Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Hewlett-packard Company

Gregory T Hulan

Stephan Walter Emmenegger

A Justine Worley

Gary Mark Nobel

Daniel Wee

Gary W Gragg

Bradley Y Nakano

Brad Nakano

Heinz Waschauser

A method of securely transferring user data from a first communication device to a second communication device includes receiving with the first device a public encryption key transmitted by the second device over a first communication medium using a first communication protocol. The user data is encrypted with the first device using the received public key. The encrypted user data is transmitted from the first device to the second device over a second communication medium using a second communication protocol.

Securely transferring user data using first and second communication media

Printing and archiving digital images. A method embodiment of the present invention includes identifying digital images, and generating and printing a scannable proof sheet having selectors that when marked indicate that one or more identified digital images are to be acted upon in a specified manner.

Managing digital images

A digital copying machine includes a function that allows a standard photo size to be selected, an original photo to be scanned and multiple copies of the photo to be printed on a sheet. The digital copying machine automatically scales the copies to the selected size and rotates the copies to use maximum printable area.

Digital copying machine including photo features function

An automatic document feeder (ADF) has a paper path that starts with an input tray, leads to an operational station such as a scanner, and then ends with a substantially vertical output tray. The ADF has a mechanism for picking off an individual media sheet from a stack of sheets in the input tray and propelling the sheet to the operational station where a function is performed on the sheet. Thereafter the ADF propels the sheet partially into the output tray, and momentarily stops or reverses the direction of travel of the media sheet before finally driving the entire sheet into the output tray. This ensures that if the topmost sheet in a stack in the output tray which is being lifted up by the sheet being driven into the output tray, the topmost sheet will be fall back down to a rest position in the output tray and will not spill out of the output tray. The combination ADF and scanner can be operated so that it will automatically detect whether a standard-sized sheet of media is being fed into the scanner in landscape orientation or an over-sized sheet of media is being fed into the scanner in portrait orientation. In the case of the latter, first and second portions of the over-sized sheet are successively registered over the transparent platen of the scanner and scanned. The over-sized sheet is thereafter ejected from the scanner into an output tray. The resulting digital images of the first and second portions of the over-sized sheet are rotated, stitched together by a control circuit using software and/or firmware algorithms and the complete image of the over-sized sheet is stored in a memory, faxed or printed.

Automatic document feeder with improved sheet handling capabilities and method of feeding and scanning over-sized media sheets

Images of certain features of the copier itself (indicia, markings, operational components) are searched for, in a defined field of view used for copying. Any such images found, because they are not covered by a document being copied, are suppressed. This avoids the objectionable appearance of machine features from copies on full-size sheets of print medium, and deposition of ink on mechanisms of the copier itself. Preferably things in the field of view are imaged, and the image is parsed for the certain features--readily done by a software or firmware module or ASIC stage, easily incorporated into already-existing software, firmware or circuitry at minor unit cost. Preferably the copier features include document-size indicia, to aid determination by the copier whether a standard-size document is being copied, and thus whether suppression is in order. The search could be for operational machine features rather than special indicia, but those features may not be ideally positioned. Suppression may be of all machine features if the 'certain' features are found. Preferably copying of shadows at edges of a document is also suppressed--an easy function to add to the primary operation described. In finding of document edges, it is desirable to ignore all machine features. Preferably photosensors acquire image data from a document, and a print stage prints an image using the data. A feeder, if in operation, positions a document at the sensors. If the feeder is attached to the copier but not in service, data are analyzed automatically to find whether the document is below a particular standard size; and, if so, in response printing of data portions is suppressed automatically.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Gregory T Hulan