Patents Examined by Arthur G. Evans
  • Patent number: 6965462
    Abstract: A system for compensating for a calibration drift in an image output device includes a user input means for specifying an output medium. An image output device controller converts original image data to final image data used by the image output device. The image output device produces a calibration image, as a function of an output medium, for a plurality of halftone screens capable of being produced by the image output device. A processor communicates with the controller. The processor calculates a plurality of candidate tone reproduction curve sets for the specified output medium. Each of the sets corresponds to one of the plurality of halftone screens. The candidate tone reproduction curve sets are accepted for compensating for a calibration drift in the image output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Todd R. Henderson, Ammar T. Degani, Michael A. Wiegand, Richard J. Eddy
  • Patent number: 6963414
    Abstract: The invention seeks to display the setting of a spoken language, which is used in a printer, in such a manner that the setting can be understood irrespective of set values. Messages indicative of settable items as well as settings are stored in a language message map. Both the message and the setting regarding a language setting among the settable items are expressed in the English language and stored. When a status print is performed, messages concerning the items that have been set and the corresponding settings are read out of the language message map and are printed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shunsuke Iguchi
  • Patent number: 6961136
    Abstract: An image-forming-device management system includes an image-forming-device, a data communication device and a central management device. A real-time clock circuit (RTC) of the data communication device compares a current time with a predetermined data transmission time. If the current time matches with the data transmission time, the RTC generates a data transmission request that requests for data transmission to the central management device. A CPU included in a part constantly supplied with electricity from a power source in the data communication device instructs a power-source controller to supply the electricity from the power source to a communication-related part including a network control unit (NCU), a modem and an image-forming-device interface, thereby activating the communication-related part. Subsequently, the CPU calls out the central management device by using the NCU, and transmits data acquired from the image-forming-device in advance, to the central management device by using the modem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Ogura, Hidehiko Watanabe, Koubun Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6956666
    Abstract: A plurality of sites for print service each having its own available public transportation system for delivering the print are in cooperation. An order from a customer accepted at a site is mutually assigned to another site in dependence on which is the most convenient public transportation system to deliver the print to the destination designated by the customer. The sites and the destination are typically at stations of railroads, respectively. The assignment of the order is made by way of a managing center capable of settling the assignment, recording a report from the assignee site, balancing the accounts among the sites by gathering accounts caused by the assignment of order, or dividing an order into a plurality of sub-orders for a plurality of destinations corresponding thereto. Order may be accepted through a computer communication, in which a computer of the acceptance site provides with a combined data composed of a plurality of kinds of data from the customer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignees: Nikon Corporation, Nikon Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Masahide Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6952282
    Abstract: A printer control system that is provided with a print server capable of acquiring the state information of the printer controlled by the various sorts of protocol and a method of controlling the printer system are disclosed. The server is constructed with system control section, LAN/WAN communication control section, request processing section, printer information storing section, protocol processing section, and printer state acquiring section. The respective sections are connected to each other through the system bus. The state acquiring request is received by the LAN/WAN communication control section, and the communication control section notifies the printer state acquiring section, of the received request. The printer information storing section stores the access protocol to the printer in the printer information table. The protocol processing section performs the communication and the analysis of the respective protocols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6952284
    Abstract: A digital printing device is manually moved across a medium, and automatically prints an image on the medium by selectively engaging one or more print elements at positions corresponding to the image. Preferably, the printing device comprises a multi-element print head a pair of optical sensors which provide position and orientation data. A controller causes the print head to print the image responsive to the location and orientation determined by the optical sensors. The printing device may be hand-held and integrated into a personal digital assistant device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory Paul Andrews, Christopher Robert Smith
  • Patent number: 6952275
    Abstract: A method for generating a printer-ready representation of pages having regions described by page assembly instructions is provided. The method includes analyzing the page assembly instructions to identify a complex page having one or more complex regions and assembling at least one complex region to generate at least a partial printer-ready representation of the complex page. The method also includes updating the page assembly instructions associated with the complex page to refer to the partial printer-ready representation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Creo Il. Ltd.
