Patents Assigned to Ricoh Production Print Solutions
  • Patent number: 8141980
    Abstract: Production printing systems are disclosed. The production printing system comprises a printhead array operable to discharge ink to print on a printable medium, and an ink tray that is affixed in the printing system facing the printhead array. The ink tray has a bottom section that is open. The production printing system further comprises a tray insert adapted to rest in the ink tray and to be lifted from the ink tray, and an ink absorbing element adapted to rest in the tray insert and operable to absorb ink that is discharged from the printhead array when the ink does not contact the printable medium. With the tray insert removed from the ink tray, the printhead array is visible through the bottom of the ink tray so that the printheads may be inspected or cleaned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventor: James O'Neal
  • Patent number: 8134750
    Abstract: Systems and methods of printing to a tangible medium provide for reducing ink penetration via the controlled selection of halftone patterns. One method includes steps of printing to the tangible medium (e.g., via a multicolor ink supply such as CMYK) using a plurality of initial halftone patterns, measuring ink absorption of the tangible medium in response to printing to the tangible medium, and determining a subset of the plurality of initial halftone patterns based on the absorption measurement. The method also includes printing a print job to the tangible medium based on the subset of the plurality of initial halftone patterns. For example, a print controller may be reprogrammed with the subset of the plurality of initial halftone patterns to print a print job to reduce the amount of ink applied to the tangible medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Kartheek Chandu, James F. Crossland, Joan L. Mitchell, Gary R. Williams
  • Patent number: 8127279
    Abstract: Systems and methods associated with indexing of information in documents where the documents include line data with shift out/shift in (“SOSI”) code point encodings. SOSI controls are often embedded in documents encoded as simple line data (data formed to be printed on line printers). A document indexing system in accordance with features and aspects hereof converts the SOSI characters embedded in such a document to reserved codes for presentation on a user interface. The user may then precisely select trigger and field parameters used for identifying index values in such a line data document for purposes of indexing and archiving. The reserved controls help a user identify trigger and field value in a manner that the indexing system can track to determine whether and where the selected trigger and field values contain SOSI characters and thus require different column counting and indexing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin A. Boltz, Kenneth P. Nolan, Debra K. Wagner
  • Patent number: 8125677
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for improved dispatching of sheetsides in a high-speed (e.g., continuous form) printing environment using multiple, clustered processors in a print controller. Features and aspects hereof utilize a stochastic mathematical model of multiple processors (compute nodes) each adapted to RIP (rasterize) raw sheetside data provided to it. The model utilizes stochastic estimates of the probability of RIP execution time to select a preferred processor of the controller and dispatches the sheetside to the preferred compute node identified as providing best probability of meeting required deadlines for RIP completion time of a raw sheetside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Vladimir V. Shestak, Howard Jay Siegel, James T. Smith, II
  • Patent number: 8121521
    Abstract: A drum support structure of a production printing system is disclosed. The drum support structure secures a photoconductive drum within a printing system during operation. The drum support structure includes a plurality of ring members spaced in parallel along a longitudinal axis. The ring members have an outside diameter that corresponds with an inside diameter of the drum so that the ring members fit within the drum. The drum support structure also includes a plurality of connecting members that affix the ring members to one another. The drum support structure also includes an inner end cap that connects to an inner-most ring member through one or more connecting members and is adapted to contact one end of the drum. The drum support structure also includes an outer end cap that is adapted to fasten to an outer-most ring member and is further adapted to contact another end of the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventor: William Bateman, III
  • Patent number: 8072630
    Abstract: Methods and systems for synchronization and control of multiple processes in a printer controller using headers associated with data and exchanged among the processes of the printer controller. A first feature hereof provides a method for job control and synchronization among a plurality of processes operable in a printer controller. The method includes associating a job control header with all print data exchanged between the plurality of processes of the printer controller. The method then includes synchronizing operation of the plurality of processes in accordance with information in the job control header. The headers may be exchanged in conjunction with print data moving through the multiple processes and may be generated and exchanged for synchronization and control independent of any print data. Synchronization events may include beginning and/or end of processing for a job, a page, a document, a page description language, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Dennis M. Carney, Allan A. Hren
  • Patent number: 8027066
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media to enhance image processing for a color reprographic system are disclosed. Embodiments of the invention may calibrate a component like scanner and/or printer in response to user input and/or coupling the component to the reprographic system. More specifically, embodiments may generate correction parameters that describe differences in color values between an image scanned by a scanner or an image printed by the printer by comparing the outputs to known characteristics like color values for the image. Some embodiments comprise a graphical user interface (GUI) to communicate with the user, allowing the user to select user preferences to change, for example, the brightness of an image being copied. Further embodiments incorporate network and phone system interfaces to communicate with remote components as well as to receive input from and/or output to other systems via email, facsimile, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Hong Li, Joseph S. Czyszczewski, James T. Smith, II
  • Patent number: 8018624
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media to enhance image processing for a color reprographic system are disclosed. Embodiments of the invention may calibrate a component like scanner and/or printer in response to user input and/or coupling the component to the reprographic system. More specifically, embodiments may generate correction parameters that describe differences in color values between an image scanned by a scanner or an image printed by the printer by comparing the outputs to known characteristics like color values for the image. Some embodiments comprise a graphical user interface (GUI) to communicate with the user, allowing the user to select user preferences to change, for example, the brightness of an image being copied. Further embodiments incorporate network and phone system interfaces to communicate with remote components as well as to receive input from and/or output to other systems via email, facsimile, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Hong Li, Joseph S. Czyszczewski, James T. Smith, II
  • Patent number: 8009316
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for using meta-data structures to represent portions of a bitmap memory when generating the sheetside image and when generating a compressed representation of the sheetside image. A table of meta-data structures is maintained with each structure corresponding to a portion of the bitmap memory. Data objects representing a sheetside image are processed by determining which portions the data object would affect, by updating the meta-data structures corresponding to affected portions to indicate whether the affect generates a “compact” type of data or a “non-compact” type of data, and for the “non-compact” types of data writing data to the bitmap memory. For portions having “compact” type of data, the corresponding meta-data structures alone describes the bitmap portion of data. A compressed-bitmap generator then uses the meta-data structures and the portions of the bitmap memory containing “non-compact” data to generate a compressed representation of the sheetside image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventor: John T. Varga
  • Patent number: 7990577
    Abstract: A command is provided as a means to instruct a printer to pre-rasterize and store presentation objects according to specified presentation parameters. The stored rasterized objects are available to the printer for use during printing when a print job is submitted to the printer which includes a presentation object already rasterized, saving significant processing at print time. The rasterized objects are stored with information identifying the object and the parameters used in the rasterization process and the printer is enabled to identify the appropriate rasterized object for inclusion in the print job. Objects may also be selected by a printer at print time as most closely matching the required parameters and then adjusted as needed at print time to completely conform with the requirements of inclusion in the job. This capability allows the printer to perform trimming-on-the-fly or other real-time operations while enjoying the time-saving benefits of a pre-rasterized object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Jean M. Aschenbrenner, Reinhard H. Hohensee, David E. Stone, John T. Varga, Rose E. Visoski, Glenn Wardell