KR20020043904A - Relay System and Method of Printing Business - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A system for relaying a printing work is provided to conveniently and promptly process a printing work by employing a client/server system in the Internet environment and to make many users receive an estimate and order a printed material. CONSTITUTION: The system consists of a client/server system on a network(100) including the Internet. Clients(200,300) receive the web pages provided by a server(400) by connecting to the server via a web browser. The server furnishes information with response to a request of the client. The server consists of a service server(420) and a database server(440). The database server searches information with response to a command of the service server and transmits the information to the service server. The database server includes a printed material database and a work particular database. The server holds various programs. The programs are constituted by centering on a printing contract program(422), a work instruction program(424), an information providing program, and an electronic bulletin board. The printing contract program transmits a homepage to the client. A PC(Personal Computer) user requests another page by clicking a button on the web page.

Description

Relay System and Method of Printing Business

The present invention relates to an Internet service system, and more particularly, to a service method and system for supporting printing related tasks for a printer or a print requester.

The client / server system in the Internet environment provides a useful service in various fields to Internet users with a web browser.

As part of this, the present invention provides a service system for assisting a quick and convenient transaction between a print requestor and a print provider.

Printing jobs range from small scales like business cards and wedding invitations to larger scales like booklets and brochures.

The print requester chooses the size, color, texture, etc. of the print paper he wants. Criteria for selection may be cost, use of printed matter or personal preference, and thus, various printing methods, types of printed matter, specifications of printed matter, and the like are provided.

The print requester visits the printer for consultations and consults with him. The print requester makes a print request and the printer works on the print job. As such, printing is typically done on a custom basis, with a visit consultation. In other words, in order to obtain the printed matter required in the past had to go through the cumbersome process as described above.

An object of the present invention for the above problems, to provide a system and method that can be processed more conveniently and quickly.

To this end, the present invention employs a client / server system in the Internet environment. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a system for allowing a plurality of users on a network to select a printed form to receive a quotation and to make an order.

Furthermore, it aims to provide a system that allows the user to check the progress of the work, adopts an auction system, allows the print requester to purchase more various products at a lower cost, and allows the printer to expand the market.

1 is a block diagram of a printing service relay system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a block diagram of a printing service relay system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a flow chart according to the print service relay system of FIG.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a client / server system in a network environment including an internet,

A printing contract program for providing a screen for allowing a client to request a quotation by selecting a type, quantity, printing method, etc. of a print request, and transmitting a necessary information or a quotation to the client according to the client's request; A service server including a work instruction program which sends a work instruction for requesting a print job to a print shop and checks the work progress accordingly and provides the work instruction program to the client who requested the work;

It comprises a print database for storing information related to the printed matter, and a job history database for storing the requested job history, and includes a database server for retrieving the information held according to the command of the service server and transmitting to the service server; A print service relay system is provided.

Here, when there is an inquiry about a work progress process of the client, the work instruction program transmits the progress of a corresponding work stored in a database server to the client.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, an auction system is further provided by involving a plurality of print providers.

1 is a block diagram of a system according to the present invention.

The print service relay system basically has a configuration of a client / server system on a network including the Internet. The network 100 may be a wide area network (WAN) in a concept including a local area network (LAN), a public network, but the present invention models in particular a system running on the Internet.

The client 200 or 300 may be used in the sense of a web browser program such as an explorer or a navigator, but the specification refers to a PC or a user who is provided with an Internet access service. That is, the client can receive the web screen provided by the server by accessing the server using the web browser.

The server 400 is a system for providing information about a client's request, and may include a service server 420 and a database server 440. The database server retrieves the collected information according to the command of the service server and transmits it to the service server. The database server includes a print database which stores information related to the printed matter, and a job history database which stores the requested work history.

The server exists in the form of a website having a homepage on the World Wide Web and provides various contents. The server holds various programs created and deployed by the service provider.

The program provided by the server is mainly composed of the print contract program 422 and the work order program 424, and may include an information providing program or an electronic bulletin board (BBS) providing program provided by another general website.

Print contract programs usually send homepages written in hypertext language (HTML) to clients. The PC user clicks a button on the screen to request another screen that is hyperlinked to it, or to express an intention to approve or reject the proposal displayed on the screen.

The configuration of the web screen output to the print requester 200 by the print contract program 422 is as follows. Selection of printing methods (e.g., offset printing, digital printing, master, wide output or photorealistic output), selection of printed form (e.g., monograph, advertising logistics, guide logistics, etc.) and printed specifications (e.g. For example, a screen for selecting the paper size, the number of pages, the number of copies, the frequency, the player, the cover type, the binding method or the coating, etc.) may be provided step by step or simultaneously. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that there may be more precise options in addition to the above options, so the enumeration thereof is omitted.

