Abstract: A self-aligning, simple to use and reliable child/pet safety gate (2) that is removably mounted by a support assembly (4) to an existing room door (12) by hanging the support assembly on the room side doorknob (10) without the use of mounting hardware is disclosed. This design allows the gate to be used or stored while so mounted to the room door. Further, with the gate in its stored, hidden position behind the door, the existing room door can still be opened and closed in a normal fashion. Yet, it is a simple matter to place and secure the gate's blocking assembly (6) in its operative or blocking position by pivoting it to block the open area and then latching it to the door frame using a locking strap (54) and pin (60) and the existing door lock bolt aperture (62) to secure the blocking assembly.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved method, in an impact matrix printer, for extending print ribbon life when used in printing bar codes and for improving the quality of bar codes printed by the ribbon, the printer including a dot matrix print head having a plurality of print pins and print hammers. The printer includes a medium to receive printed indicia thereon, and a print ribbon intermediate the print head and the medium, and means for effecting relative movement between the print head, the medium and the print ribbon so as to position opposite the print head different portions of the medium from time to time when the printer is operational and printing and to position different portions of the print ribbon intermediate the print head and the medium at preselected times when the printer is operational and printing.

Abstract: A computer-controlled printing system includes a host computer, an intelligent printer and an intelligent post printer processor. The print job is controlled by defining print data, printer control data and printer post processor control data in a print data stream from the host computer. The print data and printer control data are read at the intelligent printer. The intelligent printer executes the print control data to print the print data on a print medium. The printer also determines if there is post processor control data in the print data stream and, if so, sends the post processor control data from the printer to the intelligent post processor. The post processor reads the post processor control data, and executes the post processor control data to perform selected modification of the print medium.

Abstract: A method for producing a printer wherein tractor drives move a length of fan-fold, continuous-form paper upwardly from a stacked source thereof, through a print mechanism, across a paper directing assembly and then downwardly to refold onto an output stack, the method including steps for detecting misfolds of the fan-fold paper in the printer.

Abstract: An ordered index file is created for archived report data wherein each index file contains a series of 4-byte offsets into the report data. Each offset points to a field within a row of the report data from archival storage. Upon later retrieval from the report data, a binary search is performed for a key(s) that is contained in a search query, using the index field offsets to determine the order in which to retrieve the report data fields. The binary search resolves each key in the search query to a range of index offsets corresponding to report rows that match the query. The search technique optimize final filtering of matches by using the search query that matched the smallest range as the controlling field for resolving overlap of fields in the search query. Since all of the offsets refer to the same report file, this optimization operation compares the offsets of the fields, rather than comparing the field values themselves.

Abstract: A printing system wherein pre-printing commands, print data, and post-printing commands are nested in a data stream, the commands bounding a group of print data pages in the data stream, the group of pages containing one or more page data blocks, and the commands defining one or more operations to be performed relative to the group of pages. Groups of pages are handled in accordance with the commands in the data stream, and the commands are buffered while a print processor processes the group of pages to form printed sheets therefrom.

Abstract: A method of reversing all of the pixels in an image word uses recursive steps of shifting the image word a varying, predetermined number of spaces, followed by filtering the shifted and unshifted words through a varying, predetermined mask. The number of cycles necessary to reverse an image word having 2.sup.n pixels is n cycles, plus one additional shifting step. This method of reversing a single image word is used to generate the mirror image of an input image. This image word reversal method is also useful for rotating an image word 180 degrees about an axis through its center.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process and apparatus for pagemap memory representation in RISC controlled printers. The technique disclosed optimizes pagemaps in memory to minimize losses in processor efficiency of processors having data caches, TLB's and virtual memory, due to unavailability of desired data in first the data cache, then the random access memory. The technique is particularly applicable to RISC processors having a plurality of table lookaside buffers, each containing the address of a frame or page of memory, each frame comprising a finite number of bytes of data. This is accomplished by dividing the pagemap into one dimensional array of swaths of scans, each swath containing a two dimensional array of words in column major order. Each of said swaths having a height measured in scans which is a function of frame size, data cache line size and set associativity of the data cache, but which is an integral multiple of the number of words in a data cache line.

Abstract: A ribbon shield for an impact printer having a row of print hammers and an endless moving type band comprises an elastic separator sheet in which an edge thereof is formed with an offset projecting from the plane of the sheet. The offset projects an amount which is greater than the thickness of the sheet. The sheet, which is made preferably from a polyester material, can be very thin so that it will not cause underscoring and its compliance to force from the print hammer will not extract the energy therefrom.

Abstract: Priority levels and bump values are assigned to requestors for access to a system resource. When access requests are received, arbitration of the requests is made in accordance with the assigned priorities, bump values, and the received access requests. If a high priority level access request is granted, then the same request will be held off for a successive number of requests as set by the bump values. In cases where the access is required for more than one request/grant cycle, the priority level access can be retained as long as required.

