Printer output coverage estimation system

摘要

A printer output coverage estimation system permits a user of print services to obtain an accurate estimate of the amount of toner required by a print job. Providers of print services, including coverage estimations, may be identified through the Internet and selected by the user from a web interface. The estimate request may then be transmitted directly to the provider that fulfills the request using excess computing capacity. Alternatively, providers may register excess computing capacity with a broker. The broker matches job requests with a grid of providers and directs the job request to the matched provider(s). Thus, users of print services have an alternative to purchasing in-house computing resources that may remain idle much of the time.