Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel apparatus and method for effectuating the ordering of supplies via a wireless handset device. In one embodiment, the handset is pre-loaded with a plurality of folders each representing a multifunction device. A user navigates the hierarchy of folders and selects a folder. The user then selects at least one graphical widget contained therein representing a particular supply commodity available for order from a supplier. In response to a user selection thereof, a part number identified by the selected graphical widget and a supplier profile are retrieved from memory. The profile contains the ordering method and contact information. An order message is prepared according to the ordering method prescribed by the profile and is sent to the supplier to place an order for that supply commodity. The process repeats until no more supplies are to be ordered. Additional features, enhancements, and embodiments have been provided.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel system and method for xerographic Dmax control based upon measurements made on the printed paper using an inline spectrophotometer (ILS) or similar device. The disclosed method is based upon directly measuring the color to actuator sensitivity. Each of the separations is controlled independently using an actuator specific to that color separation. The present method is effective at controlling the color of the solid primaries. The fact that the vector of change is highly correlated with solid color variation seen in the field suggests that the teachings hereof effectively increase the solid color stability. Increased solid color stability increases the color stability throughout the printer gamut and the stability of the gamut boundaries, which increases the robustness of gamut mapping algorithms. Advantageously, the present method can be combined with existing ILS-based maintenance architectures.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for depositing a polymer layer containing nanoparticles on a substrate material. The method comprises the steps of providing the substrate material, providing a polymerization material near a surface of the substrate material, conducting a gas flow near the surface of the substrate material, the gas flow comprising a nanomaterial, and depositing the polymer layer at the surface of the substrate material by applying a plasma polymerization process.

Abstract: A system and method for resizing a digitally represented color image are presented. A color image with pixels defined by luminance and at least one chrominance value is received. For each pixel of the color image, a luminance spatial variation and respective chrominance spatial variations in the respective neighborhood of the each pixel are computed. The luminance spatial variation and the respective chrominance spatial variations are combined to produce a respective importance value for each pixel. Selected pixels are identified based upon their respective importance values and are removed by seam carving of the color image. The seam carving identifies seams of pixels based upon the respective importance values of pixels within the seams of pixels to create a resized color image. The resized color image is produced to an image output device.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel system and method for characterizing a model-based spectral reflectance sensing device. In accordance with the teachings hereof, measurements of training samples taken with a previously manufactured ‘fleet master’ sensing device are adapted, in a manner more fully disclosed herein, based upon knowledge of the wavelengths of the illuminators used for both the subject and fleet master sensors, as well as spectral reflectance response of the training samples as measured by a reference spectrophotometer device. Utilizing the adapted measurements of the fleet master device, a reconstruction matrix can be quickly constructed for the subject sensor. The present system and method provides reasonably good accuracy using pre-existing measurement data. This results in manufacturing cost savings on a per-sensor basis.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel system and method for determining whether a pixel resides along a two-color edge in a halftoned bi-level bitmap. In one embodiment, a bitmap having a plurality of colored pixels is received. For each pixel in the bitmap, a window of size n×m is defined centered on the current pixel. The window is partitioned into a plurality of regions with each region having an orientation direction with each orientation direction having an associated numeric value. A number of pixels are counted for each of the first and second colors in each of the associated orientation directions. A determination is made as to the respective orientation direction having the maximum and minimum pixel counts for each of the first and second colors. Thereafter, a determination is made whether the pixel resides along a two color edge based upon the max/min counts and each associated orientation direction.

Abstract: A device, and a corresponding method of implementation, for SRAM memory information storage are provided. The device is powered by a supply voltage and includes an array of base cells organized in base columns, and at least one mirror column of at least one mirror cell liable to simulate the behavior of the cells in a base column. The device further includes Emulation means, in a mirror column, of the most restricting cell in a base column, Means for varying a mirror power supply voltage for the mirror column, and Means for copying the mirror power supply voltage in the emulated base column.

