Abstract: A personal electronic apparatus includes a case and a flat battery located in the case and having power and ground electrodes on one side of the battery, and a plurality of interconnection electrodes extending from one side of the battery to the other. A first circuit board is located in the case on one side of the battery and has a first set of power supply contacts for contacting the power and ground electrodes on the one side of the battery, and one or more first signal contacts for contacting one or more of the interconnection electrodes. A second circuit board is located in the case on the other side of the battery and has one or more second signal contacts for contacting one or more of the interconnection electrodes.

Abstract: A method of placing a two-dimensional barcode symbol on a photographic element, the barcode symbol comprising collections of modules arranged in a regular array with a plurality of defined orientation directions, the photographic element exhibiting linear defects in a predominant direction and having a maximum width, includes the step of orienting the barcode symbol so that each defined orientation direction is rotated relative to the predominant direction sufficient so that no single collection of modules aligned in a defined orientation direction is completely obscured by the defect.

Abstract: Film cutting apparatus for removing and separating a film strip from a cartridge, one end of the film strip being secured to a spool within the cartridge, includes a carrier for receiving the film cartridge and moveable between a first position and a second position; a spring connected to the carrier for biasing the carrier toward the first position; a film drive for receiving a leading end of the film strip and pulling the film strip from the cartridge and then pulling the carrier away from the first position when the film strip is fully extracted from the cartridge; a sensor for sensing the movement of the carrier away from the first position and producing a signal in response thereto; and a knife mechanism mounted on the carrier for movement with the carrier and responsive to the signal for separating the film strip from the cartridge while the carrier is moving.

Abstract: A method of calibrating a scanner in a digital photofinishing system, including the steps of: providing a calibration strip having a series of calibration patches including a plurality of neutral and colored patches, and including a Dmin patch; providing reference printing density values for each of the patches on the calibration strip; scanning the calibration strip in the scanner to produce scanner densities for each patch; and performing a regression on the scanner densities and the reference printing densities to produce a calibration matrix for converting from scanner density to printing density.

Abstract: An organic electroluminescent display with integrated touch screen, includes: a transparent substrate having two faces; a transistor switching matrix and a light emitting layer forming an active matrix electroluminescent display located on one face of the substrate for emitting light through the substrate; touch sensitive elements of a touch screen located on the other face of the substrate; components of a touch screen controller located on the one face of the substrate; and an electrical connector for connecting the components of the touch screen controller on the one face of the substrate to the touch screen elements on the other face of the substrate.

Abstract: An aperture and lens mechanism for a camera, includes a rotatably mounted lens barrel supporting a lens and moveable in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the lens in response to rotation; an aperture support mounted for movement parallel to the optical axis of the lens and spring biased into contact with the lens barrel for movement therewith; and an aperture blade defining an aperture, the aperture blade being mounted on the aperture support for movement between a first position where the aperture is centered on the optical axis of the lens and a second position away from the optical axis of the lens.

Abstract: A system and method in accordance with the present invention includes a scanning assembly and a storage device coupled to a programmed computer with a set of instructions for carrying out an assessment of a document image. The system and method operate by: processing the document image to obtain one or more attributes related to the geometrical integrity of the document image; selecting a threshold value from a database for each of the obtained attributes; and then comparing each of the obtained attributes against the threshold value selected for the obtained attribute to determine a difference for each and then evaluating one or more of the differences using predetermined criteria to provide evaluation results of the geometrical integrity of the document image.

Abstract: Apparatus for exposing reference calibration patches onto photosensitive medium, includes: a light source; a plurality of optical fibers, one fiber for each element to be exposed; a light collector having an input port for receiving light emitted by the light source and an output port for delivering light to one end of the optical fibers; a plurality of light attenuators located with respect to the optical fiber for individually attenuating the light transmitted by each fiber; a projection print head located at the other end of the optical fibers for directing light from the fiber onto the photosensitive medium; and a controller connected to the light source for measuring and controlling the light output of the light collector.

Abstract: Electrographic printing apparatus for forming a toner image on a recording medium includes: a magnetic brush having a rotatable magnetic core and a stationary outer cylindrical shell; a developer supply for supplying a magnetic developer powder to the magnetic brush; an array of microchannels on the outer shell for forming a plurality of parallel lines of developer in the channels; means for selectively transferring developer from the lines to a receiver; and a receiver electrode arranged in spaced relation to the array of microchannels to define a recording region through which the receiver can be moved.

Abstract: A system for associating a prerecorded audio snippet with a photograph, includes: an audio data base containing a plurality of audio snippets, each snippet having a corresponding identification code. A scene identification display includes an identification code associated with the scene. A camera having a sensor for sensing the identification code on the display includes a memory for storing the identification code in association with a photograph of the scene taken by the camera. The audio snippet corresponding to the identification code is retrieved from the audio data base and reproduced in conjunction with the display of the photograph.

