Abstract: There are provided an information processing apparatus and information processing method, which can implement a job or printer device monitoring scheme that allows the user to easily detect status of printing apparatus in advance. The status of a physical printer device corresponding to a predetermined logical printer, which is set as an object to be monitored, is monitored, and a result based on monitoring is displayed on a computer display as a resident display. For example, when the resident display is displayed as an icon on the task tray on the computer display, it does not disturb display of windows of other document creation applications. Also, the user need not purposely instruct to launch a monitor utility upon printing. Hence, a job or printer device monitoring scheme which is very convenient for the user can be implemented.

Abstract: In an arrangement of printing set-up of a virtual printer, which is associated with a plurality of member printer drivers, the optimum user interface control is executed according to the arrangement of a plurality of member printer drivers.

Abstract: A representative color determining step is executed to determine, from image data, a representative color characterizing an image of a print, and positions of the representative color. A gray control color determining step is executed to determine, from the image data, a gray control color expressed in an achromatic color and positions of the gray control color. A reading step is executed to read an image of reference paper and an image of an actual print. Then, a calculating step is executed to carry out a comparative calculation of color data in the positions of the representative color of the image of the reference paper and color data in the positions of the representative color of the image of the print, and a comparative calculation of color data in the positions of the gray control color of the image of the reference paper and color data in the positions of the gray control color of the image of the print, to create control data for controlling ink feeding rates of a printing machine.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for generating customized documents, such as labels, in a client-server computing environment. A server is communicably accessed by a client, which then retrieves a dynamic link library module configured for use by a client-based application. The client also retrieves an ActiveX control module configured for controlling operational aspects of the application; and retrieves a document structure file. The application generates a document using the dynamic link library and the label structure file. A user may then modify the document using the ActiveX control module, and print the document.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for color balancing page data, from a variety of input sources having non-consistent device color profiles, among a plurality of individually accessible print engines arranged in a system for color printing multiple copies of multiple page documents. Input page data is converted to a common color space, rasterized and routed to a selected print engine. Page data routed to each marking engine is color balanced to the selected marking engine where at least a portion of the color balancing occurs following the rasterizing of the page data.

Abstract: The invention provides for a method of sharpening an image to be sent to a printhead. The method includes the steps of receiving an RGB (red, green, blue) data set indicative of the image, and deriving an initial luminance channel from the received data set. The method also includes the steps of sharpening the initial luminance channel to form a revised luminance channel, and incorporating the revised luminance channel into the data set.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a plurality of light emitting units, an activation unit, a plurality of light receiving units and a determination unit. The determination unit retrieves at least one output signal from the plurality of light receiving units in accordance with a predetermined retrieving procedure each time each of the plurality of light emitting units is activated, and determines, based on the at least one output signal, whether or not at least one of at least one of the plurality of light emitting units and at least one of the plurality of light receiving units is normal. The predetermined retrieving procedure is configured such that at least one output signal is retrieved from a part of the plurality of light receiving unite in response to an activation of at least one of the plurality of light emitting units.

Abstract: This disclosure relates generally to methods and systems for color management in image/text printing or display systems, and more particularly to a system and method for automatically achieving spot color production through use of a plurality of gain matrices per spot color in determining spot color coordinates. Furthermore, this disclosure provides a means for mapping out-of-gamut target spot colors substantially near a boundary of the gamut of an image output device, such as a printer or display.

Abstract: A system and method enable a user to generate a single batch job ticket for a plurality of print job tickets. The system includes a print driver, a print job manager, and a print engine. The print driver enables a user to request generation of a collective job queue and to provide a plurality of job tickets for the job queue. The print job manager includes a collective job queue manager and a print job scheduler. The collective job queue manager collects job tickets for a job queue and generates a single batch job ticket for the print job scheduling table when the job queue is closed. The print job scheduler selects single batch job tickets in accordance with various criteria and releases the job segments to a print engine for contiguous printing of the job segments.

Abstract: A digital copying machine that performs transfer of image data from the image reader to an external computer based on an image reading operation, as well as transfer of image data from the external computer to the printing unit based on a printing operation using the same bus, wherein the image reading operation and the printing operation are performed simultaneously by alternating the two types of transfers in response to the signal, based on the operation timing of the printing unit.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that accurately estimate a post-printing appearance of a color on a substrate. In addition, systems and methods are provided that accurately estimate a post-mixing appearance of several colors mixed on a substrate.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device is provided and includes: a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a two-dimensional array, each of the photoelectric conversion elements accumulating a signal charge in accordance with a received amount of light; a charge transfer path that transfers the signal charge read out from the photoelectric conversion elements; two branch transfer paths, each receiving the signal charge transferred through the charge transfer path and transferring the signal charge to an output end of the solid-state imaging device; a charge branching part in a connecting portion between the charge transfer path and the two branch transfer paths, the charge branching part distributing the signal charge toward one of the two branch transfer paths, and a unit that treats signals corresponding to branching residual charges in the charge branching part so that the signals are distributed in a checkerboard pattern on a reproduced image.

