predefined individual print job location definitions.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least some common printing requirements comprise at least one from the group consisting of delivery date, paper grade, and post-press processing requirements.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising processing the identified individual print jobs into prepress format prior and placing the prepress format individual print job into a respective individual print job position in the created layout.

21. The method of claim 15, enabling, by the one or more design software tools, customer editing of the customer-selected editable design template by receiving customer-supplied content and incorporating the customer-supplied content into the customer-selected editable design template.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the customer-supplied content comprises text.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the customer-supplied content comprises one or more images.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the aggregate print job comprises a meta file and a layout file, the meta file comprising commercial print job data of the aggregated individual print jobs and the layout file comprising the corresponding graphical print job data.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the customer-supplied one or more image is uploaded to the at least one web server for incorporation by the at least one web server into the customer-selected editable design template.

26. The method of claim 15, downloading the one or more design software tools and the customer-selected editable design template to the customer'"'"'s electronic device for presentation in a web browser executing on the customer'"'"'s electronic device, the one or more design software tools configured to enable the customer to edit the downloaded editable design template locally at the customer'"'"'s electronic device.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein the customer-selected editable design template comprises a partially completed print product design.

28. The method of claim 15, comprising:

printing the aggregate print job onto one or more units of a shared substrate.

29. A system for managing print jobs associated with multiple customers, comprising:

at least one web server configured to provide for display to a plurality of electronic devices operated by a plurality of corresponding customers, via a network, a plurality of template images of corresponding design templates for printed products, each template image associated with a corresponding template selection tool configured to enable customer selection of the corresponding design template,

the at least one web server responsive to customer selection of a corresponding design template via the corresponding template selection tool by downloading to, and displaying in a web browser executing on, the selecting customer'"'"'s electronic device an editable version of the selected design template, and further by downloading one or more design software tools to the selecting customer'"'"'s electronic device to enable the selecting customer to edit the editable version of the design template at the selecting customer'"'"'s electronic device to create a custom print product design;

the at least one web server further configured to electronically receive multiple corresponding individual print jobs comprising respective corresponding custom print product designs created by different corresponding customers operating different individual ones of the plurality of electronic devices, each received individual print job having associated therewith corresponding customer information and one or more printing requirements, the printing requirements comprising specification of at least a plurality of requirements from the group consisting of delivery date, paper grade, and post-press processing requirements;

non-transitory electronic storage configured to store the received multiple individual print jobs and the associated corresponding customer information and printing requirements, and a plurality of different standard aggregation templates, each different standard aggregation template defining a different two-dimensional layout having different predefined individual print job positions and corresponding sizes, and each characterizing where cuts need to be made after printing in order to separate the individual print jobs of an aggregate print job generated in accordance with the corresponding standard aggregation template definition;

at least one backend printing server configured to automatically aggregate a plurality of the stored individual print jobs that are characterized by having at least some common printing requirements into an aggregate print job whereby the individual print jobs aggregated into the aggregate print job are printed at one time on one or more units of a shared substrate when the aggregate print job is printed, the automated aggregation comprising selecting selection one of the plurality of different standard aggregation templates, creating a two-dimensional aggregate print job layout characterized by the selected standard aggregation template, the created layout configured to receive therein individual print jobs in each of the predefined positions of the created layout, searching the associated printing requirements of the stored individual print jobs associated with the multiple customers to identify individual print jobs having at least some common printing requirements and having a corresponding individual print job size which corresponds to the predefined size of at least one print job position in the created layout, and inserting at least some of the identified individual print jobs into respective print job positions of corresponding predefined size in the created layout to generate the aggregate print job, wherein the individual print jobs aggregated into the aggregate print job are associated with at least some different customers.

30. A method for managing print jobs associated with multiple customers, comprising:

providing, by a server via a network, to a plurality of electronic devices operated by a plurality of corresponding customers, a plurality of template images of corresponding design templates for printed products, each template image associated with a corresponding template selection tool configured to enable customer selection of the corresponding print product design template;

responding, by the server, to customer selection of a design template via the corresponding template selection tool by downloading to, and displaying in a web browser executing on, the selecting customer'"'"'s electronic device an editable version of the selected design template and one or more design software tools to enable the selecting customer to edit the editable version of the design template at the selecting customer'"'"'s electronic device to create a custom print product design;

electronically receiving multiple corresponding individual print jobs comprising corresponding custom print product designs created by different corresponding customers operating different individual ones of the plurality of electronic devices, each received individual print job having associated therewith corresponding customer information and one or more printing requirements, the printing requirements comprising specification of at least a plurality of requirements from the group consisting of delivery date, paper grade, and post-press processing requirements;

automatically aggregating a plurality of the stored individual print jobs having at least some common printing requirements into an aggregate print job whereby the individual print jobs incorporated into the aggregate print job are printed at one time on one or more units of a shared substrate when the aggregate print job is printed, the automated aggregation comprising selecting a standard aggregation template which defines a two-dimensional layout having different predefined individual print job positions and corresponding individual print job position sizes and further characterizing where cuts need to be made after printing in order to separate the individual print jobs of the aggregate print job generated in accordance with the corresponding standard aggregation template definition, creating a two-dimensional aggregate print job layout generated in accordance with the selected standard aggregation template, the created layout configured to receive therein individual print jobs in each of the predefined positions of the created layout, searching the associated printing requirements of the stored individual print jobs associated with the multiple customers to identify individual print jobs having at least some common printing requirements and having a corresponding individual print job size which corresponds to the predefined size of at least one print job position in the created layout, and placing at least some of the identified individual print jobs into respective individual print job positions of corresponding predefined individual print job position size in the created layout to generate the aggregate print job.