Patent ID: 7719708

Claim:
A method of securely imaging an imaging/print job in a distributed computer system having at least one client host device having an associated secured release input apparatus, at least one imaging device having an associated secured release input apparatus, and a network for interconnecting components of said distributed computer system, said method comprising the steps of: (a) associating a print job header with a first imaging/print job to form a headed imaging/print job; (b) associating a secured release input with said print job header by including a secured release indicative command/code in said print job header; (c) dividing said headed imaging/print job into data packets; (d) transmitting at least one initial data packet from a client host device to said at least one imaging device; (e) determining whether said secured release indicative command/code is present in said at least one initial data packet; and (f) preventing acceptance at said imaging device of subsequent data packets of said headed imaging/print job if said secured release indicative command/code is present in said at least one initial data packet.