Patent ID: 6687018
Filing Date: 2004-02-03
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for distributing document printing among a plurality of printers in a network printing system, comprising:receiving a print request from a client; prior to determining a schedule for a print job corresponding to the print request and allocating parts of the print job to resources for completion of the print job, determining, without intervention from the client, whether the print request is acceptable and can be completed based on a comparison between print attributes of the request and attributes of the resources provided by the network printing system; generating and storing the print job in a queue only when the print request is determined to be acceptable, and informing a client that the print request is acceptable prior to determining the schedule and allocating parts of the print job; marking the print request as unprintable and not generating or storing the print job, determining the schedule and allocating parts of the print job if the print request is not determined to be acceptable; and printing the acceptable print job on an available printer of the plurality of printers.