Patents by Inventor Brian E. Hoffmann
Brian E. Hoffmann 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).
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Patent number: 9461824Abstract: A method of transmitting a document from a computing device to a printing device using a document server comprising, at the server, receiving user credentials from a user of an authorized computing device, receiving encrypted data defining the document from the authorized computing device, receiving information indicating the intended recipients of the data, receiving user credentials from an authorized printing device, and delivering the encrypted data to an authorized recipient.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2015Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Randall Edward Grohs, Brian E. Hoffmann, Steven J. Simske
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Publication number: 20150163062Abstract: A method of transmitting a document from a computing device to a printing device using a document server comprising, at the server, receiving user credentials from a user of an authorized computing device, receiving encrypted data defining the document from the authorized computing device, receiving information indicating the intended recipients of the data, receiving user credentials from an authorized printing device, and delivering the encrypted data to an authorized recipient.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2015Publication date: June 11, 2015Inventors: Randall Edward GROHS, Brian E. HOFFMANN, Steven J. SIMSKE
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Patent number: 8966256Abstract: A method of transmitting a document from a computing device to a printing device using a document server comprising, at the server, receiving user credentials from a user of an authorized computing device, receiving encrypted data defining the document from the authorized computing device, receiving information indicating the intended recipients of the data, receiving user credentials from an authorized printing device, and delivering the encrypted data to an authorized recipient.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2012Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Randall Edward Grohs, Brian E. Hoffmann, Steven J. Simske
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Publication number: 20130290715Abstract: A method of transmitting a document from a computing device to a printing device using a document server comprising, at the server, receiving user credentials from a user of an authorized computing device, receiving encrypted data defining the document from the authorized computing device, receiving information indicating the intended recipients of the data, receiving user credentials from an authorized printing device, and delivering the encrypted data to an authorized recipient.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2012Publication date: October 31, 2013Inventors: Randall Edward Grohs, Brian E. Hoffmann, Steven J. Simske
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Patent number: 7576880Abstract: Systems and methods for cooperative rasterization of print data in an enterprise network are described. In one aspect, a primary printer rasterizes a portion of a print job to input raster bits into a raster buffer associated with the primary printer. During print job processing operations, the primary printer identifies a potential underflow condition of the raster buffer. Thus, the primary printer communicates an un-rasterized portion of the print job to a secondary printer for the secondary printer to rasterize—the primary printer not rasterizing the un-rasterized portion. Subsequently, the primary printer receives raster bits corresponding to the un-rasterized portion from the secondary printer. The primary printer prints all of the raster bits corresponding to the print job.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2003Date of Patent: August 18, 2009Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Robert D. Christiansen, Scott C. Clouthier, Brian E. Hoffmann
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Patent number: 7576878Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods for enhancing management of raster image processing (RIP) resources are described. In one aspect, a printing environment includes a RIP engine and multiple RIP pipelines. The RIP engine is scheduled to perform RIP for a first time period for a first pipeline of the multiple RIP pipelines. Responsive to occurrence of a start time of the first time period, the RIP engine is automatically transferred to the first pipeline for RIP.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2003Date of Patent: August 18, 2009Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Robert D. Christiansen, Paul R. Wissenbach, Scott C. Clouthier, Brian E. Hoffmann, Robert E. Stevahn, Jr.
