Tom Yu Chen

US Patent:

62689274, Jul 31, 2001

Filed:

Jun 24, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/103561

Inventors:

Robin Lo - Saratoga CA
Iwao Max Anzai - Mountain View CA
Kristen A. McIntyre - Fremont CA
Tom Chen - Sunnyvale CA

Assignee:

Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Tokyo

International Classification:

G06F 1500

US Classification:

358 115

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for overlaying a data image on a form image includes a form enhancement module that interfaces to a PostScript driver and a forms overlay plug in module. A forms overlaying utility is included that stores and manages encapsulated PostScript files of form images on a mass storage device connected to a printer. The method and apparatus also includes combining the data file also encoded, albeit in a standard PostScript format, with the image file of the form so as to provide a composite output form that is printed from the printer without having to download the form via the computer to the printer each time the form is to be completed. To this end, the method and apparatus includes the forms overlaying module that inserts particular PostScript commands into a print job stream produced by an Adobe PostScript (PS) driver executing the data page description so as to call the encapsulated PostScript form image file from the printer hard disk and correctly combine it with the PostScript data file for printing.