Abstract: Embodiments herein comprise an apparatus that includes a printing engine and an interposer adapted to receive printed sheets from the printing engine. The interposer adds insert sheets between printed sheets. The interposer includes a decurler positioned within the interposer so as to decurl the printed sheets after the interposer adds the insert sheets. The printing engine adds a curl to the printed sheets and the decurler removes the curl from the printed sheets. The decurler can comprise a roller-based decurler, a heated decurler, a pressure based decurler, and/or a moisture-vacuum based decurler.

Abstract: Embodiments herein comprise an apparatus that includes a printing engine and an interposer adapted to receive printed sheets from the printing engine. The interposer adds insert sheets between printed sheets. The interposer includes a decurler positioned within the interposer so as to decurl the printed sheets after the interposer adds the insert sheets. The printing engine adds a curl to the printed sheets and the decurler removes the curl from the printed sheets. The decurler can comprise a roller-based decurler, a heated decurler, a pressure based decurler, and/or a moisture-vacuum based decurler.

Abstract: An electronic image processing apparatus comprising an electronic scanner and an electronic printer for forming an image, a controller for directing the operation of the image processing means, the controller including a mass memory device for storing data to be printed, random access memory, a printer control, and a Resource Manager for ensuring access to the random access memory for conveying data from the mass memory device to the printer via the random access memory, the Resource Manager including a mass memory device scheduler to provide printer access to the random access memory, the mass memory device scheduler having a reservation queue to reserve mass memory device access at predetermined times, delay means to determine that access to the mass memory device is invalid within a given time, and means to convey disk request operations to said reservation queue in order to provide guaranteed random access mernory at predetermined times.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention there is provided a method for scheduling transfers in a printing machine of the type having a scheduler communicating with both a first disk and a second disk, the first and second disks having a combined bandwidth. The method for scheduling comprises the following steps: First, a first transfer to be performed on a first location of the first disk during a first time interval and a second transfer to be performed on a second location of the first disk during a second time interval are both scheduled, with the scheduler, so that a first time gap interval exists between the first time interval and the second time interval.

Abstract: An electronic printing system with plural hard disks for storing system files in which critical system files are stored in duplicate at the same address on each disk, while non-critical files are divided into smaller segments with each file segment stored on a different one of the hard disks.

Abstract: An electronic printing system with plural hard disks for storing system files with booting process for booting the system to a running condition, the booting process detecting a previously replaced or misplaced disk and in response thereto, enabling booting of the system without loss or re-installing of critical system files.

Abstract: An electronic printing system with plural hard disks for storing system files in which upgraded software together with software identification data is written to a first of the disks, the system booted from the first disk, and the upgraded software thereafter migrated from the first disks to the other disks.

Abstract: An electronic printing system with plural hard disks for storing system files, each disk having a bad page table, from the individual disk bad page tables, generating a composite bad page table, providing a common allocation table for controlling allocation of disk file space for storing system files on the disks, and precluding allocating of system files to areas of the disks identified in the composite bad page table as being unusable.

Abstract: An electronic printing system with plural hard disks for storing system files in which file management information is held in a Volume Allocation Table in internal system RAM memory with file management updates queued in NVM, with the contents of the Volume Allocation Table transferred to external disk memory when the queue of file management updates in NVM reaches a predetermined size.

Abstract: An electronic image processing apparatus having image processing resources including a controller for directing the operation of the image processing resources, the controller including a disk memory, the method of controlling mass memory device bandwidth access during an access time window including guaranteeing access to the memory for predetermined time periods for a first set of image processing resources during each access time window, a second set of image processing resources having access subordinate to the first set of image processing resources, maintaining a record of mass memory device access for the first set of image processing resources during each access time window, receiving a memory access request from the first set of image processing resources, determining that said resource utilization does not exceed the predetermined time period, and allowing current access to the mass memory device by the image processing resource.

Abstract: A realtime control process for an electronic reprographic system in which background and job requests are dynamically partitioned into unique combinations of virtual machines for carrying out each request, with each virtual machine having certain system services to carry out the function provided by the virtual machine.

Abstract: The present invention is to designate one of the processors in a multiprocessor control as the master processor. All the other processors report their faults to the master processor. When it receives a fault message, the master processor records the type of fault and the source of the message in suitable memory locations. The master will also time stamp the fault message to identify the first fault message. Finally, the master will transmit a message to itself to verify that the master's communication channel is valid to verify whether the master processor itself or one of the remote processors is faulty.

Abstract: A Timer Manager for controlling communication between intelligent processors. The Timer Manager is a software on silicon building block to extend the instruction set of the underlying microprocessor and to provide a real time multitask capability. The Timer Manager handles suspension of tasks waiting for a switch or sensor input, a real time clock or machine clock delay, or waiting on a condition time of one of many switch, sensor or clock signals.

Abstract: The present invention is a means to race two or more conditions against each other to trigger a unique control response. In particular, a portion of a machine control is suspended upon the occurrence of conditions such as an input, a time delay, availability of data, or completion of a task. These conditions race against one another. That is, the occurrence of one of the conditions will initiate the response, and all other conditions will then be ignored. The type of response depends upon the particular condition that occurred first.

Abstract: A Communication Manager for controlling communication between intelligent processors. The Communication Manager is a software on silicon building block providing a set of primitive instructions to extend the instruction set of the underlying microprocessor and to provide a real time multitask capability. The Communication Manager handles a command control block (CCB) and shared line receiver and shared line transmitter state registers to receive and send data on a shared communication line.