(19)
`
`(12)
`
`Europäisches Patentamt
`
`European Patent Office
`
`Office européen des brevets
`
`*EP000878303A3*
`EP 0 878 303 A3
`
`(11)
`
`EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION
`
`(51) Int Cl.6: B41F 33/00
`
`(88) Date of publication A3:
`28.04.1999 Bulletin 1999/17
`
`(43) Date of publication A2:
`18.11.1998 Bulletin 1998/47
`
`(21) Application number: 98303669.0
`
`(22) Date of filing: 11.05.1998
`
`(84) Designated Contracting States:
`AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU
`MC NL PT SE
`Designated Extension States:
`AL LT LV MK RO SI
`
`(30) Priority: 15.05.1997 US 856900
`
`(71) Applicant: Presstek, Inc.
`Hudson, New Hampshire 03501 (US)
`
`(72) Inventors:
`• Benson, Roth C.
`Candia, NH 03034 (US)
`• Cabana, Glenn E.
`Derry, NH 03038 (US)
`• Frank, Steven J.
`Framingham, MA 01702 (US)
`
`(74) Representative: Shaya, Darrin Maurice et al
`Marks & Clerk,
`57-60 Lincoln’s Inn Fields
`London WC2A 3LS (GB)
`
`(54)
`
`Distributed imaging and control architecture for digital printing presses and platesetters
`
`(57)
`A distributed architecture for control of printing
`presses includes a job-control computer facilitating at
`least selection of printing jobs, and a separate image-
`control computer or computers managing operation of
`the various imaging devices. The job-control and image-
`control computers interact over a computer network,
`which can range from a single LAN to the Internet; typ-
`ically, the image-control computer is physically associ-
`ated with the press, while the job-control computer may
`be proximate or remote. The job-control computer may
`contain on-board storage for retaining multiple printing
`jobs, or the system may instead include a server com-
`puter, connected to and accessible over the network,
`
`that serves as a central storage facility. The job-control
`computer may allow the operator to perform various
`functions and adjustments relating to final printing qual-
`ity, and which may affect the job data, printing-press op-
`eration, or both. The job-control computer may also af-
`ford the operator control over ink regulation, typically via
`a separate dedicated computer. The architecture of the
`invention is capable of supporting a plurality of printing
`presses under the common control of one or more job-
`control computers. In this way, a single job-control com-
`puter may interact with and direct the operation of re-
`motely located printing presses, each of which is served
`by a separate image-control computer.
`
`Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR)
`
`EP0 878 303A3
`
`

`

`EP0878303A3
`EP 0 878 303 A3
`
`0 ) EuropeanPatent
`
`Oflwe
`
`EUROPEAN SEARCH REPORT
`
`ApplicatlonNumber
`
`EP 98 30 3669
`
`
`
`
`
`DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT
`CLASSIFICATION OF THE
`Relevant
`Citation of document with indication, where appropriate,
`Category APPLICATION (lnt.Cl.6) to claim
`
`of relevant passages
`
`
`
`US 5 625 758 A (SCHNEIDER JOSEF
`29 Apr11 1997
`* the whole document *
`
`ET AL)
`
`1-9,12, B41F33/00
`15-18,20
`10,11,
`13,14,
`19,21-23
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`X
`
`Y
`
`X
`
`Y
`
`X
`
`Y
`
`X
`
`Y,D
`
`
`
`X
`
`X
`
`
`
`
`EP 0 763 427 A (HEIDELBERGER DRUCKMASCH
`AG) 19 March 1997
`* the whoie document *
`
`EP 0 395 890 A (HEIDELBERGER DRUCKMASCH
`AG) 7 November 1990
`* the whole document *
`
`DE 34 10 683 A (HEIDELBERGER DRUCKMASCH
`AG) 3 October 1985
`* abstract *
`
`US 5 163 368 A (HOWARD LAWRENCE A
`17 November 1992
`
`ET AL)
`
`* cotumn 3,
`
`line 55 - column 4,
`
`EP 0 356 704 A (ROLAND MAN DRUCKMASCH)
`7 March 1990
`* abstract; figure 1 *
`
`PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN
`vol. 008, no. 276 (M-346),
`18 December 1984
`a JP 59 146854 A
`22 August 1984
`* abstract *
`
`(TOSHIBA KIKAI KK),
`
`16-20
`
`1-15
`
`16,17,20
`
`1—15,18,
`19
`
`21—23
`
`10,11,
`13,14,
`18,19,
`21-23
`
`16,17
`
`21—23
`
`
`
`TECHMCALFELDS
`SEARCHED
`(lnt.Cl.6)
`
`line 51 *
`
`
`The present search report has been drawn up for all claims
`
`Place of search
`Date of completion ot the search
`Examiner
`
`
`MUNICH
`
`25 February 1999
`Zellhuber, w
`
`CATEGORY OF CITED DOCUMENTS
`T : theory or principle underlying the invention
`
` E
`: earlier patent document, but published on, or
`after the filing date
`: particularly relevant if taken alone
`
`
`: particularly relevant it combined with another
`D : document cited in the application
`document of the same category
`L : document cited for other reasons
`
`
`: technological background
`.................................
`
`
`: non-written disclosure
`& : member of the same patent family, corresponding
`
`
`: intermediate document
`document
`
`
`
`
`
`
`EPOFORMI50303.82(P04001)
`
`30><><
`
`2
`
`

