Patent ID: 6657740
Filing Date: 2003-12-02
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method of printing in an accountable manner with error detection, comprising the steps of:a) receiving a document in a human-readable printer command language, where the document is comprised of at least one data file, where each at least one data file is comprised of at least one data record and at least one control record, where each of the at least one data record is associated with one of the at least one control record; where each of the at least one data record is comprised of an image, a sequence number, and a check-sum number; and where each of the at least one control record is comprised of a font type, a font size, a sequence number, and a check-sum number; b) generating a table of contents that lists each at least one data file in the document and each page on which each at least one data file would appear if printed; c) selecting a data file to print; d) determining on which pages the selected data file would appear if printed; e) converting the at least one data records and the at least one control records, including the corresponding sequence number and the check-sum number, on the pages identified in the last step from the human-readable printer command language of the document to a machine-readable format that a printer may print; f) checking each sequence number and check-sum number converted in the last step to the corresponding sequence number and check-sum number in the document received to see if the at least one data record and the at least one control record converted in the last step are in the same sequence as in the document as received and if any error occurred as a result of the last step, reporting any discrepancy, and stopping if any discrepancy exists; g) sending the result of step (e) to the printer for printing; h) comparing how many pages were sent to the printer in the last step to how many pages were actually printed by the printer, reporting any discrepancy, and stopping if any discrepancy exists; i) comparing the sequence number and sum-check number for each at least one data record and each at least one control record sent to the printer in step (g) to the corresponding sequence number and check-sum number in the document as received, reporting any discrepancy, and stopping if any discrepancy exists; j) returning to step (c) if it is desired to print another data file; and k) commanding the printer to print a report of what was printed.