Importance

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Abstract

A dynamically shared printing interface (DDSPI) in a computer network that routes print jobs to printers in a user defined preferred printer list (PPL) based upon a printer's capability to print a certain job when the print job is requested. A user sends a print job to the DDSPI that calculates the estimated workload to print the job designated as a task allocation property (TAP), sends a multi-cast to the printers in the PPL requesting printer capability information designated as a printer power index (PPI), receives the PPI from the printers in the PPL that calculate their own capability, compares the PPI with the TAP, routes the print job whose PPI best matches with the TAP and notifies the user of the printer to which the job is routed. The printers in the PPL calculate their own PPI's based upon the printer engine speed, printer memory size, number, size and complexity of print jobs waiting in the printer queue at the instance the multi-cast is received. In another aspect the DDSPI re-routes a print job if the original printer develops an error and cannot print the job, by re-sending a multi-cast to the other printers in the PPL requesting printer PPI's, receiving PPI's from the printers that re-calculate their PPI, compare the TAP with the resent PPI's, re-route the print job whose PPI best matches the TAP and re-notify the user of the printer to which the job is re-routed.

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First Claim