Abstract: A method and system for workload balancing includes determining which one of a plurality of printer devices satisfies at least one criteria and routing the job to the printer device which satisfies the criteria. The determining is carried out at one or more of the plurality of printer devices.

Abstract: Software in a computer which accesses one or more software-intensive devices, such as a digital copier or printer, is organized in a set of layers. A device-dependent layer converts data transferred over various means, such as a modem or network, to a uniform data format. A protocol layer converts data from a particular accessed machine to a set of function calls. A system interface associated with the computer restricts a user of the computer to seeing only a subset of function calls, depending permissions granted to a particular user. The modular architecture of the software enables a system administrator to restrict a user to viewing machine status for a specific set of machines on a network, or limits the user to viewing only a certain set of functionalities from a particular machine.

Abstract: Software in a computer which accesses one or more software-intensive devices, such as a digital copier or printer, is organized in a set of layers. A device-dependent layer converts data transferred over various means, such as a modem or network, to a uniform data format. A protocol layer converts data from a particular accessed machine to a set of function calls. A system interface associated with the computer restricts a user of the computer to seeing only a subset of function calls, depending permissions granted to a particular user. The modular architecture of the software enables a system administrator to restrict a user to viewing machine status for a specific set of machines on a network, or limits the user to viewing only a certain set of functionalities from a particular machine.

Abstract: A method and system for workload balancing includes determining which one of a plurality of printer devices satisfies at least one criteria and routing the job to the printer device which satisfies the criteria. The determining is carried out at one or more of the plurality of printer devices.

Abstract: Software in a computer which accesses one or more software-intensive devices, such as a digital copier or printer, is organized in a set of layers. A device-dependent layer converts data transferred over various means, such as a modem or network, to a uniform data format. A protocol layer converts data from a particular accessed machine to a set of function calls. A system interface associated with the computer restricts a user of the computer to seeing only a subset of function calls, depending permissions granted to a particular user. The modular architecture of the software enables a system administrator to restrict a user to viewing machine status for a specific set of machines on a network, or limits the user to viewing only a certain set of functionalities from a particular machine.

Abstract: Software in a computer which accesses one or more software-intensive devices, such as a digital copier or printer, is organized in a set of layers. A device-dependent layer converts data transferred over various means, such as a modem or network, to a uniform data format. A protocol layer converts data from a particular accessed machine to a set of function calls. A system interface associated with the computer restricts a user of the computer to seeing only a subset of function calls, depending permissions granted to a particular user. The modular architecture of the software enables a system administrator to restrict a user to viewing machine status for a specific set of machines on a network, or limits the user to viewing only a certain set of functionalities from a particular machine.

Abstract: Software in a computer which accesses one or more software-intensive devices, such as a digital copier or printer, is organized in a set of layers. A device-dependent layer converts data transferred over various means, such as a modem or network, to a uniform data format. A protocol layer converts data from a particular accessed machine to a set of function calls. A system interface associated with the computer restricts a user of the computer to seeing only a subset of function calls, depending permissions granted to a particular user. The modular architecture of the software enables a system administrator to restrict a user to viewing machine status for a specific set of machines on a network, or limits the user to viewing only a certain set of functionalities from a particular machine.

Abstract: Electronically-rendered auditron data, such as from a copier or printer, is formatted with an initial structured portion followed by an unstructured portion. A code within the structured portion instructs a downstream computer how to interpret the digits in the unstructured portion of the data, so that different sets of digits within the unstructured portion are converted to discrete numbers having assigned meanings. The resulting numbers and their assigned meanings can be readily ported to a commercial spreadsheet program.

Abstract: A system for submitting upgrades to software which operates a digital printer. The software enters the printer through a standard printer port. When an upgrade is sent, the status pins are reassigned new functions relating to the progress of the software upgrade, instead of using the status pins of the printer port in a standard fashion for submitting print data. In upgrade mode, the levels of the status pins are recognized as a multi-bit word, relating to a specific condition of the upgrade.

Abstract: A printing system, for merging a scanned image with a merge image to produce a composite image, is provided. The printing system includes a memory for storing the merge image, in the form of a first set of image data, and a decompression device for decompressing the first set of image data. The printing system further includes a scanner, for reading a hard-copy page to generate a second set of image data, and a annotate/merge device, the annotate/merge device electronically merging the decompressed first set of image data with the second set of image data to produce the composite image.

