Electronics for Imaging Gmbh

Management Graphics, Inc.

Philip A Lodwick

Loren Schoenzeit

Richard A Keeney

Ofer Tenenbaum

Farhad Nourbakhsh

John Douglas Steinberg

William H Glass

Guy Gecht

Mark Lokhorst

Nicholas J G Hartzel, Jr

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for controlling a document output device. A control request for controlling the document output device is forwarded from a client device to a server via a network. The control request is stored at the server and communicated to the designated document output device in response to a polling request received via the network from a polling device associated with the designated document output device. Once received, the control request may be carried out at the designated document output device. The control request may include a request for the status of the document output device. The control request may also enable the control of a software function of the document output device, or the updating of firmware and software of the document output device.

Method and apparatus for controlling a document output device with a control request stored at a server

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for requesting and receiving print jobs over a communications network. In particular, the present invention enables a user to obtain print jobs at a location which may be unspecified, and which may be remote from the source of the print job. A spooling server is used to store a print job received via the network from a print job source. A printer polling device, which may be used at a location remote from the client device, is capable of polling the spooling server via the network to identify whether any print jobs associated with the printer polling device are available for printing at a printer currently associated with the polling device. The spooling server need not initiate contact with the printer through a firewall, since it is polled by the printer polling device. Thus, network security is maintained.

Methods and apparatus for requesting and receiving a print job at a printer

The present invention relates to systems for providing printing services over a communications network. In particular, the present invention enables a user to obtain print jobs at an unspecified location, which may be remote from the source of the print job. Spooling means are used to store a print job received via the network from a print job source. Polling means, which may be at a location remote from the print job source, are capable of polling the spooling means via the network to identify whether any print jobs associated with the polling means are available for printing at associated printing means. The spooling means need not initiate contact with the printing means through a firewall, since it is polled by the polling means. Thus, network security is maintained. A fee can be charged for the printing services provided.

Systems for the provision of printing services

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for printing print jobs over a communications network. In particular, the present invention enables a user to obtain print jobs at a location which may be unspecified, and which may be remote from the source of the print job. A spooling server is used to store a print job received via the network from a print job source. A printer polling device, which may be used at a location remote from the client device, is capable of polling the spooling server via the network to identify whether any print jobs associated with the printer polling device are available for printing at a printer currently associated with the polling device. The spooling server need not initiate contact with the printer through a firewall, since it is polled by the printer polling device. Thus, network security is maintained.

Apparatus and methods for printing a print job over a network

Methods and apparatus for requesting and receiving a print job via a polling device associated with a printer

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for receiving, storing, and forwarding print jobs over a communications network. In particular, the present invention enables a user to obtain print jobs at a location which may be unspecified, and which may be remote from the source of the print job. A spooling server is used to store a print job received via the network from a print job source. A printer polling device, which may be used at a location remote from the client device, is capable of polling the spooling server via the network to identify whether any print jobs associated with the printer polling device are available for printing at a printer currently associated with the polling device. The spooling server need not initiate contact with the printer through a firewall, since it is polled by the printer polling device. Thus, network security is maintained.

Spooling server apparatus and methods for receiving, storing, and forwarding a print job over a network

Methods and apparatus for securely requesting and receiving a print job via a printer polling device associated with a printer

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for forwarding a print job over a communications network. In particular, the present invention enables a user to obtain print jobs at a location which may be unspecified, and which may be remote from the source of the print job. A print driver is provided which is capable of forwarding one or more print jobs over a network. The print driver may be interfaced with any suitable print job source (e.g., a client device capable of generating a printable document, such as a computer) to obtain a print job. The print job is forwarded from the print driver, over the network, to a spooling server. A printer polling device, which may be used at a location remote from the client device, is capable of polling a spooling server via the network to identify whether any print jobs associated with the printer polling device are available for printing at a printer currently associated with the printer polling device. The spooling server need not initiate contact with the printer through a firewall, since it is polled by the printer polling device. Thus, network security is maintained.

Print driver apparatus and methods for forwarding a print job over a network

The present invention relates to methods and systems for providing printing services over a communications network. In particular, the present invention enables a user to obtain print jobs at an unspecified location which may be remote from the source of the print job. A spooling server is used to store a print job received via the network from a print job source. A printer polling device, which may be at a location remote from the print job source, is capable of polling the spooling server via the network to identify whether any print jobs associated with the printer polling device are available for printing at an associated printer. The spooling server need not initiate contact with the printer through a firewall, since it is polled by the printer polling device. Thus, network security is maintained. A fee can be charged for the printing services provided.

Methods and systems for the provision of remote printing services over a network

Methods and apparatus for requesting and receiving a print job via a printer polling device associated with a printer

A system for automatic margin alignment for digital document processors. An output device is calibrated to graphics software without requiring the user to input offset information. The user need only print out first and second calibration sheets, overlay the first sheet on the second, and scan in the overlaid sheets. Margin marks such as vertical and horizontal lines on the first calibrating sheet signal the location of the respective horizontal and vertical margins. The edge of the first calibration sheet contrasts with the second calibration sheet to enable the scanner to detect the edge. Software calculates the required (x,y) offsets based on the number of scanning pixels between the edge of the first calibration sheet and the margin marks, and the resolution of the scanner. A rotational mis-calibration of the output device may also be calculated.

Automatic margin alignment using a digital document processor

A system for printing and copying color and black-and-white documents avoids the need for manual collating. The system provides N sets of documents using a printer and a copier, where each set of documents includes a first type of sheets (such as black-and-white sheets), and a second type of sheets (such as color sheets) provided in a particular sequence in relation to the first type of sheets. A first complete document set is printed, including the first and second types of sheets, along with N-1 insert sets of the second type of sheets, and an instruction sheet indicating the particular sequence. The first complete document set is positioned in a document feeder of the copier, and the N-1 insert sets are positioned in a post-process insertion tray of the copier. The copier is programmed using the instruction sheet to identify the particular sequence, and to output copies of the sheets of the first type from the first complete document set, and to output the sheets of the second type from the N-1 insert sets to replace the sheets of the second type in the first complete document set, thereby forming N complete document sets, in which the sheets of the second type are provided in the particular sequence.

Method and apparatus for split printing of color and monochrome documents

A method and apparatus are provided for compressing image data to enable the storage thereof in a limited amount of memory available in an imaging system. The image data is rasterized into a plurality of scan lines representing at least a portion of an image. Each scan line comprises a sequence of pixels. The scan lines are compressed in a first coding step. A determination is made as to whether the amount of data contained in the compressed plurality of scan lines exceeds the available storage capacity of the memory. If so, the scan lines are further compressed in a second coding step to reduce the amount of data therein. The second coding step can be successively repeated using more tolerant coding thresholds until the amount of data remaining no longer exceeds the available storage capacity of the memory.

Iterative compression of digital images

Apparatus is provided for managing a plurality of output devices to generate images from graphic image files. Each of the output devices is associated with a respective control system which includes a first queue for storing the graphic image files. The graphic image files are rasterized to develop raster image data that is stored in a second queue. A job controller selects images represented by data in the graphic image files stored in the first queue for rasterizing on a real time basis. The job controller is responsive to parameters of the graphic image files, the second queue, and the associated output device to manage the flow of image data from the first queue to a raster image processor (RIP) and from the RIP to the output device via said second queue.

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Richfield, MN, United States of America

Philip A Lodwick