Abstract: Apparatus, and an accompanying method, for use in an optical character recognition (OCR) system (5) for locating, e.g., center positions ("hearts") of all desired characters within a field (310; 510) of characters such that the desired characters can be subsequently recognized using an appropriate classification process. Specifically, a window (520) is slid in a step-wise convolutional-like fashion (520.sub.1, 520.sub.2, 520.sub.3) across a field of preprocessed, specifically uniformly scaled, characters. Each pixel in the window is applied as an input to a positioning neural network (152) that has been trained to produce an output activation whenever a character "heart" is spatially coincident with a pixel position within an array (430) centrally located within the window.

Abstract: A document edge detection apparatus that can detect document edges at high speed with good stability and precision, even when the documents have relatively large damaged portions, creases or smears, or have been scanned with a large skew angle.

Abstract: A laser printing system includes plurality of N channel where each channels includes a laser diode forming a laser light beam which is shaped by a beam shaper to correct for divergence differences between the lasers of the N channels. The plurality of N output laser light beams from the plurality of N beam shapers are circular in cross-section, and are combined at a stop aperture in a stop plane with a predetermined angular separation. Various techniques are disclosed for combining the plurality of N output laser light beams. An optical system relays the combined plurality of N angularly separated output laser light beams at the stop plane to a light sensitive print medium to form a spot for each laser light beam. The spots are then scanned across the print medium to print a desired image.

Abstract: This is a bar code decoding method and apparatus that decodes the bar codes from digital video data. The apparatus will decode multi-level bar codes, as well as bi-level bar codes, but only a single format bar code at any given time. Data acquisition is via an optical scanner that generates a data signal that is converted into a run-length pixel count of pixels per bar or space. An array of twelve latches sequentially stores the run-length data while a programmable, high-speed math module sums the pixel count for a predetermined number of elements. Multi-level thresholds are established and the pixel count of a given element is compared to a multiple range of pixel counts used to define the number of modules per element. The module count of each element is compared to a predetermined start or stop code pattern. Look-up tables are then used for character decoding based on the module count of each element after the start code has been detected.

Abstract: A piezoelectric toner mass sensor to be positioned adjacent to a toner applicator in an electrostatographic recording apparatus. The piezoelectric sensor has a circular central crystal having its front and rear surfaces metallized, the two metallized surfaces being concentric with one another. The front surface of the sensor directed toward the toner applicator is smaller than the rear surface. Reducing the area of metallization on the piezoelectric toner mass sensor greatly increases sensitivity of the device. In addition, limiting the development area on the sensor facilitates the cleaning of the piezoelectric element and facilitates the mounting of the sensor in a suitable holder.

Abstract: A device for producing a slide by a three-color printing process wherein ink is transferred according to the thermal transfer printing method from a ribbon-type ink carrier onto a record carrier in the form of a transparent sheet, the ribbon-type ink carrier carrying successively arranged magenta, yellow and cyan colored ink fields being slidably guided in a slide mount across the record carrier also arranged in the mount. In the initial position of the ink carrier, the first ink field is positioned opposite the record carrier for the first ink transfer. The further ink fields can be successively aligned with the record carrier for each further ink transfer. The slide mount is loaded with the record carrier and the ink carrier is placed in a holding device of the transfer station of a thermal transfer printing apparatus where the ink is transferred by means of an infrared laser focused in the ink plane of the ink carrier. The ink carrier is transported by means of a motor drive.

Abstract: Endless web or drum type laser printers have enhanced copy registration. Image frame length control has particular utility in a printing or reproduction apparatus that writes one or more images on a photosensitive media that is driven by a low cost synchronous hysteresis A.C. motor. The power line frequency is monitored and compared to a precision crystal clock. When the frequency is lower than specification and the motor slows down the number of scan lines are increased by repeating them to lengthen the image frame. When the power line frequency is higher than specification, the number of scan lines per image frame are decreased by deleting scan lines to shorten the image frame.

Abstract: A holder for a thermal print medium is disclosed. The holder is adapted to be used in a thermal printer in which a donor element in a thermal print medium transfers dye to a receiver element upon receipt of a sufficient amount of thermal energy. The printer includes a plurality of diode lasers which can be individually modulated to supply energy to selected dots on the medium in accordance with an information signal. The print head of the printer includes a fiber optic array having a plurality of optical fibers coupled to the diode lasers. The holder for the thermal print medium includes a rotatable vacuum drum, and the fiber optic array is movable relative to the drum. The vacuum drum includes separate vacuum supplies for the donor sheet and for the receiver sheet so that the sheets can be independently handled.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing cursive script recognition is disclosed, wherein a cursive word, in the form of digitized data or bitmap, is simultaneously segmented and individual characters of the word are recognized using a scanning window that moves across a word field or segment. The bitmap data is preprocessed before being presented to a moving window letter center finding neural network that determines the spatial location of the centers of individual letters. Character center data generated by the center finding neural network is then used to define the left and right edges of a fixed size window. The fixed window contains width normalized word segments that are presented to a second neural network which is taught to recognize the central character of the window based on portions of adjacent characters contained within the window.

