Abstract:
Embodiments of the invention include a computer-implemented control and monitoring method and system for print shop management. The method may include monitoring multiple print servers and insertion devices for inserting printed material into envelopes. Programmed computer processing components may be used for performing steps including receiving print status data and insertion status data from multiple printing and insertion sites, and matching the print data with the insertion data for each submitted print job and integrating the print status data with the insertion data. The method additionally includes providing a user application including multiple user interfaces displaying the integrated print status data and insertion status data in an interactive format.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application hereby incorporates by reference and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/393,466 filed on Oct. 15, 2010. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Embodiments of the invention are related generally to systems and methods for print shop management and in particular to automated processing and monitoring through the use of a dashboard providing collected data from multiple processes for monitoring and manipulation. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Corporations often process and send printed materials to customers and potential customers. Management of the creation and distribution of the printed materials requires oversight of: (1) the print cycle; and (2) insertion of printed materials into envelopes. In current management systems, these two processes as separately managed and do not communicate with one another. Furthermore, the monitoring of each of the processes is entirely manual so that the status is normally determined by an employee viewing the printing machines and the insertion process. 
     Currently, status updates may take the form of printed reports or writing results on white boards. An employee may use a white board to record current printing status and make periodic updates. These white boards are typically updated periodically during the day, for example, three times daily. 
     In order to consolidate information, a whiteboard and/or report for the print cycle and a white board and/or report for insertion may be periodically recorded and compared. For example, for the print cycle, the data is often loaded into a spreadsheet and may ultimately be incorporated in a paper report through the use of an automated document factory (ADF) workflow. However, the information collected by the ADF during the pint cycle does not provide visibility into the insertion location. The ADF knows which jobs are at the insertion location, but cannot report on the progress of each job. Thus, a manager of the printing process has no insight into progress of the insertion process and vice versa. 
     Thus, a system is needed that provides insight into both insertion and printing processes for viewing and usage by print shop management. Such a system should facilitate collection of information from both workflow processes and compilation of the collected information in a configuration useful for management. Furthermore, the system should enable real time updates to create an opportunity for efficient management. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the invention, a computer-implemented control and monitoring method is provided for print shop management. The method includes monitoring multiple print servers and insertion devices for inserting printed material into envelopes. Programmed computer processing components perform multiple steps including receiving print status data and insertion status data from multiple printing and insertion sites. The steps further include matching the print data with the insertion data for each submitted print job, integrating the print status data with the insertion data, and providing a user application including multiple selectable user interfaces displaying the integrated print status data and insertion status data in an interactive format. 
     In another aspect of the invention, a computer-implemented control and monitoring system is provided for facilitating print job management. The system monitors at least one print server and at least one insertion device for inserting printed material into envelopes and includes a print data collection processor communicating with the at least one print server, the print data collection processor implementing a data collection process for collecting print status data. The system additionally includes insertion data collection processing components communicating with the at least one insertion device for collecting insertion status data and data integration components for automatically integrating the collected insertion status data with the collected print status data. The system further includes a user application including multiple user interfaces for displaying the integrated print status data and insertion status data in an interactive format. 
     In a further aspect of the invention, a computer-implemented control and monitoring method for print shop management is provided, the method monitoring at least one print server and at least one insertion device for inserting printed material into envelopes. The method includes implementing programmed computer processing components for performing multiple steps including communicating with the at least one print server for collecting print status data, communicating with the at least one insertion device for collecting insertion status data, and automatically integrating the collected insertion status data with the collected print status data. The method also provides a user application for including multiple user interfaces for displaying the integrated print status data and insertion status data in an interactive format. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an operating environment for a control and monitoring system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating workflow in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating a workflow method in a control and monitoring system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating a workflow method within an ADF of the control and monitoring system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a user interface enabled by an inserter productivity monitoring and control system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a user interface illustrating a site view within a statement processing dashboard in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a user interface illustrating a product view within a statement processing dashboard in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a user interface illustrating a map view within a print dashboard in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a user interface illustrating an additional map view within a print dashboard in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a user interface illustrating a more detailed map view in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a user interface illustrating a printer monitoring view within a print dashboard in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 12  is a chart illustrating information available through user interfaces in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 13  is a chart illustrating alerts available through user interfaces in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system and method for process flow management for printing services. The system and method incorporate a user interface dashboard system that depicts collected real time data for user viewing and manipulation. Embodiments of the invention extract data from various print jobs and combine the collected print job data with data from envelope insertions and provide an end to end process flow management system that may be accessible over the Internet. The system may additionally include or be integrated with cameras at the printing and/or insertion sites so that a person viewing the dashboard remotely could have a real time view of the printing and insertion processes. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an operating environment for a control and monitoring system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention External data sources  20 , print systems  30 , insertion systems  40 , control and monitoring system  50 , and user stations  60  may be connected over a network  10 . 
