Abstract: Stopping and starting the movement of media in a scanner before completion of scanning can generate artifacts in the display of the scanned image. These artifacts arise from measurements made during the deceleration of the media before stopping and the acceleration of the media after starting. By scanning the regions that pass the optical sensor during deceleration and acceleration of the media while the media is moving relative to the optical sensor at a substantially constant speed, the degree to which artifacts are produced is reduced. The scanning of the sections of the media corresponding to the deceleration and acceleration distances of the media can be done by moving the optical sensor while the media is stationary, or, by moving the media while the optical sensor is stationary.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining a first value corresponding to a first location in a first color space and obtaining a second value in a second color space using the first value. The method further includes converting the second value to a third value in the first color space corresponding to a second location in the first color space and determining a fourth value related to a distance between the first location and the second location. Additionally, the method includes changing the second value if the fourth value exceeds the predetermined value.

Abstract: Stopping and starting the movement of media in a scanner before completion of scanning can generate artifacts in the display of the scanned image. These artifacts arise from measurements made during the deceleration of the media before stopping and the acceleration of the media after starting. By scanning the regions that pass the optical sensor during deceleration and acceleration of the media while the media is moving relative to the optical sensor at a substantially constant speed, the degree to which artifacts are produced is reduced. The scanning of the sections of the media corresponding to the deceleration and acceleration distances of the media can be done by moving the optical sensor while the media is stationary, or, by moving the media while the optical sensor is stationary.

Abstract: In an inkjet printer using ink reservoirs located physically remote from the print heads, tubes are used to deliver ink from the ink reservoirs to the print heads. Air initially present within the tubes can interfere with the proper operation of the print heads and cause print head reliability problems Additionally, air present within the tubes can interfere with the proper flow of ink from the ink reservoirs to the print heads through the tubes. An embodiment of a fluid continuity measurement apparatus includes current sources for each of the tubes. Each of the current sources delivers a substantially constant current to the corresponding tube. Voltage measurement circuits are coupled across each of the tubes. Each of the voltage measurement circuits generates an output corresponding to the voltage across the corresponding tube. The voltages appearing between the ends of the tubes changes as the volume of the air within the tubes changes.

Abstract: Stopping and starting the movement of media in a scanner before completion of scanning can generate artifacts in the display of the scanned image. These artifacts arise from measurements made during the deceleration of the media before stopping and the acceleration of the media after starting. By scanning the regions that pass the optical sensor during deceleration and acceleration of the media while the media is moving relative to the optical sensor at a substantially constant speed, the degree to which artifacts are produced is reduced. The scanning of the sections of the media corresponding to the deceleration and acceleration distances of the media can be done by moving the optical sensor while the media is stationary, or, by moving the media while the optical sensor is stationary.

Abstract: A driver module can perform a conversion from a device dependent bit map to a device independent bit map. The driver module includes a configuration to compare a previously received device dependent bit map to a most recently received device dependent bit map. If the two bit maps are equivalent, the driver module generates a printer control language file for an imaging operation using a device independent bit map previously generated from the previously received device dependent bit map. If the two bit maps are not equivalent, the driver module generates a printer control language file for an imaging operation using a device independent bit map generated from the most recently received device dependent bit map.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a device to provide an estimate of supplied power circuitry configured to direct a level of power to be supplied to a load and configured to determine a difference between the level of the power and the estimate.

Abstract: A method for scaling an image includes determining a plurality of lineweight values for a plurality of virtual scan lines. In addition, the method includes determining a normalization value using the plurality of lineweight values. The method further includes determining a pulse code value for a pixel in an actual scan line using the plurality of lineweight values, the normalization value, and pulse code values for pixels in the plurality of virtual scan lines.

Abstract: A method, includes illuminating a first portion of a colored region with first light from a gas discharge tube and generating a first output using a diffuse reflection of the first light from the first portion. The method further includes illuminating a second portion of the colored region with second light from a first solid state lamp and generating a second output using a diffuse reflection of the second light from the second portion. Additionally, the method includes illuminating a third portion of the colored region with third light from a second solid state lamp and generating a third output using a diffuse reflection of the third light from the third portion.

Abstract: An embodiment of a bus management device permits scheduling of transactions to allow concurrent execution of the transactions. Data bus usage is scheduled by setting shift register bits. Each position in the shift register corresponds to one clock cycle. When a current transaction is in a data phase, the value in the shift register is used to determine when to begin a control phase of the next transaction so that a desired number of idle clock cycles are present between data bus usage time periods for successive transactions.

Abstract: A method includes forming a third halftone color plane, a fourth halftone color plane, and a fifth halftone color plane from a first halftone color plane and a second halftone color plane. In addition, the method includes performing a compression on the third halftone color plane, the fourth halftone color plane, and the fifth halftone color plane. An apparatus includes a processing device configured to form a third halftone color plane, a fourth halftone color plane, and a fifth halftone color plane from a first halftone color plane and a second halftone color plane. In addition, the apparatus includes a configuration to perform a compression on the third halftone color plane, the fourth halftone color plane, and the fifth halftone color plane to generate compressed halftone data and to decompress the compressed halftone data to generate decompressed halftone data. Furthermore, the apparatus includes a memory configured to store the compressed and the decompressed halftone data.

