Abstract:
A method disclosed. The method includes receiving a Portable Document Format (PDF) print job file, applying a first transform to generate an Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) image print job data stream and applying a second transform to generate an AFP text print job data stream.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention relates to the field of printing systems, and in particular, to indexing print job image data. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Printers are common peripheral devices attached to computers. A printer allows a computer user to make a hard copy of documents that are created in a variety of applications and programs on a computer. To function properly, a channel of communication is established (e.g., via a network connection) between the printer and the computer to enable the printer to receive commands and information from the host computer. Once a connection is established between a workstation and the printer, printing software is typically implemented at a print server to manage a print job from job entry and management through the complete printing process. Print servers have the ability to receive print jobs in various presentation architectures. 
         [0003]    Presentation architectures represent documents in a data format that is independent of the methods that are utilized to capture or create those documents. One example of an exemplary presentation system, which will be described herein, is the (Advanced Function Presentation) AFP™ system developed by International Business Machines Corporation. According to the AFP system, documents may include combinations of text, image, graphics, and/or bar code objects in device and resolution independent formats. Documents may also include and/or reference fonts, overlays, and other resource objects, which are required at presentation time to present the data properly. 
         [0004]    Another presentation architecture is the Portable Document Format (PDF). Print processing PDF files typically involves passing the files through a pre-processor to transform the PDF files into an AFP image data stream, which has high print fidelity, prior to processing the AFP image data stream at a print server. However, the AFP image data stream does not include information necessary to access the data for applications other than printing. For example, print jobs including statement (e.g., banking or credit card) AFP image data streams cannot be indexed to retrieve postal information that could be used for postal optimization of mailings. Moreover, the AFP image data streams cannot be indexed to provide for archiving the AFP in a statement archive. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, an indexable PDF to AFP transform is desired. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    In one embodiment, a method is disclosed. The method includes receiving a Portable Document Format (PDF) print job file, applying a first transform to generate an Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) image print job data stream and applying a second transform to generate an AFP text print job data stream. 
         [0007]    In yet a further embodiment a printing system is disclosed. The printing system includes a first transform to convert a Portable Document Format (PDF) print job file to an Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) image print job data stream and a second transform to convert the PDF print job file to an AFP text print job data stream. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained from the following detailed description in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of a data processing system network; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of transforming PDF print data to AFP data; 
           [0011]      FIGS. 3  illustrate embodiments of converted AFP image and text data; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  illustrates one embodiment of a screen shot of an indexer tool; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  illustrates one embodiment of a computer system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    An indexable PDF to AFP transform mechanism is described. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the underlying principles of the present invention. 
         [0015]    Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of a data processing system network  100 . Network  100  includes a data processing system  102 , which may be either a desktop or a mobile data processing system, coupled via communications link  104  to network  106 . In one embodiment, data processing system  102  is a conventional data processing system including a processor, local memory, nonvolatile storage, and input/output devices such as a keyboard, mouse, trackball, and the like, all in accordance with the known art. 
         [0017]    In one embodiment, data processing system  102  includes and employs the Windows operating system, or other operating system, and/or network drivers permitting data processing system  102  to communicate with network  106  for the purposes of employing resources within network  106 . Network  106  may be a local area network (LAN) or any other network over which print requests may be submitted to a remote printer or print server. 
         [0018]    Communications link  104  may be in the form of a network adapter, docking station, or the like, and supports communications between data processing system  102  and network  106  employing a network communications protocol such as Ethernet, the AS/400 Network, or the like. 
         [0019]    According to one embodiment, network  106  includes a print server  108  that serves print requests over network  106  received via communications link  110  between print server  108  and network  106 . Print server  108  subsequently transmits the print requests via communications link  110  to one of printers  109  for printing, which are coupled to network  106  via communications links  111 . 
         [0020]    In one embodiment, the operating system on data processing system  102  allows a user to select print server  108  and submit requests for service to either printer  109  via print server  108  over network  106 . In a further embodiment, print server  108  includes a print queue corresponding to each printer  109 , where each queue includes print jobs requested by remote data processing systems  102 . 
         [0021]    According to one embodiment, print server  108  implements a printing software product that manages the printing of documents between data processing system  102  and printers  109 . In other embodiments, the printing software product manages printing of documents from multiple data processing systems  102  to the one or more printers  109 . 
         [0022]    According to one embodiment, the printing software product may be implemented using either InfoPrint Manager (IPM) or InfoPrint ProcessDirector (IPPD), although other types of printing software may be used instead. In a further embodiment, the printing software product includes a graphical user interface (GUI)  120  that enables a system administrator (or operator) to interact with the printing software product. 
         [0023]    In one embodiment, the printing software product receives the print jobs as a Mixed Object Document Content Architecture (MO:DCA) data stream. The printing software product processes pages of output that mix all of the elements normally found in presentation documents, e.g., text in typographic fonts, electronic forms, graphics, image, lines, boxes, and bar codes. The AFP MO:DCA data stream includes architected, structured fields that describe each of these elements. 
