Patents by Inventor Alan K. Robertson

Alan K. Robertson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11418683
    Abstract: An image processing system and method provide for receiving a digital document page to be printed. The page includes a background region for which no color is specified. A user is presented with an option to select a print medium from a set of print media of different colors and to select an option for a color of the selected print medium be used as a color of a background layer of the digital document page. When the option is selected, a background layer is inserted into the page. A print job incorporating the processed digital document page is output to an associated printer that is configured to convert the color of the background layer to colorant values that use the print media as a colorant for rendering at least a part of the background region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frederick J. Ramsey, Thomas L. Pierce, Elizabeth Crossen, Clara Cuciurean-Zapan, Deepthi Sidavanahalli Rao, Alan K. Robertson, David St. John, Jeremy Griffith
  • Patent number: 10853500
    Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for detecting whether an application is virtualized comprises identifying a storage location relevant to an application; writing a value to the storage location, storing the value written to the storage location, reading the identified storage location with a non-virtualized process, and checking if the read from the non-virtualized process matches the value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Alan K. Robertson, Glenn K. Smith
  • Publication number: 20200042713
    Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for detecting whether an application is virtualized comprises identifying a storage location relevant to an application; writing a value to the storage location, storing the value written to the storage location, reading the identified storage location with a non-virtualized process, and checking if the read from the non-virtualized process matches the value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Alan K. Robertson, Glenn K. Smith
  • Patent number: 8773674
    Abstract: A system for interfacing a universal print driver with a print device after the universal print driver is deployed. The system includes a universal print driver interfaced with a network and at least one associated print device. A repository stores a set of device compatibility packs (DCPs) for each of the at least one associated print device interfaced with the universal print driver. The universal print driver is adapted to search the repository for a DCP if the associated print device is unsupported by the print driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Cody X. Heffner, David L. Salgado, Jonathan A. Edmonds, Alan K. Robertson
  • Patent number: 8665463
    Abstract: An apparatus and method share and manage passcodes across multiple printing device drivers. The method can include providing, on the electronic device, a first printing device driver for a first printing device and a second printing device driver for a second printing device. The first printing device driver and the second printing device driver can access a common secure printing device passcode storage location for secure printing device passcodes. The method can include storing at least one secure printing device passcode in the common secure printing device passcode storage location. The method can include displaying secure print information to the user in response to receiving a secure print input. The method can include sending a secure printing device passcode over the network interface to a printing device to securely print the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: David Salgado, Richard Schwartz, Matthew Fabrizi, Alan K. Robertson, Jeremy H. Griffith
  • Patent number: 8582129
    Abstract: An apparatus and method present application printing notes for a printer driver. The method can be performed in an electronic device including a network interface. The method can include receiving a print driver request. The method can include obtaining an application identifier corresponding to the print driver request. The application identifier can identify a particular application for a print job. The method can include sending an application printing notes query to an application printing notes repository to access application printing notes corresponding to the application identifier. The method can include displaying information corresponding to the application printing notes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: David Salgado, Alan K. Robertson
  • Patent number: 8456666
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods of controlling printing of a document using a printer driver interface, and corresponding apparatus and computer-readable medium. The embodiments receive a print command to print a document having a document size, display the printer driver interface, the printer driver interface including the document size, display a selectable paper output size on the printer driver interface, the selectable paper output size allowing a user to select a user-selected one of a plurality of different paper output sizes, display user-selectable scaling options on the print driver interface, the scaling options for applying scaling to an image to be printed on the user-selected one of the plurality of different paper output sizes, receive from the user the user-selected one of the paper output sizes, and control printing of the document using the user-selected one of the paper output sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: David Salgado, Jeremy Griffith, Gregory Fruin, Alan K. Robertson, Richard Schwartz
  • Publication number: 20120218579
    Abstract: An apparatus and method share and manage passcodes across multiple printing device drivers. The method can include providing, on the electronic device, a first printing device driver for a first printing device and a second printing device driver for a second printing device. The first printing device driver and the second printing device driver can access a common secure printing device passcode storage location for secure printing device passcodes. The method can include storing at least one secure printing device passcode in the common secure printing device passcode storage location. The method can include displaying secure print information to the user in response to receiving a secure print input. The method can include sending a secure printing device passcode over the network interface to a printing device to securely print the document.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: David SALGADO, Richard Schwartz, Matthew Fabrizi, Alan K. Robertson, Jeremy H. Griffith
  • Publication number: 20120218580
    Abstract: An apparatus and method present application printing notes for a printer driver. The method can be performed in an electronic device including a network interface. The method can include receiving a print driver request. The method can include obtaining an application identifier corresponding to the print driver request. The application identifier can identify a particular application for a print job. The method can include sending an application printing notes query to an application printing notes repository to access application printing notes corresponding to the application identifier. The method can include displaying information corresponding to the application printing notes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: David SALGADO, Alan K. Robertson
  • Publication number: 20120069366
    Abstract: A system for interfacing a universal print driver with a print device after the universal print driver is deployed. The system includes a universal print driver interfaced with a network and at least one associated print device. A repository stores a set of device compatibility packs (DCPs) for each of the at least one associated print device interfaced with the universal print driver. The universal print driver is adapted to search the repository for a DCP if the associated print device is unsupported by the print driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Cody X. Heffner, David L. Salgado, Jonathan A. Edmonds, Alan K. Robertson
