Abstract: A method for controlling the use of a plurality of peripheral devices by a user is disclosed. The method includes assigning access rights to a user for access to individual ones of the peripheral devices, and quotas to each user for the use of the peripheral devices over a predetermined period. The system collects the use of each one of the peripheral devices by each user and totals the use by each user of the peripheral devices over the predetermined period. The method prevents a user from using the peripheral devices when the user exceeds the user's quota. The method also prevents a user from using peripheral devices to which the user has not been granted access rights.

Abstract: A system for manufacturing a 3-D display device is disclosed. The system includes a lenticular image former capable of generating a color lenticular image from a plurality of two dimensional color images, and an electrophotographic printing apparatus configured to receive the color lenticular image from the lenticular image former and to print a CMYK half tone color lenticular image on a surface of a polymeric lenticular lens medium using a powder type toner such that each color when it is printed on the surface of the lenticular lens medium has a printing density of at least 1.0.

Abstract: A method for controlling the use of a plurality of peripheral devices by a user is disclosed. The method includes assigning access rights to a user for access to individual ones of the peripheral devices, and quotas to each user for the use of the peripheral devices over a predetermined period. The system collects the use of each one of the peripheral devices by each user and totals the use by each user of the peripheral devices over the predetermined period. The method prevents a user from using the peripheral devices when the user exceeds the user's quota. The method also prevents a user from using peripheral devices to which the user has not been granted access rights.

Abstract: A print media stacker assembly comprises a housing having an opening therein. A tray, disposed within the housing downstream of a feeder, has a front lip, a collecting portion, and a back wall. A stopper lever is in operative relationship with the tray a distance upstream from the back wall. The stopper lever has a first position in which the stopper lever prevents media sheets from passing beyond the stopper lever and a second position in which the stopper lever permits media sheets to pass beyond the stopper lever.

Abstract: A method of monitoring a network is employed for communicating with a device operatively connected to the network. The network employs a data engine for interfacing with a data agent connected to the device. The method comprises detecting the presence of the device through the data agent interfacing the data engine and communicating with a first external repository, the first repository for storing device information about the device. Information corresponding to the device is selected from the information stored at the repository and the selected information is transferred from the first repository to the data engine for use in communicating with the device and to dynamically upgrade the network as devices are operatively linked to the network.

Abstract: A system for continuous printing is disclosed. The system includes an unwind storing a roll of print media; a cutter which receives the print media and which cuts the print media into sheets of variable length; a sheet printer which receives the sheets of print media from said cutter, prints a design on each of the sheets and outputs printed-on sheets; an edge sensor which detects a leading edge of each of the printed-on sheets when output from said sheet printer; a rewind which receives the printed-on sheets output from said sheet printer; and a controller which receives an output signal from said edge sensor indicating the detection of the leading edge and synchronizes said rewind and the received printed-on sheets to cause a trailing edge and the leading edge of each successive printed-on sheet received by said rewind to be butted one to the other on the rewind.

Abstract: A combination input and output tray assembly for supplying and receiving elongated sheets of media for use with a printing device includes a first tray generally aligned with an input port of the printing device, the first tray receiving and supporting at least one elongated sheet of media to be processed by the printing device. A second tray overlies and is connected to the first tray, the second tray being generally aligned with an output port of the printing device, so that an elongated sheet of media discharged from the output port is received on and supported by the second tray.

Abstract: A combination input and output tray assembly for supplying and receiving elongated sheets of media for use with a printing device includes a first tray generally aligned with an input port of the printing device, the first tray receiving and supporting at least one elongated sheet of media to be processed by the printing device. A second tray overlies and is connected to the first tray, the second tray being generally aligned with an output port of the printing device, so that an elongated sheet of media discharged from the output port is received on and supported by the second tray.