Abstract: An embodiment of a manual printer is particularly well suited for forming images on the surface of uneven objects. The embodiment of the manual printer includes a microprocessor for controlling its operation. Image data is stored in RAM and the firmware for controlling the operation of the microprocessor is stored in ROM. A print head interface generates drive signals for a print head using data received from the microprocessor. A signal is generated by an emitter. A receiver in the manual printer receives the signal. The signal includes an x-component, a y-component, and a z-component. The microprocessor determines the position of the manual printer with respect to a reference location using the components of the signal. A distance sensor in the manual printer measures the distance of the print head from the surface of the object. A tilt sensor in the manual printer measures an angle between a longitudinal axis in the manual printer and the surface of the object.

Abstract: In an inkjet printer using ink reservoirs located physically remote from the print heads, tubes are used to deliver ink from the ink reservoirs to the print heads. Air initially present within the tubes can interfere with the proper operation of the print heads and cause print head reliability problems Additionally, air present within the tubes can interfere with the proper flow of ink from the ink reservoirs to the print heads through the tubes. An embodiment of a fluid continuity measurement apparatus includes current sources for each of the tubes. Each of the current sources delivers a substantially constant current to the corresponding tube. Voltage measurement circuits are coupled across each of the tubes. Each of the voltage measurement circuits generates an output corresponding to the voltage across the corresponding tube. The voltages appearing between the ends of the tubes changes as the volume of the air within the tubes changes.

Abstract: An embodiment of a halftoning method reduces the grainy appearance resulting from overlap of cyan and magenta colorants using a single threshold matrix for both the cyan and the magenta color planes. The cyan color value and the magenta color value for a pixel are summed. If the sum is greater than the maximum possible color value by at least the corresponding matrix threshold value, both cyan and magenta colorants are placed on the pixel. If the sum is not greater than the maximum possible color value by at least the corresponding matrix threshold value, then the smallest of the cyan color value and the magenta color value is compared to the corresponding matrix threshold value. If this smallest color value is greater than the corresponding matrix threshold value, the corresponding colorant is placed on the pixel. Otherwise, the other colorant is placed on the pixel. If the sum is less the maximum possible color value, then the sum is compared to the corresponding matrix threshold value.

Abstract: A first embodiment of a ticket generating apparatus includes a computer coupled to a server through a network and a printer coupled to the computer. A purchaser initiates a ticket purchase transaction through the network by accessing a website stored on the server. After completing the ticket purchase transaction the purchaser's computer sends image data corresponding to the image of a person to the server. The server combines the image data with text and graphics data generated by the server to form ticket data. The ticket data is sent over the network to the computer. The computer sends the ticket data to the printer to form the ticket including an image of the person. In a second embodiment of the ticket generating apparatus, the printer is coupled to the network and receives the ticket data directly from the server to form the ticket including an image of the person.

Abstract: In an inkjet printer using ink reservoirs located physically remote from the print head, tubes are used to deliver ink from the ink reservoirs to the print heads. Air initially present within the tubes can interfere with the proper operation of the print heads and cause print head reliability problems Additionally, air present within the tubes can interfere with the proper flow of ink from the ink reservoirs to the print heads through the tubes. An embodiment of a fluid continuity measurement apparatus includes current sources for each of the tubes. Each of the current sources delivers a substantially constant current to the corresponding tube. Voltage measurement circuits are coupled across each of the tubes. Each of the voltage measurement circuits generates an output corresponding to the voltage across the corresponding tube. The voltages appearing between the ends of the tubes changes as the volume of the air within the tubes changes.

Abstract: A system to locate an output device includes a wireless device including a configuration to display output device information used to locate the output device selected for a printing operation, where the wireless device includes a configuration to receive and store the output device information. The system also includes a storage device configured to store the output device information and to send the output device information to the wireless device. A method for locating an output device includes receiving output device information used to locate the output device selected for a printing operation from a storage device, using a wireless device. In addition, the method includes displaying the output device information for the output device selected for the printing operation on the wireless device.

Abstract: An embodiment of a temperature compensations system at least partially compensates for temperature induced changes in the mass of drops ejected from printheads in an inkjet printer. A value representing the temperatures of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black printheads is provided to a controller. Using these values, the controller adjusts KCMY color values associated with each pixel to form transformed color values for a swath. A halftone operation is performed upon these transformed color values for the swath. The results of the halftone operation are used by the controller to determine the printheads that must eject drops of ink onto the pixels within the swath and to determine the number of passes of the printheads across the swath to form the portion of the image on the media corresponding to the swath.

Abstract: An alignment apparatus for use in an electrophotographic imaging device includes a first counter to count a first value of changes of a first signal, with the first value related to a first location of a photoconductor in a first direction. In addition, the alignment apparatus includes a second counter to count a second value of changes of a second signal, with the second value related to a second location of the photoconductor in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. Additionally, the alignment apparatus includes a circuit coupled to the first and the second counter to generate a change in a third signal after the first and the second counter count to, respectively, the first value and the second value.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a substrate and a resistive element attached to a region of the substrate and formed of a first material having a first temperature coefficient of resistivity. In addition, the apparatus includes a pair of traces coupled to the resistive element, attached to the substrate, and formed of a second material having a second temperature coefficient of resistivity with the first material selected so that the first temperature coefficient of resistivity exceeds the second temperature coefficient of resistivity. An apparatus includes a substrate and a resistive element disposed onto a first region of the substrate and formed of a first material having a first temperature coefficient of resistivity.