Abstract: There is provided a network server which interfaces a client with selected database sites from a plurality of database sites. The network server comprises a meta-database (including both text information and multimedia information), a search agent, and a refining module. The search agent indexes the meta-database with a user query obtained from the client, and then distributes queries, developed pursuant to such indexing, to the selected ones of the plurality of database sites. In turn, database site information (responsive to the distributed queries) is retrieved from the selected ones of the plurality of database sites. A refining module is used to update the meta-database with the database relevancy information.

Abstract: A system for single-pass printing of a tamper-resistant, electronic form character on a print media sheet is provided. The system includes a printing subsystem and a character generation subsystem communicating with the printing subsystem. The character generation subsystem includes (1) a database for storing a plurality of tamper-resistant, composite electronic form characters, each of the plurality of tamper-resistant, composite electronic form characters including an electronic form character overlaying a security background, and (2) a character manager for retrieving a selected one of the plurality of tamper-resistant, composite electronic form characters from the database in response to an instruction provided by the printing subsystem to the character manager, the selected one of the plurality of tamper-resistant, composite electronic form characters being transmitted to the printing subsystem for single-pass printing thereof on the print media sheet.

Abstract: A computer-based method for providing the generation of schemas for output documents. An output schema representing a desired output condition of a document is created from inputs comprising a tree transformation rule defined by at least a pattern, a contextual condition, an input schema, and user specified parameters. A match-identifying tree automaton is created from the one pattern, the contextual condition, and the input schema; and the match-identifying tree automaton is modified with respect to said user specified parameters.

Abstract: There is a provided method for use with a printing system in which a second halftone pattern is selectively substituted for a first halftone pattern. The printing system preferably buffers one or more of print jobs and places each of the one or more print jobs in a print ready format. The printing system further includes a processing system in which the placing of the one or more print job into the print ready format is performed, as well as a halftone substitution subsystem for selectively operating on one or more halftone patterns which reside in one of the one or more print jobs.

Abstract: A method for a sheet handling system where a controller communicates with a mailbox bin subsystem having a plurality of print receiving bins is provided. The plurality of bins are grouped into a first print receiving bin set, a second print receiving bin set and a third print receiving bin set with the first print receiving bin set including one or more print receiving bins, the second print receiving bin set including one or more print receiving bins and the third print receiving bin set including one or more print receiving bins.

Abstract: A system, with a screen display, and an application server, is provided. Preferably, the application server registers one of a plurality of metaphor elements with a set of device attributes. A status indicating metaphor or a control metaphor is developed for use with the one of the plurality of metaphor elements. When displaying a metaphorical template, including the one of the plurality of metaphors on the screen display, the status indicating or control metaphor is associated with the one of the plurality of metaphor elements for facilitating the programming of a job or controlling an output of the job.

Abstract: A print media sheet tray control system for use with a printing system having a controller is provided. The control system includes a print media sheet tray which is configurable, through use of the controller, in a selected one of a first operational mode and a second operational mode. The configurable print media sheet tray is characterized by a print media attribute set having a selected state which can be either a first state or a second state. If the configurable print media sheet tray is configured in the first operational mode, then the controller prohibits printing system operation if the selected state has been altered from the first state to the second state. On the other hand, if the configurable print media sheet tray is configured in the second operational mode, then operation of the printing system is permitted provided the alteration was achieved pursuant to a preselected alteration process.

Abstract: A printing system for printing a representation of an image on a first portion of a bound document with the image being disposed on a second portion of the bound document is provided. The printing system includes an input station for generating a print job including the image, and a printing machine, communicating with said input station, for producing prints corresponding with the job, wherein one of the prints includes the image as a printed image. The printing system further includes a spine printing apparatus including an image capture system for reading the printed image and converting the same to a set of image data; and a printing device for printing the representation of the image, by reference to the set of image data, on the first portion of the bound document.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for framing an image portion in which a size attribute of the applicable frame is inputted with a user interface and dimensions of the image portion are stored in memory. A processor determines, by reference to the inputted size attribute and the stored dimensions, whether a preselected relationship exists between the image portion and the applicable frame. When the preselected relationship does not exist, the image portion is scaled with an image processing subsystem.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for diagnosing a selected print job transmitted to a printing system, the selected print job causing the printing system to malfunction when the selected print job is processed by the printing system. The diagnosing apparatus includes an apparatus for capturing the selected print job as it is transmitted to the printing system, and a storage section, communicating with the capturing arrangement, for holding the selected print job. A medium receives the selected print job from the storage section to transfer the selected print job to a diagnostic device for ascertaining the cause of the printing system malfunction with the selected print job.

Abstract: A system for routing a document job in a printing system with a print engine. The routing system includes a controller providing a set of information including an indication to a user of the printing system that the print engine is busy producing a first set of prints from a first set of image data. The set of information is received at a user interface and the user, in response to receiving the set of information, directs the controller, by way of the user interface, to cause a second set of prints, representative of a second set of image data developed at the printing system while the first set of prints is being produced by the print engine, to be (i) produced subsequent to the producing of the first set of prints and (ii) delivered to one of one or more mailbox bins.

