Abstract: An authentication apparatus includes a reading or recording medium equipped with an authentication tag, and a reading and recording drive that includes a transmitter and a coupler chip, wherein the authentication tag and the transmitter are capable of communicating with each other when the reading medium or the recording medium is coupled to the reading and recording drive. An authentication method includes providing a reading medium or a recording medium with an authentication tag, providing a reading and/or recording drive with a transmitter and a communication interface wherein the authentication tag and the transmitter are capable of communicating with each other when the reading medium or recording medium is coupled to the reading and/or recording drive, and authenticating the reading medium or recording medium via a communication between the authentication tag and the transmitter.

Abstract: A fault diagnosis apparatus are installed and used in information equipment. The information equipment has a disk drive and a vibration source that causes vibrations or being subject to vibrations from an external vibration source. The apparatus has a measuring unit and a diagnosis unit. The measuring unit performs a measurement for a functional operation in the disk drive under a condition that the vibrations are occurred. The diagnosis unit performs a fault diagnosis based on a measurement result by the measuring unit.

Abstract: A method and system for storing and generating anti-aliased text and lineart data from compressed document images files, using a MRC model that represents the image as an ordered set of mask/image pairs at resolutions appropriate to the content of each layer. The method and system provide the ability to generate for anti-aliased text data to improve appearance at both high and low resolution, and to avoid baseline jitter of compressed tokens.

Abstract: An image supporting member that fixable supports a color toner image has a base material, a light scattering layer formed on the base material and containing a white pigment and a thermoplastic resin, and a color toner receiving layer formed on the light scattering layer and containing at least a thermoplastic resin, wherein the thermoplastic resin of the light scattering layer is made of a polyolefin or a polyolefin copolymer, a temperature T at which the viscosity becomes 5×103 Pa·s being 120° C. or higher, and the thermoplastic resin of the color toner receiving layer is a polyolefin copolymer, a temperature t at which the viscosity becomes 103 Pa·s being from 90 to 120° C. Further, an image forming apparatus using this image supporting member is also provided.

Abstract: A toner for electrostatic latent image development having coloring particles containing at least a binding resin, a coloring agent and a release agent, and an external additive, wherein a variation in a number average particle diameter of the coloring particles is 25 or less, an average circularity of the coloring particles is 0.975 or more, and a variation in a circularity of the coloring particles is 2.5 or less.

Abstract: An optical recording/reproducing apparatus having excellent resistance against vibration and noise is provided. In recording, coherent light is polarization-modulated with a spatial light modulator to generate signal light and reference light whose polarization directions are crossed at right angles with each other. The signal light permeates a polarizing beam splitter, and is incident to a quarter wavelength plate. The reference light passes through a passing hole, is diffused by a light diffuser and is incident to the quarter wavelength plate. The reference and signal light are converted into circularly polarized light which revolve in directions opposite to each other and condensed by a condenser lens, and then a predetermined area of an optical recording medium is irradiated with the reference and signal light. Thus, the reference and signal light are generated by modulating the incident light from the same light source and are coaxially incident to the polarizing beam splitter.

Abstract: A method for automatically converting print jobs stored in printshop job description language (PSDL) files into workflow for a specific printshop is disclosed. A print job stored in a PSDL file is extracted from the PSDL file and used to generate a proposed workflow and accompanying job cost estimate. The workflow generated by the illustrated embodiment merges the job resource requirements of the print job with the resource and material availability of the printshop. The generated workflow and an accompanying job cost estimate for producing the workflow in the printshop are transmitted to the original job submitter for approval prior to beginning the printing process. Alternately, the job submitter is capable of submitting the print job in PSDL format to a printshop via the Internet.

Abstract: A printing workflow system for coordinating production of document processing jobs among a plurality of cells, where a cell is comprised of at least one device for completing the document processing jobs. The present invention is directed toward further substances in the art as they relate to a print shop comprised of a network of cells to accomplish printing a document processing job. Each cell is comprised of at least one printing device for completing the document processing jobs. The print workflow is further comprised of a workflow mapping module that determines a workflow of one of the many document processing jobs for processing. A job description module for splitting the various document processing jobs into sub-jobs for processing by the printing devices in the cells. A print cell controller at any one of the cells for receiving at least one sub-job and for further split the sub-job into lots for processing among devices in the selected cell.

Abstract: An optical transmission device improved in optical coupling loss between light guides and optical elements and excelling in efficiency of light utilization is provided with light guides having light incidence/emission sections on plural stepped portions, a substrate that fixes the light guides, and light receiving elements and light emitting elements arranged on the substrate to match the light incidence/emission sections of the light guides. The light receiving elements and the light emitting elements are arranged on the substrate by use of optical connectors. Coefficients of linear expansion and the rates of dimensional variation due to water absorption (or alternatively due to water absorption rates) of the light guides and the substrate here are substantially equalized.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processor and an image processing method wherein a specific image such as an image of which the printing is prohibited can be recognized at high speed and in addition, with high precision. A rendering command analysis unit passes a rendering object to any of a recognition unit for a raster image, a recognition unit for graphics and a recognition unit for a character according to the type of the rendering object in the rendering command and tries to recognize a specific image. The result of recognition by each recognition unit is passed to a recognition determination unit and it is synthetically determined based upon these results of recognition whether the specific image exists or not. Even if the specific image is formed by dividing into plural types of rendering objects, the specific image can be recognized by such recognition processing.

