Abstract: An inlet seal, an outlet seal, and a piston are connected to a shaft. The inlet seal seals an ink inlet of an ink reservoir. The outlet seal seals an ink outlet of the ink reservoir. Also, the piston is within a cylinder. The inlet seal, the outlet seal, and the piston all move with the shaft. A biasing member contacts the piston to bias the piston in a first direction. Pressurized air simultaneously provided to the cylinder and to the ink reservoir biases the piston in a second direction, opposite the first direction, and pressurizes ink within the ink reservoir. Moving the shaft in the first direction does not seal the ink inlet but does seal the ink outlet. Moving the shaft in the second direction seals the ink inlet but does not seal the ink outlet, thus allowing the pressurized ink out from the ink reservoir.

Abstract: An inlet seal, an outlet seal, and a piston are connected to a shaft. The inlet seal seals an ink inlet of an ink reservoir. The outlet seal seals an ink outlet of the ink reservoir. Also, the piston is within a cylinder. The inlet seal, the outlet seal, and the piston all move with the shaft. A biasing member contacts the piston to bias the piston in a first direction. Pressurized air simultaneously provided to the cylinder and to the ink reservoir biases the piston in a second direction, opposite the first direction, and pressurizes ink within the ink reservoir. Moving the shaft in the first direction does not seal the ink inlet but does seal the ink outlet. Moving the shaft in the second direction seals the ink inlet but does not seal the ink outlet, thus allowing the pressurized ink out from the ink reservoir.

Abstract: Embodiments herein comprise an apparatus that includes a printing engine and an interposer adapted to receive printed sheets from the printing engine. The interposer adds insert sheets between printed sheets. The interposer includes a decurler positioned within the interposer so as to decurl the printed sheets after the interposer adds the insert sheets. The printing engine adds a curl to the printed sheets and the decurler removes the curl from the printed sheets. The decurler can comprise a roller-based decurler, a heated decurler, a pressure based decurler, and/or a moisture-vacuum based decurler.

Abstract: A system renders print jobs via a marking engine. A raster image processor receives the job from the input module and renders it to one or more raster images. One or more contone image processors receive the one or more raster images to perform cross-channel image processing to render the raster images into a form compatible with the marking engine, wherein the output is partially sub-partitioned by color separation. An image refactoring and distribution network completes the sub-partitioning by separation of the rendered contone raster images by color separation and distributes each color sub-partition to a marker channel module specific to each color sub-partition. A marking engine receives the color sub-partitioned image data, marks the image onto a substrate and outputs a hardcopy of the image.

Abstract: A system renders print jobs via a marking engine. A raster image processor receives the job from the input module and renders it to one or more raster images. One or more contone image processors receive the one or more raster images to perform cross-channel image processing to render the raster images into a form compatible with the marking engine, wherein the output is partially sub-partitioned by color separation. An image refactoring and distribution network completes the sub-partitioning by separation of the rendered contone raster images by color separation and distributes each color sub-partition to a marker channel module specific to each color sub-partition. A marking engine receives the color sub-partitioned image data, marks the image onto a substrate and outputs a hardcopy of the image.

Abstract: An apparatus for mutually converting signals between one or more modular printing devices and a document processing system, includes a device controller having a network interface for communicating with a system communications channel, memory for storing data and control code related to the operation of the modular printing devices, and a processor for running the control code, a digital input/output controller for receiving and sending document processing signals, a connector for receiving and sending modular printing device signals, and an optical input/output isolator for optically isolating the signals received via the connector.

Abstract: Embodiments herein comprise an apparatus that includes a printing engine and an interposer adapted to receive printed sheets from the printing engine. The interposer adds insert sheets between printed sheets. The interposer includes a decurler positioned within the interposer so as to decurl the printed sheets after the interposer adds the insert sheets. The printing engine adds a curl to the printed sheets and the decurler removes the curl from the printed sheets. The decurler can comprise a roller-based decurler, a heated decurler, a pressure based decurler, and/or a moisture-vacuum based decurler.

Abstract: A diagnostic method for diagnosing post-manufacture modular add-on components coupled to a system at least includes: a) dynamically retrieving control system topology information not stored at the time of manufacture pertaining to a module chosen for a system graphical display; b) via each module, generating diagnostic information about the components of a module; c) dynamically retrieving module diagnostic information pertaining to a module chosen for a system graphical display; d) hierarchically displaying the component levels of the module chosen for graphical display; e) providing a link between the component levels; and f) indicating the diagnostic status of a displayed component level.

Abstract: A media handling system comprises a configuration of N linked modules. Each module has an order based on the module's linkage in the configuration. Thus, a first module of order 1 links to a second module of order 2, the second module links to a third module of order 3, etc., and an (N?1)th module of order (N?1) links to an Nth module of order N. A feeder module feeds a sheet of media to downstream modules. Each downstream module sends a reporting message to an included controller. The reporting message includes the time the module processed the sheet and the module's reported type. For each reporting module, the controller determines the module's order and type based on the reported time and reported type in the module's reporting message. The controller validates the configuration by determining when the order and the type for the reporting modules match a predetermined pattern.

Abstract: A system architecture and method are provided for synchronizing the slave clock of one or more resources with the master clock of a controller in a document processing system. The method includes: a) saving a value of the master clock (615); b) generating a discrete clock synchronization interrupt signal and distributing the interrupt signal to the resource(s) via the control bus (625); c) receiving the interrupt signal at each resource (630) and saving a value of the slave clock (640); d) sending a message to the controller via a network to request the value saved for the master clock (645); e) sending the value to the resource (660); f) receiving the value (665); and g) subtracting the value saved for the slave clock from the value saved for the master clock to determine an error value between the clocks (690) and using the error value in an adjustment algorithm to synchronize the slave clock with the master clock (695).

