Abstract: In a xerographic development system in which an AC field is set up in a gap between a donor member and the photoreceptor to develop an electrostatic latent image, a series of tests are performed to ascertain that the width of the gap is within a suitable range. In test mode, various DC and AC biases associated with the field are systematically altered, and the reflectivities of resulting test images are read. Based on these reflectivity readings, it can be determined if the gap is too wide, such as to cause poor print quality, or too narrow, such as to cause arcing.

Abstract: A vacuum transport for a printer or copier guides a sheet through a machine, such as from a photoreceptor toward a fuser. The vacuum transport includes a partially enclosed vacuum chamber having rollers rotatably mounted therein. Portions of the rollers protrude through openings in the top of the chamber. A series of ribs are disposed between the openings. Some of the ribs extend diagonally toward one end of the width of the paper path over the transport.

Abstract: A job ticket generating system for a printing system is provided. The job ticket generating system includes a user interface having a display screen and a job ticket displayed on the user interface. The job ticket includes an original user feedback image, an electronically based scale settable in a plurality of positions, and an image processing subsystem for altering an appearance of the user feedback image in response to a change in the electronically based scale—the electronically based scale is set to one of the plurality of positions. The job ticket generating system further includes a library of masks with one of the masks being selected from the library of masks based on the one of the plurality of positions set with the electronically based scaled. In practice, the image processing subsystem applies the selected mask to the original user feedback so as to obtain an altered user feedback image whose appearance is changed relative to the original user feedback image.

Abstract: In a xerographic printing apparatus wherein a development field is maintained between the photoreceptor and a donor member, there is always a danger of arcing across the field, particularly at high elevations. An arcing-avoidance system interacts with the print quality control system of a printing apparatus, to monitor the biases within the apparatus being demanded at various times by the control system. If a bias consistent with arcing conditions is approached, the arcing-avoidance system constrains the control system to avoid the arcing conditions. The arcing-avoidance system accepts as an input the elevation of a particular printing apparatus.

Abstract: Semiconductor chips, such as photosensor arrays in a full-width scanner, are mounted on printed wiring boards. The printed wiring boards are in turn mounted on a second layer of printed wiring board material. The two layers of printed wiring board material are attached so that the seams between adjacent printed wiring boards in each layer alternate in a brick-like fashion. This structure enables arrays of semiconductor chips to be constructed in relatively long lengths, with minimal risk of damage caused by thermal stresses.

Abstract: A system that identifies and discriminates between image regions that consist of text lines of alphanumeric characters and image regions that largely consist of non-alphanumeric line-drawing components. Only image components which are determined to be alphanumeric characters are submitted to an OCR program, thus saving processing time and avoiding errors. The system mainly exploits the principle that text blocks in an image are characterized by regularly spaced horizontal runs of white consistent with inter-line spaces.

Abstract: A full-color scanning array uses CMOS active pixel cells, or photogates, as photosensors. A set of photogates, each photogate being specifically filtered for one primary color, is associated with a common node. A clearing gate downstream of the common node applies a relatively high potential to a selected photogate, for the purpose of clearing any charge from the photogate. In this way, the integration time for the photogate can be started at a precise time, and the effective exposure time of each photogate can thereby be precisely controlled. Alternately, one of the set of photogates can be repeatedly cleared without a signal being read therefrom, allowing the array to operate in a monochrome mode.

Abstract: Apparatus for stacking sheets comprises a duplex tray for holding a sheet in a temporary storage position. A dispense nip is formed at an outlet of the tray. Rollers feed a sheet from the temporary storage position by a predetermined distance through the dispense nip. Any sheets already located in the dispense nip are fed at the same time by substantially the same predetermined distance, whereby a shingled stack of sheets is obtained.

Abstract: A partial evaluator, or pre-compiler, for a computer program enables a user to provide, at suitable places within a program, language constructs which cause certain expressions within the program to be evaluated at runtime or at partial evaluation time. These language constructs can be used to shorten runtime, such as by avoiding unnecessary duplication of code at runtime.

Abstract: Electronically-rendered auditron data, such as from a copier or printer, is formatted with an initial structured portion followed by an unstructured portion. A code within the structured portion instructs a downstream computer how to interpret the digits in the unstructured portion of the data, so that different sets of digits within the unstructured portion are converted to discrete numbers having assigned meanings. The resulting numbers and their assigned meanings can be readily ported to a commercial spreadsheet program.

