Abstract: A virtual authentication proxy server includes an authentication request acceptance unit, a terminal authentication program transmission unit and an authentication result transmission unit. When an application server which cannot use an authentication server accepts a user ID and a password together with a use request from a terminal, the authentication request acceptance unit accepts the authentication request. The terminal authentication program transmission unit transmits a terminal authentication program to a terminal device. The authentication result transmission unit causes the terminal device to execute the terminal authentication program so as to cause the authentication server to execute authentication. The authentication result transmission unit receives the received authentication result from the terminal device and transmits the authentication result to the application server.

Abstract: An electronic device, such as a thin-film transistor, includes a substrate and a dielectric layer formed from a dielectric composition. The dielectric composition includes a dielectric material, a crosslinking agent, and an infrared absorbing agent. In particular embodiments, the dielectric material comprises a lower-k dielectric material and a higher-k dielectric polymer. When deposited, the lower-k dielectric material and the higher-k dielectric material form separate phases. The infrared absorbing agent allows the dielectric composition to attain a temperature that is significantly greater than the temperature attained by the substrate during curing. This difference in temperature allows the dielectric layer to be cured at relatively high temperatures and/or shorter time periods, permitting the selection of lower-cost substrate materials that would otherwise be deformed by the curing of the dielectric layer.

Abstract: This invention provides an effective and inexpensive stacker tray assembly apparatus and method for determining an elevator stacker tray location in the assembly. A sensor is attached to the stacker tray so that it is in sensing proximity to a continuous variable slanted shape marker. The marker has measurables therein where the measurables decrease in measurement as they proceed from a bottom of the marker to an upper portion of the marker. The sensor is substantially shorter than a length of the movable elevator stacker tray travel.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide for a symmetric homomorphic encryption based protocol supporting communication, storage, retrieval, and computation on encrypted data stored off-site. The system may include a private, trusted network which uses aggregators to encrypt raw data that is sent to a third party for storage and processing, including computations that can be performed on the encrypted data. A client on a private or public network may request computations on the encrypted data, and the results may then be sent to the client for decryption or further computations. The third party aids in computation of statistical information and logical queries on the encrypted data, but is not able to decrypt the data on its own. The protocol provides a means for a third party to aid in computations on sensitive data without learning anything about those data values.

Abstract: An imaging device includes a photoconductor, a charging device that charges a photosensitive surface of the photoconductor by a charging member, an optical writing device that forms an electrostatic latent image by irradiating the charged photosensitive surface with light emitted from a light emitting portion, a developing device that develops the image by a developing member, and a support member that rotatably supports the photoconductor and supports the optical writing device at a distance from the photosensitive surface. The charging member and the developing member are provided closer to the optical writing device than a line extending orthogonally to an emitting direction of the light and passing through a center point of a shaft of the photoconductor. An application direction of a pressure to be applied to each of the charging member and the developing member intersects the emitting direction of the light at an acute angle.

Abstract: A system and method of localizing elements (shared devices and/or their users) in a device infrastructure, such as a printing network, are provided. The method includes mapping a structure in which the elements of a device infrastructure are located, the elements comprising shared devices and users of the shared devices. Probable locations of fewer than all of the elements in the structure are mapped, with at least some of the elements being initially assigned to an unknown location. Usage logs for a plurality of the shared devices are acquired. The acquired usage log for each device includes a user identifier for each of a set of uses of the device, each of the uses being initiated from a respective location within the mapped structure by one of the users. Based on the acquired usage logs and the input probable locations of some of the elements, locations of at least some of the elements initially assigned to an unknown location are predicted.

Abstract: A system and method for prioritizing components is provided. Components, including at least one requester components and at least two service components are maintained. The components each include a historical context and access information. The requester component requests the historical contexts associated with one or more of the service components. The one or more service components are filtered to determine which of the one or more service components are accessible to the requester component using the access information. The accessible service components for the requester component are prioritized based on the associated historical contexts.

Abstract: Curable, phase-change compositions and inks used for printing three-dimensional objects including a curable monomer, a photoinitiator, a wax and a gellant, where the composition of the cured formulation has a room temperature modulus of from about 0.01 to about 5 Gpa. The curable monomer includes acrylic monomer, polybutadiene adducted with maleic anhydride, aliphatic urethane acrylate, polyester acrylate, 3-acryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, or acryloxypropyl t-structured siloxane.

Abstract: A method for a dynamically configurable imaging process, including: inputting, using a graphical user interface for at least one first specially programmed computer, computer instructions for executing at least one image processing task; creating template type information using the computer instructions and a first processor for the first computer, the template type information in a database; retrieving, using a second processor for at least one second specially programmed computer, the template type information from the database; inserting, using the second processor, the template type information into a service flow for a first imaging process; and executing, using the second processor, the template type information such that the computer instructions for the at least one image processing task are implemented as part of the service flow for the first imaging process.

Abstract: An insulation container has an insulation material, a filter arranged to encase the insulation material, the filter of a material that prevents escape of the insulation material while allowing air to pass through, and a container arranged to encase the filter, the container being heat sealable. A printer has an ink supply, a print head arranged to receive ink from the ink supply and configured to receive electrical signals from a controller and to dispense ink in accordance with the electrical signals onto a print substrate, and an insulator to absorb heat from the print head.

