Abstract: A process for producing a polymer optical waveguide, including the steps of: preparing a mold comprising a concave portion for forming a core; bringing a cladding film substrate, having good adhesiveness to the mold, into close contact with the mold; rotating the mold with which the cladding film substrate is brought into close contact and with one end of which an ultraviolet ray-curable resin or a thermosetting resin to serve as a core is brought into contact, so that a centrifugal force acts in a direction to move the ultraviolet ray-curable resin or the thermosetting resin into the mold, to fill the concave portion of the mold with the ultraviolet ray-curable resin or the thermosetting resin; and curing the ultraviolet ray-curable resin or the thermosetting resin.

Abstract: In a system, such as in a digital copier, for classifying image data derived from an original image, the image data is enhanced before submission to a classification analysis. In the enhancement, portions of the image having a measured roughness (degree of gray level discontinuity) within a certain range are artificially increased in roughness. This increased roughness in the enhanced image data serves to increase confidence of the classification analysis for detecting low-frequency halftone screens, so that such low-frequency halftone areas are not misclassified as contone or high-frequency halftone areas.

Abstract: Software in a computer which accesses one or more software-intensive devices, such as a digital copier or printer, is organized in a set of layers. A device-dependent layer converts data transferred over various means, such as a modem or network, to a uniform data format. A protocol layer converts data from a particular accessed machine to a set of function calls. A system interface associated with the computer restricts a user of the computer to seeing only a subset of function calls, depending permissions granted to a particular user. The modular architecture of the software enables a system administrator to restrict a user to viewing machine status for a specific set of machines on a network, or limits the user to viewing only a certain set of functionalities from a particular machine.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing on a continuous basis quantities of seamed belts with imageable seams for printing systems from a continuous supply web of belt material, which seamed belts need to be manufactured to a desired circumference and width. In the disclosed embodiment the sides of the incoming supply web are cut in seam-forming mating edges and the web is fed in at an angle to a pair of rollers, at least one of which is tapered, to spirally wrap the web into a cylinder of the desired circumference of the seamed belts and providing mating engagement and gluing of the seam-forming edges. Then by sequentially transversely cutting off cylindrical segments of that spirally formed cylinder into the desired width, multiple seamed belts are formed with both the desired circumference and width.

Abstract: When a communication control section of an image forming apparatus receives image information, an administration information acquiring section detects administration information from GPS information or the like received through an antenna. An administration information generating section generates the detected administration information in the form of an image. An administration information adding section adds the image indicating the administration information to the image information. An image forming section forms an image added with the administration information.

Abstract: Methods and systems for document image decoding incorporating a Stack algorithm improve document image decoding. The application of the Stack algorithm is iterated to improve decoding. A provisional weight is determined for a partial path to reduce template matching. In addition, semantically equivalent hypotheses are identified to reduce redundant hypotheses.

Abstract: Methods and systems for document image decoding incorporating a Stack algorithm improve document image decoding. The application of the Stack algorithm is iterated to improve decoding. A provisional weight is determined for a partial path to reduce template matching. In addition, semantically equivalent hypotheses are identified to reduce redundant hypotheses.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink-jet recording method adopting an ink-jet recording apparatus including a printer head, which accommodates one or more kinds of ink and has a nozzle face on which one or more nozzles are provided, wherein the printer head is tilted when printing is being stopped so that an axis intersecting with the nozzle face at a right angle is displaced by 3 or more degrees from a direction of the axis when printing is being conducted, and an ink-jet recording apparatus used in the method.

Abstract: A donor roll for use in a development apparatus in an electrophotographic apparatus. The donor roll includes a core and an extruded layer comprising a fluoropolymer material. The core includes metal and has a length, and a periphery surface. The extruded layer comprising a fluoropolymer material, the layer having a length, thickness and a lumen therein for receiving at least a length of the core, the extruded layer comprising the fluoropolymer material is shrunken to substantially conform to the core. The donor roll may include a coating between the extruded layer and the core.

Abstract: Software in a computer which accesses one or more software-intensive devices, such as a digital copier or printer, is organized in a set of layers. A device-dependent layer converts data transferred over various means, such as a modem or network, to a uniform data format. A protocol layer converts data from a particular accessed machine to a set of function calls. A system interface associated with the computer restricts a user of the computer to seeing only a subset of function calls, depending permissions granted to a particular user. The modular architecture of the software enables a system administrator to restrict a user to viewing machine status for a specific set of machines on a network, or limits the user to viewing only a certain set of functionalities from a particular machine.

Abstract: A surface emitting semiconductor laser includes a substrate on which a resonator is formed, the resonator including a lower reflection mirror, an active region, and an upper reflection mirror, a metal layer that is provided on the upper reflection mirror and has a first aperture that defines an outgoing region of laser light generated in the active region, and an optical confinement region that is provided between the metal layer and the lower reflection mirror and has a second aperture that defines a light emission region of the laser light. The second aperture has a diameter equal to or greater than 12 &mgr;m, and the first aperture has a diameter that is 1 to 5 &mgr;m smaller than that of the second aperture. The laser light emitted from the emitting region has a multimode including multiple orders selected within a predetermined wavelength range.

