Patent ID: 7304760

Claim:
In a system that includes a computer device and multiple printing devices, a method for increasing a number of printing devices capable of processing a print job, the method comprising: providing a print job to a print processor; identifying one or more capabilities needed to process the print job that is not available at one or more printing devices, wherein the one or more capabilities that is not available is selected from the group consisting of: (i) collation; (ii) booklet printing; and (iii) N-up printing; using the print processor to identify one or more capabilities available at one or more printing devices; using the print processor to emulate the one or more capabilities that is not available at the one or more printing devices to provide one or more additional capabilities to the one or more printing devices whereby the number of printing devices capable of selection by the print processor for processing the print job is increased; using the print processor to match the available capabilities and the emulated additional capabilities with needed capabilities to process the print job; using the print processor, after matching the capabilities, to select one or more matching printing devices to process the print job based on at least one of the one or more matching printing devices having at least one emulated additional capability matching at least one of the needed capabilities; and using the print processor to route the print job to the one or more matching printing devices to process the print job.