Abstract: A quality control method includes: extracting, from a time series distribution of troubles that have occurred in electronic equipments, a first characteristics of states of occurrence of the troubles; specifying one or more parts included in the electronic equipments, the parts being involved with the troubles; extracting, from another time series distribution of a rate of use corresponding to each of suppliers which supply the specified parts, a second characteristics of the parts; and specifying one or more of the suppliers supplying the parts correlated to the troubles based on a correlation between the extracted first characteristics and the extracted second characteristics.

Abstract: Provided herein is a surface treatment method of oil contaminated xerographic prints which increases the adhesion of the print to levels close to the values corresponding to the original uncontaminated paper. Subjecting the contaminated surface to corona treatment alone and in combination with ultraviolet (UV) radiation and ozone can change the chemical structure of the surface of the paper in such a way that a highly polar surface is created as a consequence of this treatment, leading to enhanced adhesion properties of the xerographic print.

Abstract: A blade engagement system for cleaning and/or metering a release agent onto an image forming machine moving surface, such as a photoreceptor. The blade engagement system includes a blade cassette having a plurality of blades, each including a compliant blade member having a blade tip. The blade engagement system also including a blade engagement apparatus removably receiving the blade cassette. The blade engagement apparatus having a blade positioning mechanism moving the blades, one at a time, from the blade cassette to a working position wherein the blade tip engages the moving surface for cleaning and/or metering. Used blades can be moved back into the cassette for storage. The blade cassette can be replaced with a new one after all of the blades have been used.

Abstract: A punching device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a conveying member that conveys a recording medium, a punching member that is provided with a blade to punch a hole or partial hole in the recording medium, and which can be moved to a first position where the blade punches all of the periphery of a portion of the recording medium and a punched piece is separated from the recording medium, or to a second position where the blade punches a part of the periphery of a portion of the recording medium and a partially punched piece remains connected to the recording medium, and a moving member that moves the punching member to the first position or the second position.

Abstract: Methods are presented in which one or more pages of a print job are segmented into two or more parts, with the first part being transferred and affixed to the printed medium prior to transferring and affixing the second part, in order to facilitate high TMA (pile height) printing while mitigating adverse retransfer, blur, fusing, and hollow character effects.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier that carries a developed image that has been developed on a surface thereof using a developer; a transfer member that transfers the developed image from the image carrier to a belt-shaped member; an electric power supply unit that supplies electric power to the transfer member; a measurement unit that measures a combined resistance value of the image carrier, the belt-shaped member, and the transfer member; and a controller that controls the electric power supply unit. The controller controls the electric power supply unit such that the electric power supplied to the transfer member is changed from a predetermined first supply value to a second supply value, the second supply value being larger than the first supply value, when the combined resistance value measured by the measurement unit is lower than a predetermined combined resistance value.

Abstract: Apparatuses useful for printing and methods for stripping media from surfaces in apparatuses useful for printing are disclosed. An apparatus useful for printing comprising a first member including a first outer surface; a second member including a second outer surface; a belt including an inner surface and an outer surface; a first nip formed by contact between the inner surface of the belt and the second outer surface and contact between the outer surface of the belt and the first outer surface; and a stripping mechanism comprising a stripping member disposed internal to the belt. The stripping member is positionable relative to the first nip to vary a pressure applied by the outer surface of the belt against the first outer surface downstream from the first nip. The media are stripped from the outer surface of the belt after exiting from the first nip.

Abstract: A print information conversion apparatus is provided, the print information conversion apparatus including: a print information acquiring portion that acquires print information in a page description language format; a conversion portion that converts the acquired print information in the page description language format into electronic document information in an electronic document format; an addition portion that adds restoration information to the electronic document information, the restoration information being used for restoring nonreversible information that is contained in the print information in the page description language format and that is not reversibly convertible to the electronic document information; and a print information generating portion that generates print information based on the electronic document information and the restoration information added to the electronic document information.

