Facility to reuse paper
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorVeena Kumari Saluja
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are described that facilitate sorting used printed sheets of paper or other media, identifying reusable pages (i.e., pages without print on one or both sides), and outputting the reusable pages for reuse. If print is detected on one side of a used page, a security or interference pattern, or a blackout pattern, is printed over the detected print (e.g., text or the like) to conceal or obscure the print to render it illegible. In this manner, potentially sensitive or confidential information is concealed, and the reusable pages are output for use in a user-selected application (e.g., label printing, etc.) while ensuring that confidential information is obscured.
Claims18
A system for sorting printed pages according to reusability, comprising:
- a duplex scanning document handler that receives and scans both sides of a plurality of unsorted used pages and detects print on zero or more sides of the pages;
- a sorting module including a processor that executes computer-executable instructions for:
- determining whether one or more sides of an unsorted page is printed;
- and
- sorting each page according to a number of sides on which print is detected;
- wherein the sorting module:
- routes duplex printed pages with print on both sides to a first tray;
- orients simplex printed pages with print on only one side to face the printed side downward and routes the oriented pages to a second tray;
- and
- routes pages with no print on either side to a third tray;
- and
- a printer that prints a security pattern over text on a the printed side of the simplex printed pages, wherein the security pattern renders the text illegible.
A method of sorting printed pages according to reusability, comprising:
- scanning both sides of a plurality of unsorted used pages and detects print on zero or more sides of the pages;
- determining whether one or more sides of an unsorted page is printed;
- sorting each page according to a number of sides on which print is detected;
- routing duplex printed pages with print on both sides to a first tray;
- orienting simplex printed pages with print on only one side to face the printed side downward;
- routing the oriented pages to a second tray;
- routing pages with no print on either side to a third tray;
- and
- printing a security pattern over text on the printed side of the simplex printed pages, wherein the security pattern renders the text illegible.
A method of sorting printed pages according to reusability, comprising:
- scanning both sides of a plurality of unsorted used pages and detects print on zero or more sides of the pages;
- determining whether one or more sides of an unsorted page is printed;
- sorting each page according to a number of sides on which print is detected;
- routing duplex printed pages with print on both sides to a first tray;
- printing an interference pattern over printed regions on simplex printed pages with print only on one side, the interference pattern rendering the printed regions illegible;
- orienting the simplex printed pages to face the printed side downward;
- routing the oriented simplex printed pages and pages with no print on either side to a second tray;
- discarding pages in the first tray;
- and
- printing a security pattern over text on the printed side of the simplex printed pages, wherein the security pattern renders the text illegible.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.