     The network  10  may be or include any known network. Various networks may be implemented in accordance with embodiments of the invention, including a wired or wireless local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN), wireless personal area network (PAN) and other types of networks. When used in a LAN networking environment, computers may be connected to the LAN through a network interface or adapter. When used in a WAN networking environment, computers typically include a modem or other communication mechanism. Computers may be connected over the Internet, an Intranet, Extranet, Ethernet, or any other system that provides communications. Some suitable communications protocols may include TCP/IP, UDP, or OSI for example. For wireless communications, communications protocols may include Bluetooth, Zigbee, IrDa or other suitable protocol. Furthermore, components of the system may communicate through a combination of wired or wireless paths. Although the components are shown to be connected over network  130 , the components may be connected directly or over multiple networks. Alternatively, some components may be combined so as to be integral with one another. 
     The external data sources  20  may include data warehouses, databases, and other external sources. The sources may include equipment manufacturers information, print information, inserter information, and useful information that is available internally or externally to the organization. A configuration management database (CMDB) may be provided to include a repository of information related to all the components of the system including the IT infrastructure. 
     The print system  30  could include one printer and one and one inserter. However, embodiments of the invention are best adapted for and most useful in situations where the print system  30  includes multiple printers at multiple geographic locations across the United States and/or across the world. The printers may include multiple different brands and models of printers. 
     The insertion systems  40  are provided on a scale to accommodate the print systems  30 . The insertion systems  40  are provided in order to insert printed materials into envelopes for mailing and/or delivery to their final destinations. 
     The control and monitoring system  50  serves to control and integrate the functions of the print system  30  and the insertion system  40 . As will be described in greater detail below, the control and monitoring system  50  integrates collected data and provides a user application that enables viewing of multiple user interfaces that provide status data pertaining to the print and insertion systems  30  and  40 . 
     The user stations  60  may be provided to enable viewing of the collected integrated data by managers and other print personnel. The viewing may occur on any type of computing device or screen receiving data from a processing machine or computing device, as will further be described below. Various user interfaces created through the control and monitoring system  50  enable simplified access to information at the multiple printing and insertion sites. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating workflow in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. External data sources  200  provide information to control and monitoring system  210 . The control and monitoring system  210  controls and monitors print systems  220  and insertion systems  230 . An embodiment of the components of the control and monitoring system  210  is illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating a workflow method in a control and monitoring system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The control and monitoring system shown in  FIG. 3  may include an ADF  320  and an inserter productivity monitoring and control system  330 . In operation, the ADF  320  and the inserter productivity monitoring and control system  330  provide real time updates to the dashboard system  310  for integration and display. Although the components of the control and monitoring system are shown as directly communicating with one another, they may be connected with each other over one or more networks. 
     The above-described components may be located in the same or different locations. They may collect the aforementioned data and send it over one or more networks to a remote location for integration and creation of user interfaces. 
     In operation, data from the printing systems and insertion systems may be collected and transmitted to the control and monitoring system by various mechanisms including video cameras installed at the respective sites. Data may also be collected by computing systems or on site personnel. As further explained below, the ADF  320  operates to transfer printed material from printing to insertion processes. The ADF  320  and inserter productivity monitoring and control system  330  may include computer hardware and software configured to process the data collected from the printing system and insertion systems. The ADF  320  and inserter productivity monitoring system  330  may further include or interface with one or more databases for managing collected data. The dashboard system  330  may integrated the collected status data provide the data in the form of selectable user interfaces as will be further described with reference to  FIGS. 5-13 . 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating a user interface  400  showing a workflow method within the ADF of the control and monitoring system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The ADF is an architecture that addresses the unique problems encountered in high volume document production environments especially but not limited to printing and mailing operations. Enterprises use the ADF architecture to provide the foundation for document production operations, such as transaction printing (bills, checks, policies, etc.) and/or marketing collateral (brochures, literature, etc.). Hardware and software technology providers use the ADF architecture to frame the products and features they offer to the print operations The modules of the ADF are tied together with interfaces that ensure that the outputs of a preceding module match the input requirements for the next module. 
