Abstract: A method and system process a document having attached thereto a set of digital rights specifications, the digital rights specifications specifying constraints on the processing of the document. A workflow controller selects candidate devices, for processing the document, from a plurality of devices and determines, for each candidate device, that the device meets the digital rights specifications requirements. A set of devices are assigned to process the document from the set of devices that meet the digital rights specifications constraints. The workflow controller detects a failed device included in the assigned set of devices to process the document and determines potential candidate devices to replace the failed device. For each potential candidate device, it is determined if the potential candidate device meets the digital rights specifications requirements. A device that meets the digital rights specifications constraints is assigned to replace the failed device.

Abstract: A method and system modify a rasterized digital image to reduce registration artifacts, the image having a black plane and a color plane by determining if a pixel is part of a connected black region and if the pixel is part of a connected color region. It is determined if the pixel is part of a connected black region and a connected color region that are contiguous. A dilation operation is performed on the color plane value of the pixel if the pixel is part of a connected black region and a connected color region that are contiguous.

Abstract: According to aspects illustrated herein, there is provided a method, a print making device, and a system for printing a plurality of input document sheets as one or more print jobs. The one or more print jobs include the following steps. First, generating in series a plurality of virtual documents, with the documents including at least one code sheet and the plurality of input document sheets. The code sheet include machine readable code with one or more commands for printing the one or more print jobs being encrypted in the machine readable code. Next, reviewing sheet by sheet the virtual documents, and identifying, from review of the virtual documents, a first code sheet having machine readable code. After that, decoding the machine readable code of the first code sheet to identify the one or more commands for printing the one or more print jobs associated with the first code sheet.

Abstract: An apparatus (100) and method (200) that detaches media from a fuser in a printer is disclosed. The method can include feeding (220) a media sheet through a fuser member and applying (230) gas from an air knife to the media sheet on the fuser member to detach the media sheet at a detach point from the fuser member. The method can also include asserting (240) tension on the media sheet using a set of rotational members and continuing to apply gas from the air knife to the media sheet until the set of rotational members asserts tension on the media sheet.

Abstract: This is a system to coat oil on a fuser roller in a xerographic marking procedure. The system has an IR sensor which is located adjacent to the metering roller and which measures the emissivity of an oil film on the metering roller. Once the IR sensor determines the emissivity of this film, it conveys the emissivity reading to a controller. The controller then controls the metering roller speed to thereby control the oil film thickness. Once a fixed oil film is determined, the emissivity can be used to ensure this same film thickness is applied from run to run. There is no need to redesign the entire oil coating apparatus when the desired film thickness is varied, the same apparatus is used only the emissivity will vary to vary the oil film thickness.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a chart data generating unit that generates density adjustment chart data; a printing unit that prints a density adjustment chart where the reference patterns and the adjustment patterns of each pattern are juxtaposed, based on the density adjustment chart data; a receiving unit that receives the input of a density adjustment value of an arbitrary pattern; a gradation correcting unit that corrects gradation of the arbitrary pattern based on the density adjustment value of the arbitrary pattern that is received by the receiving unit; and a reconstructing unit that reconstructs density adjustment chart data used to juxtapose and print the reference patterns and density-corrected adjustment patterns for only pattern data of the patterns where the receiving unit receives the density adjustment value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing body on which surface a solid lubricant is supplied, forming and bearing an image on the surface; a charging member to which a voltage is applied, being in contact with the image bearing body to impart a charge; a voltage applying section that applies the voltage to the charging member, capable of switching the voltage between superimposed voltage on which DC voltage and AC voltage are superimposed and non-superimposed voltage including only DC voltage; an image forming section that forms a toner image; a transfer device that transfers the formed toner image to a transferring body; a cleaning member that contacts the image bearing body to scrape unnecessary substance from the surface; and a voltage switching section that switches the voltage applied to the charging member between the superimposed voltage and the non-superimposed voltage according to an amount of the solid lubricant.

Abstract: A print defect management device that supports job-specific print defect management automatically assesses print job pages to determine the severity of image quality defects likely to occur on one or more selected printers. Views of identified troubled pages may be rendered to include approximations of color and image quality defects based on the original page image data, and each printer's color rendition data and defect data, thereby allowing troubled pages for one or more selected printers to be viewed prior to printing. Suggested changes may be automatically or manually applied. Once satisfied with the image quality of print job pages rendered for a specific printer, a user may submit the print job to the same printer, thereby assuring that the user's image quality expectations are met in the printed product. The device may support job-specific print defect management with both local and/or remote printers via LAN, WAN and/or Internet based connectivity.

Abstract: An apparatus prints and/or fixes ink on a substrate, such as in ink-jet printing with UV-curable inks. A conformable member is positioned to contact an ink-bearing side of the substrate at a nip. The conformable member substantially comprises a silicone-based elastomer having a conformability from about 20 shore A to about 10 shore A. A radiation source directs radiation to the ink-bearing side of the substrate at the nip, the radiation suitable for curing the ink on the substrate. The apparatus is particularly useful for printing onto corrugated cardboard or otherwise non-planar surfaces, since the resulting ink image is impressed uniformly onto the substrate by the conformable member without voids in the ink layer in the recesses of the non-planar surface.

Abstract: A method for printing a composite document creates a fixed data unit for a composite document, the fixed data unit being a portion of an individual document which is consistent in each individual document within the composite document. A variable data unit is created for each individual document to be represented by the composite document, a variable data unit being a portion of the individual document which is unique to that individual document. The data within each created variable data unit is analyzed to determine a set of rights for each created variable data unit, and the determined set of rights are embedded into the appropriated created variable data unit. A composite document is created by bundling the fixed data unit with the embedded variable data units and submitted for printing.

