Tr Systems, Inc.

Electronics for Imaging Gmbh

Colorocs Corporation

Datapoint Corporation

Other

E Neal Tompkins

Jack N Bartholmae

Michael W Barry

Peter A Zuber

Francis A Rowe

Danny L Slayton

Kirk W Charles

Khosrow Lak

Charles S Palm

Thomas C Arends

Keith J Bradley

Henry Michael Donzis

David R Davis

Robert Gregory Pennington

Michael David Raines

James W O'Brien

Kim K Riley

The toner in the toner cartridge is determined by taking each of the rasterized images output by the RIP and evaluating the pixel levels over the surface thereof. The average value is determined as a percentage of the maximum toner that can be applied to the page. This is then subtracted from a toner value and a remaining toner level determined. Further, all pages of the rasterized document can be evaluated to predetermine the toner level after printing. If this falls below a predetermined minimum, printing is inhibited for that document.

Methods and apparatus for determining toner level in electro-photographic print engines

Methods and apparatus are described for routing page data of a print job to printers in a multi-engine printing system based on print job parameters associated with the page data. One or more virtual printers are configured, each with a plurality of individual print engines, each having associated printing characteristics. Page data of the print job are rasterized and stored as bit-mapped images in print buffers associated with the multi-engine printing system. The bit-mapped images are distributed to select ones of the print engines based on matching the print job parameters of each bit-mapped image with the printing characteristics of the print engines to be selected.

Methods and apparatus for routing pages to printers in a multi-print engine as a function of print job parameters

A multiple print engine configuration allows a plurality of workstations to create individual print jobs and then transfer them to a distributing processor. The distributing processor spools the jobs in a print spooler and then performs a software raster image processing ('RIP') operation on the print jobs. The RIP operation divides the jobs into multiple individual jobs which are stored in a page buffer. An image task manager in conjunction with an engine manager selectively s the RIPed pages to multiple print engines.

Apparatus and methods for selectively distributing print pages in multiple print engine systems

Method and apparatus for determining toner level in electrophotographic print engines

A method and apparatus for routing page data of a print job to the printers in a multi-print engine based on print job parameters associated with the page data of the print job is disclosed. One or more virtual printers are configured, each with a plurality of individual print engines, each having associated printing characteristics. Page data of the print job, downloaded form a print file and having the print job parameters associated therewith, is rasterized and stored as bit-mapped images in print buffers associated with the multi-engined printing system. The bit-mapped images are distributed to select ones of the print engines based upon matching the print job parameters of each bit-mapped images with the printing characteristics of the print engine to be selected.

Method and apparatus for routing pages to printers in a multi-print engine as a function of print job parameters

A multiple print engine configuration allows a plurality of workstations to create individual print jobs and then transfer them to a distributing processor. The distributing processor spools the jobs in a print spooler and then performs a software RIP on the print jobs. The RIP process divides the jobs into multiple individual jobs which are stored in a page buffer. An image task manager in conjunction with an engine manager selectively distribute the RIPed pages to multiple print engines. For duplex printing, one of the odd or even RIPed pages are sent to a select one of the print engines for printing on an imaging receiving media, and a sequentially adjacent one of the even or odd RIPed pages is subsequently sent to the same print engine for printing on the image receiving media.

Apparatus and methods for duplex printing in multiple print engine systems

A method and apparatus is disclosed for color balancing page data, from a variety of input sources having non-consistent device color profiles, among a plurality of individually accessible print engines arranged in a system for color printing multiple copies of multiple page documents. Input page data is converted to a common color space, rasterized and routed to a selected print engine. Page data routed to each marking engine is color balanced to the selected marking engine where at least a portion of the color balancing occurs following the rasterizing of the page data.

Method and apparatus for providing a color-balanced multiple print engine

A method for determining the amount of toner required to render a print job using a print engine at a printing location without prior information about the toner level thereof, comprising the steps of accumulating in a first register the toner values of all the pixels in a rasterized image prior to sending the print job to the printing location; decrementing the toner level register for the print engine at the printing location if the accumulated value is less than or equal to the toner level of the print engine; and sending the print job to the print engine at the printing location for rendering.

A multiple print engine is provided wherein a plurality of print engines are configured as a single virtual print engine. A software RIP engine is provided for receiving a print job, ripping that print job to provide a rasterized image, which rasterized image is parsed into a plurality of pages. Each of the pages has associated therewith information as to the printing characteristics for that page. Each of the print engines also has associated therewith printing parameters. A job distributor is provided for selectively distributing the rasterized pages to engines based upon their associated print characteristics.

Method and apparatus for distributing pages to individual print engines in a multiple print engine

The present invention disclosed and claimed herein comprises a system and method for parallel conversion processing of a print job in a print system having a plurality of RIP engines, comprising the steps of: defining the print job for RIP of select portions of the print job in parallel; partitioning the print job into select portions according to defined boundaries; generating a substitute RIP instruction for each select portion of the print job; and processing the RIP requirements of each select portion in an assigned one of the plurality of RIP engines according to the substitute RIP instruction.

Method and apparatus to permit efficient multiple parallel image processing of large jobs

A multiple print engine configuration allows a plurality of workstations ( ) to create individual print jobs and then transfer them to a distributing processor ( ). The distributing processor ( ) is operable to spool the jobs in a print spooler ( ) and then perform a software RIP on the print jobs. The RIP process divides the jobs into multiple individual jobs which are stored in the page buffer ( ). An image task manager ( ) in conjunction with an engine manager ( ) are then operable to selectively distribute the pages to multiple print engines ( ). They are distributed in such a manner that they are placed in the output bins ( ) in the order that the pages were received in the print jobs.

Growing community of inventors

Atlanta, GA, United States of America

E Neal Tompkins