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Patent number: 6826629Abstract: A computer peripheral device learning apparatus includes a host computer, a communication path, and a computer peripheral device. The host computer includes a peripheral device driver configured to generate an output job. The computer peripheral device communicates with the host computer via the communication path. The computer peripheral device is configured to generate an output job in a first output job format. Furthermore, the computer peripheral device is operative to receive instructions from an external source on how to generate an output job in a second output job format. A method is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2001Date of Patent: November 30, 2004Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Brian E. Hoffmann, Loay Abu-Husein, David A. Martz
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Publication number: 20040196493Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods for enhancing management of raster image processing (RIP) resources are described. In one aspect, a printing environment includes a RIP engine and multiple RIP pipelines. The RIP engine is scheduled to perform RIP for a first time period for a first pipeline of the multiple RIP pipelines. Responsive to occurrence of a start time of the first time period, the RIP engine is automatically transferred to the first pipeline for RIP.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2003Publication date: October 7, 2004Inventors: Robert D. Christiansen, Paul R. Wissenbach, Scott C. Clouthier, Brian E. Hoffmann, Robert E. Stevahn
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Publication number: 20030046454Abstract: A computer peripheral device learning apparatus includes a host computer, a communication path, and a computer peripheral device. The host computer includes a peripheral device driver configured to generate an output job. The computer peripheral device communicates with the host computer via the communication path. The computer peripheral device is configured to generate an output job in a first output job format. Furthermore, the computer peripheral device is operative to receive instructions from an external source on how to generate an output job in a second output job format. A method is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2001Publication date: March 6, 2003Inventors: Brian E. Hoffmann, Loay Abu-Husein, David A. Martz
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Patent number: 6178011Abstract: An Adaptive Image Resolution Enhancement Technology (IRET) process and apparatus is described to improve halftone imaging by changing ordered halftone screen resolution according to the content of the image and managing these changes based on image content. The Adaptive IRET halftoning technique maximizes the artifact reducing properties of coarser ordered screens, while minimizing the loss of rendered detail in image areas having high spatial frequency. IRET may utilize a mixture of any ordered halftone screen (e.g. clustered-dot dither, line screen, etc.) to generate halftone dots with a number of levels, and any dispersed halftone screen to generate additional levels for the ordered halftone dots. For some printing technologies, it is preferable to minimize printing artifacts by generating coarser halftone screens, rather than finer halftone screens. Coarser screening, however, means that details in the image, text, and line art will not be rendered well.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 1998Date of Patent: January 23, 2001Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Qian Lin, Brent M. Bradburn, Brian E. Hoffmann
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Patent number: 5949964Abstract: A method for halftoning an image to be rendered onto a media sheet includes the steps of: classifying data portions of a received data stream into one of plural image types, each image type to be subjected to a particular halftone procedure; assigning to each data portion of a common image type, a common identifier and then converting the data portions into a raster representation; subjecting segments of the raster representation to individualized halftone procedures, each segment of the raster representation that is assigned a common identifier being subjected to an identical halftone procedure; and rendering the raster representation onto a media sheet, subsequent to the halftone process. The apparatus for performing the halftone method places the halftone operation subsequent to the rasterization operation and thereby avoids anomalies which occurred in the prior art.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 1997Date of Patent: September 7, 1999Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Scott C. Clouthier, Douglas Heins, Brian E. Hoffmann, James R. Nottingham, Gary L. Vondran, Jr.
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Patent number: 5852742Abstract: A print data processing pipeline for use in a color electrophotographic printer optimizes print quality and minimizes memory usage by separately processing lossy and lossless print data. Lossy print data may include print data for images and lossless print data may include print data for text, line art, and graphics. Partitioning print data into lossy and lossless components allows application of the print data compression operations optimized for each type of print data. High compression ratios can be achieved on lossy print data by applying visually lossless compression operations designed for the lossy print data. In addition, high compression ratios can be achieved on the lossless print data by applying lossless compression operations designed for the lossless print data. A merge unit combines the lossy and lossless print data streams after decompression to reconstruct the original image.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 1997Date of Patent: December 22, 1998Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Gary L. Vondran, Jr., James R. Nottingham, Scott C. Clouthier, Douglas Heins, Brian E. Hoffmann
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Patent number: 5657430Abstract: A binary pixel bitmap image is converted to a multi-bit gray level pixel image at a level of resolution that is reproducible by a laser printer. An edge smoothing procedure is employed by the laser printer and comprises the steps of: deriving from font contours of the image, a binary pixel bitmap of the image at a higher level of resolution than is output by the laser printer; logically stepping an m.times.n pixel window across pixel groups of the higher resolution binary pixel bitmap and, at each step, determining a count of pixels of one binary kind that are present within the pixel window; converting each count of pixels to a corresponding modulation signal; and controlling a laser in the laser printer in accordance with each modulation signal so that an edge smoothed gray level image is produced at the printer's level of output resolution.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 1996Date of Patent: August 12, 1997Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Marcus A. Smith, Brian E. Hoffmann, Jeffrey L. Trask