Patent · US Expired

Method for organizing files in a library in a network printing system

US6587217B1 · kind B1 · utility

21Cited by
14References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 15, 1997
Grant dateJul 1, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 15, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99953
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention concerns a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for managing print files associated with a job ticket describing a plurality of print files included in a print job. The print files are stored in a library within a server. When space usage in the library has exceeded a predetermined limit, print files are migrated from the library to a backup unit. For each file migrated from the first storage device to the second storage device, a stub file is generated which includes information on the migrated file. A computer is used to select a print file to include in the print job described in the job ticket. If the print file selected is stored in the backup unit and a stub file is stored in the library, then the server will access the stub file upon selection of the print file. The stub file in the library is replaced with the print file in the backup unit when the stub file is accessed. When the print job including the selected print file is submitted for printing, the print file is transmitted from the library to the printer.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.