Abstract: A client provides a job ticket token to a print server, which contains the profile of a print job to be printed. The print server parses the job ticket token, determines an appropriate printer for the print job, and returns a selected printer token to the client, that includes the network address and name of the selected printer. The client then sends the print job, accompanied by the selected printer token, to the appropriate printer. In this way, the print job is assigned to a proper printer for the print job by the print server. One advantage of the job token printer assignment system is that the print server does not see the print job, but merely the job ticket token of the print job. Accordingly, the print server does not have to spool a large print job, but merely has to identify the characteristics contained in the job ticket token, and assign the print job to an appropriate printer.

Abstract: Methods and systems for compression of digital images (still or motion sequences) are provided wherein predetermined criteria may be used to identify a plurality of areas of interest in the image, and each area of interest is encoded with a corresponding quality level (Q-factor). In particular, the predetermined criteria may be derived from measurements of where a viewing audience is focusing their gaze (area of interest). In addition, the predetermined criteria may be used to create areas of interest in an image in order to focus an observer's attention to that area. Portions of the image outside of the areas of interest are encoded at a lower quality factor and bit rate. The result is higher compression ratios without adversely affecting a viewer's perception of the overall quality of the image.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for compression of data. The invention provides for the application of a plurality of compression schemes to the data such that improved compression ratios are achieved. A first embodiment provides for compression of each pixel by one of a plurality of different entropy-based compression schemes based upon a probability cost analysis. A second embodiment provides for compression of each pixel based on a hybrid context formed using a plurality of compression schemes for improved probability determination, and thus improved entropy encoding. In embodiments of the invention, a context compression scheme similar to JBIG is applied, as well as an inverse scheme. The context scheme forms a statistical context from a concatenated sequence of previous pixel values. The inverse scheme provides a gray value estimation method based upon previous pixel values and respective threshold values.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided that enables color printers to render color or black and white files in a reduced memory configuration, and in a time efficient fashion.

Abstract: An exposure slit for an image recording apparatus comprises a plate having an opening for the passage of light. First and second inclined walls extend toward each other from the plate to form a slit over the opening. The inclined walls form a light trap which reduces the occurrence of fogging in the image recorder.

Abstract: A method is provided for determining colorant levels required by a printer to match a target color. A set of candidate colors is generated on a computer and printed on the printer. Color neighbors in the candidate color sets are calculated based on the colorants of the particular printer being used, but are presented to the user according to their human-natural organization by hue, lightness and saturation. One or more further sets of candidate colors are generated on the computer in response to user input indicative of a correlation between a color in a most recent printed set of candidate colors and the target color. The user then chooses a further set of candidate colors to be printed. The steps of generating and printing further sets of candidate colors are repeated, if necessary, until a selected color in the most recent printed set of candidate colors acceptably matches the target color.

Abstract: A transmitter device is disclosed for use with a conventional pen in which the ultrasound transmitter is a cylindrical element lying coaxial with the pen and adjacent to its tip, and a jointed eraser structure. Conventional triangulation techniques are used to track the position and motion of a writer or eraser. An encoding facility associated with the pen provides the ability to distinguish whether the pen is used for marking or an as erasing implement, as well as determining the nature or character of written line width or eraser swath. A data stream thus generated can be used in a variety of ways, such as for example, to feed information into the memory of a digital computer, and/or to feed information for transmission to remote stations.

Abstract: A color measurement instrument such as a reflection densitometer or a spectral reflectometer is fitted with an asymmetric tapered sample area optical enclosure to allow an improved operator sight line to the sample target area and allow ease of placement on the sample target, while allowing for the standard 45° illumination/90° measurement geometry. The disclosed structure is particularly suitable for use as a hand-held instrument.

Abstract: A toner usage estimation system is provided, in which an image file is analyzed to determine the relative usage of one or more toners used to define an image on a substrate. The image file is analyzed as a basis for estimating the cost of processing a particular print job. In one embodiment, a pixel coverage counter is added in the hardware path of a printer to count pixel coverage mapping, which allows the consumable usage of toner to be determined. In another embodiment, a software approximation on the coverage of toner is determined, based on the use of a reduced resolution thumbnail of an image.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for converting image data between planar format and a chunky format. A barrel shifter sorts the image bytes by color plane for output to a plurality of memory cells. Two addresses of each memory cell are not interconnected and function as a set of selection lines, whose binary values determine the number of positions that the data stored in the memory cells are shifted in response to the action of the barrel shifter. The sorted bytes are stored according to color format in the remaining, interconnected addresses of the memory cells. When the barrel shifter does not shift the bytes in a word, cyan bytes are stored in the memory cells. When the barrel shifter shifts the word one byte position, magenta bytes are output to the memory cells. Yellow and black bytes, respectively, are output for shifts of two bytes and three bytes, respectively. Each color plane is therefore stored in a separate memory cell and the chunky format data are converted to a planar format.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for correcting gamut limitations of a color device. A method includes creating a predefined color space for use in gamut correction due to the gamut limitations of the color device, such as a color printer, and producing a set of color data values using the predefined color space. The set of color data values is for use in converting from a first color space (e.g., RGB) to a second color space (e.g., CMYK). A method in another embodiment includes creating a first color separation table, creating a predefined color space, creating a second color separation table for converting values of colors in the predefined color space to values in a colorant space, and creating a composite color separation lookup table by using a plurality of first values from the first color separation table and using a plurality of second values from the second color separation table. The predefined color space is typically based upon a set of redefined chromaticities which are used in a transformation function.

