Abstract: A printing system includes a digital front end (DFE) system connected to a plurality of printing devices. The DFE system manages printing operations to the plurality of printing devices. The DFE system also includes a printing device connectivity manager to manage connections with the printing devices. Printing connectivity modules are installed at the printing device connectivity manager using application programming interfaces (APIs) that are loaded at the creation of the printing connectivity modules. The DFE system also includes a display device connectivity manager to manage connections with display devices using display connectivity modules and display connectivity APIs. The DFE system also includes a storage connectivity manager to manage data storage and storage devices using storage connectivity modules and storage connectivity APIs.

Abstract: A printing system includes a digital front end (DFE) system connected to a plurality of printing devices. The DFE system manages printing operations to the plurality of printing devices. The DFE system also includes a printing device connectivity manager to manage connections with the printing devices. Printing connectivity modules are installed at the printing device connectivity manager using application programming interfaces (APIs) that are loaded at the creation of the printing connectivity modules. The DFE system also includes a display device connectivity manager to manage connections with display devices using display connectivity modules and display connectivity APIs. The DFE system also includes a storage connectivity manager to manage data storage and storage devices using storage connectivity modules and storage connectivity APIs.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and storage media for outline character printing on a printing device are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: allocate cache memory of a printing device for registration of an outline character; register outline character data wherein the metadata portion comprises a description of the outline character and the data portion comprises a scanline table for the outline character; receive a print job data at the printing device; determine the print job data identifies the outline character in the cache memory at the printing device; render the scanline table accessed from the cache memory as a pattern of pixels for the outline character for the print job data received; and print, on the printing device, the pattern of pixels rendered from the scanline table accessed from the cache memory for the print job data received.

Abstract: A printing system includes a digital front end (DFB) system connected to a plurality of printing devices. The DFE system manages printing operations to the plurality of printing devices. The DFE system also includes a printing device connectivity manager to manage connections with the printing devices. Printing connectivity modules are installed at the printing device connectivity manager using application programming interfaces (APIs) that are loaded at the creation of the printing connectivity modules. The DFE system also includes a display device connectivity manager to manage connections with display devices using display connectivity modules and display connectivity APIs. The DFE system also includes a storage connectivity manager to manage data storage and storage devices using storage connectivity modules and storage connectivity APIs.

Abstract: Systems and methods for pseudo spot color printing on a printing device include receiving a print job specifying a spot color at a printing device not accommodating ink corresponding to the specified spot color, determining and storing a plurality of process color planes associated with corresponding process color inks accommodated by the printing device, and storing the plurality of process color planes in a memory of the printing device. A single spot color plane is determined and stored for the specified spot color. A plurality of other common planes is determined and stored. Upon reaching an end of the surface of the print job, the single spot color plane is converted to a plurality of spot color planes, which is merged with the plurality of spot color planes prior to printing a corresponding portion of the print job.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed towards methods and apparatus to detect effective tiling area and fill tiles efficiently. The method improves efficiency by not filling tiles within an inner box in a shape having a large unfilled area. One example method includes detecting an inner box, determining whether the detected inner box is big enough for pre-clipping, and confirming that the outer clip path contains the inner box. When filling tiles into a bounding rectangle tiling area, it is determined if a particular tile (or tile(s)) falls into an inner box or not, and if the tile falls in the inner box, that particular tile is not filled. According to one embodiment, the inner box is an internal rectangle that contains a maximum area in which it is unnecessary to fill tiles.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed towards methods and apparatus to detect effective tiling area and fill tiles efficiently. The method improves efficiency by not filling tiles within an inner box in a shape having a large unfilled area. One example method includes detecting an inner box, determining whether the detected inner box is big enough for pre-clipping, and confirming that the outer clip path contains the inner box. When filling tiles into a bounding rectangle tiling area, it is determined if a particular tile (or tile(s)) falls into an inner box or not, and if the tile falls in the inner box, that particular tile is not filled. According to one embodiment, the inner box is an internal rectangle that contains a maximum area in which it is unnecessary to fill tiles.

Abstract: An apparatus, process, and computer program product provide an improvement to downscaling techniques for image processing. Embodiments of the downscale processes may be applied to images rendered on printed documents. Aspects of the downscaling processes provide quality, discernible rendered images while being efficient with computing resources. Exemplary embodiments carryover binary bit data from adjacent regions into an application region being downscaled for determination of the downscale output. Depending on the downscale output value for the application region, bits from the application region may be carried over to adjacent regions and used in determining whether those regions, when processed will have an “ON” or “OFF value when downscaled.

