Patent ID: 8842312
Filing Date: 2014-09-23
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for processing a print job from an application through a printer driver for a user, comprising: previously designating by an administrator to each user, the user's administrative privilege status, the user's registered unlocker level, and the user's administrator level; determining a name corresponding to the application; upon finding the name corresponding to the application in an application-profile name table, which stores names of all applications for which a profile has been defined by an administrator to associate an application with a set of print settings, loading and applying to at least one current print setting at least one print setting corresponding to the name corresponding to the application in a print settings data table; and then customizing the current settings by applying a selective lock-in print settings process, wherein a setting designated by the administrator as always locked is not subject to the selective lock-in print settings process, users and administrators are not allowed to change a setting designated by the administrator as always locked, which always locked setting is applicable to a custom printer driver wherein settings are fixed, and wherein a setting designated by the administrator as conditionally changeable is subject to the selective lock-in print settings process, and for the setting designated by the administer as conditionally changeable, in an administrator level, the administrator can lock-in a feature setting, wherein when the feature setting is locked-in, normal users cannot change that feature's setting, or the administrator can let other users still change the feature setting if given edit rights, wherein the administrator designates the registered unlocker level for each user by specifying each of the print settings as one of (i) always locked, (ii) conditionally changeable, and (iii) always unlocked, which selective lock-in print setting process enables a user to change a subset of current print settings based on the user's administrative privilege status, and based on each setting's status as designated by an administrator, wherein, for each of the current settings, after determining and deciding using a microprocessor the setting's status as designated by an administrator and the user's administrative privilege status, if the user's administrative privilege status allows for changing the setting, the setting is changed, and wherein, during the selected lock-in print setting process, a setting designated by the administrator as conditionally changeable enables the user to change the setting designated by the administrator as conditionally changeable after unlocking the setting and changing the state of the setting from conditionally locked to conditionally unlocked, if the user is a registered unlocker and optional if the user presented with a password interface enters a permissible password, and which selective lock-in print setting process comprises per setting unlock process and group unlock process, wherein within per setting unlock process, for a print setting that is not always locked, if a current user is a registered unlocker, the print setting is unlocked, and within group unlock process, for a print setting that is conditionally locked, if a current user is a registered unlocker, the print setting is enabled.