Abstract: Disclosed is a method of creating a color-mapping lookup table and a color-mapping method using the same. The method of creating a color-mapping lookup table includes; obtaining color-space data for respective solid colors specified as lattice points of the color-mapping lookup table, obtaining color-space data for respective achromatic colors specified as lattice points of the color-mapping lookup table, and tabulating the color-space data for the respective solid colors specified as the lattice points and the color-space for the respective achromatic colors specified as the lattice points. Therefore, the methods can create a color-mapping LUT in which significant colors such as solid colors or achromatic colors are specified as lattice points, so that significant colors are more optimally reproduced since device data for the significant colors are not calculated through interpolation.

Abstract: A method for selecting a printing device for printing a proof is provided. The method entails providing a production printer and a plurality of remote proof printers and computing a native color gamut covered by the production printer and the plurality of remote proof printers. The method includes calculating a gamut intersection volume between the production printer and the plurality of remote proof printers and comparing the gamut intersection volume between the production printer and the plurality of remote proof printers. The method further include presenting a rating of the plurality of proof printers, the rating configured to provide data pertaining to the gamut intersection volume difference between each of the plurality of proof printers and the production printer.

Abstract: A document management system and method of efficiently controlling a document print operation that entails storing specifying information pertaining to identification information of document data for a printing apparatus, determining whether or not the document data corresponding to the identification information has been updated after a prior printing of the document, and transmitting to the printing apparatus either the document data or the specifying information depending on the results of the determination.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided which includes an image obtaining member which obtains an original image and outputs data of the original image. In the image processing apparatus, unique additional image data is merged to the original image data. A memory stores the original image data and the merged image data, and an image is formed based on the formed merged image data. In a first image processing mode, the merged image data is formed before the original data is stored to the memory, and the merged image data is then stored to the memory and an image is formed based on the stored merged image data. In a second image processing mode, the original image data is stored to the memory before forming the merged image data. Then the merged image data is formed, and an image is formed based on the formed merged image data.

Abstract: An image processing system includes a server apparatus and a plurality of image output apparatuses connected to the server apparatus is provided. The server apparatus comprises an intermediate code generation unit configured to generate an intermediate code on the basis of image data, and an intermediate code transmission unit configured to transmit the intermediate code to each of the plurality of image output apparatuses. Each of the plurality of image output apparatuses comprises an intermediate code reception unit configured to receive the intermediate code from the server apparatus, an output color correction unit configured to execute, for the intermediate code, color correction for output, a rendering unit configured to render an image on the basis of the intermediate code which has undergone the color correction and an image output unit configured to output the rendered image.

Abstract: An image forming system includes an information terminal and an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus stores a hash value of a file on which image forming operation is to be performed or has been performed. Upon a request to print a predetermined file at the information terminal, the information terminal generates a hash value of the predetermined file. The information terminal transmits print data and the hash value to the image forming apparatus only in the case where the information terminal determines that hash values stored by the image forming apparatus do not include the generated hash value.

Abstract: A service providing system including a client device and a server is provided. The client device includes a function execution unit that executes one of the functions of the image reading and printing units in accordance with an execution command from the server, an error notification unit that notifies the server of occurrence of an error, a manner designation unit that requests a user to designate a manner of restarting, and a manner notification unit that sends a notification containing the manner of restarting to the server. The function execution unit restarts the execution of the function interfered by the error in accordance with a command requesting a restart of the function received from the server which has been notified of the manner of restarting.

Abstract: A printing control method comprises a rendering step for rendering a description language document, a color matching step for converting color information specified in the description language document into color information for a printing device which is to print the description language document, and a control step for controlling whether to perform the conversion in the color matching step before the rendering or following the rendering. Appropriately controlling whether to perform color matching before rendering or following rendering enables color reproducibility to be improved.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided with a halftone frequency determining section for determining a halftone frequency of an input image data including a plurality of color components. The halftone frequency determining section includes: a threshold value setting section for setting a threshold value for a segment block that is consisting of a plurality of pixels, the threshold value being for use in binarization; a threshold value adjusting section for adjusting the threshold value according to input image data in order to remove an influence of an unnecessary color component; a maximum transition number averaging section for averaging maximum transition numbers of the binary data according to the adjusted threshold value in order to obtain a maximum transition number average; and a halftone frequency estimating section for estimating the halftone frequency from the maximum transition number average. With this, it is possible to determine the halftone frequency accurately.

Abstract: The present invention discloses, as an example, an information processing apparatus for downloading an expansion module for a print driver from a server apparatus for setup, including: a reception unit for receiving a program from the server apparatus; a determination unit for determining whether the reception unit receives the expansion module for the print driver and a license management program which is an expansion program for the print driver; an obtaining unit for obtaining, in response to a determination by the determination unit that the reception unit receives the expansion module for the print driver and the license management program, by calling the received license management program, license information indicating a license status of the expansion program; and a decision unit for deciding whether a use of the expansion program is permitted in the information processing apparatus by using the obtained license information.