Abstract: An apparatus, process, and computer program product provide an improvement to downscaling techniques for image processing. Embodiments of the downscale processes may be applied to images rendered on printed documents. Aspects of the downscaling processes provide quality, discernible rendered images while being efficient with computing resources. Exemplary embodiments carryover binary bit data from adjacent regions into an application region being downscaled for determination of the downscale output. Depending on the downscale output value for the application region, bits from the application region may be carried over to adjacent regions and used in determining whether those regions, when processed will have an “ON” or “OFF value when downscaled.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed towards a system and method for using a multicore processor to process a printer definition language (PDL). The system improves efficiency by supporting parallel processing of many commonly used PDLs, while also supporting serial processing of many legacy PDLs. When processing a PDL, the system relies on several stages, including a parsing stage, a printer drawings services stage, and a graphic services stage, which includes order generation. The system provides flexibility by permitting function calls of common PDLs to be either asynchronous requests or blocking synchronous requests. Because legacy PDLs are executed serially, legacy PDL requests are considered to be blocking synchronous requests. The system provides a level of abstraction at the PDL level by allowing multiple requests to be combined into a compound asynchronous request. The system also improves accuracy by notifying the original caller of a request about an error during error handling.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed towards a system and method for using a multicore processor to process a printer definition language (PDL). The system improves efficiency by supporting parallel processing of many commonly used PDLs, while also supporting serial processing of many legacy PDLs. When processing a PDL, the system relies on several stages, including a parsing stage, a printer drawings services stage, and a graphic services stage, which includes order generation. The system provides flexibility by permitting function calls of common PDLs to be either asynchronous requests or blocking synchronous requests. Because legacy PDLs are executed serially, legacy PDL requests are considered to be blocking synchronous requests. The system provides a level of abstraction at the PDL level by allowing multiple requests to be combined into a compound asynchronous request. The system also improves accuracy by notifying the original caller of a request about an error during error handling.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed towards a system and method for using a multicore processor to process a printer definition language (PDL). The system improves efficiency by supporting parallel processing of many commonly used PDLs, while also supporting serial processing of many legacy PDLs. When processing a PDL, the system relies on several stages, including a parsing stage, a printer drawings services stage, and a graphic services stage, which includes order generation. The system provides flexibility by permitting function calls of common PDLs to be either asynchronous requests or blocking synchronous requests. Because legacy PDLs are executed serially, legacy PDL requests are considered to be blocking synchronous requests. The system provides a level of abstraction at the PDL level by allowing multiple requests to be combined into a compound asynchronous request. The system also improves accuracy by notifying the original caller of a request about an error during error handling.

Abstract: A method and system for removing objects from a print document are provided. An image forming apparatus receives a print document sent from a computing device remote from the image forming apparatus. The print document includes print data. The image forming apparatus further receives a directive to remove, from the print document, at least one type of object selected for removal, wherein the print data includes data representing one or more objects of the type of object selected for removal. In response to the directive, the image forming apparatus removes the one or more objects of the type of object selected for removal prior to printing the print document.

Abstract: A method and system for removing objects from a print document are provided. An image forming apparatus receives a print document sent from a computing device remote from the image forming apparatus. The print document includes print data. The image forming apparatus further receives a directive to remove, from the print document, at least one type of object selected for removal, wherein the print data includes data representing one or more objects of the type of object selected for removal. In response to the directive, the image forming apparatus removes the one or more objects of the type of object selected for removal prior to printing the print document.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed towards a system and method for using a multicore processor to process a printer definition language (PDL). The system improves efficiency by supporting parallel processing of many commonly used PDLs, while also supporting serial processing of many legacy PDLs. When processing a PDL, the system relies on several stages, including a parsing stage, a printer drawings services stage, and a graphic services stage, which includes order generation. The system provides flexibility by permitting function calls of common PDLs to be either asynchronous requests or blocking synchronous requests. Because legacy PDLs are executed serially, legacy PDL requests are considered to be blocking synchronous requests. The system provides a level of abstraction at the PDL level by allowing multiple requests to be combined into a compound asynchronous request. The system also improves accuracy by notifying the original caller of a request about an error during error handling.

Abstract: A system for enabling client software applications to interface with peripheral devices over a network. An application connection layer interfaces with a programming language of a client software application. A simple object access protocol (SOAP) client processor communicates with the application connection layer and a client software application using the application connection layer. The SOAP client processor includes an eXtensible mark-up language (XML) processor for converting data provided in XML format to a form usable by the client software application. A transport layer for interfaces with the SOAP processor and peripheral devices connected to the network.

Abstract: A system for enabling client software applications to interface with peripheral devices over a network. An application connection layer interfaces with a programming language of a client software application. A simple object access protocol (SOAP) client processor communicates with the application connection layer and a client software application using the application connection layer. The SOAP client processor includes an eXtensible mark-up language (XML) processor for converting data provided in XML format to a form usable by the client software application. A transport layer for interfaces with the SOAP processor and peripheral devices connected to the network.