Abstract: Methods and systems of evaluating customer satisfaction with a plurality of print-related items are disclosed. A plurality of evaluator ratings, each including an ordinal scale value, may be received for each print-related item in a set. A rating distribution may be determined for each print-related item based on the received evaluator ratings. A similarity value between the rating distribution for the print-related item and each other print-related item may also be determined. The set of print-related items may be divided into one or more clusters based on the corresponding similarity values. A comparison of the one or more clusters may be displayed. The comparison may include a comparison of the similarity values and/or a rating variability between rating distributions associated with the print-related items in one or more clusters and/or a comparison of average rating distributions associated with one or more clusters.

Abstract: A managed print system for analyzing performance of a print device may include a computing device and a computer-readable storage medium in communication with the computing device. The computer-readable storage medium may include one or more programming instructions for receiving a black and white print volume variable associated with a print device, receiving a color print volume variable associated with the print device, determining a black and white cost variable associated with the black and white print volume variable and determining a color cost variable associated with the color print volume variable, determining a standard relationship, determining an empirical relationship, determining, based on the empirical relationship, whether the print device has a poor fit to the standard relationship, and in response to the print device having a poor fit to the standard relationship, determining which of the variables influenced the poor fit.

Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting one or more anomalous devices are disclosed. For each of a plurality of devices, semi-structured data may be received from the device. For each pair of devices, of the plurality of devices, a similarity measurement may be determined between semi-structured data from a first device of the pair of devices and semi-structured data from a second device of the pair of devices. One or more anomalous devices may then be identified and one or more remedial actions may be performed for the one or more identified anomalous devices.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining print revenue behavior for an account are disclosed. A computing device may determine a print revenue for an account for each of a plurality of time periods. The computing device may select a best fit model from a plurality of models based on the print revenue for the account for the plurality of time periods. The computing device may determine a risk level associated with the account based on a best fit model. The risk level may be based on a difference between the best fit model and the print revenue for the account for each of time period.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described that facilitate encrypting document status information into a scanned image of a document using a mixed raster content document parsing protocol, in accordance with various features described herein. A text string comprising status information can be imaged into a mask layer that overlays the scanned image. Additionally or alternatively, the text string can be encrypted into a binary image that is encoded into the mask layer and overlaid on the image. The image itself is parsed into a background layer and one or more mask layers comprising different portions of the document. The encrypted mask layer comprising the text string and/or binary image can be generated using the same color as the background layer, such that the document status information is invisible and does not cause unwanted artifacts during printing or conversion of the document between formats.

Abstract: Methods and systems for identifying device models or accounts exhibiting outlying behavior are disclosed. For a method of identifying a device model exhibiting outlying behavior, a processor may receive a color impression count, a monochrome impression count and either a device model for each of a plurality of devices. A proportion of color revenue may be determined for each device based on the color impression count and the monochrome impression count. The processor may determine, for each device model, a distribution of the proportion of color revenue for the one or more devices having the device model and may automatically identify one or more distributions of the proportion of color revenue exhibiting outlying behavior. Each distribution is associated with a device model.

Abstract: A managed print system for analyzing performance of a print device may include a computing device and a computer-readable storage medium in communication with the computing device. The computer-readable storage medium may include one or more programming instructions for receiving a black and white print volume variable associated with a print device, receiving a color print volume variable associated with the print device, determining a black and white cost variable associated with the black and white print volume variable and determining a color cost variable associated with the color print volume variable, determining a standard relationship, determining an empirical relationship, determining, based on the empirical relationship, whether the print device has a poor fit to the standard relationship, and in response to the print device having a poor fit to the standard relationship, determining which of the variables influenced the poor fit.

Abstract: A system for electronically distilling information from a business document uses a network scanner to electronically scan a platen area, having a business document thereon, to create a bitmap. A network server carries out a segmentation process to segment the scan generated bitmap into a bitmap object, the bitmap object corresponding to the scanned business document; a bitmap to text conversion process to convert the bitmap object into a block of text; a semantic recognition process to generate a structured representation of semantic entities corresponding to the scanned business document; and a document generation process to convert the structured representation into a structure text file.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing fault analysis using numerically coded time series data are disclosed. First time series data, including a plurality of first time entries and an associated first data value for each first time entry, may be received for a machine variable for a first printer. Second time series data, including a plurality of second time entries and an associated second data value for each second time entry, may be received for the machine variable for each of a plurality of second printers. For each second printer, a similarity measurement may be determined for the first time series data for the first printer and the second time series data for the second printer. One or more closest matching second printers may be determined based on the similarity measurements. An association may be displayed between the first printer and each closest matching second printer.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for processing image data to accomplish tuning or adjustment of images, so as to modify at least the darkness thereof, using compact, efficient methods and designs.

