Methods and apparatus for determining toner level in electro-photographic print engines
Granted: June 30, 2009
Patent Number:
7554687
The toner in the toner cartridge is determined by taking each of the rasterized images output by the RIP and evaluating the pixel levels over the surface thereof. The average value is determined as a percentage of the maximum toner that can be applied to the page. This is then subtracted from a toner value and a remaining toner level determined. Further, all pages of the rasterized document can be evaluated to predetermine the toner level after printing. If this falls below a…
Simple and inexpensive high capacity output catch tray for document production machines
Granted: June 30, 2009
Patent Number:
7552923
The invention is relates to a simple, inexpensive high capacity output catch tray for copiers and other document production machines. The output tray automatically increases in capacity as the stack of copies in it accumulates, without external power source or control.
Systems for the provision of printing services
Granted: June 23, 2009
Patent Number:
7552207
The present invention relates to systems for providing printing services over a communications network. In particular, the present invention enables a user to obtain print jobs at an unspecified location, which may be remote from the source of the print job. Spooling means are used to store a print job received via the network from a print job source. Polling means, which may be at a location remote from the print job source, are capable of polling the spooling means via the network to…
Methods and apparatus for routing pages to printers in a multi-print engine as a function of print job parameters
Granted: May 12, 2009
Patent Number:
7532347
Methods and apparatus are described for routing page data of a print job to printers in a multi-engine printing system based on print job parameters associated with the page data. One or more virtual printers are configured, each with a plurality of individual print engines, each having associated printing characteristics. Page data of the print job are rasterized and stored as bit-mapped images in print buffers associated with the multi-engine printing system. The bit-mapped images are…
Methods and apparatus for providing universal print services and asynchronous message services
Granted: May 5, 2009
Patent Number:
7528974
Methods and apparatus are provided for providing print capability in connection with SMS messages to mobile device users. A content source communicates information regarding a print job to a mobile device user using SMS messages. The mobile device user then may obtain a hardcopy printout of the print job by designating any print device that is configured to receive print jobs via a universal printing network. The content source provides the print job to the universal printing network for…
Methods and apparatus for colorant reduction
Granted: April 21, 2009
Patent Number:
7522311
Methods and apparatus for performing colorant limitation are provided that receive input data, desired output response data and measured (or specified) output response data for a print output device, and determine converted input data that accounts for differences between the measured (or specified) output response data and the desired output responses of the printer. Converted input data may then be provided to a conventional colorant limitation algorithm for performing colorant…
Methods and apparatus for automated image correction for digital image acquisition
Granted: April 21, 2009
Patent Number:
7522770
Methods and apparatus are provided for automatically correcting colors of a digital image. The methods and apparatus create a first digital image of a target test sheet under a predetermined lighting condition, the target test sheet including a plurality of regions, each region including a known color value, the first digital image including a plurality of regions, each region including an acquired color value, compare the acquired color values to the known color values to align the…
Methods and apparatus for recording web information
Granted: March 17, 2009
Patent Number:
7506253
Methods, systems and apparatus are provided that capture a full page of information displayed in a web browser in a native format, convert the native format data to an intermediate format, and communicate the intermediate format data over a network to an output server. The intermediate format data are received from the network at the output server, converted to an output format, and then communicated to an output device, such as a printer, copier, facsimile device, document storage…
Printing device using color profile calibration and method for operating a printing device using color profile calibration
Granted: February 24, 2009
Patent Number:
7495812
The invention relates to a printing device and a method of operating the printing device, it being possible for the following steps to be carried out: printing a calibration print by means of the printing device, the calibration print having a plurality of measuring areas with different colour mixture relationships, spectrophotometric measurement of the measuring areas, producing a colour profile, the spectrophotometric measurement of the measuring areas being carried out at a plurality…
Methods and apparatus for real time calibration of a print system marking engine
Granted: February 10, 2009
Patent Number:
7489422