`

`EP0878303A3
`EP 0 878 303 A3
`
`ANNEXTOTHEEUROPEANSEARCHREPORT
`ON EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION NO.
`
`EP 98 30 3669
`
`This annex lists the patent family members relating to the patent documents Cited in the above-mentioned European search report.
`The members are as contained in the European Patent Office EDP file on
`The European Patent Office is in no way liable for these particulars which are merely given for the purpose of information.
`25-02—1999
`
`
`
`cited in search report
`
`Patentdocument
`
`Publication
`
`date
`
`‘
`
`US 5625758
`
`A
`
`29-04-1997
`
`EP 0763427
`
`EP 0395890
`
`A
`
`A
`
`19—03—1997
`
`07-11—1990
`
`
`
`rnember(s)
`
`Patentfamily
`
`4328026 A
`2129891 A
`59404146 D
`0639456 A
`2783512 B
`7076069 A
`
`Publication
`
`date
`
`09—03—1995
`21-02—1995
`30—10-1997
`22-02—1995
`06-08—1998
`20—03—1995
`
`19533810 A
`
`20—03—1997
`
`3914238 A
`59010043 0
`2084611 T
`2301440 A
`5467436 A
`
`31~10-1990
`22—02-1996
`16-05-1996
`13—12-1990
`14—11-1995
`
`DE
`CA
`DE
`EP
`JP
`JP
`
`DE
`
`DE
`DE
`ES
`JP
`US
`
`DE 3410683
`
`A
`
`03-10-1985
`
`AU
`CA
`EP
`JP
`
`3871485 A
`1223972 A
`0158797 A
`60212353 A
`
`26-09-1985
`07-07—1987
`23—10—1985
`24—10-1985
`
`
`
`US 5163368
`
`A
`
`17—11—1992
`
`US
`US
`AT
`CA
`DE
`DE
`EP
`JP
`NO
`US
`US
`EP
`JP
`NO
`US
`US
`US
`US
`US
`US
`US
`US
`US
`US
`US
`US
`
`4911075 A
`5005479 A
`141216 T
`2099560 C
`69212801 D
`69212801 T
`0562045 A
`6507353 T
`9212011 A
`5235914 A
`5237923 A
`0431054 A
`4501684 T
`9002044 A
`4958563 A
`4947750 A
`4947749 A
`4958562 A
`5109771 A
`5121688 A
`5161465 A
`5165345 A
`5103731 A
`5188032 A
`5148746 A
`5249525 A
`
`27—03-1990
`09—04—1991
`15-08-1996
`30-01-1996
`19-09—1996
`13—02—1997
`29—09—1993
`25-08—1994
`23—07-1992
`17-08—1993
`24-08-1993
`12-06-1991
`26—03—1992
`08-03-1990
`25-09—1990
`14—08-1990
`14—08—1990
`25-09-1991
`05-05—1992
`16—06—1992
`10—11—1992
`24—11-1992
`14-04-1992
`23—02—1993
`22-09-1992
`05-10-1993
`
`3
`
` EPOFORMP0459 For more details about this annex :see Official Journal of the European Patent Office, No 12/82
`
`

`

`EP0878303A3
`EP 0 878 303 A3
`
`ANNEXTOTHEEUROPEANSEARCHREPORT
`ON EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION NO.
`
`EP 98 30 3669
`
`This annex lists the patent family members relating to the patent documents cited in the above-mentioned European search report.
`The members are as contained in the European Patent Office EDP file on
`The European Patent Office is in no way liable for these particulars which are merely given for the purpose of information.
`25-02-1999
`
`Patent document
`Publication
`Patent tamily
`cited in search report
`date
`member(s)
`
`
`Publication
`date
`
`US 5163368
`
`EP 0356704
`
`A
`
`A
`
`07-03—1990
`
`US
`US
`
`DE
`AT
`DE
`JP
`JP
`JP
`US
`
`5262805 A
`5134428 A
`
`3829342 A
`108034 T
`58907975 D
`1919498 C
`2112019 A
`6044220 B
`5091859 A
`
`16-11-1993
`28-07-1992
`
`08-03-1990
`15-07-1994
`04-08-1994
`07-04-1995
`24—04-1990
`08-06-1994
`25—02-1992
`
`
`
`
` lFPOFORMP0459
`
`or more details about this annex :see Official Journal of the European Patent Office, No. 12/82
`
`4
`
`