Abstract: A toner monitor which measures the magnetic permeability of the developer mix uses a coil around the toner monitor so that when energized with a DC current, the coil acts as an electromagnet to align the developer mix in a consistent fashion at the monitor. The permeability of the mix is measured and the DC current to the coil is inhibited allows the measured sample to fall away or be moved away from the sensor by mixing augers or paddles. When current to the coil is once again restored, another sample is captured and aligned with the monitor. Information concerning the permeability of the developer mix is used to control replenishment of the toner.

Abstract: A film registration gate assembly has a gate with focal positioning location for focal positioning of an image frame of a strip film with edge perforations. Undersized first and second pins enter a pair of transversely aligned perforations of the film to register the image frame with the positioning location. An undersized third pin enters a third perforation spaced along the film from the second pin and then pulls the film obliquely to a reference line extending between the first and second pins to nest against the first and second pins the perforations thereat and register the image frame precisely at the aperture. A plate with a window registering with the image frame and aperture clamps the film against the gate. The window, positioning location and image frame are of corresponding size and shape. The pins register the image frame precisely with the positioning location, and the plate maintains the image frame in precise focal position thereat.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for establishing optimum film exposure time for documents of different reflectances, A photo-sensor is used to produce a signal proportional to the intensity of light reflected from the document to be microfilmed, The signal is integrated and a time is determined for the integrated signal to reach a threshold or reference value, The time needed to reach the threshold value is measured very accurately by a microprocessor, The measured time is then convened to new time by using a look-up table, The new or desired shutter time is controlled by the microprocessor by terminating the exposure when the total time the shutter was open equals new exposure time found in this look-up table.

Abstract: A process and apparatus in which a thermal dye is not carried by a donor element or sheet, but is provided in liquid form to a reservoir which supplies the dye to the surface of a donor roller. The dye is transferred to a transparent receiver sheet which is in close proximity to the roller surface, by exposure of the dye to an information-bearing radiation beam which is projected through the receiver member. Such a process and apparatus eliminates the need for a separate dye-donor element, and results in a lower cost process.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for forming a laser-induced thermal dye transfer image. A slide for brings a dye donor and dye receiver into dye transferring proximity, and a laser emits a beam of light toward the donor to image-wise transfer dye to the receiver. The slide, along with the donor therein, is tilted to eliminate intensity noise in the laser caused by light reflecting from the slide and donor back to the laser. By tilting the slide, specular reflections from the dye donor do not intercept optical path and do not propagate along the optical path.

Abstract: An integrated galvanometer scanning device controllably deflects a beam of light. The device has a planar silicon wafer substrate with front and rear surfaces, first and second longitudinal slots extending from the front surface to the rear surface, and top and bottom grooves extending between the first and second longitudinal slots. The slots and grooves define a central portion of the wafer. A magnet is attached to the rear surface on the central portion of the wafer and a magnetic circuit is attached to the rear surface. A reflective surface is formed on the front surface on the central portion of the wafer. A strain gage on the wafer detects deflection of the reflective surface, and thus beam deflection. The components are integrated into the wafer or formed or mounted on the wafer forming an integrated unitary structure.

Abstract: A microfilm camera which is adapted to photographing images on a reduced scale of documents placed on a support table and to photograph a mark also on the film in the vicinity of each image thereon so that the location and/or size of the original image corresponding to the document photographed can be located from the size and location of the marks by automatic retrieval equipment. When a bad or unsatisfactory exposure is made, the operator merely presses the appropriate button(s) and the unwanted image on the film does not receive either an image address or an image mark and for all intents and purposes, the image is "lost" on the roll of film. The unwanted image is on the roll of film, but it cannot be automatically retrieved because the image does not have an image mark associated with it. This error correction is accomplished by having the document photographed and the film moved a distance of at least one image frame before the image mark and image address are applied to the film.

Abstract: The present method and apparatus can be used to detect dot-matrix printed text in a binary digital image and create a filter mask indicating the locations of dot-matrix printed text in the digital image. The serial image data output of the scanning device can be processed at the full data rate of said scanning device.