  • Patent number: 8091096
    Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel system and method for ensuring that plug-in DLLs are not unloaded and reloaded repeatedly during the course of a single user-initiated operation. A base driver process loads a plug-in DLL. If a manager thread responsible for this plug-in does not exist then a reference count for the plug-in DLL is incremented. Incrementing the system reference count ensures that the plug-in DLL remains loaded between base driver calls for all of the user-initiated operation by preventing the operating system from unloading the plug-in DLL. A manager thread is then created. The manager thread monitors active COM objects and checks if the base driver is still in memory. If no COM objects are found to be in use after a predetermined amount of time or if the base driver is no longer loaded in memory, the system reference count is decremented. The manager thread then exits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew D. Fabrizi, Alan K. Robertson
  • Publication number: 20090021772
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods of controlling printing of a document using a printer driver interface, and corresponding apparatus and computer-readable medium. The embodiments receive a print command to print a document having a document size, display the printer driver interface, the printer driver interface including the document size, display a selectable paper output size on the printer driver interface, the selectable paper output size allowing a user to select a user-selected one of a plurality of different paper output sizes, display user-selectable scaling options on the print driver interface, the scaling options for applying scaling to an image to be printed on the user-selected one of the plurality of different paper output sizes, receive from the user the user-selected one of the paper output sizes, and control printing of the document using the user-selected one of the paper output sizes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Salgado, Jeremy Griffith, Gregory Fruin, Alan K. Robertson, Richard Schwartz
  • Publication number: 20080250430
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods of creating drivers for use in a network, the network including computers and devices, and corresponding apparatus and computer-readable medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: David Salgado, Jonathan Allan Edmonds, Matthew Fabrizi, Gregory Fruin, Alan K. Robertson, Raymond Sabbagh, Richard Schwartz, Glenn K. Smith
  • Patent number: 7280241
    Abstract: A print driver user interface method for printing copies of a document, which includes receiving a number corresponding to the number of copies to be printed from an application, receiving at least one command relating to an operation to be performed on each of the number of copies to be printed, and displaying a first feature to a user informing the user that the application may have a problem printing multiple copies. The method also includes offering the user a choice relating to printing copies of the document and transferring control of printing the copies from the application to the print driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Erika C. Dabney, Gary M. Davis, Sarah E. Campbell, Alan K. Robertson
  • Publication number: 20030179401
    Abstract: In a low-cost printer context, the standard print driver is typically capable only of continuous flow of document data from the driver to the printers. With the present invention, an algorithm responds to specific events in the driver and diverts data output from the driver to a location in the computer's memory, where the data for the entire document is temporarily accumulated. Post-processing operations are performed on the accumulated data, which is then sent on to the printer. The algorithm allows advanced functions, such as page order reversal and signature making, to be performed with a rudimentary print driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Alan K. Robertson
  • Patent number: 6608978
    Abstract: A paper-conserving method for printing a document, which includes determining the number of pages in a document to be printed and automatically selecting a paper conserving print layout for the document when at least two pages are detected. When the document has two or more pages, the layout includes duplexing. When the document has 3 or more pages, the layout will be N-up, where N has a value of at least 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Alan K. Robertson, Jean S. Beha
  • Publication number: 20030113130
    Abstract: A paper-conserving method for printing a document, which includes determining the number of pages in a document to be printed and automatically selecting a paper conserving print layout for the document when at least two pages are detected. When the document has two or more pages, the layout includes duplexing. When the document has 3 or more pages, the layout will be N-up, where N has a value of at least 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation.
    Inventors: Alan K. Robertson, Jean S. Beha
  • Publication number: 20030043398
    Abstract: A print driver user interface method for printing copies of a document, which includes receiving a number corresponding to the number of copies to be printed from an application, receiving at least one command relating to an operation to be performed on each of the number of copies to be printed, and displaying a first feature to a user informing the user that the application may have a problem printing multiple copies. The method also includes offering the user a choice relating to printing copies of the document and transferring control of printing the copies from the application to the print driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2001
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Erika C. Dabney, Gary M. Davis, Sarah E. Campbell, Alan K. Robertson
  • Publication number: 20020067308
    Abstract: A system and method combines a positioning system, for example, the Navistar global positioning system (GPS), with a personal electronic device. The personal electronic device can be a PDA, or a mobile cellular phone, for example. The positioning system provides real-time location specific information that is converted into coordinates, such as latitude and longitude. The system and method of the present invention then references the location to a particular task stored in resident memory and activates a reminder which notifies the user of a particular task. This involves having the user input reminders which signal when the user is within a specified geographic area, or within a specified range which is in the resolution of the GPS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2000
    Publication date: June 6, 2002
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Alan K. Robertson
  • Patent number: 6134019
    Abstract: In a document processing system, whether a standalone copier, or network system including printers, scanners and facsimiles, a user is presented with a display in which numerous features, such as print or copy features, are offered. Each feature may include a plurality of selectable options, such as staple/no staple or simplex/duplex. If he selection of one option form a first feature precludes selection of another option of a second feature, such as for example precluding the placing of duplex images on a transparency, the precluded options in the second feature are indicated as unavailable, and a help button is displayed. When the help button is indicated by a cursor, the user sees only the specific information why the option in the second feature was precluded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Stanley E. Wantuck, Jr., Alan K. Robertson, Gary M. Davis