Abstract: A roll paper printer having a roll paper compartment in which roll paper is mounted so that it is freely rotatable inside the roll paper compartment with the compartment designed to prevent the roll paper from meandering from a given path of travel along which the paper roll is unwound. The design of the compartment prevents the edges of the paper from catching on steps between pairs of roll paper guides connected to or forming the sides of the roll paper compartment. Movable roll paper positioning plates 31 and 32 are urged toward each other by a tension spring 37 in the roll paper compartment 9 of the printer 1 located near the top of one pair of roll paper guides 28 and 29. The movable roll paper positioning plates 31 and 32 have roll paper positioning surfaces 31a and 32a which can contact the outside circumference part of the ends 10b and 10c of the roll paper 10.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention enable compression and decompression of data. Applications of the present invention are its use in embodiments of systems for compression and decompression of GPS long-term Ephemeris (LTE) data, although the present invention is not limited to such applications. In embodiments, the LTE data may be grouped into a set of data values associated with a parameter. In embodiments, a data set may be compressed by using a multi-order differencing scheme. In such a scheme, a set of the differences between values may be compressed because the differences have smaller magnitudes than the values. In embodiments, a multi-order differencing scheme determines how many levels (orders) of differencing may be applied to an original data set before it is compressed. In embodiments, the original data may be recovered from a compressed data set based on the type of multi-order differencing scheme used to generate the compressed data.

Abstract: A printing apparatus and a roll paper transportation device which reduces the space needed to accommodate a roll paper buffer mechanism unit and paper detection unit, and to reduce poor electrical contact in the contact part of the paper detection unit. The roll paper transportation device has a paper detection unit 8 for detecting the presence of roll paper 5, and a buffer mechanism unit 7 for absorbing variation in roll paper tension in order to keep the roll paper 5 tension less than or equal to a predetermined level. The buffer mechanism unit 7 forms a housing unit 16 for housing at least part of the paper detection unit 8 in a common area disposed in the buffer mechanism unit 7 enabling the paper detection unit 8 and buffer unit 7 to operate in unison without interfering with the operation of the other.

Abstract: In a method of processing recording media on which magnetic ink characters are printed, the media is transported at a first speed in an upright position along a transportation path from a supply unit to a discharge unit. The magnetic characters are read and output signals representative of the reading generated. The output signals are analyzed, including comparing the output signals with previously stored signal patterns of magnetic ink characters to determine if the magnetic characters can be recognized or not. The transporting of the recording media is paused, or slowed to a second speed substantially lower than the first speed, for a period of time during the analyzing of the output signals. A processing apparatus includes components for carrying out the operations of such method.

Abstract: The magnetic data processing apparatus includes a magnetic head and a motor arranged to reduce noise due to leakage flux from the motor. The magnetic data processing apparatus may form a check processing apparatus 1 having an MICR head 2 and a transportation motor 11, which is preferably a stepping motor. The MICR head 2 and the transportation motor 11 are positioned relative to one another so that the rotational axis 42 of the transportation motor 11 is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the head gap 23 in the MICR head 2. In the head gap 23 of the MICR head 2 the direction of the leakage flux 44 from the transportation motor 11 is parallel to the long axis of the left and right head gap faces 23a and 23b defining the head gap 23. Because the detection sensitivity of the MICR head 2 is lowest in this direction, noise due to leakage flux 44 from the transportation motor 11 is suppressed and the MICR head 2 can read magnetic ink characters with good accuracy.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of systems and methods for suppressing the background of an image. In embodiments, the number of foreground pixels or background pixels within a neighborhood of an identified background pixel may be compared against an aggressiveness threshold. Responsive to the number of foreground pixels within a neighborhood of an identified background pixel not exceeding an aggressiveness threshold, the color of the identified background pixel may be changed to an average local background color. Alternatively, responsive to the number of background pixels within a neighborhood of an identified background pixel exceeding an aggressiveness threshold, the color of the identified background pixel may be changed to an average local background color. In embodiments, additional processes may be performed on the image including, but not limited to, color adjusting, filtering, image enhancing, compression, format conversion, watermarking, special effects, video editing, etc.

