Abstract: A system and method of filtering junk e-mails. A user is provided with or compiles a list of e-mail addresses or character strings which a user would not wish to receive to produce a first filter. A second filter is provided including names and character strings which the user wishes to receive. Any e-mail addresses or strings contained in the first filter will be automatically eliminated from the user's system. Any e-mail addresses or strings contained in the second filter would be automatically sent to the user's “in box”. Any e-mail not provided in either of the filtered lists will be sent to a “waiting room” for user review. This user review results in the user rejecting any e-mail, the addresses as well as specific character strings included in this e-mail would be transmitted to a central location to be included in a master list. This master list is periodically sent to each of the users allowing the first filter to be updated.

Abstract: A system and method of filtering junk e-mails. The user is provided with or compiles a list of e-mail addresses or character strings which the user would not wish to receive to produce a first filter. A second filter is provided including names and character strings which the user wishes to receive. Any e-mail addresses or strings contained in the first filter will be automatically eliminated from the users system. Any e-mail addresses or strings contained in the second filter would be automatically sent to the users "In Box". Any e-mail not provided in either of the filter lists will be sent to a "Waiting Room" for user review. If this user review results in the user rejecting any e-mail, the address as well as specific character strings included in this e-mail would be transmitted to a central location to be included in a master list. This master list is periodically sent to each of the users allowing the first filter to be updated.

Abstract: A computer system having a visual display indicating the status of an attached printer is disclosed. The visual display allows the user to determine various status states of the attached printer without physical examination of the printer itself. Printer states requiring user intervention, and printer states not requiring user intervention, are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the computer system displays a Printer Status window which both graphically and textually indicates the printer state. When printing, a graphical representation of the attached printer is displayed within a portion of the Printer Status window, and is animated to represent the actual printing of a page. If an error occurs while printing, the Printer Status window preferably indicates the nature of the error, and the steps which must be performed (if any) to continue printing.

Abstract: A resource oriented host computer-printer system in which the host computer and printer share information and data processing duties. A system and method for analyzing the execution times for draw primitives allows the host computer to determine whether the printer will be able to render draw primitives in real-time. A resource assembler calculates the cost of executing each draw primitive within a band to determine if the printer can render the draw primitive in real-time. If the band is too complex for the printer to render in real-time, the printer may pre-render the band or the host computer will render the band and transmit the bit-map of that band to the printer. The host computer makes a series of decisions as to the best form for transferring data from the host computer to the printer. If the printer cannot store the bit-map data file, the bit-map data file is compressed.

Abstract: A host computer and printer and method of operation wherein the data file describing a document is processed in a manner that creates a frame of data to be transmitted from the host computer to the printer. The data frame contains a data stream which is wrapped in a create font command wrapper so that the printer will be able to process the data frame in some manner. If the printer is operating in a first mode and cannot process the actual stream data, the frame wrapper will allow the printer to process the wrapper and ignore the data stream. If the printer is operating in a second mode and can process the actual data stream, the printer ignores the wrapper and processes the data. The printer will print a message to the user if the printer cannot process the actual data stream. The message informs the user of the printer's inability to process the data stream.

Abstract: A host computer and printer and method of operation wherein the printer is able to switch between two modes of operation. When the printer is powered up, it initializes its internal data registers and printer memory, followed by a check to see if additional firmware, in the form of a cartridge or the like, is added to the printer. If additional firmware is present, the printer turns operational command over to the additional firmware. The present invention, residing in the additional firmware, stores a complete image of the printer state, internal registers, and memory in a location that cannot be accessed by either mode of operation. The present invention compresses the data so that the complete image of the printer state, internal registers, and memory occupies approximately eight KBytes of memory. The storage location may be part of the printer memory itself, or any other suitable location.