Patent Application
20140320895
The present invention relates to print release environments including print servers and imaging devices. It relates further to pre-staging print jobs at imaging devices before users claim them to speed processing. Methods and apparatus predict where users will make claims.
In traditional printing environments, users send print jobs from computers, phones, tablets, etc. direct to imaging devices for printing and hard-copy pick up. In print release environments, print servers hold print jobs until later claiming by users at one of many networked imaging devices. The servers act as intermediaries between the users and devices to enforce compliance of policies. Imaging devices first authenticate users before allowing them to stake claims to their print jobs. This makes them accountable for the size, costs, quotas, etc. of their projects and prevents accidental release of hard copies to others. Managed print services (MPS) is but one popular form implementing print release with user authentication.
Regardless of form the total time that users wait to obtain their hard copy aggregates together the time of many steps. Users first wait during the time of authentication to the device. They next wait for the device to reach a print-ready state. Simultaneously, they wait for the device to request the electronic transfer of the print job from the server and for the transfer back of the print job to the imaging device. They next wait for the imaging device to conduct image processing. Users wait last for the printing of the hard copy.
As users can claim their jobs from myriads of imaging devices connected to the print server, and that the devices may reside at locations greatly separated from the location of the server, the time to request and transfer print jobs between the server and the imaging device may be unduly long. Depending on the volume of network traffic and server loading at any given time, print jobs can sometimes take minutes to complete. What is needed is a solution that speeds the time a user waits. However, achieving quicker print-ready states and executing faster printing only yields incremental improvements in wait times so further needs in the art should contemplate eliminating or reducing the number of on-demand print job transfers in the network between the server and its interconnected imaging devices.
Reductions in user wait time could be also achieved by improving computing infrastructure, such as increasing network bandwidth, or reducing the amounts of data transferred over networks. Similarly, parties involved in making and configuring network devices could improve wait times by bettering individual devices and/or increasing server volume density thereby minimizing network and server latency. However, these alternatives require infrastructure modification/improvement and/or significant changes in data architecture which is unfeasible for many organizations. What is need is a simple, yet elegant solution. Additional benefits and alternatives are also sought when devising solutions.
The above-mentioned and other problems are solved by methods and apparatus implementing intelligent print release. A print release environment includes a print server and pluralities of imaging devices, e.g., printers, copiers, fax machines, etc. A user of a computing device sends to the print server a print job for imaging. The print server analyzes metrics of the current job relative to prior print jobs of the same user. Before the user makes a claim to pick up the current print job from a specific one of the imaging devices, the print server predicts where the user will make their claim. The print server sends the current print job to the device in advance of the user's authentication/claim to speed processing, including conducting image processing as necessary, The techniques limit the amount of time users must wait before imaging operations are complete.
Further embodiments note techniques for making predictions as well as noting computing environments, including arrangement of servers, imaging devices, etc. Controllers for making predictions are still other embodiments and are found throughout the environment, including configuration on the server, imaging devices, or combinations thereof.
These and other embodiments are set forth in the description below. Their advantages and features will become readily apparent to skilled artisans. The claims set forth particular limitations.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings where like numerals represent like details. The embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of the invention is defined only by the appended claims and their equivalents. In accordance with the features of the invention, methods and apparatus teach intelligent print release.
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Users 5 interact with computing devices 20 such as smart phones, laptop computers, desktop computers, tablets, iPads. etc. They display and engage items 25 on the computing devices, such as documents, images, web pages, screen shots, messages, tiles, photos, etc. The items are in need of imaging operations, such as printing, scanning, copying, faxing, etc. Users request imaging of the items by sending 27 a “print job” to the print server 12 by way of an attendant computing network 30. The print job includes description fir controllers in the various devices to speak to one another in a same page description language. The primary printer language of contemporary times includes Printer Command Language (PCL) or Postscript and skilled artisans are familiar with their content. There are other languages, however, and skilled artisans are familiar with them as well. In any language, the print server forwards 33 the print job to a specific imaging device so users can claim a hard copy output at any imaging device 14 of their choosing. The network encompasses these communications. The network includes or not a variety of software to send and receive packets of information between computing devices and physical hardware to move the packets, such as routers, servers, switches, desktop/laptop computers, phone transmission towers, relay towers, satellites, fiber optics, phone lines, cables, etc. The connections are wired and wireless communications between a few or many such devices in an intranet, intranet or other environment.
To speed processing, and reduce the time users wait before picking up their hard copy, the print server 12 analyzes metrics of the print job to predict at which one of the plurality of imaging devices 14 the users will eventually stake their claim. The analysis examines the current print job of the user relative to prior print jobs of the user to determine if it can be ascertained beforehand where the user will make their claim to future imaging operations.
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Appreciating the possibility that the server will predict wrongly to pre-staging the current print job at a select one of the imaging devices, the server may also retain in memory a copy of the print job it released at 180. Upon the user authenticating to another of the imaging devices not earlier predicted, the server conducts print release at 160 in a traditional sense as already described. The server also notifies the imaging device having earlier (wrongly) received the print job to release from memory its version of the print job. The imaging device confirms back to the server upon the release being complete. The server releases its copy according to policy of the organization utilizing it, such as <release upon user claim> or <release all print jobs if not claimed within twenty-four hours>.
In other policies, the organization may set forth optional items that it believes are beneficial to still faster processing of print jobs. This includes entering a default provision that releases the current print job at 180 to a <physically closest> imaging device in the event the server is unable to make a prediction or make a prediction having an acceptable level of certainty. Alternatively, policies could require that all current print jobs be pre-staged at one or more printing devices regardless of the server's ability to accurately predict. This option, however, likely requires additional memory space in the imaging devices.
In still other embodiments, skilled artisans will appreciate that users might altogether forego claiming their print jobs. In such situations, pre-staged print data at imaging devices will be released from memory after a predetermined period of time. The time could mirror that for the server, such as <release all print jobs if not claimed within twenty-four hours>. Once released, the imaging device notifies the server of the release.
In still other scenarios, the server might accurately predict users will make claims to pick up their hard copy imaging operations at 150, 180 and the imaging devices 14 will still deliver them to users at 170, but instead of immediately releasing the print data of the print job from memory, the imaging device might retain the data for another predetermined amount of time to allow users local manipulation of the print job (i.e. request for more copies, etc.). Once the print job is ultimately released from the imaging device, however, it still communicates its release back to the server to update the print queue.
The mechanism for conducting the foregoing analysis has been described as being part of the print server (12). The structure can be typified in a controller, such as an ASIC, microprocessor, etc. having executable code that extracts and analyzes the relevant metrics of current and prior print jobs. The functionality of the controller, however, can be split amongst other hardware devices, such as between the print server (12) and one or more of the imaging devices (14). Alternatively, the functionality can reside in the imaging devices (14) alone or in still other computing devices in the network (not shown).
Relative advantages of the many embodiments should now be apparent to skilled artisans. They include but are not limited to: (1) speeding time users must wait to obtain hard copies of imaging operations in print release environments; (2) predicting when and where users will make claims for imaging operations; and (3) adding redundancy so users can claim print jobs from myriads of devices located at many locations.
The foregoing illustrates various aspects of the invention. It is not intended to be exhaustive. Rather, it is chosen to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention. All modifications and variations are contemplated within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims. Relatively apparent modifications include combining one or more features of various embodiments with features of other embodiments.
