Abstract: An apparatus for generating a data processing pathway in a hardware-ready format is provided which includes a computer-based client and an output device. The client has processing circuitry, memory, a raster formatter, and a software-based data compression apparatus configured to render a rasterized, bitmapped image into image data in a hardware-ready format. The output device communicates with the client and has hardware-ready program code and a hardware-assisted print device. The hardware-assisted print device includes a printer controller, with the printer controller including processing circuitry, memory, and a data decompressor. The hardware-ready program code is operative via the printer controller to receive the hardware-ready image data from the client and render output containing the image to the hardware-assisted print device. A method is also provided.

Abstract: A print unit prints pages of a print job in a different page order than the logical page order, but outputs the print job in a logical page order. A control system repetitively selects one or more portions of the print job from a memory device. Each of the one or more portions is selected out-of-logical page order for supply to the print unit to satisfy printing in the different page order. Each of the one or more portions when selected from the memory device, are temporarily stored in location(s) of a print-ready memory until no longer needed for supply to the print unit, at which time the control system releases the location(s) to be able to receive new data. “Memory out” conditions are also avoided by immediately releasing all objects associated with collated printing before completion of the collated print job, if memory is insufficient to complete the job.

Abstract: A printing device stores data associated with a print job in a memory device. The print job or portions of the print job have an associated reference count(s) indicative of whether the print job or portions of the print job are write-protected. The reference count(s) is incremented and/or decremented responsive to printing of the print job. A control system is configured to permit the print job or portions of the print job to be overwritten with new data when the reference count(s) reach a particular value indicating to the control system that the print job or portions of the print job are no longer write-protected. As a result, memory capacity for print jobs (up to twice the memory capacity of conventional printing devices) and print speed performance improvements are realized over conventional printing devices.

Abstract: The invention is utilized in the context of a peripheral device that is coupled to a network via a firewall which blocks unwanted incoming message traffic, except for incoming message traffic that is responding to a message dispatched from the peripheral device. A remotely located diagnostic device, which includes code for diagnosis of causes of peripheral device malfunctions, is connected to communicate via the network. The peripheral device includes a memory for storing a diagnostic application that is adapted to execute one or more diagnostic subroutines for diagnosing a cause of a device malfunction. The peripheral device is enabled to dispatch an event message to the remote diagnostic device and to receive a response message from the remote diagnostic device (all via the firewall and the network). The response message causes a diagnostic application to execute a subroutine on the peripheral device in an attempt to determine the cause of the event.

Abstract: A computer system according to various aspects of the present invention includes an environment having a single processing space, i.e. not designed for multiprocessing with a process switch. In such an environment, multiple application programs may refer to common library program specifications without conflict. For example, when a first application program requires instantiation of a library object, the library object is instantiated by a factory object of the library. Instance variables of a singleton factory object for each application program provide shared data between library objects. A method of integrating program specifications may include revising library classes to include a factory class, restating static class variables as factory instance variables, and recompiling the library to replace all references to static class variables with references to the factory instance variables.