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for modifying the rendered output of a marking engine for a print job in progress. A marking engine commences printing print data for a print job. A parameter of a printed page of the print job is measured while the marking engine prints the print job. The measured parameter is compared to a reference, and the print data are modified before the print job completes, such that all subsequent portions of the print job are rendered with modified print…
Spot color pattern system
Granted: January 20, 2009
Patent Number:
7480070
A spot color pattern system provides a naming convention that allows the user to name a custom spot color pattern. A Raster Image Processing (RIP) has a database of spot color patterns that are user definable and are patterns which are images of a textile, fabric, metal, etc., that are repeatedly printed across the job. The RIP interprets a spot color pattern name in print job, looks up the spot color in its database, pulls up the image associated with the spot color pattern name, adds…
Apparatus and methods for selectively distributing print pages in multiple print engine systems
Granted: December 30, 2008
Patent Number:
7471403
A multiple print engine configuration allows a plurality of workstations to create individual print jobs and then transfer them to a distributing processor. The distributing processor spools the jobs in a print spooler and then performs a software raster image processing (“RIP”) operation on the print jobs. The RIP operation divides the jobs into multiple individual jobs which are stored in a page buffer. An image task manager in conjunction with an engine manager selectively s the…
Apparatus and methods for distributing print jobs
Granted: December 16, 2008
Patent Number:
7466441
Apparatus and methods for distributing print jobs. A print job is generated at an application node of a network, and has associated therewith print parameters. The print job is routed to a distribution node on the network. The parameters are then parsed from the generated print job and the print job parameterized with predetermined metrics that are a function of at least one of the parsed parameters. The parameterized print job is then routed to a destination device on a destination node…
Methods and apparatus for secure printing
Granted: December 9, 2008
Patent Number:
7463374
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…
Apparatus and methods for printing a print job over a network
Granted: December 2, 2008
Patent Number:
7460265
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for printing print jobs over a communications network. In particular, the present invention enables a user to obtain print jobs at a location which may be unspecified, and which may be remote from the source of the print job. A spooling server is used to store a print job received via the network from a print job source. A printer polling device, which may be used at a location remote from the client device, is capable of polling the…
Methods and apparatus for data compression with a hybrid context
Granted: December 2, 2008
Patent Number:
7460721
A plurality of compression schemes are provided that achieve improved compression ratios. A first embodiment provides for compression of each pixel by one of a plurality of different entropy-based compression schemes based upon a probability cost analysis. A second embodiment provides for compression of each pixel based on a hybrid context formed using a plurality of compression schemes for improved probability determination, and thus improved entropy encoding. In embodiments of the…
Method and apparatus for automatically managing capabilities in a virtual printer group
Granted: December 2, 2008
Patent Number:
7461377
A method for dynamically managing printers comprises a mechanism for printing from a network of printers that belong to a virtual printer group to meet the user's request for printing. The invention does this by requesting an options and capabilities file from each printer and then generating a virtual printer group, such that when a user wants to print a file, the invention looks for the best suited printer for the user and sends a file to that printer for printing. The invention has…
Digital pulse width modulator for use in electrostatic printing mechanisms
Granted: November 18, 2008
Patent Number:
7453596
A fully digital pulse width modulator substantially doubles resolution in a laser printer by outputting data to the laser on both the rising and falling edges of the clock cycle. A counter and the clock itself are used to select input to a multiplexer, and consequently, the data output to the laser from the multiplexer. A data selector code, generated by concatenating the binary value of the counter and the inverted clock bitwise, selects which of the 16 bits representing a pixel to…
Methods and apparatus for calibrating a digital color imaging device that uses multi-hue colorants
Granted: October 7, 2008
Patent Number:
7433078
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 calorimetric 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.
Methods and apparatus for colorimetrically characterizing color deviation in color imaging devices
Granted: September 16, 2008
Patent Number:
7426033
Methods and apparatus are provided that print a set of similar color patches using a color output device, determine colorimetric values for each color patch, calculate a standard deviation value for each of the colorimetric values, and calculate a numerical value that is a function of the standard deviation values and that represents the colorimetric deviation of the set.
