Abstract: A printing device is provided, such printing device including a controller configured to determine whether a position of the printing device is within a first physical environment, and upon such determination, to adjust to a mode of operation useful in interacting with a source device associated with the first physical environment. The printing device may further include a communication interface configured to establish a communication link between the printing device and the source device, and to interact with the source device via the communication link utilizing the adjusted mode of operation.

Abstract: A printing device is provided, such printing device including a controller configured to determine whether a position of the printing device is within a first physical environment, and upon such determination, to adjust to a mode of operation useful in interacting with a source device associated with the first physical environment. The printing device may further include a communication interface configured to establish a communication link between the printing device and the source device, and to interact with the source device via the communication link utilizing the adjusted mode of operation.

Abstract: An imaging system, including a print engine and a processor assembly, wherein the processor assembly is configured to determine the colorant needed to produce a hard copy of a print or copy job, and compare the determined amount of colorant to the amount of colorant available to the print engine.

Abstract: A printing device is provided, such printing device including a controller configured to determine whether a position of the printing device is within a first physical environment, and upon such determination, to adjust to a mode of operation useful in interacting with a source device associated with the first physical environment. The printing device may further include a communication interface configured to establish a communication link between the printing device and the source device, and to interact with the source device via the communication link utilizing the adjusted mode of operation.

Abstract: A system and a method for converting markings made on media with a marking agent into a digital form representing the markings. The system of the present invention includes a marking device and an illumination digital scanning device. The marking device can be a manual or machine marking device, each containing the marking agent. The marking agent is dispensed by the marking device onto the media. The marking agent is a chemical that emits a certain radiation frequency set when illuminated by an illumination frequency set. The illumination digital scanning device converts the markings of the marking agent into a digital form. The method of the present invention includes marking the media with the marking agent, illuminating the markings to cause the marking agent to radiate at the radiation frequency set and converting the radiation into a digital form representing the markings.

Abstract: An ink jet printing system includes an ink jet nozzle array for ejecting ink droplets during an ink jet printing cycle, and a flat medium positioned to receive ink droplets ejected by the nozzle array during an ink jet printing cycle. A motion apparatus provides relative motion between the nozzle array and the medium such that a spiral locus is defined by the nozzle array relative to the media during an ink jet printing cycle. The spiral maximum diameter may be made equal to the diagonal dimension of a rectangular media, thus allowing drops to be deposited very close to the edge of the media, and so reducing or eliminating the area of unprintable margins on both sides and the top and bottom of the media.

Abstract: An optical scanning technique employs an optical sensor array for collecting image pixel data from a flat medium during a scanning cycle. A motion apparatus provides relative motion between the sensor array and the medium such that a spiral locus is defined by the sensor array relative to the media during a scanning cycle. The spiral maximum diameter may be made equal to the diagonal dimension of a rectangular media, thus allowing pixel data to be collected very close to the edge of the media, and so reducing or eliminating the area of unscannable margins on both sides and the top and bottom of the media. The motion apparatus can include a turntable for rotating the flat medium about a center of coordinates, and a translatable carriage holding the sensor array. An ink jet printhead can be mounted on the motion apparatus, to provide a multi-function scanner/printer machine.

Abstract: An optical scanning technique employs an optical sensor array for collecting image pixel data from a flat medium during a scanning cycle. A motion apparatus provides relative motion between the sensor array and the medium such that a spiral locus is defined by the sensor array relative to the media during a scanning cycle. The spiral maximum diameter may be made equal to the diagonal dimension of a rectangular media, thus allowing pixel data to be collected very close to the edge of the media, and so reducing or eliminating the area of unscannable margins on both sides and the top and bottom of the media. The motion apparatus can include a turntable for rotating the flat medium about a center of coordinates, and a translatable carriage holding the sensor array. An ink jet printhead can be mounted on the motion apparatus, to provide a multi-function scanner/printer machine.

Abstract: A region of the original image is selected and the thus-selected region is then subjected to an example image editing operation called “crop” in which the selected region remains, and the area outside of the selected region is removed. After the “crop” or editing operation has been performed, the window containing the original image is also maintained and may be viewed concurrently with the edited image. The window containing the original image is preferably automatically minimized, but may subsequently be restored to full size. If subsequent comparison by the user of both the original and “cropped” images side-by-side show an unwanted result, the “crop” operation may then be repeated on the image in the original image window.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for depleting raster data to provide for faster printing and also to allow printing of the depleted raster data, with a printed dot size that is larger that would otherwise be utilized with the undepleted raster data, on a pixel grid having the resolution of the undepleted raster data. Also disclosed is a technique for up scaling raster data at a particular resolution (e.g., 300 dpi) is scaled in such a manner that the upscaled raster data includes only printed pixels that correspond one-to-one with the printed pixels of the original data and wherein the relative locations of the printed pixels of the original data are maintained in the up scaled raster data. Further disclosed is a technique for printing a pixel array having a particular resolution with a print element array having print elements disposed for printing at a lesser resolution.

Abstract: A method converts a multi-pixel gray level raster image to a multi-pixel binary raster image, with the gray level raster image including up to P gray level values. The method first arranges the P gray level values into an ordered list. A plurality of dither matrices are then derived, each including M threshold values, each value therein being a threshold value which, when compared to a gray level pixel value enables assignment of a binary value to the pixel. In general, M and P are different integer values. If M is greater than P, the method inserts the P ordered gray level value list into one dither matrix and then inserts into the same one dither matrix at least a further portion of the ordered list, commencing with the first gray level value of the ordered list, until there is no further room for any further insertions in the one dither matrix.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for depleting raster data to allow printing of the depleted raster data on a grid that corresponds to the resolution of the undepleted raster data with a printed dot size that is larger that would otherwise be utilized with the undepleted raster data and to achieve faster ink dry time. Also disclosed is a technique for up scaling raster data at a particular resolution (e.g., 300 dpi) to a higher resolution in such a manner that expanded data includes a greater number of dot producing pixels to compensate for a dot size that is larger than the dot size that is appropriate for the higher resolution, and does not require horizontal depletion for printing with such dot size. This allows raster data at a particular resolution to be combined with higher resolution rasterized vector data for printing in accordance with the enhanced mode of operation.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for depleting raster data to provide for faster printing and also to allow printing of the depleted raster data, with a printed dot size that is larger that would otherwise be utilized with the undepleted raster data, on a pixel grid having the resolution of the undepleted raster data. Also disclosed is a technique for up scaling raster data at a particular resolution (e.g., 300 dpi) is scaled in such a manner that the upscaled raster data includes only printed pixels that correspond one-to-one with the printed pixels of the original data and wherein the relative locations of the printed pixels of the original data are maintained in the up scaled raster data. Further disclosed is a technique for printing a pixel array having a particular resolution with a print element array having print elements disposed for printing at a lesser resolution.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for depleting raster data to provide for faster printing and also to allow printing of the depleted raster data, with a printed dot size that is larger that would otherwise be utilized with the undepleted raster data, on a pixel grid having the resolution of the undepleted raster data. Also disclosed is a technique for up scaling raster data at a particular resolution (e.g., 300 dpi) is scaled in such a manner that the upscaled raster data includes only printed pixels that correspond one-to-one with the printed pixels of the original data and wherein the relative locations of the printed pixels of the original data are maintained in the up scaled raster data. Further disclosed is a technique for printing a pixel array having a particular resolution with a print element array having print elements disposed for printing at a lesser resolution.