Patents Examined by Vu Hang
  • Patent number: 8368910
    Abstract: A printing system comprises a host computer, a laser printer of a paper ejecting type and another laser printer of a non-paper ejecting type, all connected to one another via a system bus. The host computer functions as the supply source of image information and as the data processor, and controls the laser printer of a paper ejecting type and the other laser printer of a non-paper ejecting type. A printing apparatus and method that can contribute to increasing the speed and convenience of secured print in this printing system are to be provided. To accomplish this, the laser printer of a paper ejecting type and the other laser printer of a non-paper ejecting type will execute interrupt print processing when the received job is a secured print job and there is any other job being processed if there are a plurality of paper discharging ports or execute promote print processing if there is only one paper discharging port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobuyoshi Kakigi
  • Patent number: 8363248
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a setting-information storage unit that stores plural pieces of print setting information each indicating a list of settings on printing, in association with logical printer names, a data receiving unit that receives PJL data, print drawing data, and a logical printer name from a client terminal, a parameter setting unit that compares settings included in the received PJL data and the settings in the print setting information that is stored in the setting-information storage unit and corresponds to the received logical printer name, to specify the settings included in the PJL data as print parameters, and a printing unit that prints the print drawing data using the specified print parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hideaki Matsui, Takeshi Fujita, Kazuma Saitoh, Daisuke Okada
  • Patent number: 8325371
    Abstract: A job management apparatus, which managing, by record, a job based on content data which includes designations associated with a content used in variable data print processing, and a job ticket corresponding to the content data, comprising: a metadata extraction unit which extracts metadata from the content data; a metadata classification unit which classifies the extracted metadata as control metadata used to control processes of the job, and as display metadata used to make a display associated with the job; and a generation unit which generates first information used to display, by record, the job using values of the display metadata.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keita Oshima
  • Patent number: 8289572
    Abstract: In summary, the present invention provides a method, apparatus and program product for calculating an estimate of the amount of toner coverage required for printing print data defined in a compressed data stream. The estimate is obtained with reduced processing by obtaining coverage data from a partially decompressed formed of the data stream and using this to obtain the coverage estimate, thus removing the need to do a full de-compression of the data stream. For example the coverage data is a count of toned pixels for at least one intensity level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Larry M. Ernst, Nenad Rijavec
  • Patent number: 8289530
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for printing on at least one page of a print media is disclosed. The apparatus includes a removable media handling device that directs the printed media to a first location or a second location, the second location functions as a finishing stage to perform a finishing step on the print media. The removable media handling device includes a media diverter to direct the media to either the first or second location. The image forming apparatus also includes a housing, a print engine to fix an image representing data to the page of print media, a formatter to supply data to the print engine, the formatter being configured to supply a first set of data representing the side of the page to be printed and a second set of data to provide instructions on the output of the printed page, and print media supplier to supply pages of print media to the print engine from a stack of print media pages having leading edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Gustavo Miguel GuilleminFranco, Joel Tague, John Huffman
  • Patent number: 8223359
    Abstract: The printing device receives the printing data for confidential printing, and determines an output destination of the printing data received for confidential printing to be either a lockable output bin or a digital output bin. The lockable output bin can be locked and unlocked by a key and the print data can be output to the lockable output bin in a form of being printed on recording medium. The digital output bin holds the printing data and allows the printing data being held therein to be read out for printing when a user is verified. When the lockable output bin is assigned as the output destination and the lockable output bin of the printing device that received the printing data is in an unusable state, another printing device having a lockable output bin that can be used is searched and the printing data is transferred to the other printing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Noriyuki Matsushima
  • Patent number: 8130407
    Abstract: When changing a size of a QR code, rather increasing or decreasing a size of cells to thereby scaling up or down an entirety of the QR code respectively, than a size of the entirely of the QR code is increased or decreased by upgrading or downgrading a version of the QR code respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Nose, Motonori Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8102562
    Abstract: Outline font data showing the original outside shape having a single closed curve made up of a parenthesized outside shape portion of the parenthesized image and a connecting line portion to connect both open ends is stored. The height and line width are determined. Based on the above data, a first-size solidly shaded image is formed having the determined height and is entirely filled inside the original outside shape thereof with effective pixels of logic “1.” A second-size solidly shaded image is formed of a second size which is smaller by the line width than the first-size solidly shaded image, along the parenthesized outside shape portion. Non-equivalence operation is performed with corresponding pixels by displacing the first-size solidly shaded image and the second-size solidly shaded image by the line width along the parenthesized outside shape portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Tanaka, Akinori Tsuji
  • Patent number: 7417759
    Abstract: A method of delivering a brochure, including formatting visible information of the brochure in a computer system; formatting substantially invisible information in a computer system, including coded data indicative of an identity of the brochure and of at least one interactive element; at a printer networked with the computer system, simultaneously printing said visible information and said invisible information so as to produce said brochure, wherein the at least one user interactive element enables a user to indicate a request for further information relating to the contents of the brochure by interacting with the element using a sensing device which is adapted to transmit data indicating the request to the computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Silverbrook Kia, Paul Lapstun
  • Patent number: 7411690
    Abstract: A print system can be employed by a client without setting up, for each client, a print function for converting distributed data into a print format and without providing a server with individual printers. Print data generated by the server is directly transmitted from the server to a print server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tsunehiro Tsukada
  • Patent number: 7385737