     Available system actions achievable through the user interface are shown at  402 . Processes executed by the ADF and the status of each process are shown adjacent the system actions. Process  404  and Process  406  are Receive Print and Receive Files processes respectively. Process  404  may be for the advanced function printing (AFP) and process  406  may be for the control files that match to the AFP. AFP is a family of associated printer software and hardware that provides document and information presentation control independent of specific applications and devices. Using AFP, users can control formatting, the form of paper output, whether a document is to be printed or viewed online, and manage document storage and access in a distributed network across multiple operating system platforms. AFP is primarily used in large enterprises with printer rooms and expensive high-speed printers. AFP applications allow users or print room operators to distributed print jobs among a group of printers and to designate backup printers when one fails. 
     Process  404  examines the AFP, indexes it, and loads data about the jobs and mail pieces into an ADF database and performs transforms if necessary. Such data may include, for example, the name of the job, the number of pages, line of business or other data? Process  406  examines the control files and also loads the ADF database. Once the control file information is loaded, Process  404  may compare the AFP to the control files to match them together. Once this is done the jobs move forward in their respective processes until all data is loaded into the ADF database and the jobs are ready to be prepared for printing. 
     Process  410  is an extract process that prepares jobs for printing. Process  410  thresholds the print files received into manageable production sizes for the current configuration of the production floor to release the work to the print queue. For example, if the floor equipment best supports jobs of the size of 18-22,000 sheets, a stream of 200,000 sheets may be thresholded at 20,000 sheets such that 10 child jobs are created. The child jobs may include the thresholded AFP and the control file. The ADF updates the ADF database allocating each of he already indexed mail pieces into the appropriate child jobs. 
     A print process  420  manages the files from printing to dispatching. At a print step of the print process  420 , the files are managed via the ADF to the various production print equipment. The print process may provide reprinting, forward space and back space controls, and print range functions. 
     After the printing process is complete, the ADF may perform a quality check process  422  and a production control process  430 . After these processes are completed, the work may be assigned to inserters or finishing equipment. In processes  440  and  450  the control files are loaded to control the insert devices during mail piece processing such that the bin firing selection and timing is controlled. The insertion results are also loaded in processes  440  and  450 . The insertion results may be returned in real time. 
     The results are then loaded back into the ADF for additional processing and manual mail piece correction or selection for reprinting at a Verification process  460 . A dispatch process  470  is used to conclude the work in the ADF and indicate that the jobs are leaving the facility for delivery. A Retention process  480  may also be provided for retention. 
       FIG. 5  is a user interface enabled by an inserter productivity monitoring and control system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. User interface  500  may include a selectable site  502  and a description of each piece of inserter equipment  510 . The user interface  500  may further include specific machine details at  530 . The status of each inserter equipment piece may be communicated by depicting each equipment piece status with a distinct graphic representation. For example, diagonal cross-hatching, or a red colored display may indicate that a process has stopped as shown for AF APS and for B1 APS. Dotted icons A1 FPS and B4 APS+ may designate processes that are partially complete. In embodiments of the invention, yellow may be used to illustrate partial completion. Darkened icons A3 MPS, B2 APS+, B5APS, B6MPS, B7 MPS, and B8MPS may be used to represent processes that are completed or nearing completion. In embodiments of the invention, these icons may be colored green. Unshaded icons A2 FPS, A4 APS, and B3 APS may illustrate processes that have not yet begun. Below each icon, the number of pieces processed, the goal, and the percentage of the goal reached are listed. Highlighting an icon may cause more information, such as that at  520  to be displayed. At  520 , the viewer obtains the identity of the operator, the run rate, the goal run rate, and the status. In this instance, the operator has stopped the processing. 
     Further information is also shown in section  530 , which shows the basic information including machine status, operation run rate, goal run rate, and operator identity. Additional information may include job information such as job type and job ID, a description of what is being printed, the number of pieces, the number of sheets, and the current status. 
       FIGS. 6-13  are further descriptive of the types of information that may be displayed to system users and the manner in which the information may be displayed to enhance the user experience. The screens on pages 1-3 may be displayed on any type of computing device including a mobile device, and the system may be configured to provide alerts and real time data directly to a user device. 
