Abstract: A method for setting a predetermined head-to-print medium distance without utilizing a media clamp is provided. A print medium support surface has a contact length that is less than the length of the print medium. The distance between the print head and the support surface is set to a minimum. Stationary rollers and arcuate guides direct the print medium between a spacing device and the support surface without utilizing a clamp. A shim is interposed between the spacing device and the print medium to move the print head away from the print medium. The shim is retracted leaving the print head spaced from the print medium by the predetermined head-to-print medium distance.

Abstract: A process motor (82) provides bidirectional motive force to a printer (50) drive train (80) that selectively engages with multiple self-homing printing functions. A print head (52) is tiltable to a maintenance position and a transfer roller (64) is loadable against a transfer drum (54) by respective missing tooth gear (96, 160) latching mechanisms. A print media pick roller (122) and transfer drum maintaining devices (70, 72) are actuated by spring-wrap clutches (114, 236) that are protected from reverse rotation by a one-way clutch (106). Print media transport rollers (140, 142) are selectively engaged with the one-way clutch by an electro-mechanical clutch (128). A picked and transported print medium (56) receives an ink image from the transfer drum and is stripped therefrom by stripper fingers (66) and directed into media exit rollers (212, 220) for delivery to a media output tray (68).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for synchronizing AES digital audio signals for switching clocks each signal into a respective buffer under control of a recovered clock from each signal. A sync detector for each signal identifies a synchronizing symbol and enables the loading of the corresponding buffer starting with the synchronizing symbol. A common clock is applied to all of the buffers starting with a system sync signal to read out all of the buffers simultaneously in synchronization with each other so that when switched, there is no corruption of the output AES digital audio signal that might cause a "pop" to be heard.

Abstract: Pre-oddification of quantized discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients representing video data reduces high frequency noise that accumulates over multiple stages of encoding/decoding due to oddification in the decoders. The quantized DCT coefficients are inverse quantized, and the resulting inverse quantized coefficients are summed. If the sum is even, then the last quantized coefficient ?7,7! is adjusted to reduce high frequency energy accumulation at that coefficient. The last quantized coefficient may be set to zero, or may be incremented/decremented by "1" in the opposite manner than oddification occurs in the decoders. Further the values of a quantization matrix may be set, either manually or automatically as a function of the complexity of the video data, to assure that it is possible for the sum of the inverse quantized coefficients to be odd.

Abstract: A method of automatic measurement of compressed video quality superimposes special markings in the active video region of a subset of contiguous frames within a test video sequence. The special markings provide a temporal reference, a spatial reference, a gain/level reference, a measurement code, a test sequence identifier and/or a prior measurement value. The temporal reference is used by a programmable instrument to extract a processed frame from the test video sequence after compression encoding-decoding which is temporally aligned with a reference frame from the test video sequence. The spatial reference is used by the programmable instrument to spatially align the processed frame to the reference frame. The measurement code is used by the programmable instrument to select the appropriate measurement protocol from among a plurality of measurement protocols.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for applying an intermediate transfer surface, in the form of a liquid layer, on a support surface that may be used in a phase change ink printing system. The apparatus includes an applicator assembly with a leak-free valving system for distributing the liquid layer onto the support surface to produce the intermediate transfer surface and a means for metering the liquid layer uniformly on the support surface. The applicator assembly has a wick contact surface for removing foreign matter from and delivering the liquid onto the support surface. An improved liquid dispensing system is provided to provide the liquid to the wick which becomes saturated and, when brought into contact with the rotatable support surface of a transfer drum, applies the liquid in a layer to the support surface to form a liquid intermediate transfer surface.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for applying an intermediate transfer surface, in the form of a liquid layer, on a support surface as may be used in a phase change ink printing system. The apparatus includes an applicator assembly for distributing the liquid layer onto the support surface to produce the intermediate transfer surface and an apparatus for metering the liquid layer uniformly on the support surface. The applicator assembly has a contact medium for removing foreign matter from and delivering the liquid onto the support surface. Preferably the contact medium is a liquid impregnated web that is periodically incremented to present a clean web surface in contact with the support surface. The metering apparatus is a hydrodynamic blade that uniformly distributes the liquid intermediate transfer layer over the support surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides a video editing system that provides dynamic synchronization of recorded video elements of a presentation with a script text that is to be read by an announcer or displayed while the video element is played. The editing system includes a word processor whereby the script text may be created and edited in a text window on the editing system display. Raw video clips, from video sources connected to the editing system, may be selected and previewed in a video window on the editing system display. Selected video clips are linked to the script text by embedding edit link control sequences into the text at selected points. The control sequences in the script text are linked through a link table to edits in an edit decision list (EDL) that define the video clips that are to be synchronized to the script text.

Abstract: A differential attenuator is described that is capable of automatic calibration using electronically adjustable circuit elements. The differential attenuator has positive and negative inputs and outputs. A resistor and capacitor couple the positive side input and output, while a matching resistor and capacitor couple the negative side input and output. Shunt resistors and shunt capacitors coupled to the positive and negative outputs are augmented and made electronically adjustable by multipliers having their signal inputs coupled to the respective side output nodes. The outputs of one set of multipliers are coupled to the other ends of the shunt resistors, while their multiplication coefficients are controlled by a dc.sub.-- control signal. The outputs of another set of multipliers are capacitively coupled back to their respective side output nodes, while their multiplication coefficients are controlled by an ac.sub.-- control signal.