    Inventors: Ran Ramot, Jacob Aizikowitz, Avinoam Beinglass, Evgeny Kolesnikov, Israel Manor
  • Patent number: 6950207
    Abstract: A printer system comprises a printer driver that adds drawing-object information for identifying the type of drawing object to print data that is output to a printer. The printer system further comprises a printer controller that selects dither data matching the drawing object based on the drawing-object information added to the print data, performs dithering on the print data, and expands the data to an image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Norio Saitoh
  • Patent number: 6947163
    Abstract: In order to provide a convenient digital camera which eliminates the necessity to designate a printer to print in advance and can print image data obtained by photography by reliably transmitting it to a printer existing on a radio network with simple operation, the digital camera performs control such that the classifications of electronic devices constituting the radio network are acquired through a radio communication circuit unit, and if one printer exists on the radio network, the image data is transmitted to the printer, and if a plurality of printers exist on the radio network, the image data is transmitted to a selected one of the printers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideki Takemura
  • Patent number: 6947171
    Abstract: Multifunction printers (20, 30) each holding a card reader (26, 36) and a printer (24, 34) in a common housing are connected to a host computer (10) via USB hubs (22, 32). Then, the host computer 10 can recognize the card readers (26, 36) and the printers (24, 34) as independent devices from one another. Therefore, the host computer (10) can utilize the card readers (26, 36) and the printers (24, 34) as independent devices, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideyuki Narusawa, Masakatsu Endo
  • Patent number: 6940616
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a data transfer apparatus which, when data transfer requests from a plurality of interfaces are to be accepted and processed, can adjust the data transfer so as not to be partially performed on a specific host apparatus. When a plurality of host computers issue a data transfer request, a host I/F which is to be enabled to perform a data transfer is selected from a plurality of host I/Fs on the basis of a priority table. The selected host I/F sends a data transfer enabling signal to the host computer which is connected to the host I/F, to request print data transmission. The host computer which receives the transmission request transmits print data. The print data is transmitted to a printing apparatus via the host I/F which is connected to the host computer, and connecting means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoki Irisa
  • Patent number: 6930785
    Abstract: An imaging system including firmware is disclosed. The imaging system includes a communications device adapted and constructed to facilitate communication between the imaging device and a remote source of information. An automatic remote firmware update mechanism is adapted to selectively and automatically retrieve firmware upgrade information from the remote source of information via the communications device. The automatic remote firmware update mechanism can also selectively and automatically install the firmware upgrade information into the firmware of the imaging system. The automatic remote firmware update mechanism can form a part of firmware installed in the imaging system. The communications device can be provided as a modem, or as a network interface card. The imaging system can also include a flag mechanism for storing a value corresponding to an update trigger parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Chris Weyand, Robert M. Ring
  • Patent number: 6930796
    Abstract: Whether it is possible to print each one of a plurality of pages of image data on a paper of a designated size is determined. As to a page which is determined printable on a paper of the designated size as papers of the designated size are available in paper feed parts, the page is printed out on a paper of the designated size. As to a page which is determined unprintable on a paper of the designated size as papers of the designated size are not available in the paper feed parts, data representing the page are saved and the page is printed in a reduced size or otherwise appropriately printed on a paper of a different size. In this manner, all pages of the image data are printed, and at the same time, notification is provided to notify the fact that printing on a paper of the different size was conducted. When papers of the appropriate designated size are supplied, printing as designated is executed. It is also possible to select whether to stop printing in the designated size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsumoru Matsuura, Takenori Idehara, Masafumi Aikawa
  • Patent number: 6917435
    Abstract: In a method and system for transmitting print data in blocks from a transmission unit to a reception unit via a data line by means of channel command words (CCWs), a channel initialization command (unit) is transmitted from the reception unit to the transmission unit for starting the data transmission of a first data block and the data block is transmitted from the transmission unit to the reception unit. The reception unit forwards the received data blocks to a check unit for checking the data integrity (parsing) and promptly sends a transmission confirmation message (Sim Term) to the transmission unit before or during the checking process (parsing), so that a second data block can be transmitted from the transmission unit into an intermediate memory of the reception unit during the checking process (parsing) of the first data block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Océ Printing Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Christian Sack
