Abstract: A presentation output system includes a digital computer network, one or more job submission clients, and a job store. The job store accepts and holds output jobs from the plurality of job submission clients. The presentation output system further includes one or more presentation output devices that pull the output jobs from the job store for outputting.

Abstract: A product 100 having a data encoding pattern 108 printed on it, the pattern defining a grid having a grid spacing, wherein the grid spacing has discontinuities arranged to compensate for a mismatch between the resolution at which the pattern 108 is printed and a required value for the grid spacing, the discontinuities being irregularly spaced across the product.

Abstract: A job store for a pull-based presentation output system includes a job storage storing one or more jobs from a plurality of job submission clients; and a driver storage storing one or more drivers for converting a job into a format used by a corresponding presentation output device. The job store receives a job from a job submission client, stores the job in the job storage, receives a pull command from a presentation output device when the presentation output device is one of idle and nearly finished with a current job and without receiving further input from a user of the job submission client, retrieves the job from the job storage, applies a driver for converting that job into a format used by the presentation output device sending the pull command and outputs the job to the presentation output device sending the pull command.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a document having human-readable content and a position identifying encoding pattern. A printer places text or other content onto a substrate, such as paper, and a filter material application system applies transparent filter material to at least a portion of that content to only modify the reflectivity of the content at a predetermined wavelength. Because the reflectivity of the position identifying encoding pattern remains unchanged, it is distinguishable from the content and can be read at the predetermined wavelength. The position identifying pattern can take a number of forms including a number of dots printed at predetermined positions on the substrate on an imaginary grid.

Abstract: A method of calibrating a digital pen (100) comprises the steps of: i) acquiring calibration data indicative of parameters indicative of an offset between a nib (108) of the pen (100) and a field of view (124) of a camera (114) whilst the pen is in use; and ii) using the calibration data to compensate for the offset in subsequently acquired pen usage data. A digital pen, digital paper and software for calibrating a digital pen and a network comprising a digital pen are also disclosed.

Abstract: A digital pen and paper system comprises a pen arranged to make pen strokes on a document having a plurality of regions, to detect markings on the document, and to record them in a series of samples. The system is arranged to determine from the samples the position of the pen strokes. The system has defined therein a plurality of different warning conditions that determine when a warning will be produced in response to lost samples, and is arranged to select one of the warning conditions for one of the pen strokes depending on which of the regions the pen stroke is made.

Abstract: A product 100 having a data encoding pattern 108 printed on it, the pattern defining a grid having a grid spacing, wherein the grid spacing has discontinuities arranged to compensate for a mismatch between the resolution at which the pattern 108 is printed and a required value for the grid spacing, the discontinuities being irregularly spaced across the product.

Abstract: A communication system includes a computer network that includes a plurality of interconnected computer devices. The communication system further includes at least one network device capable of communicating with one or more mobile wireless devices. The network device is part of the computer network and is capable of communicating with a mobile wireless device without the mobile wireless device being a member of the computer network.

Abstract: A method of applying content and a data encoding pattern 18 to a product 10 comprises: applying the content 14 to a substrate 12; modifying the reflectivity of the content 14 at a predetermined wavelength; and applying the pattern 18 to the product, wherein the method is such that the pattern can be distinguished from the content at the predetermined wavelength.

Abstract: A method of calibrating a digital pen (100) comprises the steps of: i) acquiring calibration data indicative of parameters indicative of an offset between a nib (108) of the pen (100) and a field of view (124) of a camera (114) whilst the pen is in use; and ii) using the calibration data to compensate for the offset in subsequently acquired pen usage data. A digital pen, digital paper and software for calibrating a digital pen and a network comprising a digital pen are also disclosed.

Abstract: A digital pen and paper system comprises a pen arranged to make pen strokes on a document having a plurality of regions, to detect markings on the document, and to record them in a series of samples. The system is arranged to determine from the samples the position of the pen strokes. The system has defined therein a plurality of different warning conditions that determine when a warning will be produced in response to lost samples, and is arranged to select one of the warning conditions for one of the pen strokes depending on which of the regions the pen stroke is made.

