Abstract: An electrostatographic imaging member having a substrate support material which eliminates the need for an anticurl backing layer, a substrate support layer and a charge transport layer having a thermal contraction coefficient difference in the range of from −2×10−5/° C. to about +2×10−5/° C. a substrate support material having a Glass Transition Temperature (Tg) of at least 100° C., wherein the substrate support material is not susceptible to attack from the charge transport layer coating solution solvent and wherein the substrate support material is represented by the two structural formulas below: wherein m, n, and q represent the degree of polymerization having a number from 10 to 300; and x, y, and z are integers; with x and y from 2 to 10 and z from 1 to 10. An electrostatographic imaging member containing this substrate support layer.

Abstract: A waste fluid collection container, which includes a tray having a floor defined by a periphery, where the floor has a plurality of raised flow enhancing areas and a fluid absorbing member that sits inside the tray. In embodiments, the raised areas are elongated ridges extending outwardly from a central area. In other embodiments, the raised areas are a plurality of studs.

Abstract: In a fusing apparatus, such as used in xerography, two rolls form a nip therebetween. A guide member is positionable to direct a sheet approaching the nip to enter the nip at an angle so that an arc or buckle is created in the sheet between a marking station and the nip. The arc or buckle is helpful in avoiding the transfer of mechanical energy from the fusing apparatus to the marking station. As the trailing edge of the sheet exits the marking station, the guide member is positioned to straighten the sheet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for depositing solder paste on a printed wiring board has a stencil with a pattern of multiple apertures. The pattern aligns with a through-hole in the printed wiring board when the stencil is in physical contact with the printed wiring board. A squeegee arrangement applies solder paste through the multiple apertures in the stencil through the through-hole of the printed wiring board to the upper surface of the printed wiring board for securely mounting electronic components to the upper surface of the printed wiring board, for providing a thermal path for the heat sinks of the electronic components and for providing a low inductance electrical path to ground for the electrical components.

Abstract: An ink stick push block for use in a system for feeding solid ink sticks in a phase change printer, wherein each solid ink stick has an ink stick face surface having an ink stick face surface contour and an ink stick rear surface having a nonplanar ink stick rear surface contour, the ink stick push block. The push block includes an ink stick push block face having a nonplanar ink stick push block face contour, wherein at least a portion of the nonplanar ink stick push block face contour is the complement of at least a portion of the nonplanar ink stick rear surface contour.

Abstract: A media clearance apparatus including a member having a length, a thickness, and a width, and a first end and a second end. The member is securable along a portion of the member to a secondary member and is functionally operational such that one end of the member is movable from a first position out of contact with a media path into a second position in contact with the media path.

Abstract: A flexible imaging belt seam treatment article comprising a high-temperature-resistant flexible substrate that supports a thermoplastic polymer film. The film is deposited on the flexible substrate by dissolution of a film-forming thermoplastic polymer in a carrier solvent, applying the resulting solution to the flexible substrate, and eliminating the carrier solvent. The article can then be used to treat a seam of a flexible imaging belt by placing it on the seam, heating the strip and seam, and applying pressure to the strip and seam.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a guide member for directing sheets toward a transfer zone. The guide member defines a set of ribs which hold the sheets above the main surface of the guide member. Thus, any stray marking material which lands on the guide member is relatively unlikely to contact a sheet moving over the guide member.

Abstract: A billing process and system for enabling expedited and simplified resolution of line items between a biller and a billee. The billing process and system allows for communicating electronically a bill; receiving an electronic communication of at least one discrepancy in the insurance bill; communicating electronically a proposed modification to the insurance bill corresponding to the at least one discrepancy in the insurance bill; receiving electronic acceptance of the proposed modification; and electronic reconciliation in an accounts receivable record.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining the authoritativeness of a document based on textual, non-topical cues. The authoritativeness of a document is determined by evaluating a set of document content features contained within each document to determine a set of document content feature values, processing the set of document content feature values through a trained document textual authority model, and determining a textual authoritativeness value and/or textual authority class for each document evaluated using the predictive models included in the trained document textual authority model. Estimates of a document's textual authoritativeness value and/or textual authority class can be used to re-rank documents previously retrieved by a search, to expand and improve document query searches, to provide a more complete and robust determination of a document's authoritativeness, and to improve the aggregation of rank-ordered lists with numerically-ordered lists.

