Xerox Corporation

Matthew Owen Scrafford

Jason C Tsongas

Kirk V Pothos

Jeremy Lee Reitz

Shawn Kammerdiener

Lynn M Bell

Guillaume M Bouchard

Victor Ciriza

Lawrence W Meyer

Pascal Valobra

Peter Cech

Matthew John Lombardo

Daniel Keith Rupe

Bijender Singh Malik

Francois Ragnet

Ray Uri Merriam

M Kerrigan Hawes

Daniel J Stark

Craig H Mallery

Steven T Schlonski

Thomas Alan Silver

Jeffrey E Mylott

Daniel A Coccia

A system and method are provided for implementing more efficient printing in image forming devices by providing a user-interactive scheme for delaying printing of individual user-requested print operations when an individual image forming device to which a specific user-requested printing operation is directed is determined to be in a power saving mode. The disclosed system and method may determine whether a requested image forming device is in a power saving mode at the time that a user requests an image forming operation and automatically present to the user a formatted user interface page on a display at the user workstation. The formatted user interface may provide the user with an option to direct the image forming device to delay (hold) executing the requested image forming operation until some additional condition is met.

Systems and methods for implementing user-interactive delayed printing in image forming devices

According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided systems and methods that involve providing user-selectable fonts to a printing device so that the printing device can facilitate printing of a print task. In this regard, a representative embodiment of a method and system for printing includes enabling a print file corresponding to a print task to be evaluated, and, if it is determined that a printing device to which the print task is directed is unable to process the print task without performing a font substitution, enabling acquiring of the fonts from a specific user. By using the uploaded fonts, the printing device is able to process the print task without performing a font substitution.

System and method for user-selectable font substitution to facilitate printing

Methods and systems are presented for performing one or more printer device management functions in a network, in which affinities between printers are determined from job tracking data to indicate associations between printer devices and user devices, and the affinity data is used to perform one or more printer management functions such as determining printer connections for new or roaming user devices, print job redirection, and identification of underutilized printer device assets.

Methods and apparatus for improved operation of networked printing system

A system and method are provided for methods for automatically detecting certain incidents in which customers attempt to circumvent costs associated with their managed service contracts for operations of image forming devices. Current monitoring capacities associated with fielded image forming devices are expanded to provide device manufacturers or suppliers with an opportunity to detect attempts at customer cost avoidance through printing on larger paper sizes. User actions that contravene certain requirements of the managed service agreement are detected. At a point of detection, the user is provided with certain alternatives for remediation or contract compliance. These alternatives include, but are not limited to, offering the user the opportunity to cancel the print job, print the print job on 'right' sized paper, or otherwise to accept a calculation of the actual printing costs involved in, for example, printing two pages on a single larger sheet, when detected.

Systems and methods for detecting customer cost/contract avoidance in operation of image forming devices

A system and method are provided for employing a customer replaceable unit (CRU) to modify its own installation type when installed in an image forming device, including an image forming device operated under a managed service contract. A database centric CRU inventory control architecture is provided for managing image forming device information through interactive communication with CRU monitoring modules (CRUMs) associated with CRUs installed in many and widely deployed image forming devices. The disclosed systems and methods make use of the CRUMs embedded in CRUs offered by a manufacturer or supplier along with a device management application offered by the manufacturer for on-site use by a customer to implement an inventory tracking and control system that reduces inventory overhead.

Systems and methods for employing a customer replaceable unit (CRU) to alter an installation type for the CRU in an image forming device

A system and method are provided for implementing virtual customer replaceable unit monitors (CRUMs) for solid ink customer replaceable units (CRUs) that are used in image forming devices, particularly in managed print service environments. Molded products, including solid ink elements, are marked to aid in generally effecting identification and/or authenticity verification, and/or in specifically effecting compatibility matching in an image forming device in which the solid ink CRUs are used. One or more ultraviolet (UV) ink based two dimensional 2D barcodes are provided on a solid ink CRU for identification of the solid ink CRU by a reading mechanism in an image forming device. The use of a UV ink that is not easily visually discernible provides a level of protection against easily detecting, and attempting to copy the identifying information. The image forming process would essentially consume the virtual CRUM on the solid ink CRU in image processing.