Abstract: Techniques for employing a printing infrastructure to access a presentation device. A presentation system according to the present teachings includes a presentation device with a display and a mechanism for rendering an image on the display in response to a print file. A client system according to the present teachings provides the print file to the presentation device using an existing printing infrastructure, thereby obviating the need for a base computer or specialized client system software.

Abstract: A method of printing a document containing a printed pattern of position identification pattern markings comprising: providing to a printer a set of print instructions which define the content of a document; generating at the printer a pattern using pattern information that is independent from the print instructions; and printing a document that comprises both the content and the pattern.

Abstract: One invention form is a method using all input data for one or preferably plural colorants, one time to control colorant deposition in forming a pixel array on a printing medium, and at least one other time to control deposition of more of the same colorants. At least one “applying” includes choosing data-array pixels to deposit added colorant. The two data-usage times can be associated directly with depositing colorant in respective printer passes; or may be done at (or near) rendition, sending output data to printmasking for pass allocation. Selection preferably includes setting maximum density on the medium—and choosing locations for that density, best by analyzing data to find locally dense areas, e. g. counting neighboring pixels. Selecting also includes defining locations to receive particular density, and creating additional density levels based on densities in the data array.

Abstract: A presentation output system includes a digital computer network, one or more job submission clients, and a job store. The job store accepts and holds output jobs from the plurality of job submission clients. The presentation output system further includes one or more presentation output devices that pull the output jobs from the job store for outputting.

Abstract: A communication system includes a computer network that includes a plurality of interconnected computer devices. The communication system further includes at least one network device capable of communicating with one or more mobile wireless devices. The network device is part of the computer network and is capable of communicating with a mobile wireless device without the mobile wireless device being a member of the computer network.

Abstract: A printhead scans to form marks in a multirow swath on the medium. A mechanism gives relative motion between the head and medium, orthogonal to the scan. Normal advance of the mechanism is at least several rows. There are variants or preferences: in one, the mechanism steps about a row or less to deliberately misalign successive swaths. There is best no associated data shift or normal advance. In another, the step roughly equalizes graininess between image regions with and without normal advance—e.g. between scans near at least one end of a page, to roughly equalize graininess as to swaths near and far from the end. The step best equals different fractions of a row, respectively, between successive swath pairs; these fractions progressively decrease—as e.g. programmed: paperAdvance=Amplitude*cos(Frequency*nPasses+Phase);. Preferably Amplitude is 7; Frequency is 0.2244; nPasses are increments from zero through 7; and Phase is zero.

Abstract: A structure of bands is associated with printhead-array image-forming elements, forming a printmask. Some band pairs are complementary. A low usage percent is stated for at least one band and a like value for another, a complement to each “at least one” band, to smooth the mask and image. The invention best sets a number N of passes, a wavenumber multiplier M for the image, and overall number B of bands N×M×2, the “2” accounting for odd and even elements; bands appear in order: first group of M bands, odd and even, second group of M bands, odd and even, . . . (N−1)th group of M bands, odd and even, Nth group of M bands, odd and even. In another novel aspect the invention has programming for creating a geometrical structure of bands, respectively associated with the image-forming elements and constituting the printmask.

Abstract: In a method for operating an ink jet printer with a curved platen the firing of the ink nozzles of the print heal is controlled in a specific way to avoid the effects of misplacement of ink dots on the printing medium due to the curvature of the platen and other effects. The printing of markings on the printing medium is performed in several passes of the print head whereby the medium is advanced between passes. During a pass, central nozzles are fired more often than nozzles at the periphery of the print head because the precision for peripheral nozzles is worse than for central nozzles. Printing during a single pass is thus performed in bands whereby the amount of ink placed in central bands is higher than in peripheral bands.

Abstract: In a method for operating an ink jet printer with a curved platen the firing of the ink nozzles of the print head is controlled in a specific way to avoid the effects of misplacement of ink dots on the printing medium due to the curvature of the platen and other effects. The printing of markings on the printing medium is performed in several passes of the print head whereby the medium is advanced between passes. During a pass, central nozzles are fired more often than nozzles at the periphery of the print head because the precision for peripheral nozzles is worse than for central nozzles. Printing during a single pass is thus performed in bands whereby the amount of ink placed in central bands is higher than in peripheral bands.