Abstract: A job ticket programming system, adapted for use in a printing system including a user interface, with a screen display, and an application server is provided. Preferably, the application server registers a first metaphor element corresponding with a first set of device selections and a second metaphor element correpsonding with a second set of device selections. In practice, the metaphor elements are "linked" with each other, on the screen display, and a user is apprised of the selections, in a resulting metaphor combination which are available for job ticket programming.

Abstract: A document server is provided for processing a distribution job in a document processing system. The document processing system includes a document manager, communicating with first and second virtual services, for coordinating the storing or processing of first and second copies of an image data set at the first and second virtual services, respectively. The document processing system further includes a distribution agent, communicating with the document manager, for receiving a first job ticket, including attributes for controlling the storing or processing of the first copy of the image data set at the first virtual service and a second job ticket for controlling the storing or processing of the second copy of the image data set at the second virtual service.

Abstract: An automatic transmitting system for use in a networked printing system including a first client, second client and server. The automatic transmitting system includes an agent, operatively associated with the server, for maintaining information regarding a plurality of subsystems associated with a printing machine--the agent communicates with both the first and second clients. The automatic transmitting system further includes a registration system, including the first client, the second client and the agent, for registering the information. The information includes a first identifier and a second identifier, the first and second identifiers being stored with the agent and corresponded with first and second sets of information, respectively.

Abstract: A control system for a sheet handling system having a mailboxing system with a mailbox bin subsystem is provided. The mailbox bin subsystem includes a print receiving bin set with a plurality of print receiving bins, the plurality of print receiving bins being corresponded with a set of bin users. The control system includes a user interface with which one or more print receiving bins of the plurality of print receiving bins are assigned to one of the bin set users, and a controller communicating with the mailbox bin subsystem. In practice the controller: (1) determines, for the one bin set user, a frequency of use value varying as a function of a degree to which the one bin set user uses the one or more print receiving bins to which the one bin set user is assigned, and (2) reassigns one of the one or more print receiving bins to which the one bin set user is assigned when the frequency of use value drops below a preselected threshold and a selected condition is met.

Abstract: A document server is provided for processing a distribution job in a document processing system. The document processing system includes a document manager, communicating with first and second virtual services, for coordinating the storing or processing of first and second copies of an image data set at the first and second virtual services, respectively. The document processing system further includes a distribution agent, communicating with the document manager, for receiving a first job ticket, including attributes for controlling the storing or processing of the first copy of the image data set at the first virtual service and a second job ticket for controlling the storing or processing of the second copy of the image data set at the second virtual service.

Abstract: A job ticket programming system, adapted for use in a document processing system including a user interface, with a screen display, and an application server is provided. Preferably, the application server registers a first metaphor element corresponding with a first attribute set and a second metaphor element corresponding with a second attribute set. In practice, a metaphorical template, including the first metaphor element and the second metaphor element, and being represented by a combined attribute set with attributes from both the first and second attribute sets, is created for display on the screen display in response to displaying the first metaphor element on the screen display.

Abstract: A billing system for use in a printing system which processes a job with one or more events occurring, relative to the job, as a result of processing the job, is provided. The billing system includes a configurable billing information file including a plurality of current incrementable billing meters with each current incrementable billing meter corresponding with a set of one or more attribute values, and an information set including event related information with the event related information indicating that a new incrementable billing meter is to be added to the plurality of current incrementable billing meters or that one of the plurality of current incrementable billing meters is to be deleted.

Abstract: A document processing system is provided for processing a job having one or more electronic pages with at least one of the electronic pages including a set of pixels defining a halftone image. Each pixel is disposed in one of a first state and a second state, and the set of pixels includes a plurality of dots with each dot including a group of one or more pixels disposed in the first state. The document processing system includes an image examination system for determining whether a first dot and a second dot exist within a selected subset of one of the one or more sets of pixels. When the image examination system determines that the first and second dots exist in the selected subset, the image examination system determines whether the first dot includes more or less pixels disposed in the first state than the second dot.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically modifying a print job ticket having a plurality of page tickets is provided. Each page ticket is programmed with one or more print job attributes and each print job attribute is associated with one or more print job characteristics. In practice, one or more values are assigned respectively to the one or print job characteristics. The print job attributes and print job characteristics are stored in memory as a set, and a portion of the set is scanned with a processor to determine each page ticket upon which a print job characteristic first value is located. A set of page tickets is selected from the page ticket(s) determined with the processor and, for at least a portion of the set of page tickets, one or more print job characteristic first values are changed to print job characteristic second values so that the need on the part of a printing system user to manually change print job characteristic first values to print job characteristic second values is minimized.