Abstract: A cloud administration system for chemical signature-based print device consumable monitoring includes a storage module for storing reference chemical signature data, and a monitoring system having one or more sensors configured for detecting a chemical signature of a consumable such as ink or toner. The detected chemical signature data may be compared with reference stored chemical signature data to determine whether monitored consumables have a chemical signature that matches a known chemical signature.

Abstract: A method and associated system for servicing a print request from a specific client system of a plurality of client systems. A network connection between the specific client system and at least two printer server systems is set up response to receiving the print request from the specific client system. Client-specific information from a client profile is read from database accessible to each printer server system. At least one best-suited printer of the at least two printers is ascertained to be used for servicing the print request, utilizing the client-specific information, printer server information from a server profile, and printer information from a printer profile. The print request is serviced by the at least one best suited printer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a web server configured to generate an operation screen and a browser configured to receive the operation screen from the web server and to display the operation screen includes an identification unit configured to identify, if a connection request is given to the web server, a requestor of the connection request, a web server authentication unit configured to perform authentication of a user to use the web server, and a control unit configured to, if the requestor is identified as the browser of the image forming apparatus by the identification unit, control the web server to transmit the operation screen to the browser of the image forming apparatus without the web server authentication unit performing the authentication.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus compares vector data of a target document and vector data of a stored document stored in the image processing apparatus, converts each of the vector data of the target document and the vector data of the stored document into text data and extracts a difference between the text data converted from the vector data of the target document and the text data converted from the vector data of the stored document to generate and store difference data in a text format.

Abstract: Techniques for creating an individual image sized to a desired print area plus a desired amount of bleed area to thereby reduce an amount of ink applied outside a desired print area are presented. In an embodiment, each of the desired print area dimensions, a default ink bleed width, and an ink bleed adjustment setting are obtained. The individual image comprises an image container sized to a desired print area plus a desired amount of bleed area. Each of the respective dimensions of the image container of the individual image is set to the corresponding respective dimension of the desired print area plus the default ink bleed width. A base image providing image content for the image container is sized to the dimensions of the image container if dimensions of the base image do not already equal the dimensions of the image container.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling printing of a print job in a printing system is provided. The print job includes a first section and a second section, with each one of the first and second sections including copyrighted content for which copyright clearance is required prior to printing. In one example of operation, the first and second sections are stored in memory and it is determined that copyright clearance is unavailable for one of the first and second sections. In response to such determining, either (1) printing of the one of the first and second sections is prohibited until it can be determined that a selected condition has been met, or (2) at least one operation is performed with respect to the one of the first and second sections so that only pages for which copyright clearance has been obtained can be printed.

Abstract: A receiver configured to receive a first command that contains a predetermined code string and a second command that does not contain the predetermined code string from a host computer. A first command analyzer configured to analyze and process only the first command received by the receiver. A buffer configured to temporarily store at least the second command received by the receiver. A second command analyzer configured to analyze and process the second command stored by the buffer. A sound generator configured to generate a sound when the first command analyzer analyzes the first command and determines that the first command includes a sound generating command. The first command analyzer analyzes the first command before the buffer temporarily stores the first command.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises: an image data obtainer that obtains image data by a Web browser from a Website via a network; a printer that prints out the obtained image data and other image data; and a billing portion that bills a usage fee if the Web browser is used, meanwhile discounts the usage fee to be billed if the Web browser is used and also the image data obtained by the Web browser is printed out by the printer.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture to enhance automation of conversion and/or persistent storage of color management information embedded within an associated, received data object. Features and aspects hereof provide that color management information embedded within an identified data object (e.g., an image data object) is converted to an appropriate form useful within the printing environment and persistently stored for re-use in conjunction with presentation of received data objects in a print job. For example, an ICC profile embedded within a received image data object may be converted to an AFP color management resource (a color conversion CMR and/or zero or more link CMRs) and persistently stored in an object library for re-use in presentation of print jobs. The conversion and persistent storage of such color management information may be substantially automated as a step in the installation of the underlying data object.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus and method determine whether an error detecting rate of original information extracted from a code image in a read image obtained by reading a sheet on which the code image is formed, is not smaller than a predetermined value. When it is not smaller than a predetermined value, a code image is reproduced from the extracted original information and the code image in the read image is replaced therewith. One example of the code image is a barcode.

