Electronics for Imaging Gmbh

Other

Ravi Someshwar

Margaret Motamed

Ravindranath Gunturu

Chew Yan Kong

Ramgopal Vidyanand

Nick Hartzel

A secure document printing system is provided. A policy server is used to define access rules for a document, and select individual users and/or groups that will have access to the document. The policy server stores the access rules along with a document decryption key. The policy server's name and address are packed in the document, and then encrypted and sent to a print server which stores it for later access. A recipient is notified that the document resides on a particular print server. The print server retrieves the specified document, contacts the policy server named in the document, and requests the document decryption key and access rules for the user, print server, and document from the policy server which replies with the related decryption key and access rules. The print server decrypts the document and prints the document based on the access rules.

Methods and apparatus for secure document printing

Apparatus and methods for raster image processing are provided that include a networked computer coupled to a plurality of networked printers, the networked computer adapted to receive a print job, parse the print job into one or more print pieces, load balance the print pieces among the printers based on color use and print speed, and provide a list of the printers that received the print pieces.

Systems and methods for multiple raster image processing

A method for dynamically managing printers comprises a mechanism for printing from a network of printers that belong to a virtual printer group to meet the user's request for printing. The invention does this by requesting an options and capabilities file from each printer and then generating a virtual printer group, such that when a user wants to print a file, the invention looks for the best suited printer for the user and sends a file to that printer for printing. The invention has the capability to keep track of each printer's printing capabilities dynamically and to communicate to the user about the status of printing and printer location, and of informing a system administrator for manual intervention should the need arise.

Method and apparatus for automatically managing capabilities in a virtual printer group

Methods and apparatus are provided for print load balancing, cluster printing and color and black-and-white page splitting. Print load balancing methods and apparatus route print jobs to the most available printer or split printing over more than one printer. Cluster printing methods and apparatus specify a group of printers from which a print job can be performed. Color and black-and-white page splitting methods and apparatus split a print job, and send non-color pages to black-and-white printers and pages with color to color printers.

Automatic print load balancing

The invention provides a printing method and apparatus, comprising a software application that works with proprietary printing utilities, and that may include one or more additional software components for adding additional printing technology. The invention also comprises an automatic print load-balancing component in a centralized or distributed raster image processing (RIP) printing environment that enables faster system performance over single or multiple processors.

Printing method and apparatus having multiple raster image processors

A method and system of print job processing initiated by a client communicating-computer communicating with a printer server system comprising operations performed by the client communicating-computer including a rip pre-processing operation.

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Redwood City, CA, United States of America

Ravi Someshwar