Patent ID: 7133166

Claim:
A multi-copy print-job handling method performed in a networked printing system comprising utilizing a networked scanner in the system, initiating a print job by scanning a document which to be printed, following said initiating by scanning, in a pair of sequenced request phases, and in direct relation to the nature of the initiated print job, requesting certain job-relevant return information from a population of networked printers in the system, which printers are yet uncommitted to reception of the job from the scanner, such information including, relative to one request phase in the sequence of request phases, current printer availability, and relative to another request phase in the same sequence of request phases, printer capabilities, based upon receipt of such requested return information, forming from the population of networked printers a selected-printer cluster of plural printers suitable for performing simultaneous multi-copy-printing of the initiated print job, and sending, effectively from the print-job-initiating scanner to each of the printers in the selected-printer cluster, a respective printer-compatible version of the initiated print job.