Patents Assigned to Agfa-Gevaert N.V.
  • Publication number: 20050258343
    Abstract: A suppression signal representing the periodic variation of a digital signal is separated into separation signals containing values of equal phase. The separations signals are subjected to high frequency attenuating filtering before being recomposed into a corrected suppression signal which is used for correcting the digital signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2005
    Publication date: November 24, 2005
    Applicant: AGFA-GEVAERT N.V.
    Inventors: Pieter Vuylsteke, Gert Behiels
  • Publication number: 20050259882
    Abstract: A method of mapping geometrical objects to a digital image. At least one anchor point in a model is selected and mapped to the digital image. A geometric transformation is computed on the basis of at least one correspondence between an anchor object and a corresponding mapped object, and the calculated geometric transformation is applied to at least one geometric object thereby mapping it from the model image to a corresponding mapped position in the digital image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2005
    Publication date: November 24, 2005
    Applicant: Agfa-Gevaert N.V.
    Inventor: Piet Dewaele
  • Publication number: 20050255415
    Abstract: A substantially light-insensitive black and white monosheet thermographic recording material comprising a support and a thermosensitive element, said thermosensitive element containing a substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt, an organic reducing agent therefor in thermal working relationship therewith, at least one binder and at least one stabilizer represented by formula (I): wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 are independently selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, halogen atoms and aliphatic, alkoxy, nitro, acyl, sulfonyl, nitrile, alkaryl, aryl, amino, thioalkyl, aldehyde, urea, —O—(C?O)-alkyl, —O—(C?O)-aryl, —O—(C?O)—O-alkyl, —O—(C?O)—O-aryl, —NH—(C?O)-alkyl, —NH—(C?O)-aryl, —(C?O)—NH-alkyl, —(C?O)—NH-aryl, —NH—(SO2)-alkyl, —NH—(SO2)-aryl, —(SO2)—NH-alkyl, —(SO2)—NH-aryl groups; X is represented by -A(-M)n or is selected from the group consisting of substituted aliphatic groups, unsubstituted aliphatic groups, substituted cycloaliphatic groups, unsubstituted cycloaliphatic group
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2005
    Publication date: November 17, 2005
    Applicant: Agfa-Gevaert N.V.
    Inventors: Frank Louwet, Johan Loccufier
  • Publication number: 20050250869
    Abstract: A radiation-curable ink-jet black ink comprising a black pigment, at least one colour pigment and at least one radiation-curable compound is disclosed. An ink-jet set comprising the radiation-curable ink-jet black ink and a process for printing with such an ink-jet ink set are disclosed. Image quality defects of noticeable chromatic variation in adjacent print patches of bi-directional printing are eliminated and reduced ink consumption is observed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2005
    Publication date: November 10, 2005
    Applicant: Agfa-Gevaert N.V.
    Inventors: Roland Claes, Geert Deroover, Frank De Voeght
  • Publication number: 20050247235
    Abstract: A multi-density ink-jet ink set comprising two black ink compositions and at least three colour inks, wherein the first black ink composition has a lightness L* in the range of 35 to 65 as calculated from the spectral transmittance of a 1000-fold dilution of the first black ink composition, and the second black ink composition has an lightness L* value in the range of 70 to 100 as calculated from the spectral transmittance of a 1000-fold dilution of the second black ink composition. A method for ink-jet printing is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2005
    Publication date: November 10, 2005
    Applicant: Agfa-Gevaert N.V.
    Inventors: Frank Voeght, Marc Mahy, Geert Deroover, Roland Claes
  • Patent number: 6962400
    Abstract: Printing masters are produced by use of an inkjet printing system. The smallest halftone dot size which can be printed by the inkjet printing system is larger than the size of a pixel of the recording grid defined by the addressability of the printing device. The error diffusion algorithm is especially adapted to make use of the high addressability of the recording system. Using a sub-dot phase modulated error diffusion halftoning algorithm allows for the distance between the halftone dots to be modulated in much smaller increments than the size of the halftone dots themselves. Results can be further improved by dynamically influencing the threshold value in the error diffusion algorithm in accordance with previous output quantisation determinations. Variable coverage percentage of the pixels can be taken into account. The method can be extended to multilevel systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Agfa Gevaert N.V.
