Virtual Printing Device Management for High-Volume Print Shops
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing a large volume of print jobs efficiently across multiple printers in environments like professional print shops is challenging due to limitations in printer settings and the need to assign jobs to appropriate printers quickly.
Innovation Solution
A print management method and apparatus that displays lists of printers and virtual printing devices on a monitor, allowing users to select virtual devices based on pre-defined rules and availability, and automatically assigns print jobs to designated printers or clusters for efficient processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple printers are used to handle large volume of print jobs, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments printers into different types (color printers and black-and-white printers) and further organizes them into groups based on capabilities. This segmentation allows the system to handle large volumes of print jobs by routing them to appropriate printer groups, reducing the complexity of managing individual printers while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal print management system that can handle multiple printer types through a single interface. The system provides unified functionality for managing both color and black-and-white printers, allowing users to submit print jobs without needing to understand the specific capabilities of individual printers, thus reducing management complexity while supporting high throughput.
2Productivity
If manual assignment of print jobs to printers is performed, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automated print job assignment where the system automatically determines which printer or printer group should process each job based on predefined criteria. This self-service mechanism eliminates manual assignment while maintaining simple user interaction, significantly improving productivity without requiring complex user training or intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically changes parameters such as printer selection, paper type, and printing options based on the job characteristics and available resources. This automated parameter adjustment enables rapid print job assignment while keeping the management system relatively simple, as the complexity is encapsulated within the automated decision-making algorithms rather than the user interface.
3Manufacturing precision
If printer settings are customized for each job, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-configures printer settings and capabilities in the management system before print jobs arrive. The system maintains predefined profiles for different printer types and paper types, allowing it to automatically apply appropriate settings without customization for each job. This preliminary configuration ensures print quality consistency while enabling rapid processing, as no time-consuming customization is needed for each individual job.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for managing printers, implemented in a print job management apparatus, is provided. The method includes displaying a list of the printers and a list of one or more virtual printing devices on a display monitor, each virtual printing device being defined by designating one or more of the printers together with pre-defined rules for processing a print job, receiving a command from a user to select a virtual printing device, and in response to said command, visually distinguishing the one or more of the printers designated by the selected virtual printing device among the printers listed on the display monitor.