  • Patent number: 6917441
    Abstract: An image recording/reproducing apparatus includes an image signal processing unit which transforms original image data with a first resolution, supplied from an image input device, into a processed image signal with a second resolution. A recording signal generating unit transforms at least one of the original image data and the processed image signal produced by the image signal processing unit, into a recording form. An image recording device stores the processed image signal in the recording form, produced by the recording signal generating unit, into a storage unit, the recording form of the processed image signal being suited to a predetermined data format on the storage unit. An image reproducing device transforms the processed image signal in the recording form, read from the storage unit, into an output-form signal, and displays an image on a display monitor in accordance with the output-form signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoichi Suzuki, Tomoharu Saito
  • Patent number: 6914695
    Abstract: A digital camera supplies images to a first computer of a network via a receiver which is enabled as a bridge for Bluetooth, wireless LAN and infrared transmission from a digital camera. Once a digital camera is registered in a computer system, transmissions from the camera can be transmitted to the receiving first computer and thereafter transferred over the network for creation of a multi-media file which can be viewed at a private network or Internet accessible second computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Craig R. Walters, Scott M. Blackledge, Steven R. Carlough, Nathan J. Lee, Amy S. Purdy, Adrian O. Robinson
  • Patent number: 6912063
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus for recording by discharging ink from nozzles of a recording head to a recording medium comprises a figure recording control section for executing recording control of figure draw commands for ruled lines and other figures, and a bitmap recording control section for executing recording control of draw commands other than the figure draw commands by developing bitmaps. For this ink jet recording apparatus, draw commands are individually controlled by the recording control sections, respectively, and at the same time, recording is performed by relatively moving in the intersecting two directions a recording head for discharging ink by the draw commands, and a recording medium held by a recording medium holding unit in the position facing the ink discharge surface of the recording head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kosuke Yamamoto, Hiroshi Nakai, Shusuke Inamura, Masayuki Hongo, Kenichi Moriya, Manabu Yamazoe
  • Patent number: 6909518
    Abstract: A system, method, and program embodied on a computer readable medium are provided for configuring the automated print agent for printing. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving an email print message addressed to a network alias, the network alias being associated with an automated print agent employed for performing an email print, identifying a printer specified in the email print message, determining if the automated print agent is configured for printing to the printer, and, automatically configuring the automated print agent to print to the printer upon a determination that the automated print agent is not configured to print to the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: David J Miller, Jeremy Bunn, Karen E. Misustin, Daniel Revel
  • Patent number: 6909523
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an information color system in which a plurality of the computer systems can share color information therebetween and a picture having the nearly same color as color of a predetermined object or an original picture can be displayed and outputted and a printing method used in the information color system. The information color system using a color model M which code based on the RGB spectral wavelength of the light received by the eye is applied to each color comprises a reference printed matter 1 which the color model M is printed on a transparent or a white paper, a computer device 2 having a displaying means, and an output means 5, 6 or a communication means and the displaying means is adjusted such that a picture displayed on the displaying means becomes the nearly same coloring as that of the color model M of the reference printed matter 1 in the white surrounding light, and an outputting method, a painting means, and a painted medium are selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Inventors: Toshio Takahata, Tsutou Takahata
  • Patent number: 6906810
    Abstract: Methods and system for allowing a user, through a user computer in telecommunication link with a system having access to electronic documents, to select pages of an electronic document for printing in a single batch process are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Morgan Guaranty Trust Company
    Inventors: Hikmet Senay, Peter A. Hofmann, Pawel Potocki