Abstract: The image processing apparatus includes a combining module that respectively combine a plurality of first patterns and a plurality of second patterns each corresponding to the first patterns. Respective densities of the first patterns are different from each other. At least one of the second patterns include a plurality of regions where respective coverages are different in a main scanning direction.

Abstract: A method monitors an electric current supplied to an electrostatic brush within a printing device. The electrostatic brush contacts and cleans a photoreceptor surface within the printing device. The method records a current spike pattern of when the electric current exceeds a first current threshold during the monitoring; however, the method will stop operations of the printing device if the electric current exceeds a second current threshold that is greater than the first current threshold. Further, the method can determine whether a scratch is present on the photoreceptor surface based on the current spike pattern.

Abstract: A system to combine the transfer and fixing xerographic steps of a xerographic printer into one, as well as to eliminate the need for an electrical field for transfer. The image is transfixed directly from a photoconductor to the paper or other suitable substrate. Appropriate pressure is applied during this step to cold-pressure fix the toner on the paper, taking into account the type of substrate and type of toner. The cold pressure transfix can be done either directly from a photoreceptor, without an intermediate transfer belt (ITB), eliminating all electrostatic transfer subsystems and a fusing operation. Alternatively, for engines with an intermediate transfer belt (ITB), the cold pressure transfix could replace a needed second transfer and fuser system.

Abstract: Microfluidic devices are prepared by providing a substrate material having a solid adhesive thin sheet, printing solid ink on the substrate using a conventional printer, selectively etching the substrate using a wax masking layer to obtain a desired pattern, removing the masking layer from the substrate, aligning and bonding together the pattern of the substrate to a pattern of a second substrate to form a layer of substrates, and curing the layer of substrates to result in a three-dimensional microfluidic device.

Abstract: A method for treating a carbon allotrope including providing a carbon allotrope selected from the group consisting of carbon black, amorphous carbon, glassy carbon, graphite, graphene, fullerenes, or a mixture thereof; surface treating the carbon allotrope by coupling the carbon allotrope with a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane. Also described is a surface treated carbon allotrope having a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane coupled to the surface of the carbon allotrope. Also described is a coating composite for imaging components including a film forming resin; and a plurality of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane surface treated carbon allotrope particles substantially uniformly dispersed in the film forming resin, and imaging components including the coating composite.

Abstract: A liquid supply controller includes a liquid circulation controller that includes supply and recovery units of a liquid droplet discharge unit, and that circulates liquid according to a differential pressure between the supply unit and the recovery unit, a back pressure setting unit that sets a back pressure that is a discharge pressure based on supply and recovery pressures set by the liquid circulation controller, a circulation amount obtaining unit that obtains a flow rate of the liquid circulated; a judging unit that judges whether or not the obtained flow rate is a proper value, and a differential pressure adjusting unit that adjusts the differential pressure while maintaining the back pressure within an allowable range when it is judged that the flow rate is not the proper value.

Abstract: Described herein is an intermediate transfer member that includes a layer of phenoxy resin having dispersed therein conductive particles.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically classifying a product description into a product type based on a classification system is disclosed. Real product descriptions representing a given product type can be compared with a pre-defined set of characteristics that are relevant to the classification system. The relevant information regarding the classification system is extracted from each of the real product descriptions. The extracted information can then be coalesced and transformed into a new set of classification rules for a new product type. The new classification rules can be used to automatically classify the product descriptions that represent the new product type. The classification system can be a rule based classification system and/or semantic web classification system.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides processes for reducing the particle size of latex resins and toners produced with such resins. In embodiments, a gel latex may be formed as a seed particle and then utilized to form latex resins and toner particles. In accordance with the present disclosure, one may be able to utilize materials for the production of latex resins and toners which may otherwise produce particles that are too large in the absence of the gel latex.

Abstract: Operations for weighted and non-weighted multi-tape automata are described for use in natural language processing tasks such as morphological analysis, disambiguation, and entity extraction.

Abstract: A heater for use in a phase change ink printhead reservoir is provided that includes a first insulating layer having at least one ink supply path opening, and a second insulating layer having at least one ink supply path opening that aligns with the at least one ink supply path opening in the first insulating layer. The heater includes a resistance heating trace arranged in a serpentine pattern between the first and the second insulating layers. The resistance heating trace is configured to receive electric current and to convert the electric current to heat. The resistance heating trace includes a trace ring for each ink supply path opening in the first and second insulating layers that forms a continuous perimeter around the corresponding ink supply path opening.

