Partial print provider
View Patent ↗A partial print provider in the form of a Dynamically Linked Library (DLL) that implements a portion of a commercial spooler Application Programming Interface (API). The print provider translates between printer and job properties under the commercial spooler to and from printer and job properties under a proprietary spooler. This permits a third party proprietary print spooler to interface with the commercial print spooler, allowing greater control and management of print jobs by network clients than is available under the commercial spooler. The partial print provider allows the proprietary spooler to leverage off of the commercial print system's print services, protocols and network technologies, obviating the need to replace all commercial spooler and print services with custom code and reducing costs substantially.
1. A partial print provider that permits a first print spooler associated with a network print server to interface with a second print spooler associated with the network print server for further processing of a print job submitted to the network print server from a network print client, wherein the partial print provider acts as a direct link between the first print spooler and the second print spooler.
2. A partial print provider according to claim 1 wherein the network print server is operating Windows NT software and the second print spooler is a Windows NT print spooler.
3. A partial print provider according to claim 2 wherein the interface between the NT print spooler and the first spooler permits the first spooler to leverage off on Microsoft's print services, protocols and network technologies.
4. A partial print provider according to claim 1 wherein the partial print provider is a dynamically linked library file.
5. A partial print provider according to claim 1 wherein all print jobs received by the second spooler are forwarded to the first spooler for further processing.
6. A partial print provider according to claim 1 wherein the partial print provider can be modified to establish an interface between the first print spooler and any second spooler.
7. A partial print provider according to claim 1 wherein the network print server is configured to be used with a xerographic print device.