Abstract: A method and apparatus for printing an image onto a medium such as paper incorporates elements of xerographic and direct marking printing technologies. A layer of colorless toner is applied to an intermediate surface, such as a charge receptor drum. The toner layer is compacted to reduce its porosity. Then, an ink image is applied to the toner layer, such as by ink jet printing. The toner layer including the embedded ink image is transferred from the charged receptor drum to a printing medium, such as paper. A fuser fixes the toner and embedded ink image onto the surface of the paper.

Abstract: A printhead priming operation is described which provides an improved restoration of a thermal ink jet printhead following a capping operation. In one embodiment, a printhead is moved to a capping position following a print operation. A timing sequence is initiated in which the resistors are addressed by a partial tone firing pattern. At a later time interval, the resistors are addressed by a full tone firing pattern followed by another partial tone firing pattern. This firing sequence maintains the printhead nozzles free of contaminants while lessening air bubble formation within the printhead channels and ink reservoir. Upon resumption of print operation, the printhead begins printing at a lower temperature achieved during the partial tone firing.

Abstract: A color ink jet printer having a replaceable printhead assembly with a plurality of replaceable ink tanks, one ink tank for each color of ink, senses a patch on each ink tank. The presence of the patch indicates the ink tank is new. In one embodiment, the patch is adhered over a recess in each of the tanks and is punctured by a pin which is triggered as soon as the patch is detected, so that the patch cannot be detected again. The energization of each group of heating elements associated with a respective ink tank is counted and stored in the printer memory and, as each energization results in the ejection of an ink droplet of known volume, a predetermined number of energizations, which represent the volume of usable ink in each ink tank, is stored in the memory. When this predetermined number of energizations is reached, an out-of-ink display is shown to the user.

Abstract: An ink jet cartridge has a rigid housing with a flexible, vent-free pouch containing ink positioned therein. The pouch has a fitment sealed therein with a quick disconnect valve incorporated in the distal end of the fitment which extends from the pouch. The housing protects the ink pouch from handling forces and provides the device to apply an insertion force necessary to install a cartridge into an ink supply station of an ink jet printer. Ink is extracted by a probe resident in the ink supply station which actuates the quick disconnect valve upon insertion of the cartridge. The quick disconnect valve reseals when the cartridge is removed from the probe. The quick disconnect valve has a spring biased ball and a resilient cap releasably snapped on the valve which has an internal conical wall that functions as a valve seat for the spring biased ball. The valve configuration reduces the number of parts and provides a larger and better surface for the ball to seal against.

Abstract: An earring retainer comprising an elastic material having a front side and a back side and a scoring or cut for receiving a post of an earring such that the post may puncture the elastic material and is held firmly by friction. The earring retainers are made and used by cutting an elastic material into esthetic shapes, making an axial scoring on each earring retainer from a front side to a back side for each earring retainer to receive an earring post, and then packaging the earring retainers against a backing sheet. By way of example, when made and used in this manner, each earring retainer can be cut into individual esthetic shapes and can be easily peeled away for use by the user.

Abstract: A fluid cartridge, such as a cartridge for filling with ink for use in ink jet printhead includes a wick chamber that has outer walls, including a top wall, and an ink chamber formed of a plurality of outer walls. A fluid conduit connects the ink chamber and the wick chamber. The outer walls of the ink chamber are formed to provide no fluid communication between the ink chamber and the ambient environment, except through the fluid conduit and the wick chamber. A vent opening through the top wall of the wick chamber provides communication between the wick chamber and the ambient environment, and an outlet opening through an outer wall other than the top wall of the wick chamber provides fluid communication for the ink to flow from the wick chamber. A vent tube extends from the vent opening into the interior of the wick chamber, and projections extend from the top wall of the wick chamber into the interior of the wick chamber, farther than does the vent tube.