Systems and methods for implementing virtual customer replaceable unit monitors for solid ink customer replaceable units in managed print service environments

A method for automatically scaling print jobs in an image production device network may include receiving a request to print a print job using a particular media sheet size a particular image production device, determining a size of media in one or more media trays in the particular image production device, determining if the size of the media in the requested print job matches the determined media size in one of the one or more media trays, wherein if it is determined that the size of the media in the requested print job does not match the determined media size in one of the one or more media trays, determining the media size in the one or more media trays closest to the print job media sheet size, scaling the requested print job to the determined closest media size, and printing the requested print job on the determined closest media sheet size from one of the one or more media trays.

Method and apparatus for automatically scaling print jobs in an image production device

A system and method are provided to a placement and optimization process for a plurality of common use devices in an operating environment according to actual users' employment of the common use devices, and actual needs for placement of certain common use devices in the operating environment. The disclosed system and method add a level of automation that may be used to collect use data for the common use devices according to a specified scheme in order to produce a more robust, flexible and updatable scheme for confirming an initial optimal layout for the common use devices and for providing a basis for updating that initial optimal layout over time to account for unforeseen errors in the initial assessment or changes in workflow as mandated by changes in the operating environment and user preferences.

Systems and methods for employing automated data analysis to define zones for device placement in an operating evironment

Systems and methods for reducing total and/or color page counts are provided. The systems include a memory, including a print queue, and one or more processors. The processors are programmed to receive a print job. The print job includes a document formatted according to a page description language (PDL). The processors are further programmed to apply one or more formatting fixes to the document and transfer the print job to the print queue. The formatting fixes include at least one of image fitting, text fitting and table fitting.

Automated print job modification for reduced total and color page counts

Methods and systems are presented for identifying potential printer failures in a networked printing enterprise, in which job tracking data is gathered for print jobs in the network, affinity data is derived from the job tracking data indicating associations between printer devices and user devices, and potential printer failures are identified based on changes in the affinity data.

Methods and systems for soft failure detection for networked printers

A system and method for print document release via mobile device by receiving one or more text messages from the mobile device, wherein the one more text messages includes a mobile print command and a document identification number, parsing the one or more text messages, and releasing a document to a printer, wherein the document is associated with the document identification number.

Methods and systems for print document release via mobile device

A method and apparatus for determining placement of one or more devices using a building layout is disclosed. The method may include generating a map layer based on the building layout. A zone definition that includes identification of available zones and access characteristics of each of the available zones is received. A density definition that includes identification of available density levels and usage characteristics of each of the density levels is received. The placement of the one or more devices in the available zones is enabled based on associating the zone definition and the density definition with the map layer.

Method and apparatus for determining placement of devices based on a building layout

A method for automatically distributing firmware updates in an image production device network is disclosed. The method may include receiving a firmware update from a firmware distribution source through a communication interface, automatically installing the firmware update, automatically distributing the firmware update to one or more other image production devices in the image production device network through the communication interface. The firmware update may then be automatically installed by the one or more other image production devices in the image production device network.

Method and apparatus for automatically distributing firmware updates in an image production device network

A system and method detect and localize image forming devices in an office environment by causing a mobile wireless device to send location information of the mobile wireless device to a central server system, which may be cloud-based and to which an image forming device is networked, upon executing an information retrieval request for establishing communication with the image forming device or when initiating an image forming operation, such as a print job, in the image forming device using the mobile wireless device. Mobile wireless device location information may be used as an aid in automatically plotting and/or updating a site location indication of each image forming device on a site map or in a central database. Location information may be employed to provide a user with a series of selectable options regarding a plurality of image forming devices in a vicinity of the mobile wireless device for use.

Systems and methods for detecting a location of an image forming device using mobile device localization

The disclosure relates to a computerized method and system for automatically updating a device management application with meter retrieval logic that is customized to the device mix in a managed environment. The management application would interrogate the environment and make intelligent decisions on what meter logic to implement. The management application would self adapt and retrieve the correct meter logic as the environment changes. This adaptation is not tied to product names or other identification methods, rather using rules associated with queries and responses the meter read logic is altered to the device mix. The method would first try submitting small test jobs and seeing if the known meter read logics produced the correct meter increment. If this does not confirm, the system then interprets the query of the private portion of the MIB or the web server to determine where the correct increment is located.

Growing community of inventors

Fairport, NY, United States of America

Matthew Owen Scrafford