Abstract: Semiconductor chips, such as photosensor arrays for a full-page-width scanner or printhead chips for a full-page-width ink-jet printer, are mounted on a substrate to maintain reasonably consistent spacing among adjacent chips. To remove a defective chip from the array, the substrate is urged evenly against a work surface defining a convex bow. Alternately, back-cuts are provided along abutting edges of the chips, and the silicon around these back-cuts can be sawed away to space defective chips from neighboring good chips.

Abstract: A system by which defective circuitry associated with a single photosensor in an image sensor array can be readily detected, without the defect being "covered" by a good signal from a neighboring photosensor. The output line onto which a series of photosensors and their transfer circuits output video signals is grounded via a pulldown resistor. When a defective photosensor circuit fails to place a bias on the output line, the bias on the output line quickly drifts towards zero. By detecting this relatively sudden drift towards zero bias, a defective photosensor or its associated circuitry can be identified.

Abstract: A test circuit incorporated as part of an image sensor array having a plurality of image sensors and associated transfer circuits includes a test line associated with each photosensor. In a test mode, a signal output from a photosensor can be substituted with a predetermined voltage from an external source. By providing a predetermined test voltage to the transfer circuits and then reading out signals from the transfer circuits, faults in the transfer circuits can be isolated from faults in the photosensors.

Abstract: In a document processing system, whether a standalone copier, or network system including printers, scanners and facsimiles, a user is presented with a display in which numerous features, such as print or copy features, are offered. Each feature may include a plurality of selectable options, such as staple/no staple or simplex/duplex. If he selection of one option form a first feature precludes selection of another option of a second feature, such as for example precluding the placing of duplex images on a transparency, the precluded options in the second feature are indicated as unavailable, and a help button is displayed. When the help button is indicated by a cursor, the user sees only the specific information why the option in the second feature was precluded.

Abstract: An electronic display device includes a two-dimensional array of point charge sources, which are aligned with a plurality of apertures defined in a substrate. Associated with each aperture is a set of electrodes, including a focusing electrode, which in effect funnels the ions from the charge source into a narrow stream, and a plurality of displacing electrodes, through which the ion stream can be caused to scan over a small two-dimensional area on a phosphor. Modulating the bias on the focusing electrode can be used to control the ion stream passing through an individual aperture according to image data. The combined action of a two-dimensional array of charge sources and associated control devices can create a single composite image on the phosphor.

Abstract: A system for submitting upgrades to software which operates a digital printer. The software enters the printer through a standard printer port. When an upgrade is sent, the status pins are reassigned new functions relating to the progress of the software upgrade, instead of using the status pins of the printer port in a standard fashion for submitting print data. In upgrade mode, the levels of the status pins are recognized as a multi-bit word, relating to a specific condition of the upgrade.

Abstract: In an SNMP-based network management system, an agent within the system maintains a quantity of memory which serves as a "lock table." The lock table is a set of object identifiers (OID's) relating to objects associated with the agent. When a manager on the network requests a particular object associated with the agent, the agent retains the OID of the object in the lock table. If another manager simultaneously wishes to set an object associated with the agent, the OID of the proposed object is compared to any OID currently in the lock table, and if the proposed object intersects with one of the objects in the lock table, access to the object is denied. The method permits locking of specific objects, while leaving other objects associated with the same device available to others.

Abstract: In a full-color image scanner having three parallel linear arrays of photosensors, each linear array of photosensors is sensitive to one primary color. With each readout cycle relating to a row of small areas on an original image moving past the scanner, the middle array of the three arrays of photosensors reads out its video data before the other two. This technique allows the arrays of photosensors to be spaced relatively close to each other, and in turn the close spacing of photosensors requires relatively fewer scan lines of video data to be temporarily buffered in the readout process.

Abstract: In a multifunction digital printing apparatus, such as a copier-printer, image data from print jobs are intermingled with image data from copy jobs, such as originating from a digital scanner. Further, scanner-only functions such as electronic filing and sending facsimiles can be performed without need for printing hardware. An auditing device can decrement a user's account on a per-sheet basis regardless of whether a requested job requires the use of the scanner or printing hardware or both.

Abstract: A low-friction membrane is attached smoothly and tightly to a fusing member such as used in xerography. A combination sheet is provided, the combination sheet having a membrane attached to a heat-deformable backing layer. The combination sheet is drawn over the combination layer, and then, in a sintering process, the membrane detches from the backing layer and shrinks tightly onto the fusing member. The backing layer is then stripped from the fusing member.