Printer Job Routing via Capability Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
In a printing system with multiple printers, users face delays due to the inability to determine which printer can process specific print settings, leading to inefficient job transfer and prolonged waiting times for printed materials.
Innovation Solution
Each printer in the system is equipped with a communication unit, a determination unit to assess print settings, and a storage unit to store jobs that can be processed, allowing for automatic transfer to capable printers when settings are not met, thereby optimizing job processing and reducing delays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a user issues a print job to any printer in the system, then the user can print from any location at any time, but the user cannot determine which printer can process the job, leading to delayed printing
Solution Approach 1:
The printer determines in advance whether it can process the print job by checking if its printing functions match the print settings before the user submits the print instruction. Jobs that cannot be processed are transferred to other printers proactively, so when the user later logs in to any printer, the job is already in the correct location ready for immediate printing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the printer that spools the job is different from the printer that prints the job, then ubiquitous printing is enabled, but the job must be transferred after the print instruction is received, causing delay
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs job capability matching and transfer operations before the user submits the print instruction. When a print job is received, the spooling printer immediately determines whether it can process the job based on its printing functions. If not, the job is transferred to a capable printer in advance, eliminating the need for post-instruction transfer and reducing waiting time.
3Adaptability or versatility
If printers have different functions, then specialized printing capabilities are available, but the application cannot perform print setting for all printers, requiring manual determination
Solution Approach 1:
The spooling printer automatically determines whether it can process the incoming print job by comparing its own printing functions with the job's print settings. This self-determination eliminates the need for the application to manually check each printer's capabilities or for the user to select a specific printer, maintaining ease of operation while handling functional diversity.
Solution Approach 2:
The printer performs automatic capability matching between its printing functions and the job's print settings before the user submits the print instruction. This preliminary determination ensures that the job is either kept at the spooling printer or transferred to an appropriate printer in advance, so the user can conveniently submit to any printer without worrying about compatibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A printing system includes a plurality of printers capable of communicating with each other, wherein each of the plurality of printers includes a communication unit configured to transmit/receive a job, a determination unit configured to determine whether print setting of a received job is processable by a printing function of the printer, and a storage unit configured to store the job in a memory, and each of the plurality of printers stores the job in the memory by the storage unit when the print setting of the received job is determined to be processable by the determination unit by the printing function of the printer and transfers the job by the communication unit to any printer of the plurality of printers when the print setting is determined to be not processable.