Patent ID: 7602514
Filing Date: 2009-10-13
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for estimating the time to print a document comprising: (a) a printer driver receiving a document to be printed on a selected one of a plurality of printers (b) said printer driver creating printer document data based upon said document and said plurality of printers; (c) said printer driver creating respective sets of statistics related to an estimated time to print said document on at least two of said plurality of printers, each of said respective sets of said statistics based upon a model of a respective said plurality of printers; (d) said printer driver spooling said printer document data into a file for printing on said printer; (e) said printer driver estimating a time for printing the entire said document on each of said plurality of printers based upon said sets of statistics and upon a respectively calculated estimated time of completion of any print jobs being currently performed by each of said plurality of printers; and (f) transmitting the respective said estimated times for printing said document to a print server that modifies the respectively estimated said times received from said print driver for printing said document and automatically selects a printer to print the entire said document based on the modified said estimated times.