Abstract: A method implemented in a print shop management system which allows operators to conveniently transport groups of print jobs between different devices and programs of the print shop, such as a MIS system, prepress devices, printers, finishing devices, etc. When exporting print jobs from a print job management program (the exporting program), the operator defines one or more job groups by specifying the criteria for each job group, and the exporting program exports all print jobs in the job groups to a storage location such as a USB flash drive. As a part of the exporting step, the exporting program filters the print jobs in the program's jobs database to find all jobs satisfying the criteria of each job group. The groups of jobs may be imported into another print job management program by accessing the storage location (e.g. by inserting the USB drive into the importing device).

Abstract: A method for pre-configuring a portable storage device for use in transporting print jobs in a print shop, and a method for using the pre-configured portable storage device to export and import print jobs between different devices in the print shop. The portable storage device is pre-configured to contain multiple root directories uniquely corresponding to multiple print job management programs. A configuration file containing exporting and importing instructions and administrative information is stored in each root directory. When exporting print jobs, the exporting program automatically locates its own unique root directory and exports jobs into that root directory. When importing print jobs, once the operator indicates an exporting program, the importing program searches the root directory for the exporting program for all stored jobs and displays them to the operator for selection.

Abstract: A document authentication method compares a target document image (scanned image) with an original document image at multiple levels, such as block (e.g. paragraph, graphics, image), line, word and character levels. The paragraph level comparison determines whether the target and original images have the same number of paragraphs and whether the paragraphs have the same sizes and locations; the line level comparison determines if the target and original images have the same number of lines and whether the lines have the same sizes and locations; etc. Document segmentation is performed on the target and original images to segment them into paragraph units, line units, etc. for purposes of the comparisons. The original document may be segmented beforehand and the segmentation information stored for later use. The authentication process may be designed to stop when alterations are detected at a higher level, so lower level comparisons are not carried out.

Abstract: A method for authenticating a printed document is disclosed. Barcode stamps are added to an original document image near the corners of the page to act as registration markers. The original document image bearing the barcode stamps is printed and circulated, while the original document image is stored in a database. To authenticate a printed document, the printed document is scanned into a target document image, which is compared to the stored original document image. The barcode stamps are used as registration markers to perform a global image registration. Then, the target image and the original image are divided into multiple sub-images, and local image registration is performed on the sub-images before performing an image comparison. Difference sub-images are generated from the pairs of sub-images, and merged into a global difference image for the purpose of detecting any alterations in the printed document.

Abstract: A method for compensating for color variations among multiple user printers by providing a target simulation process in each user printer that modifies its default color characteristics so that it has the same color characteristics as a designated target printer. In a WCS implementation, a target CDMP and a user CDMP representing color characteristics of the target printer and the user printer, respectively, are stored and used by the WCS workflow to perform color conversion when printing an image on the user printer. In an ICC implementation, a color simulation profile is generated that matches the color characteristics of the user printer to those of the target printer. The color simulation profile is combined with the default color profile of the printer to generate a combined color profile which is used to perform color conversion when printing an image on the user printer.

Abstract: A modified WCS (Windows Color System) pipeline is provided, which calculates the color transform off-line. More specifically, the color transform is calculated once after any profile is changed, and the calculated color transform data is stored for later use. During the printing process (i.e. when the user prints a document), the stored color transform data is retrieved and used by the pipeline to perform subsequent steps such as content color translation, without re-performing the color transform calculation.

Abstract: A method of enabling host devices having an IPsec policy to communicate with one another via an IPv6 communication network, which includes the following steps: extracting a Media Access Control identifier (MAC ID) for a target host from a security policy for an IPv6 address for the target host; searching for the MAC ID of the target host in an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) table on a source host; upon locating the MAC ID of the target host, creating a temporal neighbor cache entry in a neighbor cache table for the target host; and enabling a security association between the source host and the target host based on the temporal neighbor entry in the neighbor cache table, which allows IPv6 communications to be exchanged between the target host and the source host.

Abstract: A method of generating a self-authenticating document while utilizing document digest stored on a server for verification purposes. Authentication information for the document is encoded in barcode which is printed on the document. A document digest is calculated from the authentication information and transmitted to a server to be stored. When authenticating a scanned copy of the document, the barcode is read to extract the authentication information. A target document digest is calculated from the extracted authentication information and transmitted to the server for verification. The server compares the target document digest with the previously stored document digest. If they are not the same, the barcode has been altered. If they are the same, the extracted authentication information is used to authenticate the scanned copy. A document ID may be generated and transmitted to the server, and used by the server to index or search for the stored document digest.

Abstract: A document authentication method compares a target document image (scanned image) with an original document image at multiple levels, such as block (e.g. paragraph, graphics, image), line, word and character levels. The paragraph level comparison determines whether the target and original images have the same number of paragraphs and whether the paragraphs have the same sizes and locations; the line level comparison determines if the target and original images have the same number of lines and whether the lines have the same sizes and locations; etc. Document segmentation is performed on the target and original images to segment them into paragraph units, line units, etc. for purposes of the comparisons. The original document may be segmented beforehand and the segmentation information stored for later use. The authentication process may be designed to stop when alterations are detected at a higher level, so lower level comparisons are not carried out.

Abstract: Systems and methods described herein provide for an efficient method for print job compression. In some embodiments, threshold halftone lookup tables directed to specific object types are used to compare pixel data for specific detected objects. Pixel data for such specified objects may be encoded using the appropriate object-specific threshold halftone lookup table into one of two multi-bit values, which serve to increase the frequency of repetitive or redundant encoded data and permit efficient compression by algorithms that exploit data repetition and/or redundancy. The methods described herein are applicable to a variety of printers, including raster and PDL printers.

