Methods and apparatus for requesting and receiving a print job via a printer polling device associated with a printer
Granted: June 8, 2004
Patent Number:
6748471
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for requesting and receiving 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…
Expert color management settings method and interface
Granted: May 25, 2004
Patent Number:
6741262
A method and interface for displaying and configuring color management settings for printing devices is provided. The user interface provides a graphical representation of the color workflow as it takes place on the printing device. From the user interface, the user configures various page elements and color models; such as RGB, CMYK, Spot Color and Black using pull down menus of options and other interface elements. Available options include color space transformations, color…
Client print server link for output peripheral device
Granted: January 13, 2004
Patent Number:
6678068
A client print server link is provided, which uses two-way communication between a client computer and a printing system typically comprised of networked output devices and print servers. The client print server link provides detailed information regarding each print server and connected device within a printing system. The client print server link allows a client user at a client computer to access information and control each of their print jobs quickly and efficiently within a single…
Methods and apparatus for securely transmitting and processing digital image data
Granted: November 11, 2003
Patent Number:
6647149
Methods and apparatus are provided for securely transmitting and processing digital image data for display. The invention provides for decomposing, compressing, and scrambling digital image data and forwarding the decomposed, compressed and scrambled image data to a destination where the image data is decompressed, re-composed, and descrambled prior to display. In particular, digital image data is scrambled before or after being compressed and is subsequently descrambled after being…
Digital spread spectrum circuit
Granted: November 4, 2003
Patent Number:
6643317
A digital spread spectrum system provides a simple, digital device and method for reducing electromagnetic interference even where a clock signal to the device is rapidly turned on and off. A primary clock signal drives a signal selector. A signal delay is provided in the circuit to provide delayed clock pulse signals. The signal delay detunes the primary clock signal. By repeatedly switching the delay in and out of the clock signal path, a first signal is generated having a frequency at…
Image reconstruction architecture
Granted: July 8, 2003
Patent Number:
6590676
An improved method and apparatus for reconstructing digitized images processes one or more color formats, e.g. contone or 1-bit, and readily operates with both single and multiple scan systems. The preferred embodiment of the invention provides an image reconstruction path that receives a digitized image, e.g. from a scanner or from memory. The output of the image reconstruction path is a processed RGB or CMYK image that may be printed or stored in memory. The image reconstruction path…
Ultrasound speed measurement of temperature and pressure effects
Granted: June 3, 2003
Patent Number:
6571643
An apparatus and process for using ultrasound to measure speed and acceleration in fluids is provided. Three preferred embodiments are disclosed. The first preferred embodiment measures fluid velocity, such as, for example, wind, under standard atmospheric pressure-temperature. The second preferred embodiment measures gas velocity, such as, for example, wind, affected by and automatically calibrates for pressure-temperature. The third preferred embodiment measures gas density, such as,…
Simple and inexpensive high-capacity output catch tray for document production machines
Granted: June 3, 2003
Patent Number:
6572293
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, while maintaining a relatively constant elevation relative to the copier output port, and automatically returns to its original position when partially or completely unloaded. The invention uses a trampoline-type…
Printing method and apparatus having multiple raster image processors
Granted: May 6, 2003
Patent Number:
6559958
A multiple raster image processor (RIP) system is described that enables faster system performance over multiple processors, and includes a zero RIP feature consisting of a language interpreter sub-RIP that interprets a print instruction file but does not process the graphics rendering steps or the post-language processing operators. A skip RIP interprets selected pages in a way that skips all or most of the processing for that page. Pages to be skipped are scheduled for a different…
Software validation method and system
Granted: April 22, 2003
Patent Number:
6552815
A method embodiment of the invention tests revisions made to printer graphics interpreter software. A test suite of POSTSCRIPT, PCL, or other high-level printer language is input to a production version of a printer's internal interpreter software. A first bit-map is generated by the interpreter that is normally used to control each pixel in the printing of a page. The same test suite is fed to a work-in-progress revision of the printer's internal interpreter software. A second…
Paper tray adjustment page
Granted: April 22, 2003
Patent Number:
6550991
A tray alignment calibration page and method and apparatus using the page are provided. The page has graduated scales along horizontal and vertical edges, such that the scale values are enterable into an interface to align an image to be printed centered on a target page.
