Patents Examined by Dillon Murphy
  • Patent number: 7161691
    Abstract: When a presentation mode in which print information of a single original is to be printed on an OHP film and paper sheet is designated, print settings for the OHP film and paper sheet are set, one of the OHP film and paper sheet or both of them are selected as a preview subject, and the preview of the printing result on the preview subject is displayed on the basis of the print settings for the selected preview subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Nakagiri, Satoshi Nishikawa, Yasuo Mori
  • Patent number: 7158248
    Abstract: A method of revising multi-component software in a multifunctional printer, including revising at least one software component of the multi-component software, qualifying the multi-component software, bundling the multi-component software as a software bundle; and loading the software bundle on to a multifunctional printer. Additional methods and/or devices are also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: William Mark Smith, John Leland Boldon
  • Patent number: 7148986
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for tracking a user's utilization of print resources. In one embodiment, the system and method pertain to collecting data about a print job from devices in a print pipeline, and storing the data in a central database. In some embodiments, data about the print job is sent to a print accounting service by the devices in the pipeline. In other embodiments, data is obtained by a print accounting service by polling the devices in the pipeline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Patrick O'Neil Sandfort, Shell Sterling Simpson
  • Patent number: 7148977
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for print previewing are provided. One method includes providing a print preview that reflects a consumable availability status and optionally proceeding with a print job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Wendy L. Zerza, Vincent C. Skurdal, Boyd Wilkes
  • Patent number: 7142320
    Abstract: An Internet facsimile machine including a processor having an ability exchanging function for transmitting to a receiving device a first electronic mail that includes format information of original image data and standard format image data, transmitting a second electronic mail that includes machine receiving ability information of the receiving device, and transmitting a third electronic mail that includes image data formed from the original image data in accordance with the machine receiving ability information. The processor has a communication management recording function for storing a communication record table of the series of electronic mails and outputting the communication record table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Murata Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Tanimoto
  • Patent number: 7142321
    Abstract: A printer controller receives firmware attached to e-mail from a mail server, downloads the firmware to an internal hard disk drive, and registers the job at the bottom of a job registration table. On subsequently receiving a print job or a scan job, the printer controller registers the job in the job management table, judges whether a firmware rewriting job is registered in the job management table, and if so, moves the print job or the scan job to be before the firmware rewriting job in the job management table. In this way, firmware rewriting jobs are always executed after print jobs, meaning that processing of print jobs is not delayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Tomita, Hideki Hino, Hideo Mae
  • Patent number: 7142324
    Abstract: The described arrangements and procedures pertain to configuring image forming devices to form images on various types of print media. Specifically, an imaging device sense data from a sheet of print media independent of whether a media marking comprising the data is imprinted on an edge or a face of a sheet of print media. The sensed media marking includes media parameter information corresponding to the sheet of print media. The imaging device retrieves the media parameter information from the sensed media marking to configure imaging operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Robert B. Haines
  • Patent number: 7136181
    Abstract: The invention provides a data output scheduling system, a mobile terminal, and a data pool apparatus suitable that can provide a greater convenience to users when printing data. A data pool apparatus can include a storage device which stores print data so that the print data corresponds to access authentication information. When the data pool apparatus receives the print data and the access authentication information along with a registration request, the data pool apparatus registers the received print data and the access authentication information in the storage device so that the print data and the access authentication information correspond to each other. Also, the data pool apparatus transmits the access authentication information in the storage device to a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal receives the access authentication information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Joji Onishi
  • Patent number: 7133143
    Abstract: A printing system for use in printing objects of any of a plurality of different object types includes a printer; and a printer control device with a user interface having a first option for associating printer-independent print-quality characteristics with a selected object type to be printed by the printer. A printer-independent print-quality characteristic is an instruction associated with an element, such as object type, in an electronic page which indicates printer-independent features that are preferentially emphasized when printing the element. Examples of printer-independent print quality characteristics include “make sharp edges”, “reduce mottle”, “distinguish neighboring colors”, “reduce moiré”, “distinguish tone and edges”, “maximum tone depth”, “perceptual colors” and “compress without loss of detail”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Robert M. Coleman
  • Patent number: 7126710