Abstract: A fluid cartridge, such as a cartridge for filling with ink for use in ink jet printhead includes a housing enclosing a wick chamber, the housing including a top wall. The housing also includes an ink chamber. A fluid conduit connects the ink chamber and the wick chamber. The outer surface of the top wall of the housing is formed with a recess. A vent opening through the top wall of the wick chamber, at the recess, provides communication between the wick chamber and the recess. A covering over the top surface of the housing encloses the recess. An outlet opening through an outer wall other than the top wall of the wick chamber provides fluid communication for the ink to flow from the wick chamber. One end of an overflow tube is in fluid communication with the recess in the top wall of the housing. The other end of the overflow tube opens to the ambient environment at another point on the exterior of the housing, such as near the outlet opening.

Abstract: A fluid cartridge, such as a cartridge for filling with ink for use in ink jet printhead includes a housing enclosing a wick chamber, the housing including a top wall. The housing also includes an ink chamber. A fluid conduit connects the ink chamber and the wick chamber. The outer surface of the top wall of the housing is formed with a recess. A vent opening through the top wall of the wick chamber, at the recess, provides communication between the wick chamber and the recess. A covering over the top surface of the housing encloses the recess. An outlet opening through an outer wall other than the top wall of the wick chamber provides fluid communication for the ink to flow from the wick chamber. One end of an overflow tube is in fluid communication with the recess in the top wall of the housing.

Abstract: A low ink sensing system is combined with an ink cartridge detection system to enable a more efficient ink jet printer. An ink container which supplies ink to an associated printhead is modified by the incorporation of two light directing elements, in the preferred embodiment, a faceted prism and a roof mirror, into a transparent wall of the container housing. The cartridge, comprising the ink container and associated printhead, is mounted on a scan carriage. Periodically, the carriage is conveyed to a sensing station comprising a pair of light sources and a commonly used photosensor. A first light source is energized and a beam of light is directed to a location where the roof mirror, would be positioned if the cartridge is present. If the cartridge is absent, lack of a reflected return signal is sensed, indicating a cartridge has not been inserted. Print operation is halted until a cartridge is inserted.

Abstract: An ink jet cartridge for an ink jet printer has a housing for the installation of at least one replaceable ink supply tank. The cartridge has a printhead attached thereto which is in fluid communication with an ink pipe connector integrally formed on the floor of the housing through a passageway in the floor. The ink pipe connector protrudes from the housing floor and is adapted to enter an outlet port of the ink supply tank when the supply tank is installed in the housing. The ink pipe connector has a mesh filter recessed therein and a cover having holes therein positioned over the entrance of the ink pipe connector and spaced above the filter to form an internal chamber in the ink pipe connector. The holes in the cover are sufficiently small to cause the formation of an ink meniscus in each hole when the chamber is filled with ink and the meniscus in the holes prevent the ingestion of air.

Abstract: A liquid ink printing system for printing images having different grayscales through control of a printhead carriage velocity and the number of drops deposited per pixel location. The liquid ink printing system prints from print data an image on a recording medium including pixel locations being deposited with liquid ink drops. The printing system includes a printhead, including a plurality of drop ejectors, for depositing the liquid ink drops, a scanning carriage, coupled to the printhead, for moving the printhead across the recording medium, and a print driver, operatively coupled to the scanning carriage and to the printhead, for controlling the scanning carriage to move at a plurality of velocities, each of the plurality of velocities being associated with one of a plurality of grayscales. Each of the plurality of grayscales is characterized by a maximum number of ink drops deposited at one of the pixel locations.

Abstract: An ink jet printhead is disclosed which has a heater plate containing the heating elements and driving circuitry means monolithographically formed on one surface thereof and the ink flow directing channel structure is formed on the heater plate using a layer of patternable material, so that all critical alignments are done directly on the heater plate. In one embodiment, the patternable material is a photosensitive polymer which is exposed using a mask to define the channel and reservoir pattern, which is then developed and cured. After curing, the patterned channel structure is polished to provide a smooth coplanar surface and a cover plate with an aperture therein is aligned with a loose tolerance to the channel structure and bonded thereto to complete the printhead. The aperture serves as both ink inlet and a portion of the ink reservoir. The channels are open at one end and serve as the droplet ejecting nozzles, while the other ends are connected to the reservoir.

Abstract: An ink jet printer includes a capping and wiping system in a maintenance station which is connected to a common vacuum source. The wiping system includes a blotter-type collection member which presents an air vent when the printhead is in a capped position. When a priming operation is initiated, the air vent route is blocked, and full pressure is applied at the capping nozzle interface.

