Patents Assigned to Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
  • Patent number: 9230196
    Abstract: Systems and methods of reusing binary bitmaps for images appearing multiple times in a print job. In one embodiment, a system stores a binary bitmap for an image that appears in a print job. The system determines an offset of the binary bitmap into a sheetside, and calculates position values for the binary bitmap based on the offset of the binary bitmap. The system identifies a next appearance of the image in the print job, determines an offset of the image into a sheetside for the next appearance, and calculates position values for the next appearance of the image based on the offset of the image. The system determines if the position values for the image correspond with the position values for the binary bitmap, and verifies that the binary bitmap is reusable for the next appearance of the image if the position values correspond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Arianne Therese Hinds, Radu Cucu
  • Patent number: 9179045
    Abstract: Methods and systems herein provide for color conversion. Such color conversion includes gamut mapping by determining a color gamut of an imaging device and receiving color data having color values external to the color gamut of the imaging device. The gamut mapping proceeds by determining a color region external to the color gamut and mapping the color values within the color region to the color gamut. Thereafter, the area of the color region is increased and the color values within the increased color region are mapped to the color gamut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Yue Qiao, Joan L. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 9165223
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for compensating for optical brighteners found in print media while calibrating a printer. The system is able to determine reflectance values for a print medium, to determine reflectance values for a colorant applied to the print medium, and to alter the determined reflectance values for the colorant based on the reflectance values of the print medium. The system is further able to calibrate a printer that applied the colorant to the print medium based on the altered reflectance values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Edward Hattenberger, Jo S. Kirkenaer
  • Patent number: 9134928
    Abstract: The systems and methods presented herein provide for processing print jobs in an Automated Document Factory (ADF) system. More specifically, these embodiments provide for the selected removal of certain documents after processing of the print job has already initiated (e.g., printing, sorting, inserting, etc.). In one embodiment, a method of processing print jobs through the ADF system includes receiving a print job from a host system via the ADF system. The print job comprises a plurality of documents. The method also includes initiating printing of the documents in the print job, and processing an instruction that identifies at least one document in the print job for removal after initiating printing of the print job. The method also includes removing the at least one document from the print job based on the instruction and processing the remaining documents in the print job through the ADF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Leonard C. Lahey, Ned Otey, Adam A. Swartz, Brent Winters
  • Patent number: 9061518
    Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes receiving print job data, rasterizing the print job data to generate image data for each page of the print job data to be printed, calculating a coverage per unit area for two or more color planes of each page of the image data and calculating a flushing mask to flush nozzles of the inkjet print head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Kartheek Chandu, Larry Ernst
  • Patent number: 9053584
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for enhancing postal discounts. The system receives multiple print jobs, each print job assigned for printing at a different printing system. Each print job comprises mail pieces that correspond with capabilities of the assigned printing system. The system identifies mail pieces of the print jobs that have delivery addresses that are not confirmed by a mailing address database (“non-automated mail pieces”), and extracts non-automated mail pieces that may be produced at printing systems having different capabilities. Further, the system determines a threshold number of non-automated mail pieces to reach a bulk postal discount for a print job, and redistributes the extracted mail pieces across the print jobs based upon the threshold to increase the number of print jobs that reach the bulk postal discount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Ned Otey, David Stokes, Brent Winters
  • Patent number: 9036212
    Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes generating a Continuous Tone Image (CTI) with all pixel values same as the first gray level and an initial Half Tone Image (HTI) with all pixel values equal to minimum absorptance level, computing a change in pixel error by toggling with all the possible output states and swapping with all neighbor pixels only if the stacking constraint is satisfied, updating the HTI with the maximum error decrease operation and continue to next pixel location till the end criteria is met. Once the end criteria is met, the updated HTI is saved as a final halftone screen for that gray level and copied as the initial HTI for the next gray level along with CTI pixel values updated to the next gray level till the final gray value is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Kartheek Chandu, Mikel Stanich, Chai Wah Wu, Barry M. Trager
  • Patent number: 8985756
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide variable heat control for a printer. One system includes a dryer operable to dry ink applied to a print medium. The system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the dryer and operable to filter a bitmap to provide variable heat control from the dryer to the applied ink according to the bitmap to attach the ink to the print medium. The print medium may be a continuous form print medium. In this regard, the controller maybe operable to determine a speed at which the continuous form print medium is moving, to generate a heat control signal operable to provide the variable heat control, and to delay transmission of the heat control signal based on the determined speed of the continuous form print medium until the ink applied to the continuous form print medium is within range of the dryer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Stuart J. Boland, Larry M. Ernst, Scott Johnson, Casey E. Walker
  • Patent number: 8964192
    Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes reading image data from a print medium and performing image processing on the image data by querying a database to verify that each object to be included on the print medium appears on the medium in a manner in which it is supposed to appear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Yann LeCostaouec, Michael Jeffrey Holley, Ward Fisher, Cheyenne Wills, Jason Walp, Nenad Rijavec, Sathya Vadlamani
  • Patent number: 8955957
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a dryer unit of a printer. In one embodiment, a dryer unit includes a light source having a plurality of lamps. The dryer unit further includes a controller that associates a target output power with each of the lamps of the light source. When in operation, the controller determines a speed of a printable medium that passes through the dryer unit. The controller is able to vary an intensity of light generated by the light source based on the speed of the printable medium by varying which of the lamps of the light source are energized to their target output power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Stuart J. Boland, Scott Johnson, Constantino J. Tadiello, Casey E. Walker
