Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for processing vector primitives with interleaved frame buffer controllers. Each frame buffer controller includes an edge stepper, a span stepper, and a pixel processor. Each edge stepper provides pixel data for multiple pixels during each clock cycle. Any pixels not in an area of the display assigned to a frame buffer controller are discarded without further processing. Pixels which are in the areas assigned the frame buffer controller are further processed. Additionally, two vectors may be processed simultaneaously by the edge steppers.

Abstract: A spider-diagram type of display is used to compare measured parameter values of a sample of interest with reference values for the parameters. The reference values are derived from measurements on a specified reference set of samples selected from a group of samples for which parameter measurements are available. The derived reference values are represented in the spider diagram by predetermined reference values that together delimit, for example, a circle. The measured parameter values of the sample of interest are scaled before display according to a respective scaling factor determined for each parameter by the ratio of the predetermined and derived reference values for the parameter concerned.

Abstract: A thermal optical switching cell has a channel of either gas or boilable liquid that crosses an optical waveguide at a forty-five degree angle. Two or more appropriately placed heaters use the water/steam/dry states of thermal ink jet technology to quickly insert, or extract, boilable liquid respectively into, or from, the channel. The boilable liquid has an index of refraction close to that of the guide. In the wet state, the channel contains the liquid and nearly all the light of the incoming guide traverses the liquid along the axis of the guide. In the dry state, the channel contains gas. Total internal reflection (TIR) occurs and light is directed at right angles away from the axis of the incoming channel. Adding a second waveguide, perpendicular to, and intersecting the first waveguide at the channel, forms a cross-bar switch. These liquid switching cells toggle between the wet and dry states. No power is required to hold the switch in the most recent state.

Abstract: The ideal source for air-turbulence-corrected distance-measuring interferometry is a single laser that generate overlapping beams at two widely separated wavelengths .lambda..sub.1 and .lambda..sub.2. At least one of the wavelengths, as well as the wavelength ratio, must be known to high degrees of accuracy. Furthermore, at each wavelength, the Iaser should produce a pair of orthogonally polarized frequencies with a frequency splitting that is adjustable over the range of approximately 0.5 MHz to 20 MHz to facilitate AC interferemetric distance measurements with a variety of measurement-mirror velocities.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring the thickness of a film having top and bottom surfaces. The apparatus includes low coherence light source that generates a probe light signal. The film is positioned against a roller having a partially reflecting surface that is positioned at a fixed distance from the film. The probe light signal is applied to the film and is then reflected back through the film by the partially reflecting surface. The light leaving the film is collected to form the input to a receiver that determines the time delay between light reflected from the top and bottom surfaces of the film. The receiver output may also be used to determine the thickness of the various layers in a multi-layer film.

Abstract: Dynamic translation is used during debugging of a computer application process. During runtime, the first application is dynamically translated to produce translated code. Debugging code, such as a conditional breakpoint, may then be added to the translated code.

Abstract: A second feed roller of smaller diameter than a first feed roller is included in a media handling system. A print zone is located adjacent to the second feed roller away from the first feed roller to lower the location of the print zone. During ejection, a pivot mechanism moves from a first position adjacent to the printhead to an intermediary position. This causes arms to extend and rails to retract. The motions then pause and/or reverse, prior to full extension and full retraction. Next, the pivot mechanism moves to a second position causing the arms to fully extend and the rails to fully retract. The varied motion (e.g., pause and/or reversal) assures that the arms push at an edge of the media sheet to reliably move a media sheet into an output tray without the media sheet sailing from the printer.

Abstract: A microcomputer architecture and method allows for high processing speeds. A microprocessor constitutes the central processing unit. The microprocessor comprises an on-chip cache memory and is capable of reading data in a burst mode. The central processing unit and the system memory communicate by way of a high speed host bus. The system memory is comprised of multiple buses and is capable of delivering data to the microprocessor in a burst mode at high speeds. A memory controller addresses data locations within the system memory upon receipt of a first host address from the microprocessor. Accordingly, the microprocessor can access data in the system memory at an extremely fast rate when operating in a burst mode. High speed processing is accomplished without the need for an external cache.

Abstract: A method of automatically optimizing the controllable parameters related to producing printed material on a hardcopy output device is provided, along with a hardcopy output device configured for implementing this method. Users require different types of printed objects to have different characteristics. Specifically, business graphics need to be sharp and vivid, photographic images should look realistic, and text must be black, crisp and clear. By extracting, analyzing and conditioning data generated during a printing stream, the various regions of text, graphics and photographic images on a sheet are distinguished, characterized, and printed with a custom balancing of color pleasing to the human eye for each type of image printed.

Abstract: A set of ink-jet inks and method for reducing bleed are provided in which the ink-jet ink is formulated to comprise at least one dye-based ink-jet ink composition and at least one pigment-based ink-jet ink composition, wherein the dye-based ink-jet ink composition includes at least one cationic surfactant and wherein the pigment-based ink-jet ink composition includes at least one negatively-charged dispersant. Bleed control between the dye-based ink and the pigment-based ink is achieved by the formation of a stable interface formed by the interaction of the negatively-charged dispersant and both the cationic and counterion groups of the cationic surfactant.

