Apparatus and methods for full-width wide format inkjet printing
Granted: May 8, 2012
Patent Number:
8172363
Apparatus and methods are provided for wide format inkjet printing using conventional piezoelectric inkjet print heads that each print at a native resolution. A plurality of inkjet print heads are disposed in a print head array to print an image on the substrate at the native resolution across an entire width of the substrate without scanning across the width of the substrate. The print head array may be shifted in a direction parallel to the width of the substrate, and the print head…
Methods and apparatus for analyzing electronic documents and digital printing systems
Granted: May 1, 2012
Patent Number:
8169630
Methods and apparatus are provided for receiving a PDL File that describes a print job, processing the PDL commands in the file, identifying print settings and printer factors that may affect the entire print job, and reporting such print settings and printer factors. Methods and apparatus are also provided for receiving a PDL File that describes a print job, processing the PDL commands in the file, identifying any objects in the print job that have associated predetermined attributes,…
Methods and apparatus for providing access to content
Granted: May 1, 2012
Patent Number:
8171103
Methods and apparatus are provided for providing access to content via messaging services, such as email, voicemail, instant messaging, text messaging, or other similar messaging services. A content server is provided that includes a user interface, a web server and a file. The web server includes a web page for accessing the file. A user provides user information associated with a messaging address via the user interface, and the content server then sends a message including the web…
Ink jet printer
Granted: April 24, 2012
Patent Number:
8162437
An ink jet printer for printing on a substrate comprising a first print head outputting ink and defining an ink meniscus; a platen operable to carry the substrate; a support structure; and a print head mechanism coupled to the support structure and carrying the first print head. The print head mechanism moves the first print head relative to the platen. A controller controls the print head mechanism such that at least one of a predetermined acceleration and predetermined deceleration of…
Dot size controlling primer coating for radiation curable ink jet inks
Granted: April 10, 2012
Patent Number:
8153195
The present invention provides a printing method for printing radiation-curable ink jet ink printing comprising a clear coat primer composition comprising: a low surface tension monofunctional alkyl acrylate monomer with a surface tension in the range of 23 to 31 dynes/cm in which the alkyl group has at least 8 carbon atoms; a photoinitiator; and other UV curable monomers and oligomers. The clear coat primer composition is applied first onto a substrate and cured with actinic radiation…
Method and system for merging scan files into a color workflow
Granted: March 20, 2012
Patent Number:
8139256
A method and system for scanning documents in a network environment and merging the resulting scan files with other documents into a printing workflow provides a user interface in which the user merges a scan file and a document file on a page basis by selecting thumbnail images of the desired pages and dragging and dropping the thumbnails so that a new merged document results. An alternative embodiment allows the user to apply predefined merge templates to the selected pages. The…
Method and composition for ink jet printing on a nonabsorbent substrate
Granted: March 13, 2012
Patent Number:
8133539
Ink jet printing on a non-absorbent substrate involves a wet primer having a primer viscosity. The wet primer is applied on the non-absorbent substrate. An ink jet ink having an ink jet viscosity lower than the primer viscosity is jetted over the wet primer while the primer is still wet. The wet primer and ink are simultaneously cured on the substrate.
Methods and apparatus for print job submission
Granted: January 31, 2012
Patent Number:
8107122
Methods and apparatus are provided for submitting an electronic document to a printing system that includes a print controller having an input port and a print queue. Methods in accordance with this invention include coupling a portable media device to the input port, the portable media device including an electronic document and automatically copying the electronic document to the print queue. Apparatus in accordance with this invention include a portable media device that includes an…
Industrial ink jet printer
Granted: January 24, 2012
Patent Number:
8100507
A printer comprising a base module having a main drive element and a print zone, a main module back plane coupled with the base module, a machine base rail system coupled to the base module, and an expansion module releasably coupled to the machine base rail system between an operating position and a removed position.