Abstract: A method of intermingling images of different sizes on a photosensitive surface and yet avoid the seam of the photosensitive surface and synchronize the transfer of the images to intermingled copy sheets of various sizes by determining the size of each image before projecting the image onto the photo sensitive surface; predicting the relationship of the image to the seam of the photosensitive surface; deciding that a given image would overlay the seam of the photosensitive surface, applying a timing adjustment to project the given image onto the photosensitive surface in avoidance of the seam of the photosensitive surface, and transferring each of the images including said given image from the photosensitive surface to copy sheets whereby images of different sizes are intermingled along the photosensitive surface and copy sheets of different sizes are intermingled along the copy sheet path.

Abstract: An interlock system for a machine cover including an optical sensor providing a cover open signal, a housing secured to the cover and defining a hollow cavity communicating with the optical path with the cover closed, a reflector fixed to one end of the cavity to reflect light to the sensor with the cover closed, a wall forming part of the housing and disposed in an interference relationship with the optical path for blocking light with the cover open, the length of the optical path with the cover open being less than the length of the optical path with the cover closed, and circuitry to trigger the optical sensor to provide light pulses at a predetermined frequency.

Abstract: A copy machine schedules a copy sheet for being fed by a copy sheet feed system from a supply to a transfer station to have an image copied from an original document to the copy sheet after that original document is scheduled for being imaged by an imaging system. Usually, the scheduling of the copy sheet feed system is delayed until the following pitch, and thus the scheduling of the copy sheet feed system occurs in a different pitch than the scheduling of the imaging system for a particular document. This delay permits the end-of-set signal to be generated if that document is the last document in a stack of documents to be copied prior to scheduling the copy sheet which is to receive a copy of the image contained on that last document. Thus, the control hierarchy of the copy machine is able to use the knowledge that a document is a last document in a set of documents to accurately control components of the copy machine (e.g.

Abstract: An apparatus which regulates offsetting stacks of sheets reproduced from at least one original document. In one mode, successive stacks of uncollated sheets are offset from one another, and, in another mode, offsetting of stacks of collated copy sheets is inhibited.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing machine in which successive electrostatic latent images are recorded on a moving photoconductive belt. Each latent image is adapted to be recorded in a designated region on the photoconductive belt. The designated regions are separated from one another by an inter-image zone. A test patch is recorded in the inter-image zone. The number of designated regions on the photoconductive belt is adjusted so that the size of the inter-image zone is increased enabling a portion of the latent image to be recorded in the inter-image zone without overlapping any portion of the test patch.

Abstract: An improved post-collation duplex to duplex copying system, for a duplexing copier with a duplex buffer tray, and connected sorter bins, utilizing a recirculating duplex document handler (RDH) in which a set of duplex (two sided) original document sheets may be loaded, recirculated, copied, and inverted during circulations, for making plural duplex (two sided) copy sheets, by temporarily storing a calculated variable plural number of identical consecutive first side copies of each document in the duplex tray and feeding these copy sheets out from the duplex tray for copying their second sides in a subsequent document circulation, and outputting them to selected sorter bins, in which the plural identical copies are collated in a calculated variable number of sorter bins normally substantially less than the total number of bins.

Abstract: A tab copying system for a duplexing copier with a recirculating duplex document handler (RDH), in which a set of duplex (two sided) original document sheets may be loaded, recirculated, and inverted during circulations for making plural duplex (two sided) copy sheets from both sides, by temporarily storing first side copies in a duplex buffer tray of the copier and feeding them out from the duplex tray for copying the second sides. The disclosed system allows loading simplex (one sided) original documents for making tab copies therefrom (called tabbing originals) intermixed with the duplex document sheets into the RDH in a normal sheet orientation and in the desired order.

Abstract: A pre-programmable multiple pause points system for a post-collation copying system for a copier with associated plural sorter bins and a recirculating document handler (RDH) in which a set of document sheets may be loaded, recirculated, and copied for making a plural number of identical consecutive copies per document per circulation and outputting them to selected sorter bins for collation. This system is particularly adapted for a system of "limitless sorting" in which the plural identical copies are job subsets collated in a variable limited number of sorter bins normally substantially less than the total number of bins and wherein the total job is completed with further RDH document circulations and further job subsets productions.