    Abstract: Image control which requires time and troublesome work cannot be frequently performed, and image quality such as tonality reproducibility cannot be sufficiently stabilized in correspondence with constantly varying image characteristic of image forming apparatus. Accordingly, a density correction characteristic of image processing apparatus is controlled based on an image characteristic of pattern formed on a print sheet, then the image characteristic of pattern formed on an electrostatic drum is held as reference information. Upon normal image formation, a pattern is formed without an image formation area on the electrostatic drum, and the density correction characteristic is corrected based on the difference between the image characteristic of the pattern and the reference information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobuhiko Zaima
  • Patent number: 7375842
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for preparing a Variable Data Print job for printing, having a plurality of documents that are to be printed wherein, each of the documents are defined by variant elements related to content, layout and product intent. Groups are created and defined by a commonality of variants within the document relating to layout and product intent. At least one parameter that relates to the variants is used as a selection criteria to form a plurality of sub-groups. The sub-groups are then arranged for printing according to the form of selection criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: David Kloosterman, Timothy F. Donahue
  • Patent number: 7375852
    Abstract: An application program may support multiple color spaces, such as Cyan Magenta Yellow blacK (CMYK) and Red Green Blue (RGB). Many computer operating systems have graphics drawing engines that only support RGB color space. For supporting non-RGB color spaces, the application program can use a color mapping table that defines a relationship between two color spaces such as CMYK and RGB. By generating unique RGB identifiers that can be passed through a graphics drawing engine and by using escape functions of a page description language, an application program can modify a printer file written in a page description language such that a non-RGB color space such as CMYK can be supported for publishing an electronic document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Alexander N. Samoylenko
  • Patent number: 7375858
    Abstract: Ablation data of a region other than an image region, which ablation data is required for a positive-type printing plate, is added at a printing plate automatic exposure device side. Thus, a disadvantage of a time duration for transmission of job data from a PC being slowed because of the ablation data is solved. As a result, image recording operations can be made more efficient. Furthermore, the ablation data includes non-exposure portions at regions corresponding to peripheral edge portions of the printing plate. Consequently, light does not impinge on a leading end chuck, a trailing end chuck and the like, and the ablation data can be made suitable for interlaced scanning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Yokota
  • Patent number: 7362480
    Abstract: A method and system for scanning comprises rotating a scanning chassis of an optical scanner to create an acute angle between the scan line and a scanning direction, such that the scanning chassis has two ends, and moving the scanning chassis in the scanning direction and with the acute angle between the scan line and the scanning direction, both two ends of the scanning chassis being moved in the scanning direction, while one of the two ends is moved more slowly than the other one so that the scanning chassis is made to be rotated with the acute angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Transpacific IP, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chin-Chung Lien, Tsung-Yin Chen
  • Patent number: 7355738
    Abstract: When a user registers a type and a condition of image formation by a terminal, the terminal determines a reservation number specific to contents of the registration, and the determined reservation number is displayed on the display of the terminal. The user watches this display and can know the reservation number. Once the reservation number is determined, registration data containing the determined reservation number and the content of the registration is generated by the terminal. The registration data is sent to the body of the apparatus. The registration data sent to the body is stored in the body. When the user stands in front of the body and inputs the reservation number, respective registration data are searched for corresponding to the reservation number. Further, based on the searched registration data, image reading, image processing, and image printing are controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Fumiharu Nakayama
  • Patent number: 7346215
    Abstract: An apparatus for capturing a document with a plurality of compression models comprises an image-processing system and an image-capturing system. The image-processing system is for accepting a request of setting the compression models for the document and processing the data of the document according to the compression models, wherein the request is from an exterior electric device connected to the apparatus. The image-capturing system is for capturing the data of the document, and is connected to the image-processing system and comprises multitudes of optic devices. The method for capturing the document with these compression models comprises accepting a request of setting the compression models for the document; capturing the data of the document; and processing the data of the document with these compression models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Transpacific IP, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chen-Hsiang Shih, Yin-Chun Huang
  • Patent number: 7334929
    Abstract: The present invention is a method of producing a multicolor pixel sheet on which pixels of different colors (R, G and B) and a black matrix are formed. Pixels are formed with a gap therebetween on a light-transmitting substrate and each pixel is composed of a coloring layer. The black matrix is formed by a black coloring resin provided at upper surfaces of pixels on the pixel sheet, the gap between the pixels, and the outer periphery defined by the outermost pixels. A two-stage developing process is conducted after exposure from the back and the front of the substrate to form a spacer pattern having a predetermined thickness on the black matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Morimasa Sato
  • Patent number: 7333224
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for managing printed documents. The method includes receiving a print request, assigning an identifier to a print job associated with the print request, and sending the print job to a printer for printing. Once the printer completes printing the print job, the identifier is added to an unretrieved print job queue. When a printed document associated with the print job is retrieved, the identifier associated with the printed document is scanned, such as with a bar code reader. Once the identifier is scanned, a retrieval confirmation is sent to indicate that the printed document has been retrieved. The identifier is then removed from the unretrieved print queue. Notification messages are sent to a notification recipient while the identifier is in the unretrieved print queue. The notification message includes an email message, a pop-up window, a pager message, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Michael D. Gallacher
  • Patent number: 7327492
    Abstract: In a black character detection processing, RGB data read from a line buffer is converted into YIQ data. For a subject pixel, a subject area centered on the subject pixel is set, and a judgment pixel that has the lowest brightness in the subject area is set. Then, a judgment area is set as being centered on the judgment pixel. If the absolute values of the averages of chroma components I and Q in the judgment area are both less than the corresponding thresholds T1 and T2, the subject pixel is determined as being an achromatic pixel. Black codes are added to fine-line pixels and edge pixels if the fine-line pixels and edge pixels are determined as being achromatic. Thus, the fine-line pixels and edge pixels can be specified as to be printed in black monochromatic ink. Therefore, black character or similar fine-line or edge part images can be outputted with high quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Yokochi