Abstract: A document alteration detection method compares a target image with an original image using a two-step process. In the first step, the original and target images are divided into connected image components and their centroids are obtained, and the centroids of the image components in the original and target images are compared. Each centroid in the target image that is not in the original image is deemed to represent an addition, and each centroid in the original image that is not in the target image is deemed to represent a deletion. In the second step, sub-images containing the image components corresponding to each pair of matching centroids in the original and target images are compared to detect any alterations.

Abstract: A method for authenticating a printed document is disclosed. Barcode stamps are added to an original document image near the corners of the page to act as registration markers. The original document image bearing the barcode stamps is printed and circulated, while the original document image is stored in a database. To authenticate a printed document, the printed document is scanned into a target document image, which is compared to the stored original document image. The barcode stamps are used as registration markers to perform a global image registration. Then, the target image and the original image are divided into multiple sub-images, and local image registration is performed on the sub-images before performing an image comparison. Difference sub-images are generated from the pairs of sub-images, and merged into a global difference image for the purpose of detecting any alterations in the printed document.

Abstract: A poster printing method divides a large format poster image into a plurality of image sections and prints them on individual sheets of paper, where some or all of the sheets are perforated sheets with perforation lines along the edges. Unavoidable white margins on the printed sheets can be removed by tearing off strips of the sheet along the perforation lines. The distance of the perforated lines from the edge is determined by a minimum white margin value and a maximum image shift error value for a typical small printer. In addition, the image sections are overprinted, i.e., the image printed on each individual sheet contains an overprinted area around the image section to ensure image overlap of neighboring sheets. The individual sheets are assembled into a poster by removing the perforated portions of some sheets and aligning images on neighboring sheets along the perforation lines.

Abstract: An improved gamut map model (GMM) useful in conjunction with Windows Color System (WCS). The method uses the WCS Minimum Color Difference (MinCD) GMM to handle gamut mapping for the Saturation rendering intent at low input chroma values. For input values to the gamut map model profile (GMMP), if the chroma value C falls within a predetermined chroma value range, the MinCD GMM will be applied, otherwise the Hue Mapping GMM is applied. The predetermined chroma value range can be determined by experimentation. The range is 0?C?10 in a preferred embodiment. This method will improve the gradation fidelity of the rendered images and reduce or prevent major hue shifts at low chroma values. The method may be implemented as a plug-in utility for a computer.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing pixel data is presented that includes an image forming apparatus that includes an image forming module coupled to a data control module that comprises a plurality of memory units, wherein each of the memory units stores a corresponding portion of pixel data of an image. The data control module writes out portions of pixel data stored in corresponding memory units to the image forming module and dynamically associates each memory unit with a further portion of pixel data after its corresponding portion of pixel data has been written out.

Abstract: A method of generating a self-authenticating printed document and authenticating the printed document. The back side of the printed document contains 2d barcode which encode extracted features of the document content. The features are hashed into a hash code, converted to a barcode stamp element, and transformed into a hierarchical barcode stamp by repeating the stamp element. The hierarchical barcode stamp is printed as a gray background pattern on the front side of the same sheet of printed document. To authenticate the printed document, the barcodes on the back side are read to extract the document features. The features are hashed into a hash code and compared to the hash code extracted from the hierarchical barcode stamp on the front side of the document to detect any alterations of the back side barcodes. Further, the document features extracted from the front and back sides of the document are compared.

Abstract: In a PDF direct printing method, an intelligent parser is provided on the client computer to parse out and transfer to the printer blocks of PDF data in an order in which the data will be used by the PDF rendering process of the printer. The directory information block of the PDF file is transferred first, and the printer can start the rendering process soon after the directory information block is received, before the entire PDF file is transferred to the printer. The blocks of PDF data are stored on the printer, and the memory locations of the blocks of data stored on the printer are recorded in a memory allocation database. The PDF rendering process of the printer accesses the memory allocation database to obtain the memory location of the block of PDF data it will need next for rendering, and retrieves that block of data for processing.

Abstract: The present application relates to an image processing apparatus and a method for matching and combining two documents with at least some overlap area. Layout features are extracted from the two documents and used to determine common layout areas of the first and second documents, where the common layout area has the same layout in the first and the second documents. Text data in the common layout areas of the first and second documents are also detected and used to determine common text data of the first and second documents, where the common text data is the same in the first and the second documents. Feature points are extracted from the common layout areas of the first and second documents based on the common text data and the first and second documents may be combined based on the feature points.

Abstract: A document authentication method uses a watermark added in a printed document to detection possible alterations made to the document after it was printed. First, a visible watermark in the form of a dot pattern is overlapped with an original digital image. The watermarked image is printed out as a halftone image at a first resolution. The watermark in the printed document appears as a light gray shade. Later, the printed document is scanned back using a grayscale scan at a resolution higher than the first resolution. In the scanned image, altered areas would appear flat (lacking intensity variation) whereas unaltered areas will have relatively large density variations due to the watermark dots and the fact that the image was halftone printed at a lower resolution. Alternations are detected by identifying flat areas within the image using a combination of flat block detection and a multiple thresholds method.

Abstract: A print shop management method for handling re-assignment of print jobs after a printer error occurs. After a print job is assigned to a printing device, the print shop management system monitors the status of the printers. When a printer error occurs, re-assignment decisions is made based on the severity of the error, so that less severe errors can be resolved by the operator without job re-assignment, while more severe errors cause the print job to be automatically re-assigned to another printer. For some errors, the print shop management system may notify the operator of the error, and wait for a timeout period; if the operator does not respond within the timeout period, the print job will be re-assigned to another printer. The handling of a printer error may be affected by other factors such as time of day, physical proximity of an operator, etc.