Abstract: A method for evaluating an electrical signal is disclosed. This method is especially useful for evaluating analog signals within an integrated circuit or other inaccessible location. A reference histogram is derived from either a simulation of a desired waveform or from sampling a desired waveform signal. This reference histogram is subtracted from a test results histogram to produce a variance histogram. The variance histogram can be further evaluated to determine characteristics of the electrical signal under test and/or to produce a figure of merit for the circuitry producing the signal under evaluation. Before the difference between the test results histogram and the reference histogram is taken, normalization, offset calculation, gain adjustment, and noise floor adjustment may be performed on the test results histogram, and these values may be exported to further aid in characterization of the signal under evaluation.

Abstract: An injector/ejector mechanism with a lever pivotally connected to a module faceplate to pivot about a pivot axis. The lever has a handle extending away from the faceplate, and a latch portion extending away from the faceplate in a direction opposite the handle portion. The latch portion includes a first tooth and a second tooth, the first tooth being positioned farther from the faceplate than is the second tooth, The lever is movable between a first position in which the first tooth extends laterally from the pivot axis by a limited first amount, and a second position in which the first tooth extends laterally from the pivot axis by a greater second amount, and the lever is spring biased toward the first position.

Abstract: An enhanced video data compressor has a composite video signal decoder that changes the state of a field identification signal in response to a vertical interval indicator in composite video data which is in a digital video format. Thereafter a vertical timing pulse is generated to prepare a compression encoder to acquire data. By counting lines from the vertical timing pulse the decoder sets a horizontal timing signal at a one macroblock line interval prior to active video data so that the compression encoder acquires video data from the vertical interval as well as active video data. At the end of each field the acquired data is processed by the compression encoder to produce compressed video data.

Abstract: A variable coefficient, non-separable spatio-temporal interpolation filter is used to deinterlace an interlaced video signal to produce a progressive video signal. The interlaced video signal is input to a video memory which in turn provides a reference and plurality of offset video signals representing the pixel being interpolated and spatially and temporally neighboring pixels. A coefficient index, transmitted with the interlaced video as an auxiliary signal, or derived from motion vectors transmitted with the interlaced video, or derived directly from the interlaced video signal, is applied to a coefficient memory to select a set of filter coefficients. The reference and offset video signals are weighted together with the filter coefficients in the spatio-temporal interpolation filter, such as a FIR filter, to produce an interpolated video signal.

Abstract: A ferroelectric relaxor ceramic actuator material, such as lead magnesium niobate ("PMN"), has high electromechanical conversion efficiency, exhibits wide operating and manufacturing temperature ranges, does not require permanent polarization, and provides useful mechanical activity with reduced electrical drive voltages. A PMN actuator (66) may be bonded to an actuator diaphragm (64) with a high temperature soldering or brazing process. PMN material also has a diffuse Curie point range in which the dielectric constant (40), "d" coefficient (32), and dielectric loss (42) characteristics all rise to a peak and then fall as the temperature increases. A phase-change ink-jet print head (50) employs a PMN actuator that is compounded with lead titanate ("PT") to increase the temperature (T.sub.M) at which the peak dielectric constant occurs.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for processing an image transparency entails the application of an intermediate transfer surface of a layer of sacrificial liquid to a supporting surface and the deposition of a phase change ink onto the liquid layer. The inked image is then contact transferred to an optically transmissive final receiving substrate, such as a plastic transparency.

Abstract: A constant luminance corrector for a television system determines brightness information that is discarded in the chrominance channels of an encoder, and adds it to the luminance channel of the encoder. Gamma-corrected luminance and chrominance component signals from a video source, such as a video camera, video tape recorder or the like, are input to the encoder which outputs an encoded luminance component signal and an encoded chrominance component signal that are combined to form a composite signal. The gamma-corrected component signals also are input to a luminance predictor circuit, or alternatively in lieu of the gamma-corrected chrominance component signals a coded chrominance signal and a discarded chrominance signal from the encoder may be input to the luminance predictor circuit. Likewise the encoded luminance component signal may be input to the luminance predictor circuit in lieu of the gamma-corrected luminance component signal.

Abstract: An improved solid ink stick melt plate design is provided for a solid ink color printer which reliability melts solid ink sticks on demand fed from an ink stick loading bin to ink stick melt plates. The melt plates guide the molten ink into individual color ink reservoirs in the printer print head. The improved melt plate design employs a positive temperature coefficient resistor to prevent the melt plate temperature from becoming too high when not in contact with an ink stick.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a plastic shell by providing a printed applique having a central portion with a peripheral skirt portion having an edge, then inserting the applique into the recess on a first side of a mold. The skirt of the applique has a length greater than the depth of the recess, so that the edge of the skirt extends beyond the parting line. The second side of the mold is closed to enclose the recess, and has a second recess that receives the edge of the skirt on the second side of the parting line. Plastic material is injected into the closed mold pressing the applique against the first side, and providing a bezel with an applique that covers the exterior of the front portion, and which extends to cover the skirts beyond the parting line.

Abstract: A refractory compound coating (188) for electrodes is sputter resistant, has a low work function so that it is a good emitter of secondary electrons, is very resistant to oxidation, and is easy to apply by way of electrophoresis. More specifically, cathode electrodes (162) are used in a plasma addressing structure (10). The coating is preferably formed by electrophoretic deposition of particles (184) of at least one refractory compound along with a frit. The coating is subsequently baked to fuse the frit and bond the electrophoretically deposited particles to the electrodes.

Abstract: Resins and waxes made by reacting selected nucleophiles, including alcohols and/or amines, with an isocyanate are disclosed. The order of addition of the isocyanate and the different nucleophiles can tailor the distribution of di-urethane, mixed urethane/urea, and/or di-urea molecules in the final resin product. The isocyanate-derived resin and wax materials are useful as ingredients as phase change ink carrier compositions used to make phase change ink jet inks.