Patent ID: 6469796
Filing Date: 2002-10-22
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method comprising:routing print jobs automatically from different types of print source computers to a print server computer, the print source computers being connected in a first communication network, providing a graphical user interface at the print server computer and enabling a human print operator to manipulate elements of the graphical user interface at the print server to assign each of the print jobs received from the print source computers to a printer selected from among available printers of different types, the available printers being connected in a second communication network, determining if printers coupled to the print server have set-ups compatible with the set-ups of the print jobs assigned to them, preventing a user from manipulating elements of the graphical user interface to make assignments of print jobs to print servers when the set-ups of the print jobs are not compatible with the set-ups of the printers, if the set-ups are compatible, sending the assigned print jobs from the print server to output managers connected to the printers, the output managers being connected in the second communication network, transforming data into a format compatible with each of the printers to which the print jobs are sent, distributing the print jobs from the print server computer to the printers in accordance with the assignments, and enabling the printers to print the print jobs in parallel.