    Inventors: Luc Minnebo, Koen Vande Velde, Paul Delabastita
  • Publication number: 20050235854
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for accurate reproduction of high-quality halftone images comprising microdots by means of lithographic plate materials which comprise a heat-sensitive positive-working coating that requires wet processing. Such microdots have a dot size ?25 ?m and may be obtained by stochastic screening or by amplitude-modulated screening at a ruling of not less than 150 lpi. It has been established that the “physical right exposure energy density” (physical REED) lies in the range from CP to 1.5*CP, wherein the physical REED is defined as the energy density at which the physical area on the plate, occupied by a microdot corresponding to a 50% halftone in the image data, coincides with the 50% target value; and wherein CP is the clearing point of the plate which is defined as the minimum energy density that is required to obtain, after processing, a dissolution of 95% of the coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Applicant: AGFA-GEVAERT N.V.
    Inventors: Joan Vermeersch, Wim Sap, Marc Damme
  • Publication number: 20050235852
    Abstract: An offset printing process comprising the steps of: applying a hydrophilic phase to a printing plate with an oleophilic phase, the hydrophilic phase comprising at least one moiety having at least colouring, pH-indicating, whitening, fluorescent, phosphorescent, X-ray phosphor or conductive properties, and applying the hydrophilic phase applied to the printing plate to a receiving medium thereby realizing a functional pattern of the at least one moiety having at least colouring, pH-indicating, whitening, fluorescent, phosphorescent, X-ray phosphor or conductive properties on the receiving medium, wherein the oleophilic and hydrophilic phases are either applied separately from an ink and a fountain medium or are applied together in the form of a single fluid ink, the single fluid ink consisting of a dispersing phase and a dispersed phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2005
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Applicant: Agfa-Gevaert N.V.
    Inventors: Luc Leenders, Eddie Daems
  • Publication number: 20050238994
    Abstract: A negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor is disclosed comprising on a support having a hydrophilic surface or which is provided with a hydrophilic layer, a coating comprising an infrared absorbing agent, a first layer comprising an aqueous dispersion comprising hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles and a first hydrophobic binder, and a second layer located between said first layer and said support which comprises a second hydrophobic binder, characterized in that said first hydrophobic binder is a phenolic resin and said second hydrophobic binder is a polymer comprising at least one sulphonamide group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2005
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Applicant: AGFA-GEVAERT N.V.
    Inventors: Joan Vermeersch, Marc Van Damme
  • Patent number: 6957882
    Abstract: An ink tank and a print head are mounted on a carriage for supplying ink to an inkjet print. The ink tank includes: one or more ink chambers, where each of the ink chambers includes one or more functional elements (1) symmetrically arranged, mounted and centered about a center plane of the respective ink chamber, and (2) positioned perpendicular to a direction of movement of the carriage. The functional elements include, for example, a feed outlet for feeding ink to the print head, a supply inlet for supplying ink to the ink chamber, an ink movement damper, an ink level sensor, a vacuum inlet to extract air from the ink chamber, and a re-flow inlet to allow re-flow of air bubbles from the print head to the ink chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: Agfa Gevaert N. V.
    Inventors: Paul Wouters, Bart Verhoest
  • Patent number: 6956667
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for merging page elements according to a layout signal into one page for reproduction on a reproduction device. The page elements are segmented into smaller area tiles before storage stored into memory. Data from the page elements includes metadata describing the position into the memory of the sub-elements of the page element. Due to the used format for the page elements, data needed during merging can be retrieved, decompressed an processed quickly so merging can be done in real time during printing. The format used for the area tiles enables easy and fast execution of various image operations such as mirroring, rotation, etc . . . Complexity data can be incorporated into the page element data, giving information about the amount of processing required to execute the merging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignees: Agfa Gevaert N. V., Xeikon N.V.
    Inventors: Marc Delhoune, Veerle Dieltjens, Dominique Suys, Roger Baeten
  • Publication number: 20050219346
    Abstract: Method of generating a sharpened image in a thermal printer having an internal thermal model module that converts input values into power values for each element of a thermal head and for each printing cycle. Input values to be fed into the internal thermal model are obtained by mathematically simulating the behaviour of the printer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2005
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Applicant: AGFA-GEVAERT N.V.
    Inventor: Bruno Uffel
  • Publication number: 20050195419
    Abstract: Printing method wherein more than one logical printer is defined and wherein for a print job defined by a modality for a specific logical printer an associated set of pre-defined print characteristics and/or a predefined decision profile e.g. defining a back up printer, is selected and applied when performing the print job.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2005
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Applicant: AGFA-GEVAERT N.V.
    Inventor: Tytgat Bart
  • Patent number: 6927404
    Abstract: A radiation image storage panel. The panel has a supported layer of storage phosphor particles dispersed in a binding medium, and adjacent thereto, between the layer and a support having reflective properties, a layer arrangement of intermediate layers inbetween the layer and the support. The layer arrangement consists of an antihalation undercoat layer containing one or more dye(s), the layer being situated more close to the support, and an adhesion improving layer situated more close to the layer of storage phosphor particles, and wherein the adhesion improving layer is hardened to a lesser extent than the antihalation undercoat layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: AGFA-Gevaert N.V.
