Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Communication
Reexamination Certificate
1997-11-24
2003-12-02
Garcia, Gabriel (Department: 2624)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Communication
C358S500000, C358S400000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06657742
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND MATERIAL DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
This invention relates generally to a network capable, multifunctional printing system and more particularly to an improvement for a printing system in which a facsimile document or job is transmitted to a destination printing subsystem, from a facsimile input device with minimal programming capability, for use with a facsimile user profile, the facsimile user profile communicating with the destination printing subsystem and providing the facsimile document with an expanded range of programmability when the facsimile document is processed in conjunction with the facsimile user profile.
Electronic printing systems typically include an input section, a controller, and an output section or print engine. It is particularly significant that an electronic printing system can be adapted to receive jobs for processing by way of a “front end” or “server” communicatively coupled with a local area or wide area network. An example of such electronic printing system is the Xerox DocuCentre 35 (“DocuCentre” is a trademark of Xerox Corporation) which communicates with a remote network client by way of network printing software referred to as Centreware (“Centreware” is a trademark of Xerox Corporation). In one example of network printing, a job, including image data and control or programming instructions, is prepared at the client and compiled, by way of a suitable print driver, for transmission across the network to the electronic printing system. The job is interpreted or decomposed with the front end of the electronic printing system for marking with the corresponding print engine. Further detailed description of the network printing process is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,634 to Bonk et al. (Issued: Feb. 20, 1996), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In one area related to electronic printing, namely digital copying, a demand for “multifunctionality” continues to grow. As illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,071 to Jones (Issued Jul. 27, 1971), a multifunctional digital copier can assume the form of an arrangement in which a single electrostatic processing printer is coupled with a plurality of different image input devices, with such devices being adapted to produce image related information for use by the printer. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,107 to Naito et al. (Issued: Apr. 11, 1989) discloses a multifunctional image apparatus which is operable in one of various office automation modes, such as copy mode, facsimile mode, printer mode and the like. The multifunctional imaging apparatus is comprised of an image reading section, an image forming section and a communication section for transmitting and receiving image data.
As mentioned above, in preparing a job for transmission, the client provides the job with a set of control of programming instructions which indicates a manner in which a destination printer or copier is to process the image data of the job. Additionally, the programming instructions provide guidance as to the manner in which a document, corresponding with the image data, is to be processed. For instance, the programming instructions invariably include information regarding the print media upon which the document is to be printed and may include information indicating how one or more prints are to be finished. Typically, as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,434 to Hower, Jr. et al. (Issued: Nov. 14, 1995), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, programming instructions are provided in the form of print characteristics or attributes (e.g. print media to be used for marking is characterized by the attributes “media size”, “media color”, “media type” and “media weight”) where each attribute is corresponded with a value (e.g. print size=8.5×11.0).
Programming of a job is often achieved with a “job ticket”. For many printing systems, the job ticket is provided in the form of one or more programmable dialogs, each programmable dialog including values which are selected with a user interface, such as the user interface found in a DocuTech printing system (“DocuTech” is a registered trademark of Xerox Corporation). Job tickets can vary dramatically in both structure and functionality. In one instance, the job ticket may assume the form of a relatively simple dialog displayed on a liquid crystal display (“LCD”). Attributes of a corresponding job, such as desired image processing, designated stock and finishing characteristics may be displayed for setting of suitable output values.
With respect to a multifunctional printing system, a job can be viewed as “composite” in nature since it may include a plurality of “job segments”. Each job segment, as defined by U.S. Pat. No. 5,00,762 to Salgado et al. (Issued: Feb. 4, 1997), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, includes a pair of input/output designations used to describe the processing of the job. For example, one job segment may comprise a fax segment in which image data is provided at the scanner of a multifunctional copier for printing at the marking engine of a facsimile device, and another job segment may comprise a print job in which the image data is provided at the scanner of the multifunctional copier for printing at a printer on the network disposed remotely of the multifunctional copier.
Communication of programmed segments on a network can be facilitated through the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,461 to Harkins et al. (Issued: Aug. 12, 1997). The '461 Patent discloses a method in which a sender automatically distributes information to a receiver on a network using devices (such as printers and facsimile machines) and communication channels (such as electronic mail) defined in a receiver profile. The receiver profile establishes the properties and mode for receipt of information for receivers on the network and the profile is published in a network repository for all network users or is accessible by selected groups or individuals on the network. As disclosed in the '461 Patent, the properties of the profile relate to a manner in which a job is to be communicated throughout the network relative to various user locations rather than control instructions for the job.
Neither U.S. Pat. No. 5,00,762 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,461 address a situation in which a user of a typical or common facsimile device desires to transmit a fax segment from a facsimile device to a multifunctional copier where the copier includes many programmable attributes (e.g. image processing, print media and finishing attributes) which are not made available at the typical facsimile device. For instance, the facsimile device may, through use of a suitable protocol, such as ITU-T T.30 protocol, provide the fax segment with a paper size attribute (e.g. substrate width); however, a host of other attributes, including a number of media related attributes, are not provided at the facsimile device. In particular, a typical facsimile device does not permit the user to provide a variety of image processing attributes (e.g. auto-sizing), print media attributes (e.g. print media color and print media type) and finishing (e.g. stitching or binding). Thus the user of a facsimile device is often put in a position of being unable to utilize the full functionality of the destination multifunctional copier.
The programming capability of a typical facsimile device can be enhanced by the use of a subsystem in which optical character recognition is used in conjunction with a coded sheet. In one such approach, a paper job ticket with programming selections and accompanying selection areas is provided to a user. Prior to scanning a hard copy document, the user marks the appropriate selection areas and scans the coded sheet with the OCR subsystem. Accordingly, the programming selections of the coded sheet are passed along with the image data of a job for use in job processing at a destination printing device.
As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, a system employing machine readable code, such as that disclosed by U.S
Cohen Gary
Garcia Gabriel
Poon King T.
Spooner Richard F.
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