Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.P.

Luca Chiarabini

Manuel Gonzalez

Hui Chao

Jian Fan

Rodolfo Jodra

Michael Dean Whitmarsh

Anthony J Wiley

Jose Abad Peiro

Petar Obradovic

Steven Battle

Mark E Boettcher

Xavier Boix

There is disclosed an on-line print network comprising a print merchant computer, and a plurality of print service providers. Within each print service provider, orders are satisfied efficiently by optimizing throughput of print jobs within the print service provider, whilst at the same time, minimizing media wastage and achieving high printer device utilization, under control of a print manager computer interfacing with the print merchant computer on the one hand, and with the plurality of printer devices on the other hand.

Method and apparatus for automated on-line printing service

Methods, machines, and computer-readable media storing machine-readable instructions for segmenting pixels in an image are described. In one aspect, a region of background pixels is identified in the image. At least some of the background pixels in the region are located on a boundary spatially delimiting the region. One or more orientation-dependent adaptive thresholds are determined for one or more respective candidate growth directions from a given background pixel located on the region boundary. Color distances between the given background pixel and candidate pixels in a neighborhood of the given background pixel are determined. The region is grown based on application of the one or more orientation-dependent adaptive thresholds to the determined color distances.

Segmenting pixels in an image based on orientation-dependent adaptive thresholds

A system and method of operation is configured to produce a PPML template from a PDF document. In one implementation, the system opens the PDF document and converts PDF elements within the PDF document into variable objects. A macro is generated, which contains rules governing use and reuse of the variable objects. The PPML template generated as final result is configured to include a definition of the variable objects, the macro and a version of the original PDF document, wherein at least portions of the PDF document are configured as a background element within the PPML document.

PDF document to PPML template translation

A system and method are provided for enabling faster downloading and printing of data received from an external content source. In one embodiment, the method is segmenting the data file available on a content source external to the user computing device into a plurality of portions; independently downloading to said computing device each of said plurality of portions; and assembling each downloaded portion into a second data file on said computing device, to mach such first data file. In a second embodiment the method is (a) selecting a first data file to be printed from said plurality of data files; (b) downloading said selected data file form a content source external to a computing device connected to the printer, (c) once said selected data file is entirely downloaded into said computing device, processing said selected data file and sending the processed data to the printer for printing; and (d) during said steps of processing and sending, selecting the following data file from said plurality of data files and repeating steps (b) (c) and (d) for said selected data file.

System and method for downloading and for printing data from an external content source

A secure print system comprises a sending computer entity and a plurality of receiving entities, each capable of decrypting and printing a specified number of copies of a document. The sending computer entity and the plurality of receiving devices are each pre-registered with each other by means of unique device identification number, which is embedded in inaccessible hardware, firmware or software components at the point of manufacture, linking the sending computer entity and the plurality of receiving devices. The receiving devices, after decrypting a received message, print a specified number of copies only, before deleting the electronic data from which the document copies have been printed.

Mechanism for controlling if/when material can be printed on a specific printer

A system and service for delivery of files to a plurality of users over a communications network comprises one or more server computers operable for receiving a plurality of electronic documents or files and storing those document/files; a plurality of receiving devices capable of receiving the documents/files; and a plurality of printer devices for printing the documents/files. Each receiving device registers itself with a server computer, and for each individual user, a printer device is specified for printing documents/files intended for that user. The server computer distributes the documents for a particular user to the corresponding receiving device specified by that user for receiving those documents/files, and the documents/files are printed on the specified printer device.

Automatic registration of receiving device on a remote printing application

The present invention provides a system and method for selecting an image size and printing a received image in the selected image size. A computer file including an image is received. A range of sizes for printing the received image is calculated based on a plurality of quality standards in order to maintain a predetermined degree of quality for a printed image. The quality standards may be related to resolution, aspect ratio, number of pixels and orientation. Also, a user may provide a custom print size for printing the received image. If the custom print size is in the calculated range of sizes, the image may printed in the custom size. Alternatively, the image is printed in a size in the range.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Luca Chiarabini