Abstract: Memory testing is performed by a dedicated hardware system, initialized by a system processor and employing the processor's DMA capability to allow the system to execute other programs without having to wait until memory testing is completed. The same hardware can be utilized as a memory scrubber.

Abstract: The user written application program (UAP) operates interactively with an application program interface (API) to produce multiple formatted documents from multiple data records without user intervention. The UAP calls the API to send set-up parameters to the API, and the API is set-up for formatting based on these parameters received from the UAP. The UAP sends page parameters to the API to establish the page environment at the API based on the page parameters. Then the UAP and the API interactively format the data records as paragraphs, tables or other page elements into a page. The interactive format process checks for errors in the format process at the API. The UAP and the API continue to format data unless a detected error is too severe. The format process is a state driven process. A hierarchy of states in the format process is defined, and the calls to the API set a current active state.

Abstract: A fuser roll for fusing toner (12) onto paper (10) in electrophotographic printers and copiers is made of a hollow metal tube (14) provided with a coating (18), of about 60 to 90 wt % polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) and about 10 to 40 wt % polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Up to about 40 wt % of a filler may be added to the total composition. The fuser roll coated with the PPS-PTFE composition of the invention results in improved fusing of the toner, providing a matt finish of the fused toner on paper, improved uniformity of print quality, longer wear of the fuser roll, and reduced toner smear. The PPS-PTFE roll produces better toner fusing with both rough and smooth papers, and performs better at the same fuser roll temperature of 190.degree. C. than PTFE fuser rolls.

Abstract: Resource master and slave combinations operating from separate local clocks asynchronously even though there may be wide speed variations among the devices, eliminating the need to synchronize the trailing edges of generated control signals with the local clock so as to free access to the resource as soon as possible without introducing timing or logic hazards.

Abstract: Use of a single pass print data stream conversion process when sufficient memory is available to store all the page data to be printed and reversion to a double pass conversion when insufficient memory is available. Scanning of the input data stream, storing the page data, and downloading the resource data to the printer continues so long as sufficient memory to store the page data is available. If the available memory is filled before the entire page is scanned, the stored page data is discarded. The scanning continues to download the resource data but the page data is no longer stored. When the page has been completely scanned, the scanning is restarted at the beginning of the page, downloading the page data to the printer and discarding the resource data during the second scan.

Abstract: In many business applications, data about a client is created and entered on an agent's data terminal during a teleconference with the client. Often, it is necessary to transfer the client to a specialist during the course of the conversation. This invention describes a method of transferring the call and the data terminal information associated with the call to any available phone extension with an associated data terminal. A Computerized Branch Exchange (CBX) is used to transfer the call and pass a host program the phone source extension and the destination extension for the transfer. The host program looks up the source and destination extensions in a phone to terminal file and determines the network address of the data terminals involved and transfers the appropriate host application terminal display to invoke a transfer of display information. The host application sends the data terminal information to the destination data terminal display in conjunction with the transferred phone call.

Abstract: Bus command generation apparatus is provided for a microprocessor implemented data processing system that uses a multibyte width system bus requiring a bus command byte since a complete bus command byte is ordinarily unavailable directly from a microprocessor. A bus command register is loaded with a preliminary bus command, certain bits of which are then modified in accordance with the operation to be performed. The limited command information available from the microprocessor that controls I/O operations is utilized to modify the preliminary bus command bytes without any need to access memory for bus command information. The bus command generation apparatus is adapted to pass a preliminary bus command byte unaltered, under predefined conditions, to the system bus.

Abstract: The performance of a multimicroprocessor implemented data processing system that emulates a mainframe is enhanced by providing a pair of override latches that serve to steer accesses between main and control storage for instruction fetch and operand acquisition in a manner that minimizes the complexity and size of microprocessor interface microcoding. This is achieved by connecting the instruction and operand override latches between a primary microprocessor, a secondary microprocessor, off-chip control storage belonging to the secondary microprocessor, particularly memory mapped private storage therein, and main storage. The override latches are made responsive, via microcode provided for that purpose, to the type and cause of each memory access. The override latches are set or reset by a memory mapped write to a predefined address in the secondary control store after being enabled by control lines responsive to the particular microprocessor action being taken.

Abstract: A method for verifying the architectural integrity of a newly written or modified instruction set in a limited operating environment is described. More particularly, this methodology is adapted to perform such verification even though the processor under test has only a one or a few instructions in its partially complete instruction set. Such verification is accomplished using a minimum test driver, under control of a test processor, which loads the data necessary to execute the instruction being tested. The test system also provides actual or simulated I/O capabilities. After execution of that instruction, the test driver directs capture of the execution results for appropriate use. As an aid in performing the verification test, the test driver is provided with an invalid command that forces return of control to the test processor.