Abstract: The user enters the desired image capture parameters to be used when capturing an electronic image of an original document into one or more portions of a preview graphical user interface. Then, either automatically, or upon selecting a preview function, a preview pane portion of the preview graphical user interface is generated. The preview pane portion graphically illustrates how the various image capture parameters selected by the user will be applied to the original document to generate the captured electronic image data. Each of the different types of image capture parameters has a different visual cue associated with it. The visual cues visually inform the user of the image capture parameters that the user has selected. Thus, without actually capturing a preview image and without filling the preview pane portion with an actual preview image, the user can accurately determine what the resulting image will look like after the original document is captured. Thus, most preview scans can be eliminated.

Abstract: A calibration system in accordance with the invention, which is implemented at least in part in digital hardware, can calibrate for at least one of pixel offset and pixel gain. Calibration for pixel offset can include a pixel range adjust process which sets up the range for pixel offset calibration while also providing an offset level setpoint. Video output from the pixel range adjust process can be input into a pixel offset process which calibrates the video for offset. Calibration for pixel gain can include an automatic gain control process which sets up the range for pixel gain calibration while also providing for continuing compensation for changes in video intensity. Video output from the automatic gain control process can be input into a pixel gain process which calibrates the video for gain.

Abstract: Phase change ink carrier compositions comprising an admixture of (1) at least one urethane resin; and/or (2) at least one mixed urethane/urea resin; and/or (3) at least one mono-amide; and/or (4) at least one polyethylene wax are provided. In addition, a phase change colored ink of such carrier compositions comprising a phase change ink compatible colorant are also provided. Embodiments of the present invention also include methods for producing a layer of the above phase change colored ink on the surface of a substrate by either direct or indirect printing. Such methods also encompassing using a polyethylene wax as an overcoat layer above such a phase change ink layer on a printed substrate.

Abstract: A color marking device includes a color balance controller which adjusts the TRC linearization in accordance with an intended illuminant for viewing the output of the device. The system comprises a front end converter for converting an input signal representative of a target image comprised to preselect the color into a device dependent control system in accordance with the device TRC. The device TRC is selected in accordance with a signal identifying the intended illuminant for the output.

Abstract: Each ink stick of a set of ink sticks for a phase change ink jet printer has formed on the top of the ink stick a three dimensional visually recognizable symbol. At least a portion of the visually recognizable symbol on each of the ink sticks is different, so that the printer user can distinguish which ink stick is intended for each of the ink feed channels of the ink jet printer.

Abstract: A printer performs printing after appropriately correcting irregularities, thin-line patchiness, and isolated pixels. A first image-quality corrector unit detects slanting-line irregularities represented by the black and white pixel data generated through binary processing according to a method other than the error-variance method to thereby perform smoothing processing therefor. A second image-quality corrector unit detects defects such as irregularities and patchiness specific to the binary processing according to the error-variance method to thereby perform smoothing processing therefor. A third image-quality corrector unit detects isolated pixels in gray fields that are specific to the binary processing according to the error-variance method to thereby distribute the isolated pixels to peripheral pixels.

Abstract: Systems and methods for deskewing a substrate with at least one of a first substrate supplying member and second substrate supplying member that supplies substrates to a chamber that receives the sheet supplied from both the first substrate supplying member and the second substrate supplying member.

Abstract: A system and method for sensing the positioning the printhead in one or more of a standby position, a wipe position, and a printing position uses electrical signals from a drive motor as an indicator of whether the printhead has properly moved to a desired position. As the printhead is tilted to a print position, a first position electrical signal is detected by sampling a resistance on the torque motor at a first time. A second position electrical signal is determined by sampling another resistance on the motor at a second time. A slope is calculated between the first position sample and the second position sample. The calculated slope is analyzed to determine whether the printhead is operating properly. Thus, the need for standalone sensors to determine the positioning of the printhead is eliminated.

Abstract: A drop emitting apparatus including an ink jet printhead; a plurality of on-board ink reservoirs for supplying ink to the ink jet printhead; a plurality of remote ink containers; a plurality of ink supply conduits fluidically connected between the remote ink containers and the on-board ink reservoirs; a common air vent, connected to each one of the plurality of remote ink containers, for venting said each one of the plurality of remote ink containers as ink is supplied to the on-board ink reservoirs from the remote ink containers.

Abstract: A method of maintaining a rotational velocity of an imaging drum during engagement with a transfer roll in an image producing device including: forming a nip to transfer an image from the imaging drum to media when the imaging drum is in engagement with the transfer roll; maintaining a substantially constant imaging drum rotational velocity mode during engagement with the transfer roll; sensing a lead edge of portion of the media prior to entering the nip; augmenting torque assist to increase the torque of the transfer roll when the media is in the nip for a defined period; and resuming the substantially constant imaging drum rotational velocity mode while a second portion of the media is in the nip.