  • Patent number: 8928936
    Abstract: Systems and associated methods provide for converting an RGB color image to a grayscale image via a lookup table of correction values. The lookup table is generated and used to compensate for errors in converting the color image to the grayscale image. The lookup table is generated by generating a reference image having pixels with color values in the RGB color space, converting a first copy of the reference image to a grayscale reference image via interpolation, and converting a second copy of the reference image to an intermediate image. The intermediate image comprises chrominance and luminance values (e.g., YCbCR or YCgCo). The chrominance values are removed from the intermediate image. The intermediate image is then compared to the grayscale reference image to generate the correction values. The lookup table may then be applied to a grayscale image that has been converted from the RGB color image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Arianne Therese Hinds, Nenad Rijavec, Natalie Dawn Ross
  • Patent number: 8922834
    Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes generating a Continuous Tone Image (CTI) with all pixel values same as a first gray level, generating an initial Half Tone Image (HTI) with all pixel values equal to minimum absorptance level and computing a change in pixel error for a first pixel. The change in pixel error is computed by identifying a first pixel indicated in a valid pixel map, toggling the first pixel with all the possible output states and swapping the first pixel with all neighbor pixels only if the stacking constraint is satisfied, updating the HTI with the maximum error decrease operation and continue to next pixel location till the end criteria is met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Kartheek Chandu, Mikel J. Stanich, Chai Wah Wu, Barry M. Trager
  • Patent number: 8922822
    Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes receiving a first data component of an image data stream at a cache within a control unit, appending a first signature value to the first data component to obtain a first modified image data and generating a second signature value based on the first modified image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventor: Arianne T. Hinds
  • Patent number: 8914769
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating source code to enable communication between a server defined according to a first programming language and a client defined according to a second programming language. The system identifies a server data structure defined according to the first programming language and determines types of the data structure that are not accessible via a runtime conversion library for communications between the server and the client. The system further generates a revised data structure in the first programming language comprising types that are accessible via the runtime conversion library and may be used to manipulate the inaccessible types. The system further generates source code in the second programming language for the client to access the revised data structure via the runtime conversion library, wherein the source code correlates types of the revised data structure to the inaccessible types of the original data structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventor: Ronald J LeMaster
  • Patent number: 8905517
    Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes receiving print job data, rasterizing the print job data to generate image data for each page of the print job data to be printed, calculating a coverage per unit area for two or more color planes of each page of the image data and calculating a flushing mask to flush nozzles of the inkjet print head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Kartheek Chandu, Larry Ernst
  • Patent number: 8909077
    Abstract: A printer is disclosed. The printer includes one or more sub-components each having a meter to track energy usage at the sub-component during an event and a controller to receive energy usage data accrued at one or more of the meters during the event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Productions Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Robert Jessen, Dennis Carney
  • Patent number: 8908209
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for altering the content of a PDF print job. The printing system includes a memory, an interface, and a markup engine. The memory includes criteria for identifying Portable Document Format (PDF) content stored in print jobs, and also includes a mark-up instruction for altering printable PDF content stored in print jobs, where the mark-up instruction references one or more of the criteria. The interface is operable to receive a PDF print job for processing. The markup engine is operable to access the mark-up instruction, to review the PDF print job to identify multiple segments of the print job that each include PDF content that matches the one or more criteria referenced by the mark-up instruction, and to alter the identified segments based on the mark-up instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Joseph P. Gaertner, Simon P. Jones, Michael Lotz, Thomas Margolis, Neil McKinstrie, Joe Stradling, Scott Ziegler
  • Patent number: 8904283
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for generating and associating meta-data with a final form presentation datastream document where the meta-data is structured in accordance with the datastream component architectures. Meta-data objects (“MDOs”) are architected as components of a presentation document and thus are well defined to allow applications to reliably access and process the meta-data contained therein. The MDOs may be associated with other components of the document and are architected to be extensible and flexible while still adhering to an architectural structure. The MDOs may be descriptive (no affect in document presentation) or operational (affects document presentation if processed). Standard types of MDOs may include XML standard information, JDF standard information, PWG standard information, and digital signature information. A variety of standard categories further define typical meta-data forms and applications thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: John B. Condon, Reinhard H. Hohensee, Harry R. Lewis, Scott D. Mastie, Charles M. Sauer, David E. Stone, Howard L. Turetzky, Douglas I. Ward
  • Patent number: 8896896
    Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes simulating a preprinted form using a presentation overlay. The presentation device is directed to present the overlay as if it had been preprinted on the paper. Document data is then mixed with the simulated preprinted form such that the result accurately simulates a real preprinted form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Harry R. Lewis, Reinhard H. Hohensee, David E. Stone
  • Patent number: 8891127
    Abstract: A printer includes a print head having a first print channel to print data on each page of a print medium according to a first color plane and a second print channel to print data on each page of the print medium according to the first color plane. The printer also includes a verification unit to generate a first channel identifier to identify data printed by the first print channel and a second print channel identifier to identify data printed by the second print channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Samuel N. Hopper, Matthew P. Lampey, Rose E. Visoski