Abstract: The direction in which the media tray 21 moves in and out of the printer and the direction in which the inkjet head 17 moves when printing are on the same line along the front-to-back axis Y of the label printer 5, and the written medium 2B carried on the media tray 21 is positioned on the printing line of the inkjet head 17 when the media tray 21 moves to the tray retraction position 21A. Moving the media tray 21 retracted inside the printer widthwise to the printer from the tray retraction position 21A to the printing position is unnecessary, and printing can start immediately while moving the media tray 21 from the tray retraction position 21A on the widthwise axis X of the printer. The width of the label printer 5 can be reduced because the media tray 21 moves only the diameter of the media widthwise to the printer.

Abstract: A printer which prints to a roll paper medium under the control of the printer and to a printer control method for maintaining consistently in high quality printing even at the end of a roll paper print medium. The printer conveys roll paper 11 through a paper transportation path and prints to the roll paper 11 using a print head 21 carried on a carriage 23 that moves transverse to the transportation path. When the trailing end 11a of the roll paper is detected, the printer advances and then stops the print medium so that the trailing end 11a of the roll paper is positioned on the transportation path outside of the carriage path 53.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus comprises a moving unit that moves by receiving a moving force, and a plurality of nozzle rows for ejecting liquid onto a medium, wherein each of the nozzle rows is adjusted in its position on the moving unit, taking a nozzle row that is arranged on a side close to a line of action of the moving force as a reference.

Abstract: A roll paper printer having a cover movable between an open and closed position with the printer having hooks on locking levers disposed to the cover to hold the cover in the locked position upon engaging pins located on the printer body side and having an opening lever to unlock the cover. The printer also includes a paper cutter device having a stationary knife which is attached to the cover and contact plate parts which extend from the stationary knife for contacting the front panel part on the printer body and having extension springs disposed in tension for pulling the stationary knife towards the back of the printer such that upon closing the cover the contact plate parts push the cover to the front of the printer. This causes the hooks of the locking levers to press from the back against the engagement pins to eliminate any play in the cover when in cover is in the locked position and to assist in opening the cover when the cover opening lever is operated.

Abstract: The cleaning process best suited to the condition of an inkjet printer is selected and run, thereby removing nozzle clogging without wastefully consuming ink. The first time a cleaning switch 7 is operated a CL1 cleaning process is run. If the cleaning switch 7 is pressed a second time and the print pass count is less than e.g., 400, a CL2 cleaning process that uses more ink than the CL1 process is used to clean the recording head, but if the print pass count is 400 or more, the CL1 cleaning process is used. If the print pass count is less than 400 the third time the switch is operated, the CL2 cleaning process is used, but the CL1 cleaning process is used if the print pass count is 400 or more. If the cleaning switch 7 is operated four or more times and the print pass count is less than 400, a YCL cleaning process that consumes substantially no ink is used to clean the recording head, but if the print pass count is 400 or more, the CL1 cleaning process is used.

Abstract: An antenna is positioned relative to one or more other components within a metal or alloy case member/back cover assembly of an electronic timepiece having a radio communication function to facilitate reception of radio waves by the antenna, and/or to reduce negative effects on the signal reception ability of the antenna caused by one or more other components. Thus positioning the antenna improves its reception, while the external appearance of the timepiece can be maintained or enhanced by using metal or alloy for the case member/back cover assembly.

Abstract: A display driver capable of operating in any one of multiple gradient display modes drives a liquid crystal panel in which the first L common electrodes are simultaneously selected in a first selection period and successive groups of L common electrodes are simultaneously selected in successive selection periods. 8-bit display data for each segment electrode are simultaneously read from a display data RAM and latched. First and second sub-decoders decode divided upper and lower four bits of the 8-bit display data, respectively. In a first mode, the data is for a four gradient display for each of four pixels on each segment electrode. In a second mode, the data is for a two gradient display for each of eight pixels on each segment electrode.

