Abstract: A compact light weight printhead capable of direct quasi-contact printing includes an OLED—Color Filter structure deposited onto a substrate. The OLED—Color Filter structure includes an OLED structure emitting over a broad range of wavelengths and color filter arrays that selectively transmit radiation in different distinct ranges of wavelengths. The printhead is designed for contact or quasi-contact printing, without additional optical elements. The printhead design ensures that the desired pixel sharpness and reduced crosstalk is achieved.

Abstract: A compact light weight printhead capable of direct quasi-contact printing includes an OLED—Color Filter structure deposited onto a substrate. The OLED—Color Filter structure includes an OLED structure emitting over a broad range of wavelengths and color filter arrays that selectively transmit radiation in different distinct ranges of wavelengths. The printhead is designed for contact or quasi-contact printing, without additional optical elements. The printhead design ensures that the desired pixel sharpness and reduced crosstalk is achieved.

Abstract: A thermal printer is disclosed which includes a plurality of thermal print heads, each of the plurality of thermal print heads being operable to print a distinct one of a plurality of colors. The plurality of thermal print heads may print output at a plurality of spatial resolutions. The thermal printer may include dot size varying means for varying perceived levels of color printed by the thermal printer by varying sizes of dots printed by the plurality of thermal print heads. The printer may perform various image processing steps on an image to be printed, such as tone scale adjustment, thermal history control, and common mode voltage correction, to improve the perceived quality of the printed image. The thermal printer may be incorporated into a digital photo-printing vending machine for printing images provided by a customer.

Abstract: There is described a method for forming lenses having substantially no optical power. The method includes forming, via in situ polymerization, a layer of non-uniform thickness of an optically clear, high scratch-resistant polymeric material on the convex surface of the lens. The lenses provided by the method are characterized by having maximum thickness in the central region of the lens and gradually diminishing thickness radially towards the periphery of the lens.

Abstract: A model of a thermal print head is provided that models the thermal response of thermal print head elements to the provision of energy to the print head elements over time. The thermal print head model generates predictions of the temperature of each of the thermal print head elements at the beginning of each print head cycle based on: (1) the current ambient temperature of the thermal print head, (2) the thermal history of the print head, and (3) the energy history of the print head. The amount of energy to provide to each of the print head elements during a print head cycle to produce a spot having the desired density is calculated based on: (1) the desired density to be produced by the print head element during the print head cycle, and (2) the predicted temperature of the print head element at the beginning of the print head cycle.

Abstract: An apparatus has LCD 13, a photosensitive material holding device that holds photosensitive material 21 on the back of the LCD, first shutter device 20 that can let through and block light from the LCD to the photosensitive material, and second shutter device 19 that blocks infiltration of external light by covering the display surface of the LCD during exposure. In addition, guiding device 18 that conducts the display light of the LCD to the photosensitive material and exposure light source 17 for the LCD also may be installed. Furthermore, apparatuses are disclosed that have a display window in which the LCD can be placed and a device that shields the display window, and support the LCD within a housing such that it rotates freely between a display position in which its display surface faces the display window and an exposure position in which its display surface faces the photosensitive material.

Abstract: A thermal printer is disclosed which includes a plurality of thermal print heads, each of the plurality of thermal print heads being operable to print a distinct one of a plurality of colors. The plurality of thermal print heads may print output at a plurality of spatial resolutions. The thermal printer may include dot size varying means for varying perceived levels of color printed by the thermal printer by varying sizes of dots printed by the plurality of thermal print heads. The printer may perform various image processing steps on an image to be printed, such as tone scale adjustment, thermal history control, and common mode voltage correction, to improve the perceived quality of the printed image. The thermal printer may be incorporated into a digital photo-printing vending machine for printing images provided by a customer.

Abstract: A multicolor imaging system is described wherein at least two, and preferably three, different image-forming layers of a thermal imaging member are addressed at least partially independently by a thermal printhead or printheads from the same surface of the imaging member by controlling the temperature of the thermal printhead(s) and the time thermal energy is applied to the image-forming layers. Each color of the thermal imaging member can be printed alone or in selectable proportion to the other color(s). Novel thermal imaging members are also described.

Abstract: A compact light weight printhead capable of direct quasi-contact printing includes an OLED-Color Filter structure deposited onto a substrate. The OLED-Color Filter structure includes an OLED structure emitting over a broad range of wavelengths and color filter arrays that selectively transmit radiation in different distinct ranges of wavelengths. The printhead is designed for contact or quasi-contact printing, without additional optical elements. The printhead design ensures that the desired pixel sharpness and reduced crosstalk is achieved.

Abstract: A readily portable imaging system for use in the field and, more particularly to an electronic camera and electronic printer housed and readily connectable with respect to each other in the field, and wherein the electronic printer includes a film unit drive assembly that advances the film unit (self-developing type) past a stationary print head for emitting consecutive lines of image data on the film unit to effect progressive exposure on the film unit simultaneously as a fluid spread system spreads the processing fluid over the film unit to effect processing of exposed portions of the film unit.