    Inventors: Rudi Van den Bergh, Thomas Cabes
  • Patent number: 6911081
    Abstract: Optionally doped nanoparticle dispersions of metal chalcogenides are prepared by a precipitation step in aqueous medium, followed by a diafiltration or ultrafiltration step in the presence of a compound capable of preventing agglomeration of said metal chalcogenide nanoparticles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Agfa-Gevaert N.V.
    Inventor: Hieronymus Andriessen
  • Publication number: 20050053871
    Abstract: A substantially light-insensitive monosheet thermographic recording material comprising a support and on one side of said support a thermosensitive element, wherein said thermographic recording material contains at least one compound represented by formula (I): wherein M is hydrogen, an alkali atom or an ammonium group; R1 is an alkyl, alkenyl-, alkynyl-, thioalkyl-, thioalkenyl- or thioalkynyl-group in which the alkyl-, alkenyl- or alkynyl-group has 6 to 25 carbon atoms; X is —O—, —S— or —N(R2)—; and R2 is hydrogen, a —(CH2)mSO3M group or a group; and m is an integer between 1 and 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2003
    Publication date: March 10, 2005
    Applicant: Agfa-Gevaert N.V.
    Inventors: Geert Defieuw, Johan Loccufier, Luc Van Steen, Etienne Van Thillo
  • Publication number: 20050048420
    Abstract: A bundle for simultaneous refilling of chemicals for processing colour photography silver halide materials in an automatic processing apparatus, wherein the bundle comprises at least one bottle with the refilling solution for a colour developer and at least two bottles with refilling solutions for a bleach-fixing bath, characterized in that the bottle with the refilling solution for the colour developer comprises more than 60 g of colour developer substance per 1 L of bottle volume, is distinguished in that the capacity of the bundle is increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2004
    Publication date: March 3, 2005
    Applicant: Agfa-Gevaert N.V.
    Inventor: Ralf Wichmann
  • Publication number: 20050032005
    Abstract: A colour photographic recording material having a support, at least two blue-sensitive, yellow coupler-containing silver halide emulsion layers of differing photographic sensitivity, at least two green-sensitive, magenta coupler-containing silver halide emulsion layers of differing photographic sensitivity and at least two red-sensitive, cyan coupler-containing silver halide emulsion layers of differing photographic sensitivity, characterised in that the silver application rate is less than 3.2 g of silver per m2, camera sensitivity is at least ISO 100 and wherein, when an exposure is made of a grey card of density 0.6 with fluorescent light of light colour 21, the recording material gives rise to a hue on the print which, in CIELab values, meets the conditions a>0 and 0<b<30, if the photograph exposed with daylight is at a=b=0 with the same print filter pack, is distinguished by improved colour reproduction and in particular by a reduced green cast on exposure with fluorescent light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2004
    Publication date: February 10, 2005
    Applicant: Agfa-Gevaert N.V.
    Inventors: Peter Bell, Thomas Stetzer, Klaus Wagner
  • Patent number: 6802991
    Abstract: A CsX:Eu phosphor produced by heating a cesium halide with a Europium compound containing one or more halides selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br and I. Preferably the Europium compound is selected from the group consisting of EuX′2, and EuX′3 and EuX′, X′ being one or more halides selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br and I. The invention also includes novel phosphors having properties inherent to the manufacturing process as well as other phosphors containing a mixture of Br and Cl in the cesium halide, europium doped phosphor. A method for preparing a binderless phosphor screen using these phosphors and a method for recording and reproducing an X-ray image using such screens are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignees: Symyx Technologies, Inc., AGFA-Gevaert, N.V.
    Inventors: Martin Devenney, Casper Reaves, Paul Leblans, Luc Struye
  • Patent number: 6800709
    Abstract: A method has been described of preparing monodisperse polymer particles by free radical polymerization or copolymerization of hydrophobic monomers in a water-based system in the presence of cyclodextrin, characterized in that said free radical polymerization is performed with semi-continuous addition of monomer, wherein said monomer is absent before initiating polymerization, and in that a total solid contents of less than 30% by weight is present in said water-based system, in order to provide monodisperse polymer particles which are very suitable for use in many applications as e.g. in inks or toners, in photonic crystal films, in thermal printing plates for computer-to-plate or computer-to-press applications, in inkjet media, in displays, in photographic films, or as a spacing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: AGFA-Gevaert N.V.
    Inventors: Huub Van Aert, Joachim Storsberg, Helmut Ritter, Christiaan Van Roost