Patent attributes
An apparatus and methods facilitate collection of print job status information. A first method configures a computer to obtain status information for subsequent print jobs to a printer. The first method supplies a proxy printer driver in place of an actual printer driver associated with the printer. The first method may hook a function in the actual printer driver. The first method may also configure the computer to spool RAW datatype to the printer. The first method may also store a unique identifier of the computer in the registry. The first method may also set a flag within the registry so as to indicate that the computer is able to provide status for print jobs on the printer. A second method gathers print status for a print job from a computer to a printer. The second method executes a proxy printer driver while producing the print job, wherein the proxy printer driver is a proxy for an actual printer driver. The second method inserts into the print job a unique identifier of the print job. The second method also queries at least one of a spooler and the printer regarding status of the print job. Optionally, the second method may detect inception of the print job and produce a notification of the status of the print job. In executing the proxy printer driver, the second method preferably receives a call to a function and calls a corresponding function in the actual printer driver. In some embodiments, the proxy printer driver produces RAW data. The apparatus is a computer readable medium on which is embedded a computer program. The program comprises a proxy printer driver translation part, the proxy printer driver translation part being a proxy for an actual printer driver translation part. Optionally, the program comprises one or more of a status configuration utility, a status monitor, a spooler comprising a port monitor, a graphic device interface, a registry, the actual printer driver translation part and an application.
