Patent ID: 7511841
Filing Date: 2009-03-31
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving from a user of a computer-based system a request to print a system-generated output document that includes one or more associated attachment documents, wherein the system has a document converter interface and a print spooler; generating, in the system in response to the user print request, a composite spool request that includes a child spool request for the output document and a separate child spool request for each of the one or more associated attachment documents, wherein the composite spool request represents the output document and the associated documents to be printed, and each child spool request represents a respective one of the documents, either the output document or one of the one or more associated attachment documents; calling the document converter interface for each of the child spool requests to call an external document converter to convert the document represented by the respective child spool request into a printable format and to return the printable format data to the system, wherein the document converter interface includes a plurality of functions that handle delivery of the output document and associated attachment documents to the document converter interface, that handle return of converted documents and attachments, that handle a conversion status demand, and that handle synchronous conversion of an individual document; generating in the system a single print job, the single print job including a sequence of all the printable format data returned to the system by the external document converter for the child spool requests; and sending the single print job to the print spooler, the print spooler delivering the single print job to a printer device.