Patent ID: 7051328

Claim:
A printing workflow system disposed in a network for coordinating production of a document processing job among a plurality of autonomous cells, the printing workflow system comprising: a search module for searching which one or more of the autonomous cells can execute the job and creating a subset of one or more autonomous cells available to process the document processing job, wherein each autonomous cell consists of a logical grouping of resources, representing physical devices, sufficient for completing at least one type of document processing job; a transfer module for transferring information to the subset of autonomous cells about the document processing job; a bidding module including, a process routings module for determining process routings needed to complete the document processing job, a required processing time module for determining required processing time for completing the job for each of said routings, using optimal batch sizes, a comparing module for comparing priority of the job with other jobs in a cell queue of at least one autonomous cell, an estimation module for determining estimated release time for production of the job, a cost function module for defining a cost function monotonically decreasing with a slack time when it is determined the job can be fully completed in the current autonomous cell by its due date, a bid generating module for generating a bid based on the defined cost function, an informing module for informing a system server of a maximum job fraction achievable for the autonomous cell when it is determined the job cannot be fully completed in the current autonomous cell, by its due date, and a providing module for providing the system server with a cost function that monotonically increases with the job fraction which can be completed; a receiving module for receiving bids from the bidding module in response to the information transferred to the first subset of autonomous cells to process the document processing job; a selector module for selecting one or more autonomous cells to process the document processing job based on information in the bids received; and a queuing module for dispatching the document processing job to the selected one or more autonomous cells for processing.