Abstract: A dye thin film containing a dye compound represented by the general formula (I), an optical switch, an optical distributor, an optical modulator and an optical switch array having the dye thin film, as well as a method for producing a dye thin film are provided.

Abstract: A method and a system for separating an image signal into a set of image planes in accordance with a control signal. The system comprises a selector module, an edge processing module and a foreground/background separation module. The selector module receives the control signal and produces a selector signal. The edge processing module receives the selector signal and produces a decision signal. The foreground/background separation module receives the image signal and the decision signal, and outputs a foreground signal and a background signal, a representation of the current pixel of the image signal being included in at least one of the foreground signal and the background signal in accordance with the decision signal.

Abstract: A method and a system for dynamically thresholding an image signal. The system comprises a computing block. The computing block receives the image signal and a minimum and a maximum within each of a set of windows centered on the current pixel in the image signal, and computes, for each of the windows, based on the current pixel and the respective minimum and maximum, a respective indicator representing the distance and direction of the current pixel relative to a respective threshold plane, and outputs a control signal based on the indicators.

Abstract: A multi-function device is arranged for coupling to a network and is further arranged to perform plural functions. A user of the multi-function device has a user network access information that enables the user to access the network. The multi-function device is arranged to provide the user with access to at least one function of the plural functions based on the user's user network access information. The user initiates a user log-in sequence with the multi-function device by activating an included log in/out button and then inputs the user network access information by activating an included input means. After the user log-in sequence is complete, the multi-function device provides the user with access to at least one function of the plural functions.

Abstract: A method and system for masking a surface to be etched is described. The method includes the operation of heating a phase-change masking material and using a droplet source to eject droplets of a masking material for deposit on a thin-film or other substrate surface to be etched. The temperature of the thin-film or substrate surface is controlled such that the droplets rapidly freeze after upon contact with the thin-film or substrate surface. The thin-film or substrate is then treated to alter the surface characteristics, typically by depositing a self assembled monolayer on the surface. After deposition, the masking material is removed. A material of interest is then deposited over the substrate such that the material adheres only to regions not originally covered by the mask such that the mask acts as a negative resist. Using such techniques, feature sizes of devices smaller than the smallest droplet printed may be fabricated.

Abstract: A port for replenishing ink on the side of a main ink tank advances and the nose or tip end of a main body of a pipe enters an ink replenishing opening on the side of a sub ink tank. When a valve body in the main body of the pipe and a valve on side of the sub ink tank are pressed with each other, a communicating port is opened by the valve body. When the main body of the pipe is further inserted into the ink replenishing opening, the valve is separated from a projection portion of a gasket, and a space therebetween starts to be widened. At this stage, as a lip portion of the gasket is not in contact with an outer peripheral portion of the main body of the pipe, an ink channel is opened to the atmosphere, the ink which is remained in or adhered to the outer peripheral portion of the main body of the pipe or an inside of the ink replenishing opening is absorbed into the sub ink tank dye ti a negative pressure in the sub ink tank.

Abstract: An ink jet printhead has an upper substrate containing a reservoir with ink inlet and a lower substrate having a linear array of droplet generating elements and addressing electrodes thereon. At least two layers of polymeric material are serially deposited and patterned over the droplet generating elements and addressing electrodes prior to mating the two substrates. The patterned polymeric layers define an elongated opening containing an array of posts therein and a plurality of channels, each channel containing a droplet generating element. One end of the channels is open to serve as nozzles and the other end is in communication with the elongated opening with the array of posts. After the two substrates are aligned and mated, the reservoir is in communication with the elongated opening, so that the ink from the reservoir is filtered prior to entering the channels by passing between and over the posts in the elongated opening.

Abstract: On the basis of name of a printing medium, which is supplied from a printing medium specifying section, a recording pattern producing section determines whether the printing medium to be printed is a medium in which an ink easily penetrates or that in which an ink hardly penetrates, determines hue changing degree due to bidirectional printing for each pixel from position information of CMYK image data and a scanning pattern, and changes the densities of CMY so that the output density of a hue having a larger hue changing degree in the input image data is lowered, and that of a hue having a smaller hue changing degree is raised. As a result, a total amount of inks ejected from a head of an ink recording section is controlled with respect to the color which is early impacted and that which is lately impacted.

Abstract: An object optimized printing system and method comprises a page description language decomposing system, a command instruction and data generating system and an image output terminal controller. The PDL decomposition system inputs a print file defining a plurality of pages in the page description language and locates the plurality of objects forming each page and their object types. Based on the determine object types and any explicit rendering commands in the PDL file, the PDL decomposition system automatically generates rendering tags for each of the objects. The rendering tags are used to control the command instruction and data generating system, the IOT controller and/or the image output terminal to optimize the printing by the IOT on an object-by-object basis. Based on the objects and the generated rendering tags, the command instruction and data generating system generates the differing types of data and the command instructions on a scanline-by-scanline basis.

Abstract: An improved zero draft cylindrical noise attenuator for electrostatographic printers made of structural foam and having a cylindrical sidewall thicker than 4 mm throughout at least most of its circumference and a gap along the length of its long dimension. The improved attenuator more effectively dampens vibration and is less costly to make.