Methods and apparatus for dynamically soft proofing halftone images
Granted: October 4, 2011
Patent Number:
8031363
Methods and apparatus are provided for dynamically halftoning image data, substantially in real-time. Halftone threshold values are calculated and stored in memory, and halftone output values are calculated for the portions of the image data that will be displayed on a display device. Halftone screen parameters may be modified, and new halftone screen threshold values may be calculated for any affected halftone screens. For unaffected halftone screens, the previously stored threshold…
Apparatus and methods for selective color editing of color profiles
Granted: September 6, 2011
Patent Number:
8013871
Apparatus and methods are provided for editing color profiles. In particular, an output color including a first hue, a first lightness and a first chroma is received, and a first range of lightness values and a first range of chroma values for all output color values in the color profile are determined. A second range of lightness values of output color values in the color profile that have the first hue and the first chroma, and a second range of chroma values of output color values in…
Methods and apparatus for watermarking digitally printed documents
Granted: September 6, 2011
Patent Number:
8014036
A form of stochastic random distribution is used to print an invisible watermark using a typical, e.g., 600 dpi, printer. The watermark contains such information as “Do Not Copy,” or other such information. Although the watermark is not visible on a first generation version of a document that is printed, various techniques are used to print the watermark in such a way that it becomes readily apparent when the first generation document is photocopied. The preferred embodiment of the…
Methods and apparatus for layout of multi-layer circuit substrates
Granted: August 9, 2011
Patent Number:
7996806
Methods and apparatus are provided for designing and laying out multi-layer circuit substrates, such as multi-layer PCBs. Dynamic vias are provided on intermediate PCB layers. Each dynamic via has features that adjust based on the trace layout of the corresponding intermediate layer. In particular, each dynamic via has a second radius R2 if the via is not connected to any trace on the corresponding intermediate layer. If a trace is connected to a dynamic via, the via radius changes from…
Method and apparatus for secure printing
Granted: July 19, 2011
Patent Number:
7982890
Systems and methods are provided for securely communicating a print job to a printer, the systems and methods pausing the print job in a print queue on a client computer, obtaining first authentication information regarding a user at the client computer, obtaining second authentication information regarding a user at a release station adjacent the printer, communicating the second authentication information from the release station to the client computer, and releasing the print job from…
Inkjet inks, methods for applying inkjet ink, and articles printed with inkjet inks
Granted: April 5, 2011
Patent Number:
7919543
Compositions for inkjet inks, methods for applying the ink to a surface of a substrate, and articles that include indicia printed with the ink. The inkjet inks include a cellulose polymer and a liquid carrier. Unlike currently available commercial inks, the inkjet inks of this invention can be formulated with less toxic ingredients, thus reducing the risks of negative impact on environmental quality and the health and safety of workers who use the inks.
Methods and apparatus for repairing inoperative pixels in a display
Granted: March 22, 2011
Patent Number:
7911432
Methods and apparatus for repairing inoperative pixels in a display are provided. In particular, the present invention provides methods and apparatus for improving the effective yield rates of displays, such as liquid crystal micro-displays, by disconnecting inoperative pixels from their defective drive circuitry and tying such pixels to the working drive circuit of a nearby pixel. A display can be repaired without the need to provide redundant drive circuitry underneath each pixel.
Methods and apparatus for repairing inoperative pixels in a display
Granted: March 22, 2011
Patent Number:
7911433
Methods and apparatus for repairing inoperative pixels in a display are provided. In particular, the present invention provides methods and apparatus for improving the effective yield rates of displays, such as liquid crystal micro-displays, by disconnecting inoperative pixels from their defective drive circuitry and tying such pixels to the working drive circuit of a nearby pixel. A display can be repaired without the need to provide redundant drive circuitry underneath each pixel.
Metallic ink jet printing system for graphics applications
Granted: February 22, 2011
Patent Number:
7891799
A multi-phase system for creating a metallic effect on a substrate includes applying to the substrate a first ink jet ink having a dispersion of reflective metallic particles in a suitable carrier system, to form a reflective coating layer; and applying a second ink jet ink over the reflective coating layer to form a protective coating layer. Optionally, an undercoat layer is printed on the substrate prior to applying the first ink jet ink. The second ink jet having at least one…
Methods and apparatus for adaptive imposition templates
Granted: February 15, 2011
Patent Number:
7889361
Methods and apparatus are provided for receiving a print file having an actual page size, and a nominal imposition template specifying a nominal page size, and generating an imposition flat for printing. If the actual page size matches the nominal page size, the nominal imposition template is applied to the print file without change. If, however, the actual page size differs from the nominal page size, the nominal imposition template is automatically modified based on the actual page…
Methods and apparatus for calibrating a digital color imaging device that uses multi-hue colorants
Granted: February 15, 2011
Patent Number:
7889403
Methods and apparatus are provided for calibrating a digital color imaging device to a printing press by determining a total colorant limit, per-channel colorant limits, and channel linearization tables using colorimetric and/or spectrophotometric techniques. In addition, for digital color imaging devices that use multi-hue colorants, methods and apparatus are provided for determining distribution functions for the multi-hue colorants as a function of input values.