Abstract: The uniformity of individual layers of multiple coating materials deposited on a substrate in a vacuum deposition process (such as for manufacturing mirrors for use in ring laser gyroscopes) is improved by an apparatus and method that include changing the masks placed in front of the substrate upon which the coating materials are to be deposited. Separate masks are tuned for each particular coating material to compensate for the unique plume shape of the material, and provide a uniform deposition of that particular coating material. Each mask is positioned in front of the substrate when the material for which the mask has been tuned is being deposited. The masks are changed when the coating material is changed, without venting the chamber.

Abstract: A combination collapsible backpack and lined compartment includes a backpack formed of a back section, a front section any bottom section attached to the front section and back section. The backpack further includes a pair of shoulder straps attached to the back section. The backpack may be collapsed onto the bottom section of the backpack. An upper lid is attached to the backpack, and the lid attachment attaches the bottom section of the backpack and the upper lid when the backpack is collapsed onto the bottom section of the backpack, so that the collapsed backpack is between the bottom section of the backpack and the lid. A carrying compartment has side walls and a bottom wall. A compartment attachment attaches the side walls of the carrying compartment to the bottom section of the backpack so that the bottom section of the backpack forms a top section of the carrying compartment.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for automatically placing a first unknown image, such as an unknown fingerprint image, into one of a plurality of categories. The invention includes storing in a library a plurality of value series, each of which series is derived from the frequency representation of an image category. The categorization process and apparatus takes the frequency image of a first unknown pattern to create a first frequency image. The frequency image plane of the first (unknown) frequency image is divided into a plurality of frequency image plane regions. Each of the frequency image plane regions may be an angular segment radiating from the origin of the frequency image plane. A region value is assigned to each of the frequency image plane regions based on the total energy in the frequency image in that region. The region values for the first frequency image are combined to generate a first series of region values.

Abstract: An extended memory mapping and selecting scheme for a microprocessor structured with multiple internal address lines. The internal address lines are coupled to external memory devices via a dual port RAM which enables the addresses of the external memories to be mapped and translated into the internal address lines for access by the microprocessor. The memory addressing capability is effectively enhanced by allowing the limited number of internal address lines to address larger external memories having a greater number of address locations.

Abstract: A loop gain processing scheme for a speakerphone arrangement determines system loop gain according to two echo feedback paths within the speakerphone system. Gain values for each half-loop are calculated separately to ensure that both the local and far end telephone or speakerphone system are stable. A first half-loop includes gain contributions from a feedback path extending from a local speakerphone microphone to a hybrid line interface, which couples the speakerphone to the telephone network line, and subsequently to a local loudspeaker. A second half-loop defines a feedback path from a line receive channel to a transmit channel. Gain contributions are input into a system controller which determines gain values for each of the half-loops to accurately set the proper gain switching mode.

Abstract: A hybrid focal plane array (FPA) structure including a soft, localized, and thick epoxy for supporting the FPA on a cooling device. The hybrid FPA arrangement includes a crystalline optical substrate with a layer of an optically sensitive material disposed on one surface of the substrate. The optically sensitive side of the substrate layer is coupled to a MUX chip via an interconnection scheme. The layered configuration of the detector, the optically-sensitive material, interconnection network, and the MUX is mounted to a platform or dewar cold plate with a pliable, thick epoxy which is locally deposited onto the platform to effectively form a raised mounting cushion which supports the MUX and reduces deleterious effects resulting form a close coupling of the FPA to the mounting platform.

Abstract: A direct connect antenna includes a passive patch-type antenna mounted to a radio, wherein the need for and use of a coaxial cable extension arrangement is eliminated. Thus, the characteristic impedances of the load and source can be better matched, resulting in lower reflection and distributed losses. The antenna is formed with guide slots for alignment and simple snap-on connection of the antenna to the radio to prevent coaxial connector mismatch and damage. The radio may be directly affixed and electrically coupled to a PCMCIA compliant interface card which is insertable into a host computer. Accordingly, radio signals received by the direct connect antenna and radio arrangement are processed through the PC card and the computer.