Cloud Printing Service Decouples Job Transformation from Print Server
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Solution Overview
Problem
Print service providers face challenges in processing large print jobs efficiently due to limited resources in print servers, which can lead to extended processing times and difficulties in meeting timelines, especially when errors require switching to alternate printers.
Innovation Solution
Decoupling the transformation of print jobs into Page Description Language (PDL)-compliant print streams from the print server and moving this process to the cloud, allowing a cloud printing service to handle multiple printer-specific streams in parallel, thereby leveraging cloud computing resources for faster processing and managing a vendor-neutral fleet of printers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the print server processes large print jobs locally, then the printing service can be provided, but the processing time extends and resources are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the print stream transformation process from the print server and relocates it to cloud-based computing resources. This separation allows the print server to focus on job management while the cloud handles intensive transformation tasks, resolving the resource bottleneck and reducing processing time for large print jobs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a cloud-based transformation service as an intermediary between the print server and printers. This intermediary handles the complex PDL transformation process, enabling the print server to submit jobs without being blocked by transformation delays, thus improving overall processing speed.
2Reliability
If an alternate printer is selected due to printing errors, then the print job can continue, but the time required for re-transformation extends
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary transformation of print jobs into multiple printer-specific print streams in advance, before actual printing begins. This preparation ensures that if a printer error occurs and an alternate printer is needed, the transformed print stream is already available, eliminating re-transformation time and maintaining reliability.
3Productivity
If multiple printer-specific print streams are created in parallel, then processing efficiency improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the print stream creation process into independent parallel tasks for different printers. Each transformation to a specific printer's PDL format is handled as a separate task that can execute simultaneously, improving productivity while the modular architecture manages the complexity through clear task separation.
Data Source
AI summary
System, method, and software of providing a printing service. In one embodiment, a printing system comprises a cloud printing service that stores device capability information for different types of printers supervised by a print server. The cloud printing service receives a print job, identifies a plurality of the printers that are capable of printing the print job based on the device capability information, and transforms printable content and control data of the print job into a plurality of printer-specific print streams. Each of the printer-specific print streams is in a printable output format for one of the plurality of the printers. The cloud printing service provides one or more of the printer-specific print streams to the print server.