Patent ID: 6018398
Filing Date: 2000-01-25
Classification: G06F,G06K

Abstract:
A method of producing collated duplex printed copy sheets on a simplex printing system which does not have automatic duplex printing capability but has an interactive user interface and has electronic document storage operatively associated therewith, said simplex printing system also having at least one copy sheets input and printed copy sheets output; wherein a plural page document duplex electronic print job is generated with a duplex printing control signal associated therewith and electronically selectably sent to a remote or local printer to be hardcopy printed; wherein if said plural page duplex document electronic print job is sent to a duplex printer with said automatic duplex printing capability then said duplex electronic print job is duplex printed normally without user interactive intervention; and wherein if said plural page duplex document electronic print job is sent to a said simplex printing system which does not have said automatic duplex printing capability; then:if said simplex printing system detects that said plural page duplex document electronic print job has said duplex printing control signal associated therewith, then said duplex document electronic print job is temporarily held in said electronic storage associated with said simplex printing system for subsequent printing, until a duplex document printing command signal is entered into said simplex printing system,whereupon, in response to said duplex document printing command signal and the presence of a said detected plural page duplex document electronic print job held in said electronic storage operatively associated with said simplex printing system, said plural page duplex document electronic print job is automatically split up into two different split simplex electronic print jobs, of alternate, first and second sides, pages, and only said first sides pages split simplex print job of said duplex document electronic print job is initially sequentially printed onto only one side of sequential copy sheets by said simplex printing system and outputted therefrom at said printed copy sheets output,then said simplex printing system automatically pauses to wait for said copy sheets so printed on only one side to be reloaded into said copy sheets input of said simplex printing system and a second sides print command is given to said simplex printing system, whereupon,said simplex printing system then prints said other, second sides split simplex print job onto the backsides of said copy sheets from said copy sheets input and outputs the complete plural page duplex document electronic print job collated at said printed copy sheets output of said simplex printing system;wherein said duplex document printing command signal is entered into said interactive user interface operatively associated with said simplex printing system by a user then present at said simplex printing system.