       FIG. 6  is a user interface  602  illustrating a site view  612  within a statement processing dashboard  610  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In embodiments of the invention, the system may print statements for mailing, the statements issued by a financial institution or other organization. Selectable display options  614  include site, display, view, priority, cycle date, and service level agreement (SLA) date. Information displayed relates to clients, pieces, print, production control, manual insertion, machine insertion, verification, dispatch, parent jobs, and child jobs. The clients may include internal clients within a business or clients external to a printing operation. The number of pieces for printing may be shown for each client. Each successive column illustrates the number of pieces currently in each process described above in the ADF with respect to  FIG. 4 . Additionally, the final columns show the number of parent jobs and the number of child jobs being processed. Section  630  includes a bar graph showing processing trends indicating how many pieces are in any given process at a point in time. 
       FIG. 7  is a user interface illustrating a product view  712  within a statement processing dashboard  710  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Section  714  includes selectable display items, such as site, display view, priority, and SLA date. Headings  716  include jobs, job identifiers, job status, pieces, sheets, and SLA. Furthermore, each successive column, including print, production control, manual insertion, machine insertion, verification, and dispatch illustrates the number of pieces currently in each process described above in the ADF with respect to  FIG. 4 . Section  718  provides all of the relevant data for the selected product. 
       FIG. 8  is a user interface illustrating a map view  820  within a print dashboard  810  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The map  820  may cover an entire geographic area where print facilities are dispersed. Within each geographic area, a plurality of dots or other indicators may represent print facilities. 
       FIG. 9  is a user interface illustrating an additional map view  920  within a print dashboard  910  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Indicators such as dots  930  may be provided to identify print facilities. In  FIG. 9 , a user has zoomed in to see details as illustrated by dots  940 . The dots in the region  940  illustrate a number of printers at the location. If a user clicks on the location, the user will be taken directly to a print monitoring view (shown and further described in  FIG. 11 ) for that location. 
       FIG. 10  is a user interface illustrating a more detailed map view  1020  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. An informational area  1010  shows the dashboard and a pooling timestamp. The polling timestamp reflects the last time the dashboard was updated with print data. The updates generally include print volume and alerts such as status and toner level. A search function in the tool bar  1010  allows the user to locate a specific printer. Search fields may include, but should not be limited to, printer name, serial number, physical location, and IP address. Highlighted dots  1030  and faded dots such as  1040  may be implemented for display on the user interfaces. 
       FIG. 11  is a user interface illustrating a printer monitoring view  1110  within a print dashboard in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. A toolbar  1100  includes dashboard information, polling information and a search block as described above and additionally includes a date range selector. The date range selector in the printer monitoring view updates information including pages, black and white pages, color pages, color percentage, and duplex percentage for each printer based on the date range selected. Selectable options  1120  include location information such as region, country, state/province, city, building, and floor. Selectable options  1120  may further include line of business, building type, vendor, model number, status, and variance. Columns  1130  list the information in accordance with the selected options for each printer  1140  listed. Additionally, the columns  1130  may include additional information such information on alerts, printer status, toner level, and pages. Each column may be removed or added in accordance with user preferences. Specific preferences can be saved to a default view within a user profile. A printer information area  1150  allows details for a selected printer to be specified in greater detail. 
       FIG. 12  is a chart illustrating information available through user interfaces in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Available regions  1210  may include selected regions or all regions. Similarly, available countries  1220 ,  1230 , and  1240  may include all countries within a region or selected countries within a region. Lines of business  1250  are listed as lines of business within a financial institution. Vendors  1252  may include all vendors of printers within the system or selected vendors. Status indicators  1254  include all statuses, online, or offline. Illustrated building types  1258  include all building types, campus, or non-campus building types. Variance selections  1256  may include “all”, “yes” or “no”. Model numbers  1260  may include each model number available individually or alternatively, all model numbers may be included. Model numbers may be set as a multi-select filter, such that more than one printer model can be selected at a time. Guidance for selecting filters is illustrated at  1270 . The filters may be intertwined, such that selection of a particular filter, such as “region” will limit the filters available for “country”. Other filter selections may also be limited based on the selection of another filter. For example, certain building types or certain printer models may exist only in certain regions or certain countries. 
       FIG. 13  is a chart illustrating alerts available through user interfaces in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Supplies alerts  1310  illustrate supply deficiencies at a selected site. Advisory alerts  1320 , service errors  1330 , media path alerts  1340 , and service alerts  1350  illustrate particular problems that must be solved in order to resume printing. Particular types of alerts may be identified by a particular icon as illustrated in the printer monitoring screen of  FIG. 11 . The icons may be differentiated by color, number, shape, and/or a combination of these. 