Abstract: A system for continuous printing is disclosed. The system includes an unwind storing a roll of print media; a cutter which receives the print media and which cuts the print media into sheets of variable length; a sheet printer which receives the sheets of print media from said cutter, prints a design on each of the sheets and outputs printed-on sheets; an edge sensor which detects a leading edge of each of the printed-on sheets when output from said sheet printer; a rewind which receives the printed-on sheets output from said sheet printer; and a controller which receives an output signal from said edge sensor indicating the detection of the leading edge and synchronizes said rewind and the received printed-on sheets to cause a trailing edge and the leading edge of each successive printed-on sheet received by said rewind to be butted one to the other on the rewind.

Abstract: An apparatus for receiving an e-mail message and transmitting the e-mail message to one of a plurality of computers. The apparatus includes a memory having at least one region for storing computer executable program code; and a processor for executing the program code stored in said memory. The program code includes code for receiving the e-mail message, storing the e-mail message in a mailbox corresponding to a user-name, incrementing a counter representative of the number of e-mail messages which are stored in the mailbox, determining if an e-mail client corresponding to the user-name has formed a connection between the one of the plurality of computers and the server, transmitting the e-mail message to the one of the computers if the connection has been formed, and thereafter, deleting the e-mail message from the mailbox and decrementing the counter.

Abstract: A printer system for printing data from a network device connected to a network connection system is disclosed. The printer system includes a primary printer coupled to the network connection system by a network interface unit and one or more secondary printers coupled to the primary printer by a non-network interface unit. The primary printer routes data received from the network connection system to the primary printer or to the secondary printers for printing, making the secondary printers appear to a user of the network device to be directly connected to the network connection system.

Abstract: A control circuit for improving the rate of heat input to a thermal print head of a thermal printing apparatus includes a switch which is operably linked to a power source and to the print head of the thermal printing apparatus to provide a control pulse sequence to the print head. The control pulse sequence includes a first pulse and a second pulse. A control circuit timer is provided for operating the switch at the end of the first pulse to provide a second pulse. The first pulse has a first electrical potential and is applied to the print head for a first duration to heat the print head to the desired temperature for activating the print mode. The second pulse has a second electrical potential lower than the electrical potential of the first pulse and is of a second duration for maintaining the printing temperature of the printing head.

Abstract: An apparatus for recording information about an ink cartridge installed in a printing mechanism is disclosed. The apparatus includes an indicator internal to the ink cartridge for providing the information about the ink cartridge, a sensor, external to the ink cartridge, for receiving the information from the indicator; and a controller for receiving the information from the sensor and storing the information.

Abstract: A computer network is disclosed as including at least one network client memory, a network operating system executing in the network client memory for operating the computer network and for providing access to network services, and a network application executing in the network client memory for performing an application function. The computer network also has a plurality of network devices interfaced to the network operating system and available to the network application and the network operating system for performing the network services. Each network device provides at least one specific network service and has an object component in the network client memory representative of the network device. Each object component includes an interface such that the network application is in direct communication with the interface of each object component. Accordingly, the network application communicates directly with each of the object components.

Abstract: A host based printing system for printing a page of a document. The system has a rasterized-image printing device for printing the page and a computer having a multi-tasking operating system. The computer includes an interface to the printing device, system memory, a resident computer application operated to produce system graphics resources data, a rasterizer rasterizing the data to produce bitmap data, a bitmap driver providing the rasterizer with printing device parameters, and a printing device interface (PDI). The PDI has a database, a print controller, and a port handler. The database has a page record for the page and a document record for the document, and the page record is updated when the page is output-ready. The print controller communicates with the database to determine whether a page is output-ready and locks at least a portion of the output-ready data for the page into physical memory. The port handler transfers the data to the printing device and receives messages from the printing device.

Abstract: A blade for metering toner on a developing roller of an electrophotographic printer is made of a resilient material and includes a first elongated segment, a second elongated segment which extends generally perpendicular to the first segment and a transition portion which connects the first segment and the second segment. The transition portion has a thickness and a length. The transition portion is generally tangent to a surface of the developing roller and includes a groove which is obliquely cut therein in a direction generally opposite from a direction of rotation of the developing roller. The groove forms a movable lip in the transition portion and extends generally toward the second segment a distance approximately one half the thickness of the transition portion. The lip further has a length which extends the length of the transition portion.