Abstract: Methods and apparatus for spectrally-encoding plural source images and for providing the spectrally-encoded plural source images in a composite image, for rendering the composite image in a physical form, or for recovering at least one of the encoded source images from the rendered composite image such that the recovered source image is made distinguishable. A noise component is introduced in the encoding of the plurality of source images so as to mask at least one of the source images during spectral demultiplexing.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for spectrally-encoding plural source images and for providing the spectrally-encoded plural source images in a composite image, for rendering the composite image in a physical form, or for recovering at least one of the encoded source images from the rendered composite image such that the recovered source image is made distinguishable. For example, when the rendered composite image is subjected to illumination by one of the narrow band illuminants for which a source image was encoded, the source image becomes visually detectable by an observer.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for spectrally-encoding plural source images and for providing the spectrally-encoded plural source images in a composite image, for rendering the composite image in a physical form, or for recovering at least one of the encoded source images from the rendered composite image such that the recovered source image is made distinguishable. Source image confusion in a rendered composite image is controlled by application of a multi-illuminant gray component replacement (GCR) technique to the darkness common to the different colorants under the multiple illuminants.

Abstract: A secure document processing system for receiving an original document and for printing a secure hardcopy version of the original document, wherein the secure hardcopy version includes a machine-readable encoded image signature which represents an image segment of the original document. Such hardcopy secure documents can be validated by inputting them to an secure document validation system operable to identify and process the machine readable encoded representation and in response to determine whether the recovered image signature indicates that the document is counterfeit or has been altered.

Abstract: A printing system comprised of a printer, a plurality of processing nodes, each processing node being disposed for processing a portion of a print job into a printer dependent format, and a processing manager for spooling the print job into selectively sized chunks and assigning the chunks to selected ones of the nodes for parallel processing of the chunks by the processing nodes into the printer dependent format. The chunks are selectively sized from at least one page to an entire size of the print job in accordance with predetermined splitting factors for enhancing printer printing efficiency.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for spectrally-encoding plural source images and for providing the spectrally-encoded plural source images in a composite image, for rendering the composite image in a physical form, or for recovering at least one of the encoded source images from the rendered composite image such that the recovered source image is made distinguishable. The rendered composite image may be subjected to a varying field of illumination, generated, for example, by a switched sequence of individually activated, differing illuminants. This sequenced array of illuminants causes a corresponding sequence of source images to be recovered in rapid succession, thus imparting a sense of change, such as motion, between or within the recovered source images.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for spectrally-encoding plural source images and for providing the spectrally-encoded plural source images in a composite image, for rendering the composite image on a substrate, or for recovering at least one of the encoded source images from the rendered composite image such that the recovered source image is made distinguishable. At least one of the source images includes image content in the form of a textured image. When the rendered composite image is subjected to illumination by one of the narrow band illuminants for which a source image was encoded, the textured image in the recovered source image becomes visually detectable.

Abstract: Methods and systems for spectrally-encoding plural source images and for providing the spectrally-encoded plural source images in a composite image, for rendering the composite image on a substrate, and for recovering at least one of the encoded source images from the rendered composite image. A desired source image is recovered when the rendered composite image is subjected to illumination by one or more illuminants and the desired source image is detected by one or more sensors in an image capture device. The spectral characteristics of the colorants, illuminants, and sensors are employed to spectrally encode the source image in the composite image.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling consumable use in an image-rendering device. More particularly, the invention relates to a image-rendering device that facilitates the limitation of page costs of color documents by establishing a threshold cost limitation and controlling one or more colorant amounts to be used on the page to ensure that the cost limitation is met. An optional override mode may be provided, wherein a selected page or pages, or a complete document, would be rendered without implementation of the cost reduction feature.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for detecting photocopier tracking signatures placed on documents produced by color photocopiers. The apparatus includes an input terminal that supplies digital image data representing an input document produced by a color photocopier. The digital image data includes a plurality of pixel values grouped together to form a plurality of color separations that represent the input document. The apparatus also includes an image processing unit that generates an output image based on the digital image data. The image processing unit generates the output image based on differences between corresponding pixel values of at least two of the plurality of color separations. The apparatus further includes an ouput terminal for displaying the output image to view the photocopier tracking signature. Color differences can be detected by combining two or more of the color separations into a resulting monochromatic image and then enhancing the resulting color differences.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for finishing a receiver sheet or similar substrate by providing a protective coating on the receiver sheet for the benefit of, for example, protecting an image resident thereon. Such coating is created by applying and fusing a mixture containing a transparent, abrasion-resistant toner resin, and optionally components such as a light-fast material, to the receiver sheet.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for non-interactive, dry powder development of electrostatic images includes an image bearing member bearing an electrostatic image; two component developer comprising toner and permanently magnetized thickly coated carrier beads, the coated carrier beads having magnetizable core radius r, average radius a, and magnetization Mb, with the ratio r/a being given as K; a developer transporting member having a thickness t for transporting a developer layer of the two component developer, wherein the layer is spaced close to and out of contact with the image bearing member, a multipole magnet member disposed in close proximity to the transporting member and moving relative to it so as to sweep poles across its surface, the magnet member having a periodic magnetization of spatial frequency k and a peak magnetization M0 wherein Mb, t, k, and M0, are chosen such that Mb is sufficiently large to prevent the escape of developer, a quantity C in the equation C = 2.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for compressing and decompressing electronic documents, with improved compression and reduced history memory size requirements. The method includes receiving scan line ordered raster documents ordering the raster data, and compressing the data with a lossless dictionary compression method. The ordering of raster data into vectors accounts for the correlation of pixel data between scan lines, improving the compression. This ordering also reduces the history window size requirements in a sliding window dictionary compression method.

