Abstract: A method for providing three dimensional optical memory storage for computers. The method comprises subjecting a nanocomposite to irradiation. The nanocomposite comprises a matrix of particles of a liquid core resin within an inner shell resin and an outer shell resin. The inner shell resin retains the liquid core resin while the outer shell resin forms a continuous phase of the matrix. The particles of core resin contain at least one photosensitive compound and are in an array in the matrix. The continuous phase is substantially free of photosensitive compound. The irradiation may be a single beam of irradiation selectively focused on individual particles in the array to effect photobleaching of individual particles or a two-photon irradiation of a wavelength to effect photobleaching.

Abstract: Information about documents is transferred between machines in the form of constraint descriptors. A first machine can obtain a constraint descriptor that includes information about a set of constraints that documents can satisfy. The first machine can transfer the constraint descriptor to a second machine that is capable of using the constraint descriptor to access documents that satisfy the set of constraints. Similarly, the second machine can receive a data packet from the first machine, where the data packet includes an encoding of the constraint descriptor. The second machine can decode the data packet to obtain the constraint descriptor. Each of the machines can be a portable computing device or a fixed computing device. The first machine can receive user signals through its user interface, defining an attribute-value relation, and the first machine can compile a constraint using the user signals. Or the first machine can receive user signals selecting a stored constraint descriptor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for determining a halftone line screen frequency estimate f at a pixel of interest in an image formed of a plurality of pixels arranged in a regular array of rows and columns. A first single dimensional line screen frequency estimate fH is determined based on video values of a first set of pixels in a row of pixels in the scanned image. Next, a second single dimensional line screen frequency estimate fV is determined based on video values of a second set of pixels in a column of pixels in the scanned image. A two-dimensional halftone line screen frequency estimate f is calculated at each pixel of interest based on a norm of the first single dimensional line screen frequency estimate fH and on the second single dimensional line screen frequency estimate fV. A halftone line screen angle estimate a is calculated at each pixel of interest based on an arctangent of the ratio between the first and second single dimensional line screen frequency estimates.

Abstract: A system determines the position of an object located on a transport assembly. Sensor arrays are embedded in the transport assembly for identifying boundary locations of the object. The sensor arrays are spaced apart in an arrangement for detecting the locations at which the object crosses the sensor arrays. These locations provide a set of boundary points. The system computes the equation of a rectangle that identifies the location of the object on the transport assembly by minimizing the deviation of the set of boundary points from the boundary of the equation of the rectangle.

Abstract: Rolls include a core and a glass outer coating on the core. The glass can be electrically charged and discharged. The outer coatings have smooth finishes and controlled electrical properties. The outer coatings can also provide selected mechanical, chemical and thermal properties. The rolls can be used in various applications in which controlled electrical properties are desired. For example, the rolls can be used as charge donor rolls in electrostatographic imaging apparatus.

Abstract: A foil-less binding tape is provided. The binding tape includes a coated backing strip, a first hot melt spine adhesive stripe coated on a coated side of the backing strip, wherein the first hot melt adhesive stripe is located away from the edges of the strip and the first hot melt adhesive stripe runs substantially from one end of the strip to the other end of the strip about the long axis of the strip; and at least two second hot melt flap adhesive stripes coated on a coated side of the backing strip wherein the second adhesive stripes are located in areas other than those covered by the first adhesive stripe.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a carbon nanotube of the present invention includes: at least two electrodes whose tips oppose to each other; a power supply which applies a voltage between the electrodes so as to generate discharge plasma in a discharge area between the electrodes; a plurality of magnets which generates at least one of a magnetic field having lines of magnetic force in multiple directions or a magnetic field having a component in parallel with the direction of a discharge current in the generation area of the discharge plasma; and a magnet cooling unit which cools the magnets. The carbon nanotubes are manufactured by cooling the magnets. With this arrangement, there is provided a manufacturing apparatus and method for a carbon nanotube, which can efficiently synthesize carbon nanotubes with extremely low concentration of impurities on an industrial basis, and simultaneously can properly control especially the length of the obtained carbon nanotubes.

Abstract: Selective edge softening and selective edge dithering is introduced into an image representation to improve local control where halo problems are expected. Selective areas of dilation are isolated and separately dithered or halftoned, the result of which is then swapped back into or substituted for the stored original image. In this manner misregistration and color plane-to-plane interactions can be compensated for in plural image forming station architecture systems. The same technique is also valuable in monochrome systems as an aid to overcoming edge displacement and slow toner problems when the selective edge softening is selectively applied to edges which are in particular perpendicular to the fast scan direction.

Abstract: A system is provided to allow for automated planning and scheduling the work flow for reconfigurable production systems having a plurality of modules, with each module having alternative capabilities. The system includes a system controller, a planning function for planning the concurrent production of regular and diagnostic work units, and a scheduling function for scheduling the concurrent production of regular and diagnostic work units.

