Document processing devices include printers, copiers, scanners and e-mail gateways. More recently, devices employing two or more of these functions are found in office environments. These devices are referred to as multifunction peripherals (MFPs) or multifunction devices (MFDs). As used herein, MFPs are understood to comprise printers, alone or in combination with other of the afore-noted functions. It is further understood that any suitable document processing device can be used.
MFPs are becoming increasingly capable and increasingly complex. User control and interaction is typically made via a touchscreen working in concert with an intelligent controller comprised of an on board computer system.
MFPs may have integrated scanners that will take a physical document and generate a corresponding electronic image scan file. Many MFPs have an ability to convert a scan file to various file formats, such as portable document format (PDF), Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), Graphical Image Format (GIF), tagged information file format (TIFF), bitmap (BMP), Portable Network Graphics (PNG), or the like.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds