Patent ID: 8836987

Claim:
A print server comprising: a control system that performs a queue management process to identify a print job loaded in a first queue for a first printer, to estimate a first time to complete printing the print job on the first printer from the first queue, to select a second queue for a second printer, to estimate a second time to complete printing the print job on the second printer from the second queue if the print job were moved to the second queue, to calculate a difference in printing time between the first time to complete printing and the second time to complete printing, and to compare the difference in printing time to a threshold value; and a queue management system that moves the print job from the first queue to the second queue if the second time to complete printing is less than the first time to complete printing and the difference in printing time exceeds the threshold value, wherein: over a period of time the control system repeatedly performs the queue management process for the print job to estimate the first time, select the second queue, estimate the second time, and calculate the difference, and over the period of time the queue management system repeatedly moves the print job between the queues if the second time to complete printing is less than the first time to complete printing and the difference in printing time exceeds the threshold value.