Abstract: Rotating element sheet material comprising a plurality of rotatable elements disposed in a substrate and in contact with an enabling fluid; where one of the plurality of rotatable elements comprises a core configured to present a first aspect in a first orientation and a second aspect in a second orientation, and where the first orientation and the second orientation are related by a rotational transformation about an axis of the rotatable element, and where the rotatable element in contact with the enabling fluid is further configured to exhibit a first addressing dipole configured to couple with a first vector field and a second addressing dipole configured to couple with a second vector field, and where the rotatable element exhibits the first aspect in the first vector field in a first direction and the second aspect in the second vector field in the first direction.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for automatically determining the font of text in a captured document image. Sequences of turns (left, right, straight) around the boundaries of connected components of black pixels in the captured document image are determined. The probabilities of the sequences of turns have come from a particular font within a library of known fonts can be determined using training set statistics. Using these probabilities, the most probable source font is selected.

Abstract: An electronic ticket system for virtually preventing forgery, copying and other unauthorized uses of electronic tickets; for proving to a third party the contents of an electronic ticket contested between a user and an issuing party; and for protecting users' anonymity upon ticket use. The system comprises a ticket creating and issuing device, a ticket proving device, and a ticket verification device. A ticket creating unit in the ticket creating and issuing device creates specifications of a ticket representing a predetermined service or product in response to a ticket creating request. A ticket issuing unit of the ticket creating and issuing device, in reply to a ticket issuing request, issues the corresponding ticket using as input a ticket identifier, a proving identifier, a ticket specification identifier, and ticket added information. The ticket proving device gets a ticket issued by the ticket issuing unit and communicates with the ticket verification device to prove the possession of the ticket.

Abstract: There is provided a display apparatus utilizing a display unit having memory properties, which notifies a user of the facts that the batteries have become low, that the batteries have been removed, that a normal voltage has been recovered as a result of reloading of batteries and the like. A display unit has memory properties and displays images under control of a display control unit. A power supply unit may be constituted by, for example, batteries and supplies power to each part of the apparatus. The power supply unit transmits a voltage drop signal to a central processing unit when the voltage of the batteries falls below a predetermined voltage. Upon receipt of the voltage drop signal, the central processing unit causes a part or the whole of a display area of the display unit to display the fact that the batteries are dead. It performs control to prevent a display from being changed even if an operating unit is operated or display information is received thereafter.

Abstract: An improved and lower cost color spectrophotometer, especially suitable for on-line color printer color control systems, incorporating a low cost commercial imaging chip, which normally only forms part of a three row, three color, document imaging bar used for imaging documents in scanners, digital copiers, or multifunction products, having multiple photo-sites with at least three different color filters in three rows. This multiple photo-sites chip may be modified to also provide unfiltered photo-sites. This spectrophotometer may have a substantially reduced number of different LED or other spectral illumination sources, one of which may be for white light, yet provide multiple spectral data outputs from the differently filtered photo-sites being simultaneous illuminated by the light reflected from a color test target area which is being sequentially illuminated by the respective limited number of LEDs, enabling broad spectrum information and color control.

Abstract: Disclosed is a toner comprising particles of a vinyl resin, an optional colorant, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), wherein said toner particles are prepared by an emulsion aggregation process. Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a process which comprises (a) generating an electrostatic latent image on an imaging member, and (b) developing the latent image by contacting the imaging member with charged toner particles comprising a vinyl resin, an optional colorant, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), wherein said toner particles are prepared by an emulsion aggregation process.

Abstract: An inkjet recording head includes a two-dimensional array of a pressure chambers and corresponding array of piezoelectric elements each for applying a pressure wave to ink in a corresponding pressure chamber. In fabrication, a piezoelectric plate temporarily bonded onto a substrate is subjected to sandblasting to form the plurality of piezoelectric elements. After the piezoelectric elements are bonded as a unit onto a diaphragm which constitutes part of the walls of the pressure chambers, the substrate is removed. Dummy patterns equalize the degree of side etching among the piezoelectric elements.

Abstract: An image fixing apparatus and an image forming method capable of favorably fixing a toner containing a crystalline resin are provided. The image forming apparatus passes a transfer medium having unfixed images formed of the toner containing a crystalline resin between a heating member and a pressurizing member, thereby fixing the unfixed images, using a cooling unit that controls a surface temperature of the pressurizing member in which the surface temperature is controlled to a melting point of the crystalline resin +30° C. or lower.

Abstract: Systems and methods for filtering and viewing collaborative indexes of annotations of multimedia or video streams can include obtaining a multimedia or video stream, obtaining user indexes of annotations of the multimedia or video stream, merging the indexes, associating portions of the multimedia or video stream with the annotations, determining high-value annotations and displaying the high value annotations. Systems and methods for providing useful visualizations of the indexes of annotations and high value annotations are also provided.