Abstract: A multicolor imaging system is described wherein at least two, and preferably three, different image-forming layers of a thermal imaging member are addressed at least partially independently by a thermal printhead or printheads from the same surface of the imaging member by controlling the temperature of the thermal printhead(s) and the time thermal energy is applied to the image-forming layers. Each color of the thermal imaging member can be printed alone or in selectable proportion to the other color(s). Novel thermal imaging members are also described.

Abstract: An electronic camera of the present invention includes a paper exit opening for removal of printed paper provided on the upper surface of the case of the camera main body, a protection sheet having a base end fixed to the inside of the paper exit opening, with a free end revertible to a wound-up roll shape retracted inside the case, and capable of being extended by the front end of the printed paper when the printed paper is transported from the case to the outside so that the protection sheet covers the photosensitive surface of the paper, and an open-and-close lid having one end edge axially supported to be rotatable to the case so that the paper exit opening is closed from the outside of the case when the protection sheet is retracted within the case. Further, the protection sheet includes a linking mechanism for linking the protection sheet to the open-and-close lid so that the open-and-close lid is opened or closed interlocked with a movement of the protection sheet.

Abstract: The present invention relates to encoding and decoding of information using materials that are mildly absorbing radiation over a wide range of infrared wavelengths and substantially non-absorbing in the visible wavelengths. Examples of such encoding of information are bar codes and area markings. Information is encoded in markings on a base medium by depositing or intertexturing on the base medium a material where the surface dimensions, thickness and presence of the material contain the encoded information. The encoding utilizes a lower cost, more stable material than a material that is highly absorbing over a range of infrared wavelengths and substantially non-absorbing in the visible wavelengths. However, since the material is mildly absorbing in the infrared range, the signal obtained by reflecting or transmitting infrared radiation from the markings will be less distinct. Thus, inventive methods are needed to ensure that the encoded information can be decoded.

Abstract: A compact light weight printhead capable of direct quasi-contact printing includes an OLED structure disposed on a fiber optic faceplate substrate. The printhead is designed for contact or quasi-contact printing printing. The printhead design ensures that the desired pixel sharpness and reduced crosstalk is achieved. Two possible different arrangements for the printhead are disclosed. One arrangement includes at least one array of OLED elements. Each OLED array in this arrangement includes at least one triplet of OLED elements, and each element in each the triplet is capable of emitting radiation in a distinct wavelength range different from the distinct wavelength range of the other two color filters in the same triplet. In the second arrangement, the printhead includes at least one triplet of arrays of individually addressable Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) elements.

Abstract: There is described a nanoporous receiver element for use in thermal mass transfer imaging applications. The receiver element comprises a substrate carrying an image-receiving layer comprising particulate material and a binder material. The substrate may comprise a material having a compressibility of at least 1% under a pressure of 1 Newton per mm2 (1 MPa). Optionally, there may be provided, between the substrate and the nanoporous receiving layer, a layer having a thickness of less than about 50 &mgr;m which is comprised entirely of a material having a compressibility of less than about 1% under a pressure of 1 MPa. Alternatively, the substrate may comprise only the material having a compressibility of less than about 1% under a pressure of 1 MPa, provided that the thickness of the substrate does not exceed about 50 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A camera and method for image capture at less than a nominal minimum focus distance provide for initiating image capture through a variable aperture at a first aperture size, collecting a predetermined amount of ambient scene light during image capture, initiating closing of the variable aperture, and illuminating a flash unit during closing of the variable aperture at a predetermined restricted second aperture size.

Abstract: There is described a method for forming lenses having substantially no optical power. The method includes forming, via in situ polymerization, a layer of non-uniform thickness of an optically clear, high scratch-resistant polymeric material on the convex surface of the lens. The lenses provided by the method are characterized by having maximum thickness in the central region of the lens and gradually diminishing thickness radially towards the periphery of the lens.

Abstract: A multi-head tandem printer is disclosed which includes an optical encoder or other device mounted on a roller (the “encoder roller”) in contact with the print media. The device and encoder roller serve as a tachometer to measure the media transport speed (referred to herein as the “print speed”). The print heads are arranged so that the unloaded receiver length between two print heads is an integral multiple of the unloaded receiver length transported for each revolution of the encoder roller. In one embodiment, the print heads are arranged so that the inter-head spacing is an integer multiple of the circumference of the encoder roll. Adjustments may be made to the inter-head spacing to take into account factors such as the thickness of the receiver and the curvature at the line of receiver contact with the encoder roll. Such techniques may be employed to reduce the effect of mechanical errors on color registration.

Abstract: There is provided a diagnostic assay system for conducting luminescent reactions that generate luminescent signals and recording the signals on an image recording medium.