Abstract: A structure, guidance, and drive assembly for translation of a robotic picker assembly may comprise a support frame having a front end, a rear end, and two opposed sides. The front and rear ends of the support frame are positioned in parallel, spaced-apart relation to a lateral axis, while the two opposed sides are positioned in parallel, spaced-apart relation to a longitudinal axis, the lateral and longitudinal axes defining a horizontal reference plane. The support frame includes a first elongate bearing surface that is located at about the front end of the support frame. The first elongate bearing surface extends between the two opposed sides of the support frame so that the first elongate bearing surface extends in a direction that is substantially parallel to the lateral axis and lies in a first bearing plane that is substantially parallel to the horizontal reference plane. The support frame also includes a second elongate bearing surface that is located at about the rear end of the support frame.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for compressing data. The apparatus is constructed from a random access memory (RAM). Next, there is an input controller connected to the RAM. A compression unit and decompression unit are connected to the input controller. There is an output controller connected to the compression and decompression units and the RAM. Finally there is a controller connected to the RAM, the input and output controllers.The controller configures the input controller to retrieve input data from the RAM and transfers the retrieved data to an active unit, the active unit being the compression unit for compressing the original data into the compressed data or the decompression unit for decompressing the compressed data into the original data. Under direction of the controller, the output controller retrieves data from the active unit. Data from the output controller may be transferred to the RAM, to a printer, or just counted to determine the size of the data.

Abstract: A highly manufacturable low cost DC-to-DC power converter uses a control circuit constructed from a '555 type timer IC and a precision voltage reference. The output of the '555 timer is used to drive a MOSFET transistor that alternately energizes and de-energizes a primary winding of a transformer, thereby energizing secondary windings of the transformer. The voltage at the secondary windings is rectified and filtered to form the regulated output supply voltages. A feedback control signal is generated based on a difference between a reference voltage and the a regulated output supply voltage. Based on the feedback control signal, a control window is established within the '555 timer that determines the charging and discharging times of a capacitor. Since the charging and discharging times of the capacitor are exponential, changing the feedback control signal changes the control window, which in turn changes the charging time with respect to the discharging time.

Abstract: Powerfail durable non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) testing is provided by using the available NVRAM itself to remember its own state of testing, by sequencing through the testing process, and by carefully placing memory image checksums within the NVRAM. The correctness of the NVRAM image is maintained while each memory word is tested for functional correctness without additional or specialized hardware. NVRAM is manipulated such that it can detect disrupted testing and restore the NVRAM image as it existed prior to the disruption. Specifically, test variables are kept in the NVRAM itself to retain and manipulate (1) a test-status signal indicative of a status of the memory testing process, (2) data from the memory location being tested, (3) an address for the memory location being tested, and (4) checksums for verifying the accuracy of the data after the memory is tested.

Abstract: N-type doping in III-V-nitride semiconductor compounds, i.e. GaN-based compounds such as GaN, AlGaN, AlInN, InGaN, or AlGaInN, can be optimized to improve N-contact electrical resistance, carrier injection, forward voltage, and recombination characteristics without inducing cracking of the device layers. The N-type layer is constructed of sub-layers such that an N-type sub-layer is provided for each desired characteristic or property. The thickness of each sub-layer is carefully selected to avoid material cracking: the higher the required doping, the smaller the corresponding thickness. In illustration, the buffer layer of a light emitting device (LED) has three sub-layers. The first sub-layer is lightly doped to avoid cracking and is grown to the desired thickness for good material quality. The second sub-layer is heavily doped to provide good N-contact and electrical resistivity characteristics and is kept correspondingly as thin as necessary to avoid material cracking.

Abstract: An SEL array having improved optical isolation and heat conduction. The SEL array is constructed from a light generation layer and first and second mirror layers that sandwich the light generation layer. The first mirror and second mirrors reflect light generated in the light generation layer back toward the light generation layer. The first mirror includes a plurality of light isolation regions, each light isolation region extending through the first mirror. The light isolation regions divide the light generation layer into a plurality of light generation regions. Each light generation region corresponds to one of the SELs. Each light isolation region is positioned to prevent light generated in one of the light generation regions from propagating into a neighboring light generation region. In one embodiment of the present invention, the light isolation regions are constructed by providing trenches that extend from the surface of the SEL array through the first mirror.

Abstract: A system and method of correcting aberrations in an output image of an image transfer apparatus, the aberrations being due to variations in a velocity of a scanning surface in the image transfer apparatus. Specifically, laser printer banding effects are reduced by modifying the gray scale dithering concentration based on a sensed variation of drum rotation velocity. A closed loop feedback system monitors errors in the drum motion and compensates the modulation of the laser to help cancel out the perceivable amount of banding effect in the printed image.

Abstract: A multiple-function printing device provides for picking pages from a stack of sheets in a sheet feeder for roller-driven movement along a first path through a printing station to an output stacker, and for picking pages from a stack of documents in a document feeder for roller-driven movement along a second path through a scanning station to the output stacker, with at least a portion of the first and second paths being commonly shared, the scanning station being underneath the commonly shared path, and with common mechanisms including a first pick and second pick for picking from the document and sheet pages, providing roller-driven movement through the processing stations. A media chassis is provided, including an integral platen, with integral spaced side walls which rotatively mount each of picks on and between at least one of the side walls. A prescan drive roller, a fixed deflector and a gear train are attached to a side wall of the chassis, the latter for driving the respective picks.

Abstract: A mirror and lens assembly which selectively places a mirror or other reflective surface into or out of the light path of an optical transducer in an optical data port to redirect incoming and/or outgoing optical signals and thereby permit data transfer from more than one general direction or position.

Abstract: A method and device for tracking relative movement between the device and a region of interest include correlating a reference frame of signals with a subsequently acquired sample frame of signals, with the correlating including generating a correlation output for each of a number of nearest-neighbor shifts of signals of one of the frames. Preferably, the frames are comprised of a two-dimensional array of pixels and the signals are pixel values. The pixels of a frame are operatively associated with photoelements in a two-dimensional array of photoelements, with the pixel values being indicative of light energy received at the photoelements. By correlating the reference frame and the sample frame using the nearest-neighbor approach, it is possible to determine the movement of an imaged feature during the time period between acquisition of the reference frame and acquisition of the sample frame.