Patent ID: 7394558

Claim:
A method, implemented in a printer, the method comprising: receiving, from a computer, a print job clue associated with a print job, wherein the print job clue includes information describing the print job; determining, based on the information, whether the printer is currently configured to print the print job; if the printer is currently configured to print the print job, then sending to the computer a request for print data associated with the print job; if the printer is not currently configured to print the print job, then waiting until the printer is configured to print the print job before sending to the computer the request for the print data; and while waiting until the printer is configured to print the print job: receiving, from the computer, another print job clue associated with another print job, wherein the other print job clue includes other information describing the other print job; determining, based on the other information, whether the printer is currently configured to print the other print job; if the printer is currently configured to print the other print job, then sending to the computer a request for the print data associated with the other print job; and if the printer is not currently configured to print the other print job, then waiting until the printer is configured to print the other print job before sending to the computer the request for the print data associated with the other print job.