Abstract: A method for embedding coded information in a coupon with a face value denomination includes encoding that face value denomination value as a plurality of data carrying dot pair patterns where each dot is too small to be visually noticeable. For each page of a document to be rendered, the method includes determining whether the border area is blank. If found not blank the border area is cleared. Each of the plurality of data carrying dot patterns is embedded in the blank border area of the document page. The document page with the embedded data carrying dot patterns is then rendered, where each data carrying dot is too small to be visually noticeable.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a feedback control based system and method for selecting spot color recipes for improved spot color rendition while simultaneously minimizing a function of image quality attributes formed with states defined as vectors such as L*, a*, b*, mottle, graininess, etc. Color is measured with an in-line spectrophotometer or with a full/partial width array. If the sensor is not available, then a model of the print device is used to optimize the function of image quality attributes. In one example embodiment, a spot color of interest is selected along with a set of image quality attributes to be improved for the spot colors of interest. Set points for process actuators and color recipes of the color marking device are adjusted such that a function of the image quality attributes is minimized when the spot color is rendered on the device. Various workflows are disclosed.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel system and method for reducing a size of a memory buffer used by an electronic registration correction system performing an electronic registration correction on a digital image. The present method uses column address segmentation to identify blocks of scanlines within a spatially mapped array of image pixels comprising a digital image. Advantageously, the present system and method reduces scanline buffer memory by a factor of 2n-1, where n is the number of column address segments. Buffering can be performed at almost any upstream location in the image path. The present method is well suited for high resolution imaging equipment where memory is constrained by design, cost, or space limitations.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel system and method for detecting and correcting for In-Line-Spectrophotometer (ILS) measurements of constant value patches in the presence of banding in multi-function document reproduction systems. The present system analyzes the ILS data stream to identify structured noise components due to banding. An FFT is performed on each L*a*b* component in the ILS stream for a single test page. The peak frequencies from the FFT of the L* a* and b* channels are compared. Common frequencies in all 3 channels indicate a banding component. Once the banding frequencies and the banding wavelength are known, the color patch target can be adjusted to ensure the color patches are synchronized to the banding wavelength. By running a series of synchronized patches and averaging results, structured noise can be eliminated. In such a manner, a reduction of banding effects on color calibration can be effectuated.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel system and method for performing a CMYK to CMYKKpRGB color transform which helps reduce engine-specific halftone artifacts in diverse printing devices capable of dot-on-dot printing. The present method lends adaptive color overlapping control to local color regions depending on the engine behaviors and imaging artifacts to be addressed. With such a transform, an added degree of flexibility is provided to a variety of halftoning algorithms to reduce engine-specific halftone artifacts. Advantageously, increased halftone image quality is effectuated for different engine behaviors in a computationally efficient manner. Various embodiments have been disclosed.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for performing a background deletion that exploits both local and global context to remove background and other white space between objects with the aim of retaining structural relationships between objects in the document. A document image is received and seams are carved through the image. Seams composed of uniform background pixels are identified. Adjacent seams containing background pixels are collected into groups of seams. The background seam groups are classified according to their widths. A target number of seams to be removed for each background seam group is then determined based on the classification. Seam groups which are wider will have at least the same or a greater target number of seams to be deleted therefrom than will seam groups of narrower widths. The document image is then resized by deleting seams from the seam groups based on the assigned target number.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a method for iterative seam selection in an image resizing system utilizing a seam carving technique. In one embodiment, an importance map is generated for a received source image. Seams are carved through the image from one edge to an opposite edge. An energy is computed for each seam based on pixel importance values. A distance is computed from each seam to a previously selected seam. A weighting for each seam is computed using a defined weighting function and the calculated seam distances. The weighting is applied to the energy of each seam produce a revised energy for each seam. A seam is selected based on the produced revised energy. The image is resized at a location of the selected seam. The process repeats until the image has been resized to a desired target output dimension. In such a manner, unnatural image resizing results are avoided.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel system and method for performing spatial gamut mapping on a received input color image having a plurality of pixels. A standard gamut-mapping algorithm is applied to the input color image to produce a gamut-mapped color image. A difference is computed between a selected channel of the input color image and the gamut-mapped image to produce a difference image. A local measure of complexity is derived for a given pixel in the difference image. One or more parameter values of a spatial bilateral filter are obtained from a lookup table based on the computed local measure of complexity. The spatial bilateral filter is applied, using the obtained parameter values, to the current pixel of the difference image to produce a modified pixel in a modified difference image. Thereafter, a modified gamut-mapped color image is obtained from the modified difference image and the gamut-mapped color image.

Abstract: An image processing system includes a memory for storing data associated with pixels of images, with the pixels having spatial coordinates in an image coordinate system having first and second axes; a processing device including a processor which processes the associated data; and an interface device which accesses in memory addresses associated with pixels of a block of pixels. In the interface device, access information is received indicating a base memory address, information regarding the dimensions of the block along the axes of the image coordinate system, and a storage method. At least one access rule is selected from multiple rules as a function of the storage method. The memory is accessed at the addresses associated with the pixels in the block, by applying the selected rule starting from the base address and taking into account the dimensions of the block.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel system and method for emulating transparency in a PostScript-enabled image forming device, such as a PostScript-enabled print device. The present system and method uses Adobe's DeviceN color space to support transparency printing on PostScript-enabled devices. The present method uses abstract data represented by a color plane in DeviceN space to indicate the existence of a transparency layer in the image to be printed. An emulation procedure is then called to perform a color space transformation and to perform color blending of the first image into the second image. A transparency value is used as one of the colorant channels to define the blending. Advantageously, the present method is backward compatible as there is no update required to the printer's driver or firmware. The present method has been demonstrated to work with Adobe Reader and PostScript Level-3.

Abstract: A method for embedding coded information in a document border includes encoding information as a plurality of data carrying dot pair patterns where each dot is too small to be visually noticeable. For each page of a document to be rendered, the method includes determining whether the border area is blank. If found not blank the border area is cleared. Each of the plurality of data carrying dot patterns is embedded in the blank border area of the document page. The document page with the embedded data carrying dot patterns is then rendered, where each data carrying dot is too small to be visually noticeable.

Abstract: What is provided herein is a novel system and method which improves efficiency of a color management system performing a gamut mapping function. In one embodiment, a plurality of source colors are examined to determine whether any have changed. If not, then the source profile, the source device model, and the color appearance model have not changed. Next, the primary colors of the destination device are examined to determine whether any of these have changes. If these have not changed, then the destination device profile and the destination device model have not changed. When the source profile, device profile, color appearance model and the device models have not changed, gamut mapping does not have to be performed. The cached gamut mapping data are used instead. The gamut mapping data are used in subsequent mappings between these same two devices. The cached gamut mapping data are used to customize a color response of the destination device.

Abstract: What is provided are a system and method for print/copy job environments utilizing a page description language (PDL). In one embodiment, an input PDL stream describing embedded objects in a job is received and parsed. Reusable document components (RDCs) are identified. A determination is made as to how many placements are in the PDL for each identified RDC. If no RDCs are placed more than once, caching is disabled. If it is not efficient to split the PDL stream into smaller tasks, page parallel rip (PPR) is disabled. The embedded objects are analyzed to determine a number of PPRs for the job based on system resources. A raster image processing (RIP) time is projected for each path in the job based on the determined number of placements and the determined number of PPRs. A job processing path is prescribed for the job based on the most efficient projected RIP time.