Patent ID: 8064085
Filing Date: 2011-11-22
Classification: G06F,G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method of processing print order requests in a print system comprising a central print controller, a plurality of remote print customers and a plurality of remote print suppliers, the central print controller being connected to the plurality of remote print customers and the plurality of remote print suppliers by way of a communications network, the central print controller having a central processor and a central print controller database with service parameter data relating to each of the print suppliers stored thereon, the service parameter data including one or more of a print supplier location, a print supplier turnaround time, a print supplier capacity, a print supplier capability, a print supplier stock list and a print supplier work schedule, the central print controller database further having data relating to a proprietary database system in use by the print supplier for each of the print suppliers connected to the central print controller stored thereon, the method comprising the steps of: at least one of the remote print customers transmitting a print order request to the central print controller over the communications network, the print order request containing print criteria including details relating to the print customer and details relating to content to be printed, the details relating to the print customer including one or more of a print customer billing address, a print order shipment address, a print customer contact details and a print customer order reference, the details relating to the content to be printed including one or more of a quantity of items to be printed, a required delivery date of the content and one or more identifiers of the content to be printed; on receipt of the print order request from the remote print customer, the central print controller retrieving the service parameter data from the central print controller database and using the central processor, comparing the print criteria of the print order request with the service parameter data of each of the print suppliers and thereafter the central print controller matching the print order request to the print supplier with service parameter data that best matches the criteria of the print order request and selecting that print supplier for fulfillment of the print order; subsequent to selection of the appropriate print supplier, the central print controller retrieving the data relating to the proprietary database system in operation on the selected print supplier from the central print controller database; the central print controller reconfiguring the print order request received from the print customer in the central processor into a format suitable for transmission to the proprietary database system of the appropriately selected print supplier over the communications network in accordance with the proprietary database system that is in operation on the selected print supplier and thereafter transmitting the reconfigured print order request to the selected print supplier over the communications network; the print supplier thereafter receiving the reconfigured print order request and populating the print suppliers proprietary database system with the print order request thereby scheduling the print order for execution and thereafter printing the content of the print order request in accordance with the print order criteria, packing the content of the print order request and shipping the print order content to the print customer; and at a predetermined interval, the print supplier transmitting specific print order request information to the central print controller relating to the completion of the print order request and the central print controller transmitting specific print order request information to the print customer in connection with handling the print order request.