Xerox Corporation

Martin Edward Banton

Robert P Loce

Dale Robert Mashtare

Yeqing Zhang

Paul Allen Hosier

Michael S Cianciosi

Steven Jay Harrington

Stuart Alan Schweid

William L Lama

Joseph J Daniele

Zhigang Fan

Peter A Crean

William A Fuss

Ying-wei Lin

Kwok-Leung Yip

Melvin E Swanberg

Nancy Beth Goodman

Mehdi N Araghi

Ronald E Jodoin

Girmay K Girmay

Elizabeth A Richenderfer

Kevin J Garcia

Susan E Feth

Peter K Wu

Steve P Hoover

Karen Ann Moffat

Wencheng Wu

Barry Paul Mandel

Yao Rong Wang

R Victor Klassen

Edul N Dalal

Christopher R Snelling

John F Knapp

David C Robinson

William J Nowak

John Stephen Facci

Michael John Martin

Jeng-nan Shiau

Lingappa K Mestha

Charles J Kramer

Saurabh Prabhat

Michael E Harrigan

John Allott Moore

Mark A Jackson

Norman W Zeck

Paul J DeGruchy

Richard Philip Nelson Veregin

Thomas C Hollar

Kwok L Yip

Susan June Zoltner

Michel J Denber

Pierre A Lavallee

Mark Sennett Jackson

Edward John Solcz

James R Low

William Samuel Jacobs

Eric Jackson

Daniel Fleysher

Frederick O Hayes, Iii

Joachim A Ritter

Felice A Micco

Donald R Lehmbeck

Robert A Lonis

Paul W Morehouse

Donna M Charissis

Michael S Clanciosi

In accordance with one aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, a method for scheduling at least one print job for a plurality of printers of a given type is provided. The method includes determining a job length for the at least one print job. The method further includes scheduling a sequence of printing by the plurality of printers based the job length such that a subset of the available plurality of printers is cycled up, and printing the at least one print job with the subset of available printers when the job length is less than at least one predeterminable threshold.

Run cost optimization for multi-engine printing system

A color image forming machine is provided having a plurality of xerographic marking engines, each forming associated color separations that are combined to produce a color print image. Each marking engine includes two independently controlled developers using toners of the same color and strength of color but with different fused gloss characteristics, in that one of the toners will produce a print with a comparatively lower gloss and the other will produce a print with a comparatively higher gloss, thereby providing a greater control over the range of the gloss of the output print.

Xerographic color image forming machine having marking engines with both low gloss and high gloss developers

A method and systems for calibrating a document scanner are provided. The scanner calibration method includes providing a geometrically operative black absorption device having a structural geometry that is capable of receiving light and limiting propagation of the received light, where the black calibration target has a total light reflectance of less than one percent. The method further includes powering on a light source of a document scanner to provide light toward the black absorption device, where the light source generates a noise signal when providing the light. The method further includes detecting, by a sensor of the document scanner, light reflected from the black absorption device and generating calibration signals based on the reflected light and the noise signal.

Black calibration system and methods for document scanners

This disclosure provides printing methods, systems and apparatus to compensate for distortions by fusing toner applied to a media substrate. According to one exemplary method, image data is processed according to media characterization data for a toner density value associated with the image. The processed image data compensates for media substrate distortions due to fusing of a printed image on the media substrate.

Methods, systems and apparatus to compensate for distortions caused by fusing

A multi-functional multi-engine print platform engines schedules and processes job in order to minimize visibility of image defects. The print platform includes at least two marking engines that process jobs, a marking engine analyzer that determines image quality defects of the at least two marking engines, and a scheduler that creates a plan to process a job with the at least two marking engines based at least on the image quality defects each of the at least two marking engines in order to minimize visibility of the defects in images reproduced by the at least two marking engine.

Marking engine selection

A method of processing image data from a multi-chip array with a plurality of photosensitive chips aligned substantially in a transverse direction, including: generating, using a processor for at least one specially programmed computer, a &#x394;y or &#x394;x optical error value equal to a difference in process and transverse directions, respectively, between actual and apparent locations for a first photosensor, the apparent location due to optical error; and storing, in a memory element for the specially programmed computer, respective outputs from the photosensors in the array for first and second scan lines. The actual location is included in the first scan line. The processor retrieves, for use as at least part of useful image data for the first photosensor, the stored output of: the first photosensor for the second scan line for a &#x394;y optical error, or a second photosensor for the first line for a &#x394;x optical error.

Image data compensation for optical or spatial error in an array of photosensitive chips

A printing system capable of binding a modified image data to an individual print engine in a multiple print engine system. The system includes an image processor such as a digital front end, a set of transformations, and a configuration of printers. The system can also include a scanner that scans a test image so that this image binding process can be repeated. Furthermore, the transformation binding can also take place in real time.

