Abstract: A location-based address adapter for use in a system to facilitate communication between a host computer and one peripheral device of a plurality of peripheral devices includes a body and an electrical circuit. The body is removably attached to one peripheral device at a time. The electrical circuit includes a communications interface circuit and an adapter memory circuit. The communications interface circuit has a respective pass-through wired connection between each of a plurality of input connectors and a plurality of output connectors to facilitate bi-directional communications between the host computer and the peripheral device. The adapter memory circuit stores a unique physical location address for association with a physical location associated with the peripheral device to which the body is attached. The unique physical location address is a non-network based address.

Abstract: Systems and methods consistent with some embodiments presented provide methods for print resource management. In some embodiments of methods for print resource management print data comprising PDL data may be parsed to identify reusable resources in the print data. The reusable resources may be converted to a common internal format and stored. In some embodiments, reusable resources may be rendered to obtain a rendered version of the reusable resource, which may be stored. In some embodiments, the stored rendered version or a rendered form of the stored formatted version of the reusable resource may be used in a bitmap image for a page whenever the reusable resource is referenced during the creation of the bitmap image for the page.

Abstract: A prepaid messaging solution which uses open networking standards (e.g., TCP/IP) and which supports pre-payment of enhanced Internet messaging services. The disclosed prepaid architectures and methods accurately determine if a subscriber has sufficient account balance to deliver a complete short message, prior to delivery of the message. The short message may be prevented from being delivered (either at the source end or at the destination end) if insufficient funds are in the subscriber's account. A prepaid tariff engine is preferably extensible over a TCP/IP network, and supports remote interaction with the SMSC and web chat servers for the purpose of applying a real-time billing charge for each message. A service provider may create subscriber classes of service that define and uniquely identify subscriber rate and/or tariffing plans used to apply real-time billing charges for sending or receiving of messages. The prepaid short message tariff engine determines the appropriate message billing based upon, e.

Abstract: A print control system managing a print job on a job basis and on a page basis. When a print job is interpreted, a job description file and page data for each page are created. The job description file contains the attribute of the entire job and a job element (content) list. An item of page data is associated with the print attribute of each page including image data. The job control module extracts necessary image data according to the job element list and sends it to a printer. Because a plurality of print jobs share the common data, many job management functions, including print job combination and page addition/deletion, can be implemented easily.

Abstract: A method of and arrangement for updating inventory markings include printing an updated label containing updated information such as price obtained from the data base of a host computer on a real-time basis, The updated label is applied to a product identified by a scanner,

Abstract: Computer controlled numbering of consecutive business forms is provided for both computer controlled presses and in the form of a retrofit unit for conventional rotary presses. The retrofit unit includes a disk provided with radially oriented metallic strips of predetermined locations on the disk, and mounted on a suitable shaft of the press. The disk cooperates with a stationary transducer mounted, for example, on a stationary press wall to send signals to the control unit to fire the printer.

Abstract: A ticket issuing apparatus comprises a ticket stock having ticket containing portion for containing a plurality of tickets each of which has magnetic stripe, and ticket supply roller for leading out the tickets one by one, a conveyor for conveying the ticket from the stock, a magnetic head for recording a given data on the magnetic stripe of the ticket on the conveyer, a thermal head for printing on the ticket on the conveyer in accordance with the given data, a manual-insertion guide having at its one end an insertion opening into which a ticket is manually inserted from outside, the other end of which communicating with the conveyer, a side passage guide having at its one end a side opening communicating with the conveyer between the ticket stock and the magnetic head, and a control device for controlling the conveyer so as to move, at first, the ticket, inserted into the insertion opening of manual-insertion guide, through the conveyer into the side passage guide at the side opening, and, then, to move the

Abstract: An instruction set for solving a specific mathematical problem includes a column of sheet material for manual entry of data in appropriate horizontal spaces as designated by the instruction set. The spaces include color indicia corresponding to color indicia appearing on function keys of an electronic calculator. A carrier is provided to receive the sheet material column with the carrier being slidably received within the calculator. The calculator includes an aperture which successively exposes each horizontal space when the carrier is moved relative to the calculator housing. To solve the problem, the user enters the numerals appearing in the space exposed by the aperture by depressing appropriate calculator numeral keys and then depresses the calculator function key corresponding to the color appearing within the aperture. In some instances, the numerical data appearing in selected spaces may be preprinted. In an alternate embodiment, a bracket removably attaches to the calculator housing.

Abstract: Disclosed is a portable tape reader characterized in that a lid provided with a handle is integrally formed on the upper portion of a body provided with a reading head, the body is contained in a container box so that the body can be drawn out upwardly, and when the body is drawn out, the container box is held in the lower portion of the body and an opening of the container box is located below the reading head. In the portable tape reader having the above-mentioned structure, a tape which has been read is securely received and stored in the container box.

Abstract: Apparatus for embossing and imprinting information on credit card sales slips in a manner compatible with fully automatic data processing, including a movable magnetic read head mounted to an embossing mechanism for reading the customer information from a magnetic stripe on the credit card during the embossing operation, and means for temporarily storing the information. An impact printer movably mounted below the sales slip pack is positioned to imprint the complete transaction information in a form compatible with existing automatic character recognization apparatus. The reverse side of the credit card issuer's copy of the credit card sales slip is printed with scannable print font setting forth the customer's identification, merchant's identification, sale amount, transaction date, etc., so as to be automatically readable by existing optical character recognition (OCR) or magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) apparatus.

Abstract: A magnetic recording and printing device for card mediums, having a magnetic recording section and a printing section, wherein the card mediums are transferred along the peripheral surface of a rotary cylinder which serves as a platen for printing, and during the transfer of the card mediums, data are magnetically recorded and read out by a magnetic head stationarily disposed close to but separated from the peripheral surface of the rotary cylinder.

Abstract: Stop marks are printed on a document such as a bank passbook to indicate the position of the last data entry. The passbook is fed into the present apparatus until the lowermost stop mark is sensed. The passbook is stopped after a predetermined number of timing pulses have been counted after detection of the stop mark and another stop mark is printed on the passbook. The density of the new stop mark is sensed and, if insufficient, more stop marks are printed on top of the new stop mark until the sensed density becomes sufficient. Each stop mark may comprise two or more parallel lines which must be detected separately.

Abstract: A parameter entry device for electronic instruments that also displays the current user definable system parameters is described. This device allows the user to change those parameters without using conventional rotary switches, internal straps, jumpers, etc.

Abstract: An electronic order pricing system including a data card having a plurality of item lines, each representing an orderable item with certain of the lines bearing indicia representing a quantity of items ordered by a customer, apparatus for reading the data card line by line and providing outputs representing the data thereon, circuits for calculating the quantity of each item ordered, a programmable price select matrix storing price data for each orderable item, circuits for using the stored price data and the item quantities calculated to calculate a total price for the items ordered, a sales tax based on the total price and a total order price, and circuits for effecting printout of the calculated price data on the data card.

Abstract: An electronic cash register comprises a keyboard having a data input key and a void key, a central processor unit coupled to the keyboard and a read only memory coupled to the central processor unit, the read only memory having a program stored therein. A memory means is coupled to the central processor unit and includes a printing data memory for storing an input data item supplied from the data input key and the total of a plurality of the input data items. Further provided is a printing means which includes a buffer register, a printer driver and a printer for printing the plurality of input data items and the total thereof successively on a recording paper.