Abstract: A method and a system for forming an inset image are disclosed. The method includes identifying a region of interest in an original image. An inset is generated, based on the region of interest. A region of low interest is identified in the original image. The inset is applied to the region of low interest to form an inset image. The region of interest is scaled differently from the inset in the inset image. The method can proceed automatically or substantially automatically, without the need for significant user input.

Abstract: An apparatus indicates a temperature of an object. The apparatus includes a porous substrate, a mirror image of a first image pattern printed with a first phase-change ink having a first phase change temperature on a first side of the porous substrate, and an adhesive layer applied to the first side of the porous substrate to enable the porous substrate to be affixed to an object.

Abstract: A coloring material recording device comprises a plurality of image recording elements and a control unit. The plurality of image recording elements record with a plurality of coloring materials on a recording medium and form an image, and one of the plurality of image recording elements is provided for each of the coloring materials. The control unit controls the plurality of image recording elements such that detection images of at least two coloring materials of the plurality of coloring materials overlap each other on the recording medium.

Abstract: A method of performing maintenance on a printhead of an imaging device includes the application of a purge pressure to ink in an on-board reservoir of the printhead to cause ink to be burped through a plurality of apertures in an aperture plate of the printhead. A wiper blade is then dabbed on the aperture plate at least once after the application of the purge pressure. After the dabbing, the wiper blade is drawn across the aperture plate. The wiper blade is then dabbed against the dabbing position at least once after wiping the aperture plate.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning blade that contacts an image carrier and cleans residual toner remaining on the image carrier; a toner pool forming member that is disposed on an upstream side of the cleaning blade in a rotational direction of the image carrier, collects the residual toner that has been cleaned, and forms a toner pool that contacts the cleaning blade and the image carrier; and a toner amount adjusting component that makes the pressure of the residual toner that acts on the image carrier substantially uniform across an axis-of-rotation direction of the image carrier by adjusting the amount of the residual toner in the toner pool in the axis-of-rotation direction of the image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a main body; an opening and closing unit disposed so as to be openable and closable for the main body; a fixing unit fixing the opening and closing unit to the main body; a structure including a component for realizing an image forming function and/or a transfer medium-conveying function, the structure being supported movably for the main body; a bias unit disposed between the opening and closing unit and the structure, the bias unit biasing the structure so as to be pushed to a member mounted within the main body; a constraining unit constraining the opening and closing unit and the structure against a bias force of the biasing unit when the fixing unit does not fix the opening and closing unit; and a releasing unit releasing the opening and closing unit and the structure from being constrained when the fixing unit fixes the opening and closing unit.

Abstract: Methods and planning systems used to schedule gain matrices for process control loops and determine optimal values for manipulated variables according to a minimum cost function. A cost function is calculated for each of a predetermined number of plans as a sum of partial cost functions calculated over a predetermined number of projections in a horizon. Each partial cost function after the initial projection of a plan is calculated using a scheduled gain matrix. The gain matrix can be scheduled for each projection by selection from a predetermined set of gain matrices or can be calculated in real time during the calculation for each projection.

Abstract: A automated method, system and computer program for ordering print products by electronic mail. An e-mail request for business cards or other print products, such as postcards or calendars, is generated by a user of an e-mail system and sent to a management system including a management program which, in response, causes the system to selectively retrieve additional information associated with the e-mail request from one or more databases. The management system then prepares the business card order, or other print product order, using the retrieved information. The databases may be internet accessible directory services or other types of databases which the management system can look up using the originating e-mail address contained in the e-mail request in order to retrieve the additional information. The print product order can be prepared by importing the additional information, such as print product, shipping, billing and/or approval information, into one or more templates.

Abstract: A transport device includes a feed unit that feeds transport subjects being loaded in a loading portion one by one in a transport direction, a protrusion amount detection unit that detects a protrusion amount of the transport subjects from the loading portion in the transport direction and an overlap feed sign detection unit that detects a sign of occurrence of overlap feed of the transport subjects based on a detection result of the protrusion amount.