Abstract: Provided are devices, systems and methods that improve image quality by identifying and addressing image noise caused by electrical noise. Electrical noise emanating from a plurality of components of an image apparatus is identified, producing an electrical noise detection calculation based on the detected electrical noise, and inputting the electrical noise detection calculation into an image noise correction calculation apparatus, calculating an image noise correction calculation.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor, includes: a conductive support; and a photosensitive layer provided on or above the conductive support, the photosensitive layer including an outermost surface layer at the farthest location from the conductive support, wherein the outermost surface layer contains: coated insulating inorganic particles obtained by subjecting insulating inorganic particles having a specific surface area of not more than about 300 m2/g to a coating treatment with an aromatic functional group-containing compound; and fluorine-containing organic particles.

Abstract: A method and system for skew detection is provided using connected components analysis.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a ruled line extracting unit that counts the number of pixels within an image, compares the counted number of pixels with a threshold value, and extracts a ruled line based on a result of the comparison; and an identifying unit that identifies a noise component in the ruled line extracted by the ruled line extracting unit based on thickness of the ruled line extracted by the ruled line extracting unit and the threshold value.

Abstract: A printing system capable of concurrently processing and scheduling a plurality of job streams and including at least one marking engine and multiple print media destination is controlled by a controller that includes a jobs scheduler for determining a schedule for processing queued print jobs using the plurality of concurrent job streams. The job scheduler determines the schedule using a method including: determining a utility function dependent at least upon user preference delay criteria, and the schedule of the queued print jobs; and optimizing the utility function respective to the schedule of queued print jobs.

Abstract: A computer readable medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute information processing is provided, wherein plural pieces of management object information are stored in a storage device with unique identification information and non-unique name information, the information processing including: receiving a process request that specifies management object information of a process object by using location information which is represented by a sequence of name information assigned to respective pieces of management object information; selecting one piece of management object information corresponding to the location information with reference to history information which is registered with the location information and the management object information being associated with each other; and sending back a result of a process that is executed for the selected management object information of the process object in accordance with the process request.

Abstract: A method and system suitable for controlling output capabilities of a plurality of multifunction devices (MFDs), including a data module for analyzing data related to a plurality of tasks sent to the plurality of MFDs by a plurality of users; and a storage station for storing the data gathered from the plurality of tasks sent to the plurality of MFDs; wherein the data is analyzed based on preexisting output governance rules related to the plurality of users and the plurality of MFDs.

Abstract: A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for creating a data, the process includes: receiving first data described in a print language format for printing; converting a part of the first data, which corresponds to an electronic document format for display, received in the receiving into second data described in the electronic document format; and adding third data, which does not correspond to the electronic document format, of the first data received in the receiving to the second data.

Abstract: A new media path includes a flexible member that cooperates with a control point for smooth transitions of media sheets along the path. The media path includes an elongated member having a first end and a second end, the elongated member having a longitudinal axis and a cross-member axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the elongated member having a first surface that is non-linear in at least one of the longitudinal and cross-member axes, and a bevel on a second surface of the elongated member, the bevel being proximate to the first end of the elongated member at a predetermined distance from the first end.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for correcting banding defects in a photoreceptor image forming apparatus. The method or apparatus may form one or more images using one or more laser beams to alter an electrostatic charge on a photoreceptor, check the one or more images for one or more sets of image perfections arising from electric field attenuation in the photoreceptor, and compensate for the electric field attenuation. The method or apparatus may further form a compensated image.

Abstract: A system and method of generating a dynamic visualization of a multi-dimensional dataset of data-points are disclosed. The method is an adaptation of the Grand Tour approach, but instead of using all possible projections comprising at least one data point, some of which may not be useful, the method includes generating a set of candidate projections from the space of all possible projections. The set of candidate projections is approximated with a one dimensional smoothed curve and the dynamic visualization is generated, based on a sequence of projections taken along the smoothed curve.

Abstract: A method detects the level of ink in a printhead reservoir by monitoring the power drawn by a thermistor positioned within the printhead reservoir. The method includes dissipating power in a thermistor in an ink reservoir, controlling the power dissipated in the thermistor to maintain the thermistor at a temperature that is a fixed differential above a reservoir temperature, measuring a parameter that corresponds to the power dissipated in the thermistor, and comparing the measured parameter to a predetermined value to detect ink in the reservoir contacting the thermistor.