     All of the components illustrated in the aforementioned drawings may be, include, or be implemented by a computer or multiple computers. The components may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. 
     As described above, embodiments of the system of the invention and various processes of embodiments are described. The system of the invention or portions of the system of the invention may be in the form of a “processing machine,” i.e. a tangibly embodied machine, such as a general purpose computer or a special purpose computer, for example. As used herein, the term “processing machine” is to be understood to include at least one processor that uses at least one memory. The at least one memory stores a set of instructions. The instructions may be either permanently or temporarily stored in the memory or memories of the processing machine. The processor executes the instructions that are stored in the memory or memories in order to process data. The set of instructions may include various instructions that perform a particular task or tasks, such as any of the processing as described herein. Such a set of instructions for performing a particular task may be characterized as a program, software program, or simply software. 
     As noted above, the processing machine, which may be constituted, for example, by the particular system and/or systems described above, executes the instructions that are stored in the memory or memories to process data. This processing of data may be in response to commands by a user or users of the processing machine, in response to previous processing, in response to a request by another processing machine and/or any other input, for example. 
     As noted above, the processing machine used to implement the invention may be a general purpose computer. However, the processing machine described above may also utilize (or be in the form of) any of a wide variety of other technologies including a special purpose computer, a computer system including a microcomputer, mini-computer or mainframe for example, a programmed microprocessor, a micro-controller, a peripheral integrated circuit element, a CSIC (Consumer Specific Integrated Circuit) or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or other integrated circuit, a logic circuit, a digital signal processor, a programmable logic device such as a FPGA, PLD, PLA or PAL, or any other device or arrangement of devices that is capable of implementing the steps of the processes of the invention. 
     The processing machine used to implement the invention may utilize a suitable operating system. Thus, embodiments of the invention may include a processing machine running the Microsoft Windows™ Vista™ operating system, the Microsoft Windows™ XP™ operating system, the Microsoft Windows™ NT™ operating system, the Windows™ 2000 operating system, the Unix operating system, the Linux operating system, the Xenix operating system, the IBM AIX™ operating system, the Hewlett-Packard UX™ operating system, the Novell Netware™ operating system, the Sun Microsystems Solaris™ operating system, the OS/2™ operating system, the BeOS™ operating system, the Macintosh operating system, the Apache operating system, an OpenStep™ operating system or another operating system or platform. 
     It is appreciated that in order to practice the method of the invention as described above, it is not necessary that the processors and/or the memories of the processing machine be physically located in the same geographical place. That is, each of the processors and the memories used by the processing machine may be located in geographically distinct locations and connected so as to communicate in any suitable manner. Additionally, it is appreciated that each of the processor and/or the memory may be composed of different physical pieces of equipment. Accordingly, it is not necessary that the processor be one single piece of equipment in one location and that the memory be another single piece of equipment in another location. That is, it is contemplated that the processor may be two pieces of equipment in two different physical locations. The two distinct pieces of equipment may be connected in any suitable manner. Additionally, the memory may include two or more portions of memory in two or more physical locations. 
     To explain further, processing as described above is performed by various components and various memories. However, it is appreciated that the processing performed by two distinct components as described above may, in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, be performed by a single component. Further, the processing performed by one distinct component as described above may be performed by two distinct components. In a similar manner, the memory storage performed by two distinct memory portions as described above may, in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, be performed by a single memory portion. Further, the memory storage performed by one distinct memory portion as described above may be performed by two memory portions. 
     Further, various technologies may be used to provide communication between the various processors and/or memories, as well as to allow the processors and/or the memories of the invention to communicate with any other entity; i.e., so as to obtain further instructions or to access and use remote memory stores, for example. Such technologies used to provide such communication might include a network, the Internet, Intranet, Extranet, LAN, an Ethernet, or any client server system that provides communication, for example. Such communications technologies may use any suitable protocol such as TCP/IP, UDP, or OSI, for example. 
     As described above, at least one set of instructions is used in the processing of the invention. The set of instructions may be in the form of a program or software. The software may be in the form of system software or application software, for example. The software might also be in the form of a collection of separate programs, a program module within a larger program, or a portion of a program module, for example. The software used might also include modular programming in the form of object oriented programming. The software tells the processing machine what to do with the data being processed. 