Abstract: A web material, which is able to avoid air entrainment, comprises a surface for applying at least one layer of coating material. The web material has at least one splicing tape for connecting a preceding web and a succeeding web with respect to a transport direction of the web material. The splicing tape defines a trailing edge on the surface of the succeeding web. After the trailing edge of the splicing tape a thin layer with limited width and a rough surface is formed. Additionally, there is a method for continuous coating a web material having at least one spliced joint.

Abstract: A document projector includes a feed through scanner having a document transport, an illumination source, and a linear image sensor for scanning and producing a digital color image of a document or transparency; a microprocessor connected to the scanner for processing the digital image and for overall control of the apparatus; a memory connected to the microprocessor for storing the digital document image; and a digital projector connected to the microprocessor for projecting the digital image.

Abstract: A photographic system includes a photographic film having a unique identification code thereon. An identification tag is included with the photographic film; the identification tag bears a uniform resource locator that includes the unique identification code, and an associated password. The film is scanned after processing to generate a digital image and the unique identification code is associated with the digital image and stored in a digital storage device. A web server connected to the digital image storage device includes a resource identified by the uniform resource locator for accessing the digital image. A database accessible by the web server contains the unique identification code and the associated password wherein the resource is password protected and accessible by use of the password.

Abstract: An RF wireless communication system operating in the presence of a periodic noise environment, includes first and second wireless devices, each such device having: a source of power; a transceiver coupled to the power source, for transmitting and receiving wireless information; a controller/CPU for controlling the operation of the transceiver; means for detecting and mapping the presence of the RF radiated periodic noise; and means responsive to the mapped periodic noise for controlling the operation of the transceiver to communicate with the other wireless device during the quiescent periods of the radiated RF periodic noise.

Abstract: A system for producing composite images, includes: a digital image file containing a personal image and image control data related to the personal image; a digital image file containing an image template and image template control data related to the image template; a file containing composite image construction rules and composite control data related to the image construction rules; and an image production system including, a production rule data file, a control module for: receiving a customer order including customer order control data; retrieving the image control data, the image template control data, the composite control data and the production rule data; and generating an ENABLE/DISABLE control signal, and a composite image production module responsive to the ENABLE/DISABLE control signal for employing the personal image, the image template, and the construction rules to produce the composite image.

Abstract: Described herein is a method for reject analysis for use in any process where rejects occur. The method comprises using the application of multivariate statistical process control techniques, and allows the rejects from a process to be controlled in a simple and effective manner by deriving the T2 statistic for a series of variables or classification categories that impact reject performance characteristics. The calculated T2 value is compared with a standard value for the particular system. If the value exceeds the critical value , it suggests that there has been a significant change in the typical reject rate compared with the expected situation and therefore appropriate action can be taken to identify the cause of the change and procedures can be put in place to correct the problems, that is, to return the reject rate to the expected position.

Abstract: A method for remotely selecting and ordering photographic prints, includes the steps of: sending a photographic film bearing a plurality of latent images to a photofinisher; developing the photographic film to produce visible images and scanning the visible images to create a digital image file at the photo finisher; producing an index print having a plurality of images from the photographic film along with an index number associated with each image and an order number; sending the index print to a customer; selecting images for which prints are desired from the index print; ordering photographic prints via telephone from the customer's home to the photofinisher, specifying the order number and the index numbers associated with the images for which prints are desired; and making photographic prints of the selected images at the photofinisher and sending the photographic prints to the customer.

Abstract: A wireless control system for use in system having a plurality of periodic noise sources includes an antenna; an RF receiver connected to the antenna for receiving RF noise from an external periodic noise source; a phase synchronization circuit connected to the RF receiver for generating a clock signal that is in phase with the external periodic noise; and a noise source control circuit connected to the phase synchronization circuit for receiving the clock signal and controlling a periodic noise source, whereby the periodic noise sources in the system are synchronized to emit their periodic noise in phase with each other.

Abstract: A mechanical grating device for improving the diffraction efficiency. The mechanical grating device is built on a base having a surface. Above the base a spacer layer, having an upper surface, is provided, and a longitudinal channel is formed in said spacer layer, said channel having a first and second opposing side wall and a bottom. A plurality of spaced apart deformable ribbon elements are disposed parallel to each other. The deformable elements are organized in groups of N elements wherein N is greater than 2. When the device is actuated each of said groups forms a pattern of discrete levels wherein the pattern has n levels wherein n is greater than 2.

Abstract: A method of generating an M-bit grayscale image from an N-bit grayscale image, where 1<M<N, includes the steps of: for each pixel in the N-bit image, determining a threshold, based on the values of neighboring pixels, for generating the most significant bit (MSB) of the M-bit image, and determining thresholds, based on the threshold determined in step i) and the values of surrounding pixels, for each successive less significant bit(s) (LSB) of the M-bit image. The thresholds are used to quantize the pixels in the N-bit image to produce the M-bit image. The resulting M-bit image can be displayed on a multilevel display device for good readability, and the most significant bit of the M-bit image can be archived and printed on a binary printer thereby minimizing long term storage requirements.