The print contract program can provide information on each option in the form of photographs, glossary, etc., and is based on standard printouts provided by the print requester. You can also suggest the form of.

The print requester will request a quote for the selected print. In response to the request for quotation, the service server 420 prepares a quotation based on the record information held by the database server, and outputs it to the client 200 together with the expected delivery time or contract request.

When the print request requester expresses his / her approval of the contract execution request through a PC, the work order program 424 instructs the print shop 300 to work, and the work contents are serialized to manage the work on the database server. Give a memory cell for. The memory cell records and stores the client's personal information, work flow chart, payment status, and the like to form a work history database. The data exchange 460 between the service server and the print shop is preferably by on-line using a leased line, public network or the Internet, but the off-line method is not excluded.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, the content 426 by the auction program is further provided.

According to this, the printer including the print requestor can be linked with the print service relay system of the present invention. In other words, the printing service relay system provides an online printing business market operated by an auction method.

When the requirements of the print requester are posted on the bulletin board (or 'buy market'), a number of printers (300a, 300b, 300c) wishing to perform the work must present the cost and delivery date. You will bid. The print requester selects a printer that presents satisfactory conditions and requests printing. This type of competitive trading can be reversed. That is, the printer may propose the print requestor 200a, 200b, or 200c by posting a printed matter on a bulletin board (or 'sold market') while presenting a condition such as a unit price. Print requesters may express their intention to buy a posted listing, which may be operated by way of auction.

In addition, the printer can provide the service server with the progress of the process for the assigned work, thereby providing a high level service to the work client.

An operating example of the system of the present invention incorporating the two described embodiments will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.

The Internet user accesses the website of the service server (S10) and authenticates his / her membership through the member ID (ID) and password (P / W) given at the time of membership registration (S12). After joining as a member. (S14)

The registered user expresses his / her desire to estimate the printed matter. (S16)

The client requesting the quotation selects the printed matter. (S18) The aspect of selection includes the type of printed matter, the printing method, the specification of the printed matter, and the like, as described above. The service server prepares and presents a quotation based on the information recorded in the printed database as required, and enters the intention to conclude the contract. (S20) When the contract is concluded (S22), a series of matters are recorded in the work history database. It is stored (S24) and at the same time the contract enters the execution phase.

The client requesting the auction (S26) selects the type of auction (S28). If a print requestor enters the 'buy market', it may present conditions such as prints and prices required. Enter the market, and offer the sale in addition to the sale conditions. (S30) When the bid is successful (or when the proposed conditions are met), the bid is approved (S32). (S24), the contract is moved to the execution phase.

In spite of the refusal to reject the quotation or auction or the rejection of the successful bid, the user can be provided with the data provided by the service server. (S34) The provided data is general information including trends in the printing industry. Can be. Visitors who refuse to register can also be provided with data provided by the service server.

When the user releases the connection, the process ends (S36).

According to the above embodiment, a person who needs a predetermined printed matter is convenient without going through the inconvenient process of going to a printer and requesting a quotation by checking the product specifications. In addition, it is easy to grasp the progress of the requested work can be taken accordingly.

According to the printing service relay system to which the auction system according to the second embodiment of the present invention is added, the print requester can receive a cheaper and more prompt service, and the printer can secure a large number of potential customers. Will be beneficial. As a result, the logistics system of the printing industry becomes smooth and can contribute to industrial development.

Claims (3)

A client / server system in a network environment including the Internet; A printing contract program for providing a screen for allowing a client to request a quotation by selecting a type, quantity, printing method, etc. of a print request, and transmitting a necessary information or a quotation to the client according to the client's request; A service server including a work instruction program which sends a work instruction for requesting a print job to a print shop and checks the work progress accordingly and provides the work instruction program to the client who requested the work; It is composed of a print database for storing information related to the printed matter, and a job history database for storing the requested job history, the database server to retrieve the information held by the service server command and to transmit to the service server Printing service relay system comprising a. A client / server system in a network environment including the Internet; A printing contract program for providing a screen for allowing a client to request a quotation by selecting a type, quantity, printing method, etc. of a print request, and transmitting a necessary information or a quotation according to the client's request to the client; A work instruction program which sends a work instruction for requesting a print work to a printing office and checks the work progress accordingly and provides the work instruction to the client who requested the work; A service server including an auction program for a competitive contract between a plurality of print requesters and a plurality of printers; It comprises a print database for storing information related to the printed matter, and a job history database for storing the requested job history, and includes a database server for retrieving the information held according to the command of the service server and transmitting to the service server; Printing service relay system characterized by. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the auction program includes: a bidding method for a plurality of printers approving a print requestor's proposal; A printing service relay system, characterized in that the method for auction subscription for a plurality of print requestor to approve the proposal of the printer.