Patents Represented by Attorney Leslie G. Murray
  • Patent number: 7016061
    Abstract: A method and apparatus which dynamically determines if the raster image processing (RIP) for a print job data file is more efficiently performed by the host computer or by the printer in a printing system. The entire printing process is monitored and, based on a model for estimating the time required for various component print processes, a determination is made where the raster processing of the print data for the next print job should be performed to balance the processing load across the printing system to best utilize the maximum printing speed of the printer print engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: James A. Hewitt
  • Patent number: 6954753
    Abstract: A secure electronic storage system for digital information administered by a third party and accessible over a communications network. Sensitive information in digital format is stored in a secure database located at a physically remote storage facility which appears to a client computer as a single, peripheral storage device and is transparent to the user. The secure storage facility is treated as a local logical storage device accessible from a user's desktop computer thus allowing the storage, retrieval and updating of data files electronically over a communications network such as the internet. Dedicated data storage units identified by a user identification code are maintained in a secure environment and are accessed from a user's desktop computer utilizing a standard data file access method for a single peripheral storage device. Encryption and user authorization validation services are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Paul L Jeran
  • Patent number: 6854654
    Abstract: A method of packaging print media in combination with a printing device enables the printing device to automatically determine the type of media, and its characteristics and attributes, loaded in a media input tray. The print media package includes a pre-cut or perforated line which allows the removal of one end of the package forming a partial package exposing one end of sheets of the print media and encasing the print media. The print media is loaded in the media input tray encased in the partial package with the exposed ends of the print media sheets accessible to the printing device feed roller. The print media package includes an identifying code imprinted on an outside surface of the package located on the remaining portion of the package when the package end has been removed. The media input tray includes a sensor mounted in a location accessible to the identifying code when the print media encased in the partial package is loaded in the media input tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Michael P. Prenn
  • Patent number: 6856430
    Abstract: A method and apparatus which generates a copy of the print data file for a print job and utilizes the copied data file to calculate the amount of marking material required to print the print job while allowing the processing of the print job to proceed without interruption or delay. A print server in a computer or printing system receives print jobs originating at one or more host computers. At the print server the print job data file is copied and a separate task using the copy calculates the amount of marking material required to print the print job proceeds in the print server background in parallel with the conventional processing of the print job. The print job file is converted to a universal file format prior to being transmitted to the print server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Stephen T. Gase
  • Patent number: 6779747
    Abstract: A method for shredding a document which renders the information unintelligible and prevents or minimizes reassembly of the shredded document reconstruction of the information contained in the document. The ability to reassembly a shredded document is greatly reduced by shredding each page of the document into segments formed by cuts made in the blank space between characters or images on the page. A cut pattern in which all cuts are made in the blank spaces between characters or images produces pieces or shreds of the document which have no partial or portions of characters or marks which can be matched across adjacent pieces. A document is first scanned to provide an image which can be analyzed by a processor to determine a desired cut pattern for the document. The processor then generates a set of instructions to control and adjust the cutting blades in a shredding device to cut the document in the desired cut pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, LP.
    Inventors: Brent J. McLean, Tim M. Hoberock, Leslie G. Murray
  • Patent number: 6771820
    Abstract: A document processing system for imperceptibly encoding information in displayed images or text. Printed text or other images are modified using gray levels to encode information within existing text or images. The text is modified using digital processing to provide text or images in which adjacent portions of individual text characters, for example, have slightly different gray levels in accordance with an encoding scheme to encode addition information within the existing text. The modifications to the text is so slight that it is imperceptible to the human eye, yet is easily detectable by a machine such as a scanner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Kenneth L. Oakeson
  • Patent number: 6753977
    Abstract: Machine-readable information provided on a printed document in the form of printed marks which are not visually perceptible to the human eye. The printed marks are of a combination of sufficiently small size and selected color which renders the printed marks visually imperceptible to the human eye, yet easily detectable by a machine such as a scanner. The printed marks are dispersed across portions of or all of the printed document in selected patterns for encoding information, such as in a bar code, or the information may merely be printed text. The marks representing the information are printed in unused blank space between or surrounding existing text and other images on the printed document thus avoiding the use of any additional surface area of the media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Rick Paul Hoover
  • Patent number: 6646768
