Client Print Job Rerouting via Duplicate Queues

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing printing systems face delays and resource burdens when a print server fails, as client computers must wait for the server to come back online before transmitting print jobs, leading to accumulated queues and printer burdens.

Innovation Solution

A software package installed on client computers that maintains a list of print servers, renders print jobs into a page description language, and creates duplicate queues to automatically reroute print jobs to alternative servers if the initial server fails, ensuring resilient print job submission without reconfiguration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the client waits for the print server to become available before transmitting print jobs, then the print server can process jobs successfully, but the printing time is delayed and print jobs accumulate in the queue

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprint server availabilityVSAvoidprinting delay

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The client computer proactively identifies alternative print servers and prepares to transmit print jobs to them before the primary print server becomes unavailable. This preliminary preparation of backup transmission paths eliminates waiting time when server failures occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary mechanism that monitors print server availability and automatically redirects print job transmission to alternative servers. This intermediary layer decouples the dependency between the client and primary server, allowing continuous operation through alternative pathways.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the client stores print jobs in the print queue to transmit later when the print server is back online, then the print server can process jobs, but a large number of print jobs accumulate placing a burden on the printer

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprint server availabilityVSAvoidprinter burden

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The client computer proactively identifies alternative print servers and prepares to transmit print jobs to them before the primary print server becomes unavailable. This preliminary preparation of backup transmission paths eliminates waiting time when server failures occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes the transmission destination parameter from the primary print server to alternative print servers when availability issues are detected. This parameter change redirects the flow of print jobs away from the overloaded primary server to available alternative servers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If the client uses a single print server for all print jobs, then the configuration is simple, but the system lacks resilience when the print server fails

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfiguration simplicityVSAvoidprint server failure resilience

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The client computer is configured with multiple print servers that can all perform the same print job transmission function. This multi-functionality allows the system to switch between servers based on availability, providing resilience while maintaining a unified interface for the user.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary mechanism that monitors print server availability and automatically redirects print job transmission to alternative servers. This intermediary layer decouples the dependency between the client and primary server, allowing continuous operation through alternative pathways.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10423375B2Non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, client computer, and print method

Publication Date: 2019.09.24 NTWARE SYSTEMPROGRAMMIERUNGS GMBH

AI summary

A printer driver maintains a list of print servers that a client computer can use to send a print job to a printer, and renders the print job into a page description language. A print processor creates a first print queue for sending the rendered print job to a first print server and adds the rendered print job to the created first print queue, and monitors sending of the rendered print job in the first print queue. If the sending of the rendered print job from the client computer to the first print server is not successful, the print processor creates a second print queue and adds a duplicate print job to the second print queue by duplicating the rendered print job in the first print queue, the printer driver sends the duplicate print job in the second print queue to a second print server.