Internet distribution of print job to multiple print shops based on geographic location of document recipients
US6659662B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 31, 2001 |
| Grant date | Dec 9, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 4, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06Q10/04
- WIPO fieldIT methods for management
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system includes a plurality of print service providers and a print job oversight and analysis center. The print job oversight and analysis center is adapted to, in response to receiving a job requiring printing and delivering documents, determining geographic locations of recipients of the documents and selecting a subset of the print service providers to print the documents and send the documents to the recipients. Each of the print service providers in the subset of print service providers prints documents for a subset of the recipients. The documents are apportioned among the subset of print service providers based on the geographic locations of the recipients of the documents so as to coordinate delivery time from the subset of print service providers to the recipients.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.