Abstract: Interleaved data are converted to a planar format by an algorithm that follows map cycles throughout a frame buffer. Such map cycles result from iterating a function that maps planar addresses to CMYK addresses. There are three phases to the algorithm: In phase I, a 1-Cycle is processed and all of its member indices that are <=MAX_HIT in the array firstHit[] are saved. In phase II, all indices between 1 and MAX_HIT are visited, skipping any indices that have already been in a cycle. As each cycle is converted, any hits to indices between 1 and MAX_HIT are directly recorded in the array hit[], so that indices that have been used are quickly skipped. Phase III is skipped unless there are still some copies left to process. In phase III, there is no more space for recording every hit individually. When looking for new cycles, only indices that are not multiples of anything in the 1-Cycle are considered.

Abstract: Methods of translating a print object stream into a print job stream are claimed. The print object stream contains a succession of print objects. The print job stream contains print job objects.

Abstract: A display interface system that uses a server-client approach. The server contains all of the necessary information regarding display information, while the client deals with the specific display type that it is connected to. The server contains generic descriptions of user interface screens which allow the server to be independent of specific display types. This allows one version of software to support many types of displays, rather than several software revisions for each display type, saving the software developer time, maintenance, and labor costs. A request-response communication system is used whereupon the client requests previous or next user display screens, system parameter requests, or updates from the server. The client requests screen information through a series of key-tag sequences, while the server controls the sequencing of the user display screens. The client is shielded from any knowledge of the contents of the screen and is only concerned with the fact that something is being displayed.

Abstract: The invention described herein uses minimization techniques to find a good single-channel transformation that preserves the accuracy of critical colors. The invention takes as inputs a set of critical colors and from these colors determines a set of constraints on the output device and simulated device colorants that is used for the minimization. The constraints are selected to allow the minimization step to determine a consistent single-channel transformation. Then, the color characteristics of a simulated and an output printer are used to find a transformation that minimizes color distance, given the constraints. The invention takes into account certain critical colors during the generation of the single-channel transformation. The invention consists first selecting a set of colorant values in the simulated device color space that are critical to render accurately.

Abstract: A variable data print job system that reduces the master and variable jobs into a single job sent from the client to the printer that does not require indefinite disk storage on the printer. The first part of the job contains the master data pages and the second part of the job contains the variable data. The print job is assembled and sent to the printer which detects that the job is a two part job. It places the master data in the page buffer and copies it to another area of the page buffer so a page of the variable data can be overlaid onto the page buffer and is then sent to the print engine for printing. This process is repeated for each page of variable data. The invention expands upon this concept and handles multiple masters with a print job that contains variable data grouped with the associated master data. The single print job is assembled with the sequential variable data pages placed immediately after their associated master pages in a serial fashion.

Abstract: From a raster page, patches of connected pixels of the same color are identified. Patches of at least a predetermined sized, typically corresponding to text or line art objects, are subjected to a lossless compression. Patches below the predetermined size, typically corresponding to image or photo objects, are substantially subjected to a lossy compression. The patch predetermined size controls the mix of lossless and lossy compression procedures. Optimum compression is achieved by maximizing the lossless compression while attaining a targeted compression ratio. Various features include efficient recognition and encoding of patches, refined treatment of the boundaries between the lossless- and the lossy-compressed pixels, adaptive compression ratio control, and fail-safe compression provisions.

Abstract: A multiple raster image processor (RIP) system which enables faster system performance over multiple processors includes a zero RIP feature consisting of a language interpreter sub-RIP that interprets a print instruction file but does not process the graphics rendering steps or the post-language processing operators. The zero RIP discovers page related attributes for individual pages within a multipage job and reports any potential errors or warnings with the file. A thumb RIP consists of a very low resolution RIP that is used specifically for the creation of thumbnail images. A skip RIP interprets selected pages in a way that skips all or most of the processing for that page. Pages to be skipped are scheduled for a different processor, thereby saving processing time and enabling the provision of a multiple processor RIP. A rules based scheduler on an page/face or machine characteristic basis supports a dynamic assignment and assessment algorithm.

Abstract: A color data inversion and reconversion system provides improved systems, methods, and data structures for processing and printing color data which convert colorant amounts (c, m, y, k) for pixels into corresponding color amounts (r′, g′, b′) for the pixels and to accurate colorant amounts (c′, m′, y′, k′) for the pixels. This supports accurate printing of such pixels even where the colorant amounts (c, m, y, k) are inacurate, and can be used where the colorant amounts (c. m. y. k) were determined via a substantially reversible process in response to a set of color amounts (r, g, b).

Abstract: A transmitter device is disclosed for use with a conventional pen in which the ultrasound transmitter is a cylindrical element lying coaxial with the pen and adjacent to its tip, and a jointed eraser structure. Conventional triangulation techniques are used to track the position and motion of a writer or eraser. An encoding facility associated with the pen provides the ability to distinguish whether the pen is used for marking or an as erasing implement, as well as determining the nature or character of written line width or eraser swath. A data stream thus generated can be used in a variety of ways, such as for example, to feed information into the memory of a digital computer, and/or to feed information for transmission to remote stations.