Abstract: Color processing methods and apparatus are provided that blend the gray component replacement (“GCR”) level of arbitrarily-specified input color data with an estimate of the GCR level of an output profile, and then converts processed device-independent data to output CMYK data that has a GCR level that substantially matches the GCR level of the input CMYK data. Methods and apparatus in accordance with this invention may be used to receive CMYK data that approximates a spot color, and provide tints of spot colors using an output profile that has a GCR level that differs from the GCR level of the input color data.

Abstract: The system provides for controlling color reproduction of input color image data in a network having nodes (or sites). The system distributes the input color image data from one of the nodes to other nodes, and provides data structures in the network. The system has means for providing color calibration data at each node characterizing output colors (colorants) of the rendering device of the node, and means for producing at each node, responsive to the color calibration data of the rendering device of the node, information for transforming the input color image data into output color image data at the rendering device of the node. The rendering device of each node renders a color reproduction responsive to the output color image data, wherein colors displayed in the reproduction at the rendering device of each node appear substantially the same within the output colors attainable by the rendering devices.

Abstract: An electronic paper file is generated from an enhanced metafile such that data may be converted from multiple applications with different data descriptions to a single electronic paper format having a particular data description. The enhanced metafile includes a series of individual records that provide a sequence of graphic instructions to render properties associated with objects in the document in an output format. The enhanced metafile is parsed into a series of state independent objects to generate an intermediary representation of the document. The objects and corresponding identifying information are temporarily stored in an object storage structure before using the objects to generate the electronic paper file. The object storage structure provides a stateless model of the enhanced metafile such that the objects may be randomly accessed and applied to any output format.

Abstract: A device and method is provided for breaking up undesirable patterns in vector error diffusion when the sum of inputs is near fraction values of the total input range. In the method, the value of the sum is calculated modulo the maximum input value. The mod value tendency to produce limit cycles is then determined for multiple planes in a manner similar to that for an individual plane. The threshold process for the vector calculation can then be modified to break up the cycles that occur in the combinations of the multiple colors. Typically, the largest of the individual plane modifications and the vector sum mod value is used for threshold modification. At least two different types of threshold modifications are possible: (1) random or psuedo-random noise address to the threshold; and (2) non-contiguous regions of threshold.

Abstract: A stencil printer apparatus for depositing a solder paste onto the surface of the electronic substrate, comprising a frame, a stencil coupled to the frame, the stencil having a plurality of apertures, a dispenser coupled to the frame, the stencil and the dispenser being configured to deposit the solder paste onto the electronic substrate, an imaging system constructed and arranged to capture an image of the electronic substrate, and a controller coupled to the imaging system and configured to control movement of the imaging system to capture the image. The imaging system comprises a camera element configured to capture the image of at least the portion of the surface of the electronic substrate, and a first illumination element comprising a long-wavelength light source configured to illuminate at least the portion of the surface of the electronic substrate by generating long-wavelength light. Other embodiments and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: If an edge of a sheet metal of an image forming apparatus damages an electric cable, the image signal is distorted and a correct image is not formed since the damage causes feeding failure and signal deterioration. This is remarkable in the conventional digital electrophotographic apparatus, since the drive signal to drive a laser or a light emitting diode (LED) for exposing the photosensitive body becomes higher in frequency as resolution and speed are increased and tends to generate the electric noise. In order to prevent damage of an electric cable by a metal frame, an apparatus having a holder for holding a feed cable is provided.

Abstract: A facsimile machine according to the present invention is capable of accurately comprehending management information of a received document such as from which source to which destination a received document on a discharge tray has been sent, when and by whom a part or the whole has been taken away, since a received document managing section 37 manages the received facsimile document based on a placement status obtained by a placement status obtaining section 27 and stored information of a reception information storing section 31. Consequently, the received facsimile document which has been sent from a source to a destination can be managed properly based on the management information.

Abstract: A color conversion apparatus receives red-green-blue color data, calculates characteristic information and first hue region data from the color data, adjusts the first hue region data according to the characteristic information to obtain second to N-th hue region data, N being an integer equal to or greater than three, generates matrix coefficients for the second to N-th hue region data, and performs a matrix operation on the second to N-th hue region data to obtain color data with four or more color components. Color data with three primary components are thereby converted to color data with four or more primary components by simple calculations, without using a large amount of memory space.