Abstract: In order to facilitate updating of information on a destination of data, a data communication system includes a server and an MFP capable of communicating with each other. The MFP transmits to the server an update requesting signal including a source address of an e-mail received from another apparatus and related information on the source, transmits an address request to the server and receives user address data from the server, and transmits data to at least one destination address included in the received user address data. The server stores the user address data having destination addresses and related information on the destinations associated with each other, and in receipt of the update requesting signal from the MFP, rewrites the related information associated with the source address included in the update requesting signal by the user address data with the related information included in the update requesting signal.

Abstract: An information output system is provided with an information output unit that outputs information represented by service data, and a data transmitting server configured to transmit the service data to the information output unit. The data transmitting server is provided with a charging unit configured to perform a charging operation with respect the service data transmitted to the information output unit, the charging operation being performed at least one predetermined stage after a start and before a completion of the output of the information.

Abstract: A disclosed billing system includes a client apparatus, a multi-functional peripheral, a server apparatus and a billing apparatus. A communication unit of the billing apparatus sequentially transmits first account balance information read from a storage medium to the server apparatus; receives from the server apparatus a copy permission signal which is then transmitted to the multi-functional peripheral; receives from the multi-functional peripheral a copy-output signal regarding a copy output having been performed on the multi-functional peripheral, the copy-output signal being then transmitted to the server apparatus; and receives copy billing information transmitted from the server apparatus according to the transmitted copy-output signal.

Abstract: An MFP includes sensors for detecting states of units, a transmitting/receiving unit that receives authentication information of a user ID, and an obtaining unit that obtains manual data and sensor information. The transmitting/receiving unit transmits the manual data and the sensor information to a displaying device that includes a sensor detecting unit, an authenticating unit, a transmitting/receiving unit that transmits the authentication information to the MFP and receives the manual data and the sensor information, and a display controlling unit that controls the received manual data and the sensor information to be displayed on a displaying unit.

Abstract: A print management apparatus includes a writing-image processing unit and a job generation processing unit. The writing-image processing unit determines whether print data, to be printed using the print management apparatus, includes both color page and monochrome page, and generates writing-image data of the color page and writing-image data of the monochrome page from the print data. The job generation processing unit prepares a preliminary job ticket for printing the color page and a preliminary job ticket for printing the monochrome page based on an initial job ticket set for the print data when the writing-image processing unit determines that the writing-image data includes both color page and monochrome page.

Abstract: A Method of batch processing a group of hardcopy documents scans a stack of documents. Each document in the stack has a cover sheet is placed thereon. The method performs optical character recognition on each of the cover sheets in the stack. The method performs an operation on each of the documents in the stack in accordance with instructions on the cover sheet on each document. Examples of operations that may be performed include printing the document, sending the document by fax to a recipient, sending an image file of the document by email to a recipient, and the like.

Abstract: A printing device is configured to execute a plurality of time-designated print jobs. A request source of each of the plurality of time-designated print jobs is identified. If there exists at least one close job for which a designated execution time is within a predetermined period with respect to a designated execution time of a first reference job and for which the print request source is the same as that of the first reference job, the designated execution times of the first reference job and each of the at least one close job are changed to be close to a designated execution time of a second reference job. Then, a print process regarding the plurality of print jobs is executed when the current time coincides with each of the changed execution times of the plurality of time-designated print jobs.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention relate generally to an apparatus and system for managing form data obtained from an outside system, which may be combined with image data to be printed.

Abstract: When attribute information cannot be generated from received data, image processing methods and image processing parameters are set unequivocally independently of the received data. If the same image processing methods and image processing parameters are set, processing that does not match the purpose of output or user's favor in terms of image quality may be executed. Hence, if the received data is not PDL data and does not include any interpretable attribute information, a reception print mode is checked. If “character priority” is selected for the reception print mode, attribute flag data of a character attribute is generated. If “photo priority” is selected, attribute flag data of a photo attribute is generated. If “auto” is set, automatic generation of attribute flag data is performed. When attribute flag data cannot be generated, detailed settings are checked to generate attribute flag data of a character attribute or photo attribute.

Abstract: A color reproduction system with drift correction that includes a storage module, an image processing module, a printer, a scanner, and a calibration module. The storage module stores one or more current linear response halftones and a set of device independent color signals representative of a calibration target. The image processing module receives the stored device independent color signals and generates binary print data based on the one or more current linear response halftones. The printer prints a copy of the calibration target in accordance with the binary print data. The scanner scans the copy of the calibration target printed by the printer to generate scanned image data that corresponds to the copy of the calibration target.