Barcode identification system spooler
US5287434A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 28, 1991 |
| Grant date | Feb 15, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 28, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06K1/121
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A spooler is shown for a barcode information system. The spooler allows one printer to be assigned to one queue of the spooler, multiple printers to be assigned to a single queue; and a single printer to be assigned to multiple queues. The spooler is flexible in its configuration so as to allow print jobs to be distributed evenly among the various printers of the system. The printers of the system need not be the same and may be incompatible in that they communicate in different languages and/or they do not have the same format options. To minimize processing time, jobs may be terminated while in the process of printing. The jobs can later be restarted at the point in the job at which termination occurred. Further, format and graphic packets previously transmitted to a printer by the spooler for one job are not retransmitted to the same printer for subsequent jobs utilizing those same format and graphic packets so as to increase the efficiency of the system.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.