Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a printer controller in a printing system to flexibly define conditions for notification to one or more recipients of intervention states of the printing system. The time delay for transmitting escalated intervention notification message may be dynamically determined in accordance with present operating parameters of the printing system. Other aspects provide that the recipients of such messages and the form of such messages may be dynamically determined in accordance with present operating parameters of the printing system. Policy rules may define the predicate conditions for determining the timeout values for escalation and for determining the message format and recipients.

Abstract: Systems and methods for implementing a fast, color printer architecture are disclosed. A print processor comprises a plurality of processing units operating in parallel to process data for different layers or color planes. A connection can be formed between any processing unit and any print head of one or more printers. Any one of a plurality of the parallel processing units may be assigned to process one, some, or all of the colors of data. Consequently, each one of a plurality of print heads can be assigned to receive data from any one of a plurality of processing units.

Abstract: A method and system for communicating with computer system peripheral devices, wherein Instant Messaging software is embedded within a peripheral device and the peripheral device uses the embedded software to communicate with a computer system responsive to an event. In one embodiment the peripheral device uses the embedded software to send out Instant Messaging messages responsive to a status of the peripheral device or an event. In another embodiment the peripheral device uses the embedded software to receive and process at least one Instant Messaging message from a user, application program or other device, and to responsively take action to the at least one message. According to the present invention a device may use the embedded software to create the Instant Messaging message responsive to a characteristic of the output job or a status of the device.

Abstract: A method of analysing a nucleic acid sample obtained from a site comprising the step of pretreating the sample to remove or inactivate contaminating nucleic acids originating from the site. The pre-treatment may comprise chemical, enzyme or a physical treatment that acts to selectively or preferentially remove or inactivate the contaminating nucleic acids.