Abstract: A color printing process, printing a color image in which out-of-gamut original colors are present. For each pixel defined by an original color which is determined to be out of gamut, a gamut remapping process is applied to map each pixel to a color which is within a printer gamut, remapping said pixels to colors within an output printer gamut. For a given set of gamut remapped pixels, gamut remapped pixel colors are compared with said original pixel colors, to derive a comparison metric. Using the comparison metric, a corrected set of gamut remapped colors is generated. The comparison metric may be subjected to an adaptive filtering process, which strengthens the comparison metric in high frequency image regions to increase its impact on the gamut remapped colors, and weakens the comparison metric in low frequency areas, to weaken its impact on the gamut remapped colors.

Abstract: An image detection method is disclosed wherein local edge information within an image is utilized for accurately detecting lines and curves of the images. The method can more accurately determine the location and orientation of a pattern and thus provides more reliable image match for pattern detection. A detector is trained off-line with example images resulting in a stored template generated by recording a test pattern similar to a pattern to be tested; anchor lines are identified within said template. Long lines are detected in subsequent test patterns using the disclosed method. The template is rotated and shifted before matching it to the test pattern so that anchor lines align with long lines detected within the test pattern. The template and test pattern are then compared to determine whether there is a match.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for compressing digital image data to improve the efficiency of serial data transmission is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention accomplishes image transmission by providing multiple image processing modules, and then selecting the module that will process the entire in the most efficient manner, based upon the content of the data contained in the image. Image content is analyzed using hierarchical vector quantization.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for improved transfer of charged developing material to a substrate in an electrophotographic printing apparatus by applying an oscillatory bias voltage to the charged developing material. The printing apparatus includes a toner transfer system having an intermediate transfer belt and a transfer station having a transfer charging device. The intermediate transfer member is provided with a biasing voltage, generating oscillatory electric fields in the transfer nip. As a result, the portion of the developed image present in the transfer nip is subjected to repeated transfer and back-transfer forces, resulting in fluidization, whereby the developed image is more efficiently transferred.

Abstract: A toner cleaning system for cleaning a toner from a supporting surface, including a movable member having a carrier permeable segment that features a porous structure. The movable member is actuated to engage the supporting surface so as to receive therefrom the toner at an exterior surface of the carrier permeable segment. A quantity of carrier fluid is provided at an interior surface of the carrier permeable segment. The carrier permeable segment supports carrier fluid flow from the interior surface to a portion of the received toner so as to disengage the portion of the received toner from the carrier permeable segment. The disengaged toner portion is then susceptible to collection and re-use.

Abstract: A method for calibrating a printer includes printing a set of color samples with the printer, the set of samples or calibration target generated dynamically in response to selected printer variables, and reflecting at least a portion of the printer gamut. Each printed color sample in the set of samples is measured calorimetrically, to determine the printer's response thereto, so that a calibration table can be generated, taking into account printer variables selected by a user.

Abstract: An imaging system for effecting electrostatic printing of an image, wherein the imaging system includes at least one contact electrostatic printing engine operable in a novel fashion upon a copy substrate, for imaging and development of a latent image representative of the image, and subsequent transfer of the developed image to the copy substrate. The developed image is created by separating and selectively transferring portions of a high solids content secondary toner cake layer in correspondence with the image and non-image regions of the latent image. A toner cake layer delivery apparatus draws from a supply of high solids content liquid developing material to form a primary toner cake layer on a receiving surface of a receiving member. The primary toner cake layer is subject to uniform charging to a first polarity followed by an induced charge of a second, opposing polarity to a selectable depth.