Abstract: A macroscopic physical model simulates and analyzes ink ejection from a piezoelectric print head. The model handles the slipping contact line problem and introduces a mass-conservative finite difference implementation using the level set method. First, the critical angle approach is adopted. The triple point is allowed to move if the critical angle is exceeded. Second, the no-slip boundary condition in the neighborhood of the triple point is relaxed and substituted by the free-slip boundary condition. Third, to allow the triple point to quickly accelerate when the critical angle is exceeded, an extra surface tension is added as a body force term in the governing equation. Fourth, the level set method is adopted to implement the slipping contact line model. Finally the above idea is incorporated in a fluid solver based on the higher-order projection method.

Abstract: A two-color print generating apparatus generates two-color print data based on color-converted image data in which the color of each pixel of full-color bit depth in an image is converted to a print color comprising a background color, a main color, or a secondary color. A color-reduced image data generator converts full-color image data to image data reduced to a specific number of colors. A color conversion unit generates color-converted image data in which the specified colors of the reduced-color image data are converted to colors that can be printed by the printer. A print data conversion unit converts the color converted color-converted image data to two-color print data. A color conversion selection unit sets the color conversion method and sets specific color conversion parameters based on the selected color conversion method. The processing of the invention can also be embodied as a method and/or specified as program instructions.

Abstract: A serializer for multiplexing 2N data streams, each data stream having a frequency of f/(2N), N being a positive integer. The serializer comprises 2N?1 instances of a dual-edge multiplexer flip-flop circuit, N frequency domains including a first frequency domain having the frequency f/2N and a last frequency domain having a frequency f/2, and an output providing serialized data at frequency f clocked at half that rate. Thus, the highest clock signal frequency input into the serializer is f/2.

Abstract: Techniques for predicting the behavior of dopant and defect components in a substrate lattice formed from a substrate material can be implemented in hardware or software. Fundamental data for a set of microscopic processes that can occur during one or more material processing operations is obtained. Such data can include data representing the kinetics of processes in the set of microscopic processes and the energetics and structure of possible states in the material processing operations. From the fundamental data and a set of external conditions, distributions of dopant and defect components in the substrate lattice are predicted.

Abstract: When a general-purpose search service is used, a number of pieces of information searched according to a keyword input by a user is merely displayed. If there are a number of search results, it is difficult to learn the content of the search result. A clustering module acquires a plurality of search results searched by a general-purpose search service, performs a clustering process to the search results, and displays the clustering result. Also arranged is a converter module which converts the search result provided by the search service into a format that is processed by the clustering module.

Abstract: Character strings containing null can be reliably passed between objects without using a complicated process and without changing the character string type declared by the control object or service object. An interface object for passing character strings from a control object to a service object casts the character string received from the control object as a BSTR type even if the received string is LPCTSTR type, determines the number of characters in the string, converts the string to wide characters without dropping any characters in the string, and creates a COM-standard BSTR type wide character string. Null (0x00) and all following characters in the character string can therefore be reliably passed to the service object.

Abstract: A piezoactuator has a diaphragm, and the diaphragm has flat piezoelectric elements that oscillate in a longitudinal oscillation mode and a sinusoidal oscillation mode. A first electrode for detecting oscillation in the longitudinal oscillation mode, and a second electrode for detecting the amplitude of oscillation in the sinusoidal oscillation mode, are disposed on the surface of the diaphragm. When the piezoactuator is driven with a drive signal, the phase difference of a first detection signal output from the first electrode and a second detection signal output from the second electrode is detected. The frequency at which the detected phase difference becomes the maximum phase difference is then obtained, and a drive signal of a matching frequency is applied to the piezoelectric elements.