Abstract: A computer implemented system for segmenting data collected from a document production environment is provided. The system includes determining, with a computer implemented data processing platform, that a set of document production related data should be represented as a non-normal distribution. A first test is performed and it is determined that the non-normal distribution should not be analyzed pursuant to a first analytic category. A second test is performed and when it is determined that the non-normal distribution should be analyzed pursuant to a second analytic category, an output, indicating that the non-normal distribution should be analyzed pursuant to the second analytic category is provided.

Abstract: Methods and systems for identifying devices having a specified utilization are disclosed. A selected minimum utilization and maximum utilization defining a utilization band may be received. Device information for each of a plurality of accounts, including a device model and utilization information for each device associated with an account, may also be received. A utilization may be determined for each device based on the utilization information. For each device model in an account, a number of devices in an account having the device model and a utilization in the utilization band may be determined. A plurality of clusters may be identified for device model-account pairs, and at least one device model-account pair may be assigned to a cluster.

Abstract: A system for detecting suspect meter reads in a print environment may include a computing device and a computer-readable storage medium in communication with the computing device. The computer-readable storage medium may include one or more programming instructions for receiving historical meter read values associated with a print-related service, selecting a model set including one or more of the historical meter read values, using a predictive model to determine an anticipated meter read value and a corresponding forecast error value from the model set, determining an updated forecast error value, determining a threshold value, identifying an actual meter read value, determining an average rate associated with the actual meter read value, and flagging the actual meter read value as suspect based on a comparison of the average rate and the threshold value.

Abstract: A systems and methods for providing an image forming machine capable of monitoring the image quality of images that the image forming machine produces and detecting changes in the image quality. The monitoring system using statistical techniques to fit predetermined models to a measured image quality of time sequence of formed images. The predetermined models used to find current and predicted values of image quality and notifying a user or service provider when the image quality has changed.

Abstract: A method and server is provided for processing an electronic workflow for implementation by at least one machine. The method includes processing an electronic workflow having at least one machine readable job request; determining that human intervention is needed for processing one of the machine readable job requests; reformatting the machine readable job request into a human readable format; and providing the job request reformatted in a human readable format to an output device for outputting the job request reformatted in a human readable format as human readable output.

Abstract: A system for electronically distilling information from a business document uses a network scanner to electronically scan a platen area, having a business document thereon, to create a bitmap. A network server carries out a segmentation process to segment the scan generated bitmap into a bitmap object, the bitmap object corresponding to the scanned business document; a bitmap to text conversion process to convert the bitmap object into a block of text; a semantic recognition process to generate a structured representation of semantic entities corresponding to the scanned business document; and a document generation process to convert the structured representation into a structure text file.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining print capacity are disclosed. A maximum job speed for a document processing device and information pertaining to a plurality of jobs performed by the document processing device may be received. The information may include a job speed and a job size for each job. Sets of first and second jobs may be identified from the plurality of jobs. Each first job may have a job speed greater than a percentage of the maximum job speed. Each second job may have a job speed less than the percentage of the maximum job speed. A job size threshold may be determined based on the job sizes for the first and second jobs. In response to such determination, a linear function based on the one or more second jobs may be obtained. The linear function may be a function of job speed based on job size.

Abstract: An inventory management system for forecasting demand in a print production environment may include a computing device and a computer-readable storage medium in communication with the computing device. The computer-readable storage medium may include programming instructions for updating a predictive model with intervention information comprising an anticipated demand value and a confidence value associated with the anticipated demand value. The predictive model may be associated with a demand distribution of a print-related service.

Abstract: A print demand forecasting system is provided for use with a print production system in which print demand data is collected for each print job processed during a selected time interval. The print demand data is processed with a computer implemented service manager to obtain a first demand series with two or more demand components and a second demand series with one demand component. Each one of the two or more demand components is less than a selected variability level and the one demand component is greater than the selected variability level. The computer implemented service manager is adapted to (1) generate a first demand related forecast with a combination of the two or more demand components, and (2) generate a second demand related forecast with the one demand component if convergent forecasting results are obtainable for the second demand series.

Abstract: A method and system for generating a monotonic classifier are disclosed. A plurality of feature vectors may be mapped to a plurality of ordered classes. Each feature vector may map to a corresponding class. For each class other than the lowest-ordered class, a binary classifier may be trained to distinguish between the class and a directly preceding class in the order. The binary classifiers may be ordered based on the class corresponding to each classifier. The binary classifiers may be ordered in the form of a decision tree, which may be either balanced or unbalanced. A new feature vector pertaining to an individual may then be classified using the binary classifiers.