Abstract: A cloud administration system for managing inventory information for one or more remote print devices may include a processing module in communication with a plurality of print devices. The processing module may be located remotely from each of the plurality of print devices. The cloud administration system may include a storage module in communication with the processing module. The processing module may be configured to receive inventory information associated with a print device inventory item associated with a print device of the plurality of print devices, store the inventory information in the storage module, and enable an application computing device to access the inventory information from the storage module. The cloud administration system may operate as a shared resource for each of the plurality of print devices and the application computing device.

Abstract: When receiving a cancel request of a job from a user, a determination is made on whether or not the job as a target for the received cancel request is a virtual job to be processed by cooperating functions of a plurality of image processing apparatus. When it is determined that the job as a target for the cancel request is a virtual job, information regarding the plurality of image processing apparatuses which cooperates to execute the virtual job and an order in which the cancel instruction for the virtual job is to be transmitted to the plurality of image processing apparatuses are acquired, and based on the acquired order, a cancel instruction for the virtual job is transmitted to any of the plurality of image processing apparatuses.

Abstract: A problem of the present invention is to provide an image forming device which can minimize density unevenness due to interpolation processing. For solving the above problem, an image forming device according to the present invention is an image forming device including printing unit for printing an image by scanning a photosensitive body comprising correcting unit for correcting a position in which the image is printed, wherein the correcting unit outputs one of a data of a line of interest, a data of a line adjacent to the line of interest, and a data of an intermediate value between the line of interest and the line adjacent to the line of interest in accordance with a pixel shift amount and a main scan pixel position, and the printing unit scans the photosensitive body based upon the outputted data.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a reading unit reading an original document and generating image data; a power source unit supplying power to the reading unit; a power source switching signal output unit outputting a switching signal for switching between supply and shut-off of the power for any one of an image pickup element and an image processing unit; a measuring unit measuring a power stopping time while the power is shut off; a judging unit determining whether to carry out only a first initial setting when the measured power stopping time is less than a predetermined time and whether to carry out both the first initial setting and a second initial setting when the measured power stopping time is the predetermined time or more; and an initial setting unit carrying out only the first initial setting or the second initial setting also upon the determination by the judging unit.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of managing print settings data, and a recording medium storing a program for managing print settings data are provided. The print settings data is managed by printer driver, logical printer, group of users, or user, using a directory structure under a file system of an operating system.

Abstract: An image forming system for communicably connecting a data processor and an image forming apparatus can include a registration unit for registering a print job based on a print request, a printing unit for conducting print processing based on a print job registered in the registration unit, an authentication unit for, when the print job is a locked job with an unlocking condition, prohibiting print processing of the locked job until the unlocking condition is fulfilled, and a prohibition unit for prohibiting print processing of a normal job, which is registered in the registration unit after registration of the locked job, without the unlocking condition.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided which includes a storage unit configured to store original data; a determining unit configured to determine whether or not a user who gives an instruction to transmit the original data to another apparatus is the creator of the original data when the original data is transmitted to the other apparatus; and a transmitting unit configured, as a result of the determination by the determining unit, if the user is the creator of the original data, to transmit the original data in a data format that allows editing by the other apparatus; and if the user is not the creator of the original data, to transmit the original data in a data format that disables editing by the other apparatus.

Abstract: A system for prioritizing a cache of print jobs associated with at least one print driver includes a workstation having a processing unit and at least one print driver having a processing unit, that interface via a network. The workstation implements a print job request for a document and determines whether a document key identifier associated with the document exists. If not, a key is created. If a printer-readable format for a document associated with the key identifier is stored in or is pre-existing in one of at least two caches, the print driver assigns a prioritization identifier to the format. The system retrieves the printer-readable format from the cache to produce a print job output. Since the cache stores the document in printer-readable format, overall printing time is reduced. The format may be moved from one cache to another depending upon priority. The corresponding method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a determination unit configured to determine whether objects overlap one another by analyzing print data, and a printing unit configured, if it is determined by the determination unit that the objects overlap one another, to separately print an image obtained before the objects overlap one another and an image obtained after the objects overlap one another based on the print data, and if it is determined by the determination unit that the objects do not overlap one another, to print an image based on the print data.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus which permits service providing an image forming that has high priority is selected as an image processing apparatus for storing count information by using service information representing whether each image processing apparatus permits counting the usage of printing materials in order to allow charging of service for providing the image forming associated with each user identification information, and a priority table for storing count information based on the contents of image forming. When image forming is executed, the count information representing the contents of the executed image forming is transmitted to the selected image processing apparatus, thereby causing the selected image processing apparatus to store the count information.