     Further, it is appreciated that the instructions or set of instructions used in the implementation and operation of the invention may be in a suitable form such that the processing machine may read the instructions. For example, the instructions that form a program may be in the form of a suitable programming language, which is converted to machine language or object code to allow the processor or processors to read the instructions. That is, written lines of programming code or source code, in a particular programming language, are converted to machine language using a compiler, assembler or interpreter. The machine language is binary coded machine instructions that are specific to a particular type of processing machine, i.e., to a particular type of computer, for example. The computer understands the machine language. 
     Any suitable programming language may be used in accordance with the various embodiments of the invention. Illustratively, the programming language used may include assembly language, Ada, APL, Basic, C, C++, COBOL, dBase, Forth, Fortran, Java, Modula-2, Pascal, Prolog, REXX, Visual Basic, and/or JavaScript, for example. Further, it is not necessary that a single type of instructions or single programming language be utilized in conjunction with the operation of the system and method of the invention. Rather, any number of different programming languages may be utilized as is necessary or desirable. 
     Also, the instructions and/or data used in the practice of the invention may utilize any compression or encryption technique or algorithm, as may be desired. An encryption module might be used to encrypt data. Further, files or other data may be decrypted using a suitable decryption module, for example. 
     As described above, the invention may illustratively be embodied in the form of a processing machine, including a computer or computer system, for example, that includes at least one memory. It is to be appreciated that the set of instructions, i.e., the software for example, that enables the computer operating system to perform the operations described above may be contained on any of a wide variety of media or medium, as desired. Further, the data that is processed by the set of instructions might also be contained on any of a wide variety of media or medium. That is, the particular medium, i.e., the memory in the processing machine, utilized to hold the set of instructions and/or the data used in the invention may take on any of a variety of physical forms or transmissions, for example. Illustratively, the medium may be in the form of paper, paper transparencies, a compact disk, a DVD, an integrated circuit, a hard disk, a floppy disk, an optical disk, a magnetic tape, a RAM, a ROM, a PROM, a EPROM, a wire, a cable, a fiber, communications channel, a satellite transmissions or other remote transmission, as well as any other medium or source of data that may be read by the processors of the invention. 
     Further, the memory or memories used in the processing machine that implements the invention may be in any of a wide variety of forms to allow the memory to hold instructions, data, or other information, as is desired. Thus, the memory might be in the form of a database to hold data. The database might use any desired arrangement of files such as a flat file arrangement or a relational database arrangement, for example. 
     In the system and method of the invention, a variety of “user interfaces” may be utilized to allow a user to interface with the processing machine or machines that are used to implement the invention. As used herein, a user interface includes any hardware, software, or combination of hardware and software used by the processing machine that allows a user to interact with the processing machine. A user interface may be in the form of a dialogue screen for example. A user interface may also include any of a mouse, touch screen, keyboard, voice reader, voice recognizer, dialogue screen, menu box, list, checkbox, toggle switch, a pushbutton or any other device that allows a user to receive information regarding the operation of the processing machine as it processes a set of instructions and/or provide the processing machine with information. Accordingly, the user interface is any device that provides communication between a user and a processing machine. The information provided by the user to the processing machine through the user interface may be in the form of a command, a selection of data, or some other input, for example. 
     As discussed above, a user interface is utilized by the processing machine that performs a set of instructions such that the processing machine processes data for a user. The user interface is typically used by the processing machine for interacting with a user either to convey information or receive information from the user. However, it should be appreciated that in accordance with some embodiments of the system and method of the invention, it is not necessary that a human user actually interact with a user interface used by the processing machine of the invention. Rather, it is also contemplated that the user interface of the invention might interact, i.e., convey and receive information, with another processing machine, rather than a human user. Accordingly, the other processing machine might be characterized as a user. Further, it is contemplated that a user interface utilized in the system and method of the invention may interact partially with another processing machine or processing machines, while also interacting partially with a human user. 
     It will be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible to broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those herein described, as well as many variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and foregoing description thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the invention. 
     Accordingly, while the present invention has been described here in detail in relation to its exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made to provide an enabling disclosure of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing disclosure is not intended to be construed or to limit the present invention or otherwise to exclude any other such embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements. 
     From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects set forth above, together with other advantages, which are obvious and inherent to the system and method. It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated and within the scope of the disclosed invention.