         [0024]    In a further embodiment, the printing software product communicates with printer  109  via an Intelligent Printer Data Stream (IPDS). The IPDS data stream is similar to the AFP data steam, but is built specific to the destination printer  109  in order to integrate with each printer&#39;s specific capabilities and command set, and to facilitate the interactive dialog between the print server  108  and printer  109 . The IPDS data stream may be built dynamically at presentation time, e.g., on-the-fly in real time. Thus, the IPDS data stream is provided according to a device-dependent bi-directional command/data stream. 
         [0025]    PDF print files may also be processed in printing network  106 . In such an embodiment, the PDF files are pre-processed at print server  108  before undergoing print processing at the printing software product to transform a PDF into an AFP MO:DCA data stream. According to one embodiment, print server  108  provides a transform that includes an indexable text version of the AFP MO:DCA data stream, in addition to an AFP image data stream. 
         [0026]      FIG. 2  is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of transforming PDF print data to AFP data. At processing block  210 , a PDF print file is received at print server  108 . At processing block  220 , an image transform is applied to the print data in the PDF file to generate an AFP image data stream. At processing block  230 , a second transform is performed on the PDF data to generate an AFP text data stream. In one embodiment, the text transform extracts the text, text location data, and text size data from the PDF file. 
         [0027]    At processing block  240 , the extracted text data is placed in an AFP formatted data stream on document page locations according to the extracted text location and size data. According to one embodiment, the text location and size data are used to perform a “use color of medium” AFP Presentation Text Object Content Architecture (PTOCA) command to place extracted text behind a corresponding image version of the text data. 
         [0028]    In such an embodiment, a fixed pitch outline font is scaled in both the X and Y direction to fill the area occupied by the text. The text is subsequently, mapped to a page using the “color of medium” command at the proper XY location of the text in the image.  FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate one embodiment of AFP text data and AFP image data, respectively, after the transforms have been performed, while  FIG. 3C  illustrates the text data being placed behind the image data. 
         [0029]    At processing block  250 , both AFP data streams are received at the printing software product where the data is processed to be printed. As discussed above, the data may be converted to an IPDS data stream. At processing block  260 , the data is printed. Since the text data has the same color as the medium, the print text data will be invisible. Thus, only the data high fidelity image data will appear on the medium. In one embodiment, the print data streams may be accessed by the printing software product via GUI  120 . In such an embodiment, AFP text data can be used by an indexer tool within GUI  120  to index the underlying hidden AFP text for indexing.  FIG. 4  illustrates a screen shot of one embodiment of an indexer tool. 
         [0030]      FIG. 5  illustrates a computer system  500  on which data processing system  102  and/or server  108  may be implemented. Computer system  500  includes a system bus  520  for communicating information, and a processor  510  coupled to bus  520  for processing information. 
         [0031]    Computer system  500  further comprises a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device  525  (referred to herein as main memory), coupled to bus  520  for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor  510 . Main memory  325  also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions by processor  510 . Computer system  500  also may include a read only memory (ROM) and or other static storage device  526  coupled to bus  520  for storing static information and instructions used by processor  510 . 
         [0032]    A data storage device  527  such as a magnetic disk or optical disc and its corresponding drive may also be coupled to computer system  500  for storing information and instructions. Computer system  500  can also be coupled to a second I/O bus  550  via an I/O interface  530 . A plurality of I/O devices may be coupled to I/O bus  550 , including a display device  524 , an input device (e.g., an alphanumeric input device  523  and or a cursor control device  522 ). The communication device  521  is for accessing other computers (servers or clients). The communication device  521  may comprise a modem, a network interface card, or other well-known interface device, such as those used for coupling to Ethernet, token ring, or other types of networks. 
         [0033]    Embodiments of the invention may include various steps as set forth above. The steps may be embodied in machine-executable instructions. The instructions can be used to cause a general-purpose or special-purpose processor to perform certain steps. Alternatively, these steps may be performed by specific hardware components that contain hardwired logic for performing the steps, or by any combination of programmed computer components and custom hardware components. 
         [0034]    Elements of the present invention may also be provided as a machine-readable medium for storing the machine-executable instructions. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, optical disks, CD-ROMs, and magneto-optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, propagation media or other type of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. For example, the present invention may be downloaded as a computer program which may be transferred from a remote computer (e.g., a server) to a requesting computer (e.g., a client) by way of data signals embodied in a carrier wave or other propagation medium via a communication link (e.g., a modem or network connection). 
         [0035]    Whereas many alterations and modifications of the present invention will no doubt become apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art after having read the foregoing description, it is to be understood that any particular embodiment shown and described by way of illustration is in no way intended to be considered limiting. Therefore, references to details of various embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which in themselves recite only those features regarded as essential to the invention.