Abstract: An organic light emitting diode having high luminous intensity, and providing stabilized performance even during repetitive use and easy to manufacture, by using a charge transporting polymer having the following general formulae (I-1) and (I-2). where Ar represents a substituted or non-substituted monovalent polynulear aromatic ring having number of aromatic rings of 3 to 10, X represents a substituted or non-substituted bivalent aromatic group, T represents a bivalent linear hydrocarbon group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, m represents an integer of 1 to 3 and k represents 0 or 1.

Abstract: The selective depopulation and/or repopulation of a full color image-next-to-image or image-on-image print engine for generating monochrome and/or highlight color images, utilizing a multiplicity of functionally-equivalent substations in tandem to compensate for the increase in printing speed.

Abstract: Imageable seamed intermediate transfer belts having a large seam surface area, and marking machines that use such imageable seamed intermediate transfer belts. The seamed intermediate transfer belt having an inner surface and an outer surface having predefine surface properties for the purpose of imaging. A belt is formed from a semiconductive substrate having a first end and a second end that are mated to form a seam. An adhesive is disposed over the joint whereupon joint can be burnished or overcoated with a material that substantially imitate predefined surface properties of the belt.

Abstract: A purification process composed of: contacting a contaminated composition including an optional fluid, a polymer, and an impurity with an adsorbent composition including an adsorbent, wherein the adsorbent is selected from the group consisting of an alumina and a magnesium sulfate, wherein a portion of the impurity binds to the adsorbent, wherein the polymer is a polycarbonate, a carbazole, a polyarylate, or a copolyester having the formula where n is the degree of polymerization.

Abstract: A top sheet feeding apparatus for feeding sheets from a stack of sheets is disclosed. The feeding apparatus comprises a sheet stack support tray for supporting a stack of sheets, an air knife device positioned immediately adjacent the front of the stack of sheets for applying a positive pressure to the sheet stack in order to separate the uppermost sheet in the stack from the rest of the stack, and a feedhead device including a vacuum plenum chamber positioned over the front of the sheet stack having a negative pressure applied thereto during feeding, the vacuum plenum chamber having a sheet corrugation member located in the center of its bottom surface and perforated feed belt means associated with the vacuum plenum chamber to transport the sheets acquired by said vacuum plenum chamber in a forward direction out of the stack support tray. The air knife device includes a pair of straight air nozzles extending from the rear portion of the air knife device.

Abstract: A common polarity duplexing electrostatographic reproduction machine is provided and includes (i) a first plurality of toner image producing electrostatographic modules that each include a first image forming surface, image forming devices, and charged toner particles having a first polarity, (ii) a second plurality of toner image producing electrostatographic modules that each have a second image forming surface, image forming devices, including charged toner particles having a polarity common with the first polarity, (iii) a charged toner polarity reversing device mounted against each module of the second plurality of toner image producing electrostatographic modules for reversing a polarity of toner particles forming the second set of toner images from the first polarity to a second an opposite polarity; and (iv) a transfer device for transferring the second set of toner images having the second polarity onto a second side of the web of recording media.

Abstract: A decentralized network system provides for the distribution and collection of information (or messages) without the constraints of a large physical infrastructure. A decentralized network system includes a plurality of first nodes, each first node having a memory for storing messages, a processor for processing messages in accordance with a predetermined relationship and a communications port for transmitting and receiving messages. The first nodes are attached to some physical device or to a location. A plurality of mobile second nodes is also provided. Each second node includes a memory for storing messages, a processor for creating messages in response to user input and for processing messages in accordance with a predetermined relationship and a communications port for transmitting and receiving messages. Preferably, each second node is a personal digital assistant (PDA). The mobile second nodes are moved by users, who provide the means for transmitting messages from one first node to another first node.

Abstract: A circuit for generating a threshold bias signal for processing n color separations representing a color image includes a threshold bias register which holds and outputs the current threshold bias signal.

Abstract: A developer storage space into which developer is stored is segmented into a first developer storage portion 116a arranged at an upper portion of this developer storage space, and a second developer storage portion 116b arranged at a lower portion thereof, while sandwiching therebetween a window portion 120 which constitutes an optical scanning path. This first developer storage portion 116a is communicated with the second developer storage portion 116b via developer paths 122a and 122b, which are provided at both sides of the window portion 120. The developer derived from the first developer storage unit 116a is conducted to the developer paths 122a and 122b by the first stirring/transporting member 124, and then, is supplied to the second developer storage portion 116b through the developer paths 122a and 122b, and furthermore, is uniformly transported by the second stirring/transporting member 130 also to a central portion of a developing unit.

Abstract: Scanning probe systems, which include scanning probe microscopes (SPMs), atomic force microscope (AFMs), or profilometers, are disclosed that use cantilevered spring (e.g., stressy metal) probes formed on transparent substrates. When released, a free end bends away from the substrate to form the cantilevered spring probe, which has an in-plane or out-of-plane tip at its free end. The spring probe is mounted in a scanning probe system and is used to scan or otherwise probe a substrate surface. A laser beam is directed through the transparent substrate onto the probe to measure tip movement during scanning or probing. Other detection schemes can also be used (e.g., interferometry, capacitive, piezoresistive). The probes are used for topography, electrical, optical and thermal measurements. The probes also allow an SPM to operate as a depth gauge.