Print Server Anticipatory Job Conversion for Mobile Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile printing systems experience delays in first print out time due to slower network communications and the need for on-demand conversion of documents from native formats to print-ready formats at the printer, leading to user dissatisfaction.
Innovation Solution
The system anticipates which printer the user will select based on their location and converts the print job into multiple print-ready formats at submission time, pre-spools the job to nearby printers, and sends these files through the network before the user arrives, allowing immediate printing upon access code entry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the print server converts the original print job into print-ready format at job release time (on-demand conversion), then the device complexity is reduced, but the first print out time increases due to network communication delays and conversion time
Solution Approach 1:
The print server performs the conversion from original format to print-ready format in advance, before the user arrives at the printer. The system identifies potentially used printers based on user location and historical selections, converts the job to multiple printer-specific formats, and pre-spools the files to those printers. This preliminary action eliminates the conversion delay at the moment of printing.
Solution Approach 2:
The print server acts as an intermediary between the user's mobile device and the printer. It receives the original print job, performs the format conversion, and delivers the print-ready file to the printer before the user arrives. This intermediary role allows the complex conversion process to occur centrally rather than at the printer, reducing first print out time.
2Loss of time
If the print server pre-converts and pre-spools print jobs to multiple printers, then the first print out time is reduced, but the use of energy and network bandwidth increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-spools print jobs only to printers that are locally relevant to the user's current location and historical behavior patterns. The print server identifies potentially used printers based on geographic proximity and user preferences, then converts and transfers the job only to those specific printers rather than all available printers, optimizing energy and network usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs a partial pre-spooling action by sending the print-ready file to multiple potentially used printers simultaneously, rather than waiting for a single printer selection. This partial action ensures that regardless of which printer the user ultimately chooses, the file is already available, eliminating conversion delays without requiring conversion to every possible printer format.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system waits for user printer selection before converting the print job, then the adaptability to user choice is maximized, but the productivity of the printing system decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary conversion to multiple printer-specific formats based on predicted user choices, rather than waiting for actual selection. By converting in advance to several likely printer formats, the system maintains adaptability to user choice while eliminating the productivity loss from on-demand conversion at print time.
Data Source
AI summary
In systems and methods, a print server receives an original print job in an originated format that is associated with a user through a network. The print server identifies potentially used printers that can be utilized to print the original print job based on a current physical location of a mobile wireless device associated with the user. The print server converts the original print job from the originated format into printing formats used by the potentially used printers to generate print-ready print jobs. The print server is adapted to send the print-ready print jobs to the potentially used printers through the network when the print-ready print jobs are created. A selected printer of the potentially used printers receives an instruction to print the original print job and the selected printer prints a received one of the print-ready print jobs when the selected printer receives the instruction to print.