Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for image processing. In one embodiment, the method comprises performing an analysis corresponding to a sequence of drawing commands that create a bit-map when executed and generating a set of image segments based on the analysis corresponding to the sequence of drawing commands.

Abstract: An image file representing at least a portion of a printed document is processed to highlight the differences between foreground material (e.g., text or other characters) from background. The method includes selecting a neighborhood of pixels, determining a weighted average of an attribute values (e.g., luminance) for each pixel, and modifying each pixel's value based on the weighted average. Graylevel scaling, error diffusion, and a bit level conversion are also performed each pixel ends up with either a first attribute value level (e.g., luminance of 0) or a second attribute value level (e.g., luminance of 255).

Abstract: A secure printing method includes providing a user terminal with a user interface. The user terminal and interface enable a user to select a secure printing mode for printing a document. In the secure printing mode, a secure print job stored in the user terminal is released through execution of a secure release procedure. In this way, the document can be printed at a selected one of a plurality of designated printers. When a user selects the secure printing mode, page description language data for the secure print job is generated in a format, or multiple formats, compatible with the designated printers. The page description language data is stored at the user terminal and a request is communicated to each of the designated printers. The request identifies the secure print job, but the job itself is not transmitted with the request. When the predefined secure release procedure is executed, the secure print job is released to a selected printer.

Abstract: In a method or system for trapping print data with a plurality of respective objects, the objects being individually transferred into a bit map pixel file, at least one overfill is determined for the respective object relative to color regions bordering the respective object in the pixel file according to predetermined trapping rules. The object and the at least one overfill are inserted into the pixel file, wherein the object and the overfill are rastered in the pixel file upon insertion.

Abstract: A method for controlling and monitoring, from a server, transfers of jobs from clients connected in the network to shared resources connected in the network.

Abstract: A digital still camera is used for taking and storing digital representations of a plurality of images. A printer, such as an ink jet printer or a laser printer, is used for generating graphical representations of selected ones of the plurality of images on a preselected print media such as a paper. A flash memory card, floppy diskette, direct data link or some other data transfer scheme is used to transfer the digital representations of the plurality of images from the digital still camera to the printer. The printer includes programming for generating a combination proof sheet and order form. The combination proof sheet and order form can include an array of thumbnail images and a plurality of image selection and/or image enhancement user designation areas such as bubbles to be filled in by the user with a pencil. The printer includes a scanner and related circuitry and software for scanning the combination proof sheet and order form to detect the user designation areas completed by the user.

Abstract: The printing device receives the printing data for confidential printing, and determines an output destination of the printing data received for confidential printing to be either a lockable output bin or a digital output bin. The lockable output bin can be locked and unlocked by a key and the print data can be output to the lockable output bin in a form of being printed on recording medium. The digital output bin holds the printing data and allows the printing data being held therein to be read out for printing when a user is verified. When the lockable output bin is assigned as the output destination and the lockable output bin of the printing device that received the printing data is in an unusable state, another printing device having a lockable output bin that can be used is searched and the printing data is transferred to the other printing device.

Abstract: The present invention aims to prevent a problem that an image on a document sheet is erased due to misdetection of a line-shaped noise. A copy machine 1 compares RGB values of a target pixel with averaged RGB values (Step S103). If only one of the RGB values has a difference that is greater than a prescribed value Ref2 (Step S103: YES), the copy machine 1 extracts the target pixel as a line-shaped noise pixel, and moves to a line-shaped noise correction (Step S108) while holding the address of the target pixel in a line-shaped noise address storing area 49b. If two of the RGB values have differences (Step S103: NO, Step S104: YES) and a difference between these two of the RGB values is no greater than a prescribed value Ref3 (Step S105: YES), the copy machine 1 extracts the target pixel as a line-shaped noise pixel, and moves to the line-shaped noise correction (Step S108) while holding the address of the target pixel in the line-shaped noise address storing area 49b.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus for fully automatic screen printer including two stacked light sources, two stacked beamsplitters, two stacked optical reflectors, two stacked imaging lens and two stacked image sensors, wherein the two stacked optical reflectors and the two stacked light sources are correspondingly disposed on two different sides of the two beamsplitters, the two stacked imaging lens are disposed on another side of the beamsplitters different from that of the optical reflectors and the light sources, the two stacked image sensors are disposed behind the imaging lens; the optical reflectors are provided with an upward reflection plane and a downward reflection plane, the optical axes of the imaging lenses are orthogonal to that of the light sources. The imaging apparatus is of two independent optical paths which capture the image of the printed circuit board and that of the screen respectively.