Abstract: Methods of leveling ink on substrates and apparatuses useful in printing are provided. An exemplary embodiment of the methods includes irradiating ink disposed on a surface of a porous substrate with radiation emitted by at least one radiant energy source. The radiation heats the ink to at least a viscosity threshold temperature of the ink to allow the ink to flow laterally on the surface to produce leveling of the ink. The ink is heated sufficiently rapidly that heat transfer from the ink to the substrate is sufficiently small during the leveling that ink at the substrate interface is cooled to a temperature below the viscosity threshold temperature thereby preventing any significant ink permeation into the substrate.

Abstract: According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided methods and apparatus for sensing the movement of a moving surface by utilizing a plurality of reference patterns positioned on the surface, using the precision of the ROS Start of Scan Clock, and the uses of encoder and MOB sensors. The plurality of reference patterns are placed a known number of scanlines apart. The MOB sensor and encoder measure the distance between reference patterns. Increase accuracy is achieved by sampling the encoder signal with the ROS Master Clock and calculating a fractional encoder count at the first and last encoder counts of the measurement. The use of fractional encoder counts provides a speed measurement with greater tolerance for variations in encoder dimensions and belt thickness.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a latent image forming unit scanning and exposing an image carrier according to image data, to form a latent image; a transfer body on which a toner image is transferred and a reference index for setting an output start time point of the image data is formed; a detecting unit facing the reference index and outputting a detection signal changing in accordance with passing of the reference index; and a controller controlling the output start time point with the detection signal. The controller starts a first period during which change of the detection signal is ignored, according to first change of the detection signal, starts a second period after the first period, regards second change of the detection signal occurring first in the second period as a reference of the output start time point, and ignores change of the detection signal after the second change.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a binder resin system suitable for use in forming toner compositions. In embodiments, the binder resin system includes at least one amorphous resin, at least one crystalline resin, and at least one fatty acid salt. The presence of the fatty acid salt reduces plasticization which may otherwise occur upon combining the amorphous and crystalline resins, thereby increasing the glass transition temperature of the binder resin, as well as any toner produced with such binder resin. Toners produced with the disclosed binder resin may also include one or more optional ingredients such as optional colorants, optional waxes, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A drip bib has been configured for use with a printhead of an imaging device that facilitates removal of purged ink from a printhead. The drip bib includes a plate having a front face, a rear face, an upper edge, and a lower edge, and at least one elongated recess on the rear face of the plate and positioned along the upper edge of the plate, the at least one elongated recess enabling the front face of the plate to be recessed with respect to the faceplate of the printhead to which the drip bib is mounted.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of a system, method and computer program product for implementing a federated print services network. The embodiments provide a central server that receives external print job requests from customers and, optionally, any backlog of internal print job requests from a participating print shop or any internal print job requests that are outside a participating print shop's current printing capabilities or that exceed the participating print shop's supply inventory. The server can selectively distribute those requests amongst the participating print shops in the network for fulfillment. Distribution is based on printing equipment utilization records in order to balance printing equipment utilization across the network and, if necessary, on printing capability records and/or supply inventory records. Thus, for participating print shops, the embodiments provide a means for increasing equipment utilization percentages during downtimes and, thereby a means to subsidize the cost of ownership.

Abstract: A compound of the formula wherein R1 and R1? are the same, and wherein R1 and R1? are each aromatic groups; and wherein R2 and R2? and R3 each, independently of the others, are alkylene groups, arylene groups, arylalkylene groups, or alkylarylene groups; or wherein, in embodiments, R1 and R1? can be the same or different, and wherein R1 and R1? each, independently of the other is an alkyl group having a least one ethylenic unsaturation, an arylalkyl group having at least one ethylenic unsaturation, an alkylaryl group having at least one ethylenic unsaturation, or an aromatic group, provided that at least one of R1 and R1? is an aromatic group; and provided that neither of R1 or R1? is a photoinitiator group.

Abstract: A gear center-distance maintaining mechanism includes a first support body that rotatably supports a first gear to be rotated by driving force from a driving unit, a second support body that rotatably supports a second gear to be meshed with the first gear so as to transmit rotational force from the first gear to a rotating body, the second support body being movable relative to the first support body in a direction such that the second gear moves away from the first gear, an arc-shaped face provided in the second support body and centered on an axis of the second gear, and a restricting portion provided in the first support body and shaped like an arc centered on an axis of the first gear, the restricting portion restricting the movement of the second support body relative to the first support body by contact with the arc-shaped face.

Abstract: The fixing device includes: a fixing member including a conductive layer and fixing toner on a recording medium by electromagnetic induction; a magnetic-field generating member generating an alternate-current magnetic field intersecting with the conductive layer; a magnetic-path forming member that includes a circular arc facing the magnetic-field generating member, that forms a magnetic path of the alternate-current magnetic field, within a range up to a permeability change start temperature, and that allows the alternate-current magnetic field to go through the magnetic-path forming member within a range exceeding the permeability change start temperature; and a support member supporting the magnetic-path forming member. The circular arc shaped portion has an upstream edge in a moving direction of the fixing member and a position of the upstream edge is concaved toward a center of the magnetic path forming member from each of ends of the magnetic path forming member in a longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A portable electronics distress detection system includes at least one strain gage and an alarm circuit. The strain gage is mountable to an element of the portable electronic device. The alarm circuit includes a Wheatstone bridge associated with each strain gage, with each strain gage providing a resistance input to an arm of the associated Wheatstone bridge. When a mechanical stress is imposed on the portable electronic device, the strain gage changes the resistance input to the arm of the associated Wheatstone bridge, producing a nonzero voltage output from the Wheatstone bridge. The alarm circuit activates the portable electronic device user interface if the Wheatstone bridge voltage output exceeds a predetermined set point.