    Abstract: A printing system for use in printing objects of any of a plurality of different object types includes a printer; and a printer control device with a user interface having a first option for associating printer-independent print-quality characteristics with a selected object type to be printed by the printer. A printer-independent print-quality characteristic is an instruction associated with an element, such as object type, in an electronic page which indicates printer-independent features that are preferentially emphasized when printing the element. Examples of printer-independent print quality characteristics include “make sharp edges”, “reduce mottle”, “distinguish neighboring colors”, “reduce moiré”, “distinguish tone and edges”, “maximum tone depth”, “perceptual colors” and “compress without loss of detail”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Robert M. Coleman
  • Patent number: 7126715
    Abstract: A recording apparatus for recording with use of a recording head having two nozzle arrays arranged side-by-side includes first, second, and third direct memory access (DMA) units, a data converter unit for converting first image data stored in a work buffer into second image data, a record buffer unit for storing the second image data, a latch unit for storing the second image data in a transfer buffer, a buffer reading control table unit, and a DMA control unit for causing transfer processing to be executed by the first, second, and third DMA units based on a flag in the buffer reading control table unit when the image data stored in the work buffer is transferred to the transfer buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Nakayama, Souhei Tanaka, Masafumi Wataya, Noriyuki Suzuki, Akira Kuronuma, Takuji Katsu
  • Patent number: 7119916
    Abstract: A printing system includes multiple image forming apparatuses connected over a network. The multiple image forming apparatuses are printers, copying machines or the like, and carry out printing based on print data. The printing system has a substitute printing function or a printing task distributing function. When print data is printed out using a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus via the printing substitution function or the printing task distributing function, the number of pages printed by the second image forming apparatus is counted and kept track of by the first image forming apparatus. Consequently, regardless of whether group management is in place at the second image forming apparatus, the number of pages printed may be centrally maintained by the first image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomokazu Kato, Yoichi Kawabuchi
  • Patent number: 7072064
    Abstract: In a web based imaging environment, a user accesses a destination service representing a printer having manual duplex printing capability, and selects a manual duplex option. If the selected printer is unfamiliar to the destination service, it guides the user through a training process describing the paper input path of the printer. The destination service prints an image on a page, asks the user to reload the page in a certain orientation and prints an image on the page again. The user provides feedback about the orientations of the printed images, which the destination service uses to formulate instructions to later guide the user through manual duplex printing using the selected printer. In a variation, the destination service stores the manual duplex instructions formulated for various printers, thus avoiding the need to retrain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Shell S. Simpson, Ward S. Foster, Kris R. Livingston
  • Patent number: 7068388
    Abstract: A print application (703) issues print job grouping start and end instructions to a print system (client) (707). The print system (client) (707) reads out the job information spooled at the time of reception of a grouping start instruction from a spooler (705) and stores the information. The print system (client) (707) reads out job information spooled at the time of reception of a grouping end instruction from the spooler (705). The print system (client) (707) then extracts jobs that do not coincide with the stored job information as print jobs to be grouped from the spooler (705) and outputs them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsuo Kimura
  • Patent number: 7068380
    Abstract: An automated utility for obtaining an identification of a new type of media from a user and searching remote databases to locate and retrieve properties of the new media to set appropriate printing parameters, including colorimetric parameters. To print on a new media, the user can enter a common identifier of the new media, or it can be automatically detected by the user's printer. Based on this information, remote databases can be searched to locate properties of the new media. The properties can be used to automatically set up an application or computer to use the new media on an intended printer. In addition, if no color profiles are found of the new media and the user's intended printer, a new color profile can be derived from pre-existing color profiles located in the remote databases. Starting with a similar color profile, a difference in colorimetric properties between the media of the similar color profile and the new media can be used to translate the similar color profile into a new color profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Victoria E. Milton, Michael Stokes
  • Patent number: 7057749
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus allows a user to obtain copies printed in a plurality of desired formats by performing a setting operation only once without having to further perform a complicated operation. Property information specifying the manner in which data is to be printed is set via setting means. Thereafter, if a special printing mode is not specified by special-printing-mode specifying means, first print property information describing the manner in which data is to be printed on a first recording sheet is generated by print property information generating means in accordance with the property information set by the setting means. However, if the special printing mode is specified, in addition to the first print property information, second print property information describing the manner in which data is to be printed on a second recording sheet is generated by the print property information generating means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Ozaki