Abstract: An electrophotographic transfer paper has a substrate and a thermoplastic foamed resin layer which is provided on at least one surface of the substrate and has pores. In the electrophotographic transfer paper, the temperature at which the viscosity of the thermoplastic foamed resin layer becomes 1×100 Pa•s ranges from 60° C. to 100° C. and a gradient R of a viscosity-temperature curve of the thermoplastic foamed resin layer defined by the following Equation (1) ranges from 0.02 to 0.10: R={Log(?t)?Log(?t+20)}/20??(1) where ?t indicates 1×104 Pa•s and ?t+20 indicates the viscosity (Pa•s) of the thermoplastic foamed resin layer at the temperature higher by 20° C. than the temperature showing the viscosity ?t.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sensor including an acidic medium; a first electrode disposed in the acidic medium; a basic medium adjacent to or close to the acidic medium; a second electrode disposed in the basic medium; and a detector for detecting one of voltage and current that is generated between the first and second electrodes by a first substance which causes a reaction of removing electrons from the first electrode with hydrogen ions contained in the acidic medium, and a second substance which causes a reaction of supplying electrons to the second electrode with hydroxide ions contained in the basic medium, and provides a method of detecting a substance using the sensor.

Abstract: A magnetic latch mechanism and related process for easily and reliably performing a latch operation by moving a magnetically attractive catch plate into and out of engagement with a magnetic field. When in engagement, the latch is secured. When the catch plate is moved away from engagement, the latch can be opened. A magnetic latch for a marking system, particularly for panels covering paper path and jam clearance mechanisms.

Abstract: A system for network device location, includes an address server for associating IP addresses of devices on the network with a group name; a discoverable device located on a first subnet of the network, wherein the discoverable device has an IP address, and wherein the discoverable device's IP address is associated with the group name; and a discovering device, located on a second subnet of the network, for creating a list of known subnets and known devices on the network; for querying the name server for a list of IP addresses associated with the group name; for contacting each returned address of a discoverable device associated with the group name for the discoverable device's IP subnet information; for determining the discoverable device's subnet; and for adding the discoverable device and its subnet to the list.

Abstract: A system for the secure physical attachment of a second device to a first device is disclosed comprising a first and second inter-connection attachment means in physical association with each device. The second inter-connection attachment means physically mates with its corresponding first inter-connection attachment means. Additionally, means for detecting the physical mating of each of the first and second inter-connection attachment means is provided. The detecting means is preferably associated with at least one of the devices and in communication with each of it's associated device's inter-connection attachment means. Means are provided for determining that the first and second inter-connection attachment means have been securely mated and, if not, means are provided for indicating the status of the completion of the secure attachment there between.

Abstract: There is disclosed in embodiments methods for halftone dot encoding for engine-dependent-rendering. The methods first carefully design an asymmetric halftone dot for a specific printer and then utilizes a halftone dot encoding algorithm, which encodes the asymmetric halftone dot into a symmetric format. The asymmetric halftone dot design is satisfies the requirements of raster output scanner electronics, as well as several engine dependent constraints. These include: rotation insensitivity, minimum dot size, minimum hole size, minimum appendage, and minimum cavity. The symmetric dot encoding allows perfect reconstruction of the binaries that may have been generated using the original asymmetric dot. This reconstruction is achieved using imbedded binary resolution conversion. In this way, this resolution conversion is acting as a decoder.

Abstract: A plurality of thin-film parts having predetermined patterns are formed on a mold-releasing layer on a donor substrate. Next, a photonic crystal is created by using an acceptor substrate to successively separate, from the mold-releasing layer on the donor substrate, each of the thin-film parts to which a mixture of an adhesive matrix material and a functional material has been supplied, and laminating and transferring the thin-film parts onto the acceptor substrate.

Abstract: Shifting a page image while it is still in compressed form. The page image is compressed into independent strips that are a full page in the fast scan direction, and a small number of scanlines in the slow scan direction. Then, to shift the page image, whole strips can be deleted in one margin and/or deleted from the other. If the number of scanlines per strip is small enough, the difference in a margin created by the change of one strip will not be apparent. This invention can be used to advantage when it is decided at print time that the output shall be in the form of a saddle-stitched booklet requiring two-up printing, folding and subsequent trimming of the outside edges to uniform alignment. Here, a progressive page shift can be introduced at the printer controller while the images are still compressed, instead of requiring the change to be done to the PostScript Master, which would require reRIPing or decompression, shift and recompression.

Abstract: Methods and systems for rendering printing marks in multiple-device printing environments such as printshops are disclosed. In general, one or more printers among a plurality of printers in a multiple device printing environment can be identified for rendering a print job. The mark can then be automatically and dynamically rendered upon the print job based on the required resources and needs of the printers operating within the multiple-device printing environment during or after an imposition of the print job.

Abstract: An automated document template creation method comprises: inputing data of an existing document that contains a visual design to input an image; decomposing the image into at least one object using at least one image processing technique; determining at least one design attribute of the object; and synthesizing a document template containing the design attribute. An automated document template creation system comprises: an input device that receives data of an existing document containing a representative visual design to obtain an image; an image processor that decomposes the image into at least one object and determines at least one design attribute of the object; and a template creator that synthesizes a document template containing the design attribute. The systems and methods allow a scan/preparation user at a makeready station to generate additional and/or replacement pages for an existing document that are visually coherent with the predetermined visual design of the document.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus including: an image-forming unit disposed so as to be detachably attached to an apparatus body; at least one sheet supply unit disposed at a lower portion of the apparatus body so as to be located below the image-forming unit for supplying a sheet, and including a sheet tray detachably attached to a body of the sheet supply unit; and a sheet carrying system including a sheet carrying path extending vertically so that the sheet supplied from the sheet supply unit is carried to an image-forming region of the image-forming unit and then ejected, wherein a spatial portion communicating with the openings at a top and bottom portions of the apparatus body and facing at least one part of the sheet carrying path is formed when the image-forming unit and the sheet tray of each sheet supply unit are detached from the apparatus body.