Abstract: A releasable deck mount used to tie printers to the deck of vessels includes a metal plate for welding to the vessel's deck that incorporates a profile of a clip that is connected to a strap and inserted into the deck mount for capture purposes. The plate is very low and minimizes any tripping hazard. A spring plate is attached to the top of the metal plate and a pin is secured to the spring plate and extends through a hole in the metal plate. The pin is designed to be movable and has a chamfer to allow insertion of the strapping clip. The clip is released from the deck mount by lifting the pin to allow the clip to be removed.

Abstract: Apparatuses useful for printing and methods of controlling a temperature of a surface in an apparatus useful for printing are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment of the apparatuses includes a first roll including a first outer surface and at least one first heating element for heating the first outer surface; a second roll including a second outer surface; a nip between the first outer surface and the second outer surface; a first temperature sensor for sensing a pre-nip temperature at a pre-nip location; and a first voltage modulator connected to each first heating element and the first temperature sensor. The first voltage modulator receives a temperature signal from the first temperature sensor indicative of the pre-nip temperature and modulates an AC voltage supplied to each first heating element to maintain each first heating element continuously ON at a power level ranging from partial power to full power to control the pre-nip temperature.

Abstract: A method and system modify a rasterized digital image to reduce registration artifacts, the image having a black plane and a color plane by determining if a pixel is part of a connected black region and if the pixel is part of a connected color region. It is determined if the pixel is part of a connected black region and a connected color region that are contiguous. A dilation operation is performed on the color plane value of the pixel if the pixel is part of a connected black region and a connected color region that are contiguous.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus that includes a photoconductor, a charging section that applies a bias voltage having an AC voltage superposed on a DC voltage and charges the photoconductor, a controller that controls at least one of the AC voltage and an AC current applied by the charging section, and a detector that detects an amount of discharge occurring between the photoconductor and the charging section. The controller controls at least one of the AC voltage and the AC current so that the amount of discharge detected by the detector falls within a predetermined range containing a singularity in change of the amount of discharge.

Abstract: A method for identifying transfer efficiency in a xerographic print engine utilizes customer images, thereby avoiding the use of specialized images and the corresponding loss of productivity and paper waste. The method includes electronically sensing a two-dimensional residual mass structure on a substantial portion of a substrate surface within the xerographic print engine after image transfer, analyzing the two-dimensional structure using signal and/or image processing techniques, and determining the transfer efficiency, based on the sensed two-dimensional residual mass structure by applying the following functional equation form or variant: sensor_response=[(1?Mxfer—efficiency)*MpixelCnt]+[(1?Yxfer—efficiency)*YpixelCnt]+[(1?Cxfer—efficiency)*CpixelCnt]+[(1?Kxfer—efficiency)*KpixelCnt].

Abstract: A dielectric material prepared from a siloxy/metal oxide hybrid composition, and electronic devices such as thin film transistors comprising such dielectric material are provided herein. The siloxy/metal oxide hybrid composition comprises a siloxy component such as, for example, a siloxane or silsesquioxane. The siloxy/metal oxide hybrid composition is useful for the preparation of dielectric layers for thin film transistors using solution deposition techniques.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus that controls usage of the image processing apparatus by a user based on restriction information which indicates a function that the user is allowed to use and use information which indicates a number of recording medium that the user use, the image processing apparatus includes a controller that controls the usage of the image processing apparatus by managing a plurality of jobs on a single user basis if a plurality of jobs are generated when the single user performs login and logout a plurality of times.

Abstract: A solid ink stick incorporates structural features and aspect ratios that facilitate movement of the ink stick through a feed channel. The ink stick includes an ink stick body having a width, a length, and a height, a first skew limiter in a lateral side of the ink stick, the first skew limiter having a length substantially equal to the length of the ink stick and a width that is less than one-half of the width of the ink stick, and a second skew limiter in a lateral side of the ink stick opposite the lateral side in which the first skew limiter is located, the second skew limiter having a length substantially equal to the length of the ink stick and a width that is less than one-half of the width of the ink stick.

Abstract: What is provided herein is a novel system and method for estimating the amount of color in a document to be printed, with the capability to handle composite black, in those environments without access to all the original four color planes simultaneously. In one embodiment, input CMYK values are pre-adjusted via a look-up table to take into account the neutral balance characteristics. The planes are then scaled and quantized so that all four planes become available simultaneously. The difference among the quantized CMYK color values is compared against a threshold that is input level dependent. A pixel is classified into one of several color categories such as, for example, true neutral, fuzzy neutral, true color or fuzzy color. A color billing strategy can then be automatically determined based on the amount of color content. The method advantageously provides flexibility to support multi-tier billing in systems with various marking technologies.

Abstract: A fluid transport apparatus maintains temperature of a fluid transported through a conduit. The fluid transport apparatus includes a fluid transport conduit for transporting fluid, the fluid transport conduit having an inlet end that is coupled to a fluid supply and an outlet end that is coupled to a receiving port, a compressor conduit configured to pump fluid through the fluid transport conduit by pressurizing and venting the compressor conduit, and a thermal conductor configured to achieve a non-ambient temperature for the fluid within the fluid transport conduit as the compressor conduit is operated to move the fluid through the fluid transport conduit.