Abstract: When an output image is observed, an image processing apparatus by which image observation can be performed always in a satisfactory state irrespective of its observation environment and a change of a human's visual characteristic is provided. In this image processing apparatus, a first output unit outputs the target image in a first gradation reproduction range, and a second output unit outputs the target image output by the first output unit in a second gradation reproduction range. At this time, a correction unit performs a correction process, i.e., gradation conversion process, to the target image output by the second output unit, on the basis of information concerning the environment for observing the output result of the target image by the second output unit.

Abstract: A main task (44) pre-reads received data from a receiving buffer (22) before a read-out task (42) actually reads out the received data from the receiving buffer (22). If the main task (44) finds out a cancel command by the pre-reading, it transmits to a print management task (46) an instruction for canceling a print request data heretofore transmitted to the print management task 46. As a result, the print is cancelled. Thus needless printing can be minimized.

Abstract: A gray balancing technique wherein color data values are modified only if the color data values include a gray component.

Abstract: A method of faxing a multi-page job via a facsimile device. Accordingly, the method includes scanning a page of the multi-page job with the facsimile device, encoding the scanned page as a fax signal, and loading the fax signal into a buffer memory. Each page of the multi-page job is scanned, encoded, and loaded. The method further includes transmitting the fax signals encoded from each page of the multi-page job from the buffer memory to a recipient fax device in a single transmission.

Abstract: A color conversion definition correction apparatus corrects a color conversion definition defining a relation between first color data representative of a color by coordinates on a first color space and second color data representative of a color by coordinates on a second color space in such a manner that a plurality of first color data has a one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of second color data. A smoothing processing is applied to the second color data. A color difference between the reference color set up and a color represented by the second color data subjected to the smoothing processing is determined. The second color data subjected to the smoothing processing is corrected, when the color difference is larger than the reference color difference, in such a manner that a color difference between a color represented by the second color data and the reference color is small.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a first execution environment that can interpret and execute a first-format instruction for controlling the image forming apparatus, and a second execution environment that can interpret and execute a second-format instruction defined by a format that does not depend on a type of the image forming apparatus, realized in the first execution environment.

Abstract: Internet-based printing to a home printer in which the print job is pre-rasterized at the cable head end and sent in rasterized format to the set top box. Because the print job is pre-rasterized at the cable head end, and not at the set top box, resources are not wasted at the set top box when they are more readily available at the cable head end. In addition, because of the high speed communication network already in existence between the cable head end and the set top box, even large pre-rasterized print jobs can be transmitted to the set top box in reasonable amounts of time, meaning more quickly than a situation in which it was the set top box that performed rasterization.

Abstract: An address queue in a processor having the capability to track memory-dependencies of memory-access instructions is disclosed. The queue includes a first matrix of RAM cells that tracks a first dependency relationship between a plurality of instructions based upon matching virtual addresses (that identify a common cache set) and the order of instructions in the queue. To facilitate out-of-order instruction execution, dependencies may be tracked before virtual addresses are actually calculated based upon a presumption of dependency. Such dependency is dynamically corrected as addresses become available. The same comparison mechanism used to determine matching virtual addresses for the dependency relationship may also be used to read status bits of a cache set being accessed.

Abstract: A print managing system has: client apparatuses for generating print data and sending the generated print data to a printing apparatus; and the printing apparatus connected with each of the client apparatuses though a network for receiving the print data from each of the client apparatuses, managing the received print data as a print job, which is an unit corresponding to one print data received from each of the client apparatuses, and printing the received print data for each print job. Each of the client apparatuses generates the print data and sends the print data to the printing apparatus. The printing apparatus receives the print data and manages the print data as the print job. Further, the printing apparatus produces the rough image on the basis of the print data. When receiving the request signal sent from each client apparatus, the printing apparatus sends the print job information to each client apparatus.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for placing printed color images on a series of objects, by: generating digital data representing a plurality of different color images; providing a print medium composed of a substrate carrying a coating which is releasable from the substrate and is formulated to retain printing inks; providing a digitally controlled color printer having a plurality of print heads; supplying the generated digital data to the printer; feeding the print medium through the printer and past the print heads while operating the print heads under control of the generated data to print the color images on the coating; and placing a portion of the coating on which an image has been printed in contact with one of the objects and transferring the image to the object.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a character information printing apparatus for printing a previously inputted character string on a print medium in which at least a transversal dimension is fixed. The apparatus is adapted to introduce instruction information as to a special printing in which, when X print medium portions on which printings are completed are arranged contiguously in the longitudinal and transversal directions thereof, one quasi print resultant having a dimension X times that of each of the print medium portions is obtained.