Data binding in multiple marking engine printing systems

This invention generally relates to systems and methods for implementing use of customer documents in maintaining Image Quality (IQ)/Image Quality Consistency (IQC) of printing devices. The system may include an image analyzer configured to analyze input image data for a document and to identify one or more relevant pages of the document that may provide information regarding the state of the printing system; a scheduler that selects the relevant pages for printing out-of-order; a marking engine constructed to print images; a scanning device for scanning print images of the one or more relevant pages; and a buffer for holding the print images of the one or more relevant pages and inserting the print images of the one or more relevant pages into the media path in proper order. A method for analyzing printed documents is also provided.

Systems and methods for implementing use of customer documents in maintaining image quality (IQ)/image quality consistency (IQC) of printing devices

A xerographic marking device includes an intermediate transfer unit, a media transport path and at least one two-color image-on-image (IOI) drum module. Each two-color IOI drum module includes in a process order around a photoreceptor: a) a first charging unit; b) a first exposure unit; c) a first development unit; d) a second charging unit; e) a second exposure unit; and f) a second development unit, wherein the intermediate transfer unit receives a first toned image and a second toned image from the photoreceptor in a single transfer and transfers those toner images to print media to produce a toned image on print media. In various embodiments, specific color pairings are provided.

Two-color IOI drum module enabling N-color monochrome, highlight, full color, phototone color and extended color architectures

A system is provided for measuring gloss and spatial dependence of gloss. In a first embodiment, the system comprises: a first illuminator configured to emit a first light beam at a point on a target, thereby producing a generally specular reflectance in a first direction; a second illuminator configured to emit a second light beam at the point on the target, thereby producing generally diffuse reflectance in the first direction; a linear array sensor configured to detect the generally specular reflectance and the generally diffuse reflectance in the first direction; and a processor configured to process the generally specular reflectance and the generally diffuse reflectance detected by the linear array sensor. In a second embodiment, the system comprises: an illuminator configured to emit a beam of light at a point on a target, thereby producing a generally specular reflectance in a first direction and generally diffuse reflectance in a second direction; a first linear array sensor configured to detect the generally specular reflectance in the first direction; a second linear array sensor configured to detect the generally diffuse reflectance in the second direction; and a processor configured to process the generally specular reflectance detected by the first linear array sensor and the generally diffuse reflectance detected by the second linear array sensor.

Gloss and differential gloss measuring system

An image printing system for adjusting gloss on printed documents includes a marking engine constructed to print images, which have gloss, on a document; a gloss measurement device, includes a linear array sensor to detect a generally specular and diffuse reflectance in the first direction produced by one or more illuminators; a processor configured to receive image data relating to a content of the image to be printed on the document; to process the detected generally specular and diffuse reflectances to determine a characteristic of the gloss of the document, and to compare the gloss characteristic with the image data relating to content of the image printed on the document; and a controller configured to control at least one process controls parameter of the marking engine based on the comparison of the gloss characteristic with the image content by the processor.

Use of customer documents for gloss measurements

A xerographic system and method use a tri-level development process in which at least one xerographic imaging unit includes a photoreceptor and a pair of developer units. A first developer unit includes a full strength toner of a given color and a second developer unit includes a reduced strength toner of the same or substantially the same color. By use of the tri-level process, excellent color-to-color registration can be achieved for each processed color separation. Moreover, by use of two strengths of the same colorant, a tighter control of a tone reproduction curve can be achieved. Additional xerographic imaging units can include a developer unit that provides spot color, custom color or specialty color capabilities. Additional benefits and gamut expansion can be achieved through use of a tandem architecture. A preferred implementation uses a four drum, eight color tandem architecture with full strength and reduced strength toners formulations of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (CYMK) colorant.

Tri-level tandem xerographic architecture using reduced strength toner

A multi-functional print platform includes at least two marking engines that process information at different processing rates and a scheduler that distributes portions of a job across the at least two marking engines based at least on a content of the job and the different processing rates of the at least two marking engines.

Multi-marking engine printing platform

A multi-purpose print platform includes a color print engine with color and black toners and a low-cost-per-page print engine having at least two image development systems in which each of the development systems is associated with a different type of black toner and/or highlight color toners. Jobs that include color and black and/or highlight color pages can be processed by using both print engines. The low-cost-per-page print engine typically is low cost in that it facilitates processing pages at a low per page cost relative to color and/or high cost black print engines while providing the productivity and reliability of a typical black only print engine.

Multi-development system print engine

Systems and methods for improving image quality of image data to be rendered may be provided using multiple mask MRC files. Such a method may involve processing a first binary bit map of image data to generate a processed binary bit map, assigning an edge tag to at least one pixel in the processed binary bit map, and assigning a gray/color value to at least one pixel in the processed binary bit map based on values of corresponding pixels in the first binary bit map. A system may include a processor that performs such processing and assigning, an image data source that supplies image data of an original image, and an image rendering device that provides a rendered image of the original image based on the at least one assigned edge tag and the at least one assigned gray/color value.

Systems and methods for improved line edge quality

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Fairport, NY, United States of America

Martin Edward Banton