Graphical Postmark for Printed Document Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is no known method to effectively manage printed documents and their relationship to their electronic soft copy counterparts, as existing document management systems cannot track, identify, or confidently shred printed documents that have been printed from a document management system.
Innovation Solution
A printed document manager system that registers documents with a postmark server, allowing a client computing device to detect print events and query whether a graphical postmark should be added to the print stream based on the document's presence in registered Document Management Systems (DMS), enabling tracking and management of printed documents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a document management system converts all incoming paper documents to electronic form, then electronic document management efficiency is improved, but the ability to track and manage printed hard copies is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by detecting print events before documents leave the printing system. A postmark client monitors print jobs and queries a postmark server to determine if a graphical postmark should be applied, establishing tracking information before the document enters the physical domain where it would otherwise be untraceable.
Solution Approach 2:
The postmark server acts as an intermediary between the document management system and the printed document. It receives print event information, queries the DMS to verify document existence, and authorizes the application of graphical postmarks that serve as traceable identifiers linking the physical document back to its electronic counterpart.
2Reliability
If graphical postmarks are added to all printed documents, then document tracking capability is improved, but print stream processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by not adding postmarks to all printed documents universally. Instead, the postmark client queries the postmark server to determine selectively which documents require tracking, applying postmarks only to those that match documents in the registered DMS, thereby avoiding unnecessary processing overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The postmark server provides feedback to the postmark client regarding whether a specific document should receive a graphical postmark. This feedback mechanism allows the system to intelligently determine postmark application based on document verification results, optimizing the balance between tracking reliability and processing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A printed document manager manages printed documents and is separate from Document Management Systems (DMSs) that manage electronic soft copy documents. One or more DMSs are registered with a postmark server. A client computing device executes a postmark client, detects a print event for a specified document, and queries a postmark server to determine whether the print event for the specified document should include a graphical postmark. In response, the postmark server queries one or more of the registered DMSs to determine whether the specified document matches a document in any of the repositories of the registered DMS(s). When the specified document to be printed matches a document in a registered DMS, the postmark server authorizes the postmark client to add the graphical postmark in a print stream corresponding to the print event for the specified document.