Abstract: Static image data of materials used in videoed lectures and the like is presented to browsing users synchronously with video data. As video data is reproduced by a video player of a browsing client, reproduction time positions of the video data are obtained in an image synchronous function part, static image data associated in advance with the reproduction time positions is requested from a delivery server holding the video data and static image data associated with the video data, and the static image data is provided from the delivery server and displayed in an image display part.

Abstract: To produce an electrophotographic print with high image quality and good texture and with minimized curling, a method produces an electrophotographic print by fixing a toner image on an image bearing surface of an electrophotographic image-receiving sheet using a belt fixing and smoothing apparatus including a hot-pressing device, a belt member, a cooling device, and a cooling-releasing section, smoothing the toner image, and releasing the sheet, in which an amount of curling C (mm) of the electrophotographic print is controlled to be more than-0.10 L and less than +0.05 L, wherein L is a length (mm) of a short side of the electrophotographic print; a negative value (−) of the amount of curling C means that the electrophotographic print curls toward its back side not bearing the image; and a positive value (+) of the amount of curling C means that the electrophotographic print curls toward its image-bearing surface.

Abstract: An imaging member including, for example, a substrate, a charge blocking layer, an optional adhesive layer, a charge generating layer, a charge transporting layer comprising, and a film forming polymer binder substantially free of low molecular weight fractions.

Abstract: An image structure formed on a medium. The image structure is so formed that an angular distribution of surface reflection light beams under the condition that a surface of an image G formed on a medium is irradiated with a slit-transmitted light beam satisfies the following three characteristics: (1) an angle A corresponding to a half value of a reflected light peak is not smaller than unity but not larger than twice as large as a reference angle A0; (2) the ratio &Dgr;XGWS/&Dgr;XGWS0 of the value of WS of center-of-gravity fluctuation to the value of reference WS0 of center-of-gravity fluctuation is not larger than 10; and (3) an angle B at which the quantity of reflected light becomes {fraction (1/10)} as large as the peak value is in a range of from 3×A0 to 6×A0, both inclusively.

Abstract: System and method for providing secure resource management. The system includes a first device that creates a secure, shared resource space and a corresponding root certificate for the shared space. The first device associates one or more resources that it can access with the shared space. The first device invites one or more other devices to join as members of the space, and establishes secure communication channels with the devices that accept this invitation. The first device generates a member certificate for each accepting device, and sends the root certificate and the generated member certificate to the device through the secure channel. These devices may then access resources associated with the shared space by presenting their member certificates. Further, members of the shared space may invite other device to join the space, and may create member certificates in the same manner as the first device.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a fabrication method of copper interconnects using dual damascene processing. Using silicon to provide an active surface, palladium can be selectively deposited on silicon by immersion plating technique. After palladium deposition (about 1000 A thick), either a layer of cobalt phosphorus or alloy cobalt/nickel phosphorus or nickel phosphorus is deposited on palladium layer using electroless plating technique. This cobalt/phosphorus, cobalt nickel phosphorus alloy, or nickel phosphorus layer serves as a copper diffusion barrier. Via and trench are filled up by copper from electroless copper plating method and CMP is used to remove excess copper and planarize/polish the copper/dielectric surface.

Abstract: Circuit architecture for driving Piezo-electric transducers with a Head Drive ASIC powered with only regular (constant) power supplies (instead of ramped and shaped power supplies) is disclosed. The circuit architecture consists of current mirroring systems and current switching techniques used to generate the required particular voltage waveforms across the capacitive transducers using only constant (DC) power supplies. There is no need for high voltage switching elements in this approach.

Abstract: A system is provided to allow automated planning and scheduling of the work flow for reconfigurable production systems having a plurality of modules, with each module having alternative capabilities. The system includes a system controller, at least one planning function, and at least one scheduling function.

Abstract: A drop emitting device that includes a drop generator, a drive signal including a plurality of fire intervals applied to the drop generator, wherein the drive signal includes in each fire interval a bi-polar drop firing waveform or a time varying non-firing waveform.

Abstract: A microfluidic filter has a pleated filter structure having a plurality of pores through the structure. The pleated filter can be either an open loop or a closed loop pleated structure. The pore structure of the pleated filter is formed by laser ablation.

Abstract: A first digital image is combined with a transformed first digital image to authenticate and reconstruct the first digital image. When viewed in the standard manner, the combined image appears to be the first digital image. The transformed first digital image cannot be seen. When the bits within each pixel of the combined image are reversed, i.e. the least significant bit (LSB) is exchanged with the most significant bit (MSB), and the resultant image is viewed, then the transformed first digital image is seen. In this way, the transformed first digital image can be hidden inside the noise bits of the first digital image. The method is applied to color pixels by treating each color byte independently. The transformed first digital image can be encrypted before combining with the first digital image. The transformed first digital image can be inversely transformed back to the first digital image for authentication and reconstruction.