Abstract: A media handling system comprises a configuration of N linked modules. Each module has an order based on the module's linkage in the configuration. Thus, a first module of order 1 links to a second module of order 2, the second module links to a third module of order 3, etc., and an (N?1)th module of order (N?1) links to an Nth module of order N. A feeder module feeds a sheet of media to downstream modules. Each downstream module sends a reporting message to an included controller. The reporting message includes the time the module processed the sheet and the module's reported type. For each reporting module, the controller determines the module's order and type based on the reported time and reported type in the module's reporting message. The controller validates the configuration by determining when the order and the type for the reporting modules match a predetermined pattern.

Abstract: A system architecture and method are provided for synchronizing the slave clock of one or more resources with the master clock of a controller in a document processing system. The method includes: a) saving a value of the master clock (615); b) generating a discrete clock synchronization interrupt signal and distributing the interrupt signal to the resource(s) via the control bus (625); c) receiving the interrupt signal at each resource (630) and saving a value of the slave clock (640); d) sending a message to the controller via a network to request the value saved for the master clock (645); e) sending the value to the resource (660); f) receiving the value (665); and g) subtracting the value saved for the slave clock from the value saved for the master clock to determine an error value between the clocks (690) and using the error value in an adjustment algorithm to synchronize the slave clock with the master clock (695).

Abstract: A method of monitoring a data transmission transmitted over a telephone line includes the first step of determining if a data transmission is incoming or outgoing over a telephone line. In the second method step, a modem is configured to monitor a receive portion of the telephone line if the first step determines that the transmission is outgoing. The modem is configured to monitor a transmit portion of the telephone line if the first step determines that the transmission is incoming. In the third method step, a data signal is detected from the data transmission. The method may include the further step of maintaining statistics corresponding to the data signal. The data transmission may be a facsimile transmission. The data signal may be any one of a DCS signal, an MCF signal, and an RTP signal.

Abstract: A fax network for communicating fax transmissions over either a conventional public switched telephone network or a digital (frame relay) network based on a telephone number of a destination fax machine. If the destination fax machine can be serviced by the digital network, a faxjack intercepts the phone digits on the telephone link, and redirects the call to a local point-of-presence, which is preferably located near the local exchange carrier. The POP receives information related to the desired fax transmission from the faxjack, and accesses a destination POP via the digital network. The destination POP is local with respect to the destination fax machine, and the destination POP attempts to contact the destination fax machine to ascertain if a fax session is allowable. If so, the destination POP notifies the source POP, which then notifies the faxjack, thereby allowing the fax session to start.

Abstract: A facsimile jack selectively routes a facsimile transmission over a packet switched digital network including a source point of presence (source POP) which is local to a facsimile machine sending the facsimile transmission and a destination point of presence (destination POP) which is local to a facsimile machine receiving the facsimile transmission. The facsimile jack is connected between a facsimile machine and a telephone jack and includes a processor which determines if a destination number of the facsimile transmission is serviced by the facsimile network. If the destination number is long distance and is serviced by the facsimile network, the processor instructs a local number of the source POP to be dialed and the facsimile transmission to be sent through the source POP. If not, then other network route paths can be dialed (WATS, VPN, etc.).

Abstract: A fax network for communicating fax transmissions over either a conventional public switched telephone network or a digital (frame relay) network based on a telephone number of a destination fax machine. If the destination fax machine can be serviced by the digital network, a faxjack intercepts the phone digits on the telephone link, and redirects the call to a local point-of-presence, which is preferably located near the local exchange carrier. The POP receives information related to the desired fax transmission from the faxjack, and accesses a destination POP via the digital network. The destination POP is local with respect to the destination fax machine, and the destination POP attempts to contact the destination fax machine to ascertain if a fax session is allowable. If so, the destination POP notifies the source POP, which then notifies the faxjack, thereby allowing the fax session to start.

Abstract: A method of routing a data transmission includes the first step of receiving a destination number of a data transmission. The destination number corresponds to a first communication network, e.g. voice grade analog telephone lines. In the second method step, a determination is made as to whether the data transmission should be routed through a second communication network, e.g. a digital network. In the third method step, the data transmission is routed through the second communication network if the second step so determines.

Abstract: A fax network for communicating fax transmissions over either a conventional public switched telephone network or a digital (frame relay) network based on a telephone number of a destination fax machine. If the destination fax machine can be serviced by the digital network, a faxjack intercepts the phone digits on the telephone link, and redirects the call to a local point-of-presence, which is preferably located near the local exchange carrier. The POP receives information related to the desired fax transmission from the faxjack, and accesses a destination POP via the digital network. The destination POP is local with respect to the destination fax machine, and the destination POP attempts to contact the destination fax machine to ascertain if a fax session is allowable. If so, the destination POP notifies the source POP, which then notifies the faxjack, thereby allowing the fax session to start.

Abstract: An electronic image processing apparatus having a marking machine, a source of copy sheets, a controller, and a plurality of resources wherein each of the resources includes an associated processor for storing data related to the operational timing of the associated resource. A bus interconnects the processors to the controller for directing the operation of the image processing apparatus to provide images on the copy sheets and the controller includes circuitry for interrogating each of the processors for the operational timing data and logic for responding to the operational timing data of each of the processors for dynamically configuring the controller to operate in accordance with the operational timing of the processors.

Abstract: The method of changing system files to be able to change either the primary or secondary language or both on a rigid disk to another language, and to provide the operator with the option of selecting either the primary or secondary language as the medium for the display messages and prompts by providing the language requirements on a floppy disk, identifying the specific files of the control to be altered to produce the language requirements, loading the floppy disk into a floppy disk drive, and transferring the language requirements to the rigid disk.