    Abstract: A single plate flatbed scanner utilizing a single sensor to detect both opening of a lid covering the plate and the leading edge of an automatically fed document. The flatbed scanner includes a contact glass plate defining a flatbed scanning area where a document to be scanned may be manually positioned. An automatic document feeder (ADF) scan window where ADF-fed documents are scanned is defined within the flatbed scanning area. An image sensor is maintained at a fixed position in the ADF scan window while scanning ADF-fed documents. To scan a manually fed document, the image sensor moves under the flatbed scanning area so as to scan an image of the document. Since the ADF scan window and the flatbed scanning area both are defined in the same area of the contact glass plate, a document inadvertently left on the contact glass blocks the ADF scan window and prevents the scanning of an ADF fed document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Eric L. Andersen, Paul K. Mui
  • Patent number: 6621589
    Abstract: A central print system in which print jobs are directed to a particular print resource based on a set of print job attributes specified by an end user at the time the print job is submitted. The central print system provides intent-based printing which allows the end user to specify the end result of the printing operation rather than initially selecting a print resource. A print job manager processes the print job using the end user selected print job processing attributes to select the appropriate print resource from a group of networked print resources. An attribute registers a set of job processing attributes for each print resource servicing a single print queue and provides a list of available print job attributes to each client computer on the network from which an end user specifies particular job attributes to define a desired end result for a print job. The attribute manager periodically updates the job processing attribute list as print resources are added to or deleted from the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Binnur Al-Kazily, Craig R. White
  • Patent number: 6598795
    Abstract: A method of packaging print media in combination with a printing device enables the printing device to automatically determine the type of media, and its characteristics and attributes, loaded in a media input tray. The print media package includes a pre-cut or perforated line which allows the removal of one end of the package forming a partial package exposing one end of sheets of the print media and encasing the print media. The print media is loaded in the media input tray encased in the partial package with the exposed ends of the print media sheets accessible to the printing device feed roller. The print media package includes an identifying code imprinted on an outside surface of the package located on the remaining portion of the package when the package end has been removed. The media input tray includes a sensor mounted in a location accessible to the identifying code when the print media encased in the partial package is loaded in the media input tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, LP
    Inventor: Michael P. Prenn
  • Patent number: 6559965
    Abstract: A method for establishing two-way communications between a host system and a device when the address of the device is initially unknown. The host system submits a job to a device with the job including address and other information required for the device to respond with the device's address. Once the host system has the device address, the host system and the device can establish bi-directional communications. In a print job, a print job language (PJL) command known as SOCKETPING is used to transmit the information between a print client and a printer. The SOCKETPING command includes fields for host system address family, protocol, address, and port as well as extensions to define job status reporting parameters. The printer responds to the SOCKETPING command with the necessary address information for the printer and job status reports as specified in the SOCKETPING extensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Shell S. Simpson, Richard Detweiler, Matt Howell, Mark E. Hodges
  • Patent number: 6483999
    Abstract: A combination printer/copier which utilizes the page sensor in the document feeder and/or the lid to trigger an interrupt sequence. The interrupt sequence queries the user for the interrupt copy job parameters. Once these parameters are entered, or the user accepts the default settings and initiates the interrupt copy job by depression of a single button, the interrupt sequence compares the interrupt copy parameters with the current job status and current job parameters to evaluate the current job for a possible stopping point. If possible, the current job is then stopped at this point and the current job status, as well as print parameters, are stored for retrieval after the interrupt job is completed. The interrupt job is then processed. Once the interrupt job is completed, the prior job status and print parameters are retrieved and the interrupted job is resumed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Eric L. Andersen, Paul K. Mui
  • Patent number: 6393233
    Abstract: An electrophotographic imaging device having a controller including power management circuitry managing the distribution of electrical power to an image fixing device and other electrically powered components. The power management circuitry manages the power distribution first to provide the image fixing device with sufficient power to meet the image fixing requirements, and second to meet the power requirements of the remaining electrically powered components. For example, during normal operation of the imaging device, if, for a particular print job, more heat is required to fix the toner with sufficient strength thus requiring a higher image fixing device temperature to maintain the same printer speed (pages per minute) additional electrical power is required for the image fixing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventor: George R. Soulier
  • Patent number: 6315473