Portable conference center
Granted: April 15, 2003
Patent Number:
6549230
A portable video conference module supporting a network-based video conference comprising a processor, a video camera, and audio input device and several interfaces coupled to the processor. The processor includes a local instruction processor accessing a local non-volatile memory. The interfaces include a wireless data capture interface, a video display interface, an audio output interface and a network interface.
Variable data print job system
Granted: April 15, 2003
Patent Number:
6549294
A variable data print job system that reduces the master and variable jobs into a single job sent from the client to the printer that does not require indefinite disk storage on the printer. The first part of the job contains the master data pages and the second part of the job contains the variable data. The print job is assembled and sent to the printer which detects that the job is a two part job. It places the master data in the page buffer and copies it to another area of the page…
Method and apparatus for tab printing
Granted: April 15, 2003
Patent Number:
6549300
A method and apparatus which configures a printer for printing ordered stock by using a template. The template has various parameters which the user inputs. Examples of input parameters involve the printing of tabs. A user inputs tab parameters such as the number of positions, text offset per tab, tab media size, text rotation, document reading order, tray source, tab font size, tab font type, tab sheet location and tab text. Templates can be saved and repeatedly used. A user can save…
Mask generator and image mask patterns
Granted: April 8, 2003
Patent Number:
6543871
A method and apparatus for employing print mode techniques to optimize image quality, throughput speed and reliability, including generating pseudo-random printmasks to minimize banding, bleeding, blocking, and other undesirable printing artifacts, and combining random selection of a pass number for printing each pixel of a printmask with application of various constraints. In combination with other aspects of the invention, speed is optimized by depositing substantially a single drop of…
Methods and apparatus for correcting spectral color measurements
Granted: March 25, 2003
Patent Number:
6539323
The invention provides methods and apparatus for correcting spectral measurements, such as are obtained by a spectrophotometer for measuring color. A single matrix is used that operates on a raw measurement vector (spectrum) to obtain a corrected spectrum. The matrix may embody a transform that minimizes the difference between the corrected spectra and a set of reference spectra. The difference may be characterized by a set of basis function weighting vectors which are then used to build…
Method and apparatus for smart job ticket processing for print streams
Granted: February 11, 2003
Patent Number:
6519053
A method and system of print job processing initiated by a client communicating-computer communicating with a printer server system comprising operations performed by the client communicating-computer including a rip pre-processing operation.
Method and apparatus for smoothing text outlines
Granted: December 31, 2002
Patent Number:
6501565
Methods and apparatus are provided to smooth a jagged outline of a reconstructed text generated through any of a variety of systems, such as, for example, an image scanner. Given the reconstructed text with a jagged outline, the methods smooth the outline of the text first through location of horizontal and vertical edges, and subsequent gray scale reconstruction of the edge ink level from a one-bit or a low number of bits edge pattern. The methods then provide identification of the…
System and method for printer output regression testing using display lists
Granted: December 3, 2002
Patent Number:
6490696
A system and method for performing regression testing on software programs that produce printed output. An original version of a software program resident on a computer is issued known commands to generate a reference display list known to produce a known correct or reference printed page. A bitmap of the reference page is not generated. The reference display list includes image, graphic and text objects described by various attributes. A second modified version of the software program…
Job token printer assignment system
Granted: November 5, 2002
Patent Number:
6476927
A client provides a job ticket token to a print server, which contains the profile of a print job to be printed. The print server parses the job ticket token, determines an appropriate printer for the print job, and returns a selected printer token to the client, that includes the network address and name of the selected printer. The client then sends the print job, accompanied by the selected printer token, to the appropriate printer. In this way, the print job is assigned to a proper…
