Patent ID: 7464085

Claim:
A method of output processing, comprising: inputting from an internal or external source an electronic file of a document to an outputting device capable of output processing operations, wherein the outputting device is a printing device and the output processing operations include a printing operation; maintaining a database of external translators for conversion of file formats from non-native file formats not recognized by the outputting device to one or more native formats recognized by the outputting device, wherein the database is updatable dynamically by one or more of said external translators; dynamically registering or unregistering one or more of the external translators to or from the database; determining whether the format of the document is a native or non-native format; if the format is a native format, output processing the document by the outputting device; if the format is a non-native format, selecting an external registered translator from the database of external registered translators, sending the electronic file to the selected external registered translator for format conversion to a native format, receiving the format-converted file at the output processing device, and output processing the format-converted file by the output processing device.