    Abstract: A sensor assembly for measuring the displacement or position of a movable member. The sensor assembly utilizes two or more smaller, less accurate sensors to perform the function of a single, more accurate larger sensor. The resolution of each of the smaller sensors is increased by configuring the sensor system such that the maximum travel of each sensor in a direction covers half or less of the travel of the moveable member being measured. Each sensor then moves in an opposite direction to return to its original position for the remainder of the travel of the movable member. Utilizing a cam follower system, two sensors generate a set of output signals at each position of the moveable member in a one-to-one correlation over the range of travel of the moveable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventor: Jamison B. Slippy
  • Patent number: 6275664
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining whether or not sufficient consumable supplies such as toner or ink and print media, for example, are available to an imaging device such as a printer to complete a submitted print job. The method determines the amount of selected consumable supplies remaining and, based on the requirements of a submitted print job and historical data gathered over the lifetime of the imaging device, calculates the amount of consumable supplies required for the print job and compares that to the amount of consumable supplies available. If insufficient consumable supplies are available, the user is notified of the condition. The user then knows at the time the print job is submitted that sufficient consumable supplies are available and that the print job will be complete and available at the printer. The user is further notified that specific consumable supplies are in need of replenishment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Bryan D. Wolf, Kevin A. Owen, Jeffrey Jay Anderson
  • Patent number: 6016241
    Abstract: A heterogeneous thin film structure including a discontinuous layer of ferromagnetic material deposited on an insulating substrate and overcoated with a layer of nonmagnetic electrically conductive material exhibits giant magnetoresistance in saturation fields on the order of 350 Oersteds. A layer of ferromagnetic material is deposited on a heated insulating substrate by high vacuum evaporation techniques to form a layer of isolated ferromagnetic particles and overcoated with a nonmagnetic conductive material to form a plurality of ferromagnetic particles embedded in a nonmagnetic conductive matrix. As the ferromagnetic and nonmagnetic materials are deposited separately, it is not required that the two materials be immiscible and subsequent annealing is not required to induce phase separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin Robert Coffey, James Kent Howard, Todd Lanier Hylton, Michael Andrew Parker
  • Patent number: 5774124
    Abstract: A method and computer system for converting triangular meshes to quadrilateral meshes in a computer system. The computer system comprises a processor and a means for inputting graphical data. The graphical data comprises a surface, the surface is defined by a boundary and comprises a triangular mesh. The method comprises the processor-executed steps of: (a) ascertaining the topological distance of the triangles on the triangular mesh to the boundary; (b) dividing the surface into layers of triangles, such that each layer comprises triangles within a range of topological distances; (c) within each layer, forming groups of triangles; and (d) dividing each group into at least three quadrilateral elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Itoh, Kenji Shimada
  • Patent number: 5761005
    Abstract: A disk drive assembly in which the suspension, slider and transducer are integrated and fabricated to produce a combination assembly. The combination transducer-slider-suspension assembly is batch produced by forming a plurality of the combination assemblies onto a single wafer. The wafer is then diced to separate the assemblies into individual sections. The transducers are deposited onto the wafer and the air bearing surface formed. Conductors to interconnect each transducer with the external circuits are insulated from the wafer and deposited along a path which will form the suspension. A spring-like resilient layer is then deposited over and electrically insulated from the conductors. The wafer is then pattern etched to remove a portion of the wafer backside to form the suspension and provide a transducer/slider combination having an air bearing surface after the wafer is diced to separate the individual combination assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Merritt McKay, Henry Shusei Nishihira, Andrew Ching Tam
  • Patent number: 5712856
    Abstract: A test link protocol which continuously monitors each link in a network to ensure that the link is correctly transmitting data. Each switch, or torus has at least one of two functional components: Send Test and Receive Test. The Send Test component monitors control codes at a torus link output. The Receive Test component monitors control codes at a torus link input. After a predetermined interval, the Send Test component makes a request to send a test.sub.-- link control code. The torus sends the test.sub.-- link code to the neighboring torus, where it is removed from the data stream and sent to that torus' Receive Test. The Receive Test then generates a response message and makes a request to send that message back to the originating torus. After receiving the message, the Send Test analyzes the message to determine whether the network link is working correctly. An error is also declared if the Send Test does not receive a reply within a predetermined interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Damon W. Finney, Michael James Rayfield
  • Patent number: 5701222
    Abstract: A magnetoresistive (MR) sensor comprises a dual differential spin valve structure. Each of the spin valves comprise first (free) and second (pinned) layers of ferromagnetic material separated by a thin film layer of nonmagnetic material. The magnetization direction of the pinned layers of ferromagnetic material in each spin valve is fixed, and their magnetization is set antiparallel to each other. A current flow is produced through the MR sensor, and the variations in voltage across the MR sensor are sensed due to changes in resistance of the MR sensor produced by rotation of the magnetization in the free layers of ferromagnetic material as a function of the magnetic field being sensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1997
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Hardayal Singh Gill, Bruce A. Gurney