Abstract: A method of measuring and controlling high frequency banding, the method includes creating a test pattern, sensing the test pattern with optical sensors, determining a beat frequency based on the sensed test pattern, and determining the frequency, phase and amplitude of high frequency banding based on the beat frequency. An exemplary embodiment of a feedback control method for controlling high frequency banding includes creating a test pattern, sensing the test pattern with optical sensors, measuring high frequency banding and adjusting the imaging parameters based on the measured high frequency banding in order to decrease the extent of high frequency banding. Moreover, an exemplary embodiment of a system for measuring high frequency banding includes an image marking device having a receiving member, optical sensors arranged on the receiving member, and a controller that is functionally coupled to the optical sensors and to the marking device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a document processing device including: a specifying unit that specifies character strings which have a common property across documents, from among character strings included in plural documents which are represented by plural corresponding document data; and a rewriting unit that rewrites, among the character strings specified by the specifying unit, character strings expressed in formats different from a defined format to character strings expressed in the defined format.

Abstract: A multifunctional device that processes electronic data includes a processor that processes the electronic data, a memory that stores the electronic data, an alteration circuit that alters the structure of the electronic data and a controller that determines whether idle time exists when the electronic data is stored in the memory, and controls the alteration circuit to alter the electronic data when the controller determines that idle time exists. Moreover, a method of processing electronic data includes processing the electronic data, storing the electronic data, controlling the electronic data by determining whether idle time exists when the electronic data is stored and altering the electronic data when sufficient idle time exists.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus, in which liable to produce remaining curl, highly effective curl correction is performed. The image forming apparatus includes: a roll receiving portion for receiving a continuous recording sheet wound into a roll shape; a sheet transporting portion for transporting the continuous recording sheet from the roll receiving portion; a cutting portion for cutting the continuous recording sheet sent out into a desired size; an image forming portion for forming a toner image on the recording sheet (which has been cut); a fixing portion for fixing the toner image to the recording sheet by heating the recording sheet on which the toner image is formed; a cooling portion for cooling the recording sheet to which the toner image has been fixed; and a curl correcting portion for correcting a curl of the recording sheet when the recording sheet is cooled.

Abstract: A full width array spectrophotometer for full width scanning color analysis of color test targets, with one or two substantially linear elongated arrays of closely spaced multiple LED illumination sources of plural different color emissions in a multiply repeated pattern of at least three or four different colors transversely spanning a printer paper path and sequentially illuminated to illuminate a transverse band across a printed sheet moving in the paper path, and a corresponding elongated low cost light imaging bar with a parallel and correspondingly elongated array of multiple closely spaced different color sensitive (three or four rows of color-filtered) photodetectors, which imaging bar is positioned to detect and analyze light reflected from the transverse sequentially illuminated band.

Abstract: A method for deriving and implementing one or more motion profiles is provided. In the method, at least one time constraint between a first motor controlled system in an automated device and a second motor controlled system in the automated device are identified. Known parameters of the first motor controlled system and the second motor controlled system are identified and supplied. A first motion profile for the first motor controlled system is created. A second motion profile for the second motor controlled system is created. The identified at least one time constraint is applied to the first and second motion profiles to constrain the first and second motion profiles to one another. The first and second motion profiles are solved to complete a solution having solution information to prepare for use by said first and second motor controlled systems. The solution information is post-processed for use by the first and second motor controlled systems.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit which accommodates an image forming module for forming an image on a recording sheet supplied, and a sheet supply unit disposed in parallel with the image forming unit, having one or plural sheet supply trays and feeding recording sheets stocked in the sheet supply trays to the image forming unit side. Sheet feeding paths from at least some of the sheet supply trays to the image forming unit are constructed as a bypass feeding path extending from the farther sides of the trays from the image forming unit, and a cover which is opened or closed and disposed to face the bypass feeding path is provided to the farther side of a unit case, accommodating the trays, from the image forming unit.

Abstract: A method to program a printer includes initiating a save conflict mode and saving a user defined conflict by either storing print job attributes in a conflict list while in the save conflict mode or storing at least one of a policy, a capability and a constraint based on the print job attributes while in the save conflict mode. One method to use a printer that has been so programmed includes receiving from a user at least one job attribute that causes a conflict, checking the at least one received job attribute against the stored print job attributes, determining whether a conflict condition exists, and displaying a conflict message when the conflict condition is determined to exist.

Abstract: A method and a system for computing the function value of an input node based on function values of known nodes. A database of known nodes and their corresponding function values is formed. The known nodes are located such that a distance between any two adjacent known nodes is an integer power-of-two number. The database is searched for a first node such that the input node is located between the first node and an adjacent second node. The difference ? between the input node and the first node is computed. Then ? is shifted to the right by k positions, k being the logarithm in base 2 of the distance between the first and second nodes. The input node function value is computed by combining the first node function value with the product of the shifted ? and the difference between the function values of the second and first nodes.