Abstract: An ink supply level sensing system for a solid ink loader having a channel for holding ink sticks, the channel having a push block therein, wherein the push block pushes ink sticks towards an end of the channel, and wherein the push block moves down the channel as it pushes the ink sticks. The sensing system includes a vane, an arm connected to the vane, the arm extending into the channel such that it is moved by the push block, thereby moving the vane, a first optical sensor having a first optical transmitter and a first optical receiver, wherein the first optical sensor provides a signal indicating a low ink supply when the vane passes between the first optical transmitter and first optical receiver; and a second optical sensor having a second optical transmitter and a second optical receiver, wherein the second optical sensor provides a signal indicating no ink supply when the vane passes between the second optical transmitter and second optical receiver.

Abstract: A data transfer system for transfer target object data from a data transmission apparatus to a data reception apparatus via transfer paths. The data transmission apparatus judges whether or not encrypting operation for the transfer object data is necessary on the basis of attributes of the transfer paths, encrypts the transfer object data when the encrypting operation for the transfer object data is judged to be necessary, and transmits either the transfer object data or the encrypted transfer object data via the transfer paths to the data reception apparatus. The data reception apparatus receives either the transfer object data or the encrypted transfer object data from the data transmission apparatus; judges whether or not decoding operation for the received transfer object data is necessary, and decodes the received transfer object data when the decoding operation for the received transfer object data is judged to be necessary.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining the authoritativeness of a document based on textual, non-topical cues. The authoritativeness of a document is determined by evaluating a set of document content features contained within each document to determine a set of document content feature values, processing the set of document content feature values through a trained document textual authority model, and determining a textual authoritativeness value and/or textual authority class for each document evaluated using the predictive models included in the trained document textual authority model. Estimates of a document's textual authoritativeness value and/or textual authority class can be used to re-rank documents previously retrieved by a search, to expand and improve document query searches, to provide a more complete and robust determination of a document's authoritativeness, and to improve the aggregation of rank-ordered lists with numerically-ordered lists.

Abstract: A belt seam treatment apparatus includes a support element with a smooth surface that supports the seam region of the belt and a heat and pressure source that heats a treatment strip and the belt seam region and that forces the treatment strip against the belt seam region. The support element can be a tube over which the belt hangs and can include a vacuum belt hold system that secures the seam region against the tube during treatment. The heat and pressure source can be a heated pressure bar engaging the entire seam region or a heated pressure wheel traversing the seam region of the entire belt width.

Abstract: A method for encoding and decoding frames by generating a key bitstream such that the key bitstream never has to be stored is disclosed. The method consists of a key generation algorithm using a threshold matrix to generate a key that is very similar to original bitmap data. The key generation algorithm searches the bitmap for equivalent image sets that produce the same bitmaps. These equivalent image sets consist of runlength of constant image values and the actual runlength. Additionally, the image values for the runlengths are never explicitly encoded. During compression a preprocess algorithm XORs the MINIMAL number of hints required to find a equivalent image value for the runlength. The postprocess algorithm is capable of distinguishing if a single bit represents an image value adjustment hint or if it represents the end of a runlength.

Abstract: A feed system for feeding solid ink sticks, the system including a feed channel having a longitudinal dimension between an insertion end and a melt end, a push block element for moving one or more ink sticks along the feed channel from the insertion end to the melt end, and a tension element. The tension element is attached to the push block element so that the tension element urges the push block element toward the melt end of the feed channel and when the tension element is urging the push block element, the tension element is positioned substantially to one side of the feed channel.

Abstract: An electrophotographic color toner at least includes a colorant, a binder resin and an additive, wherein the additive includes at least any of burned fine particles selected from titanium oxide fine particles and tin oxide fine particles obtained by a burning process.

Abstract: A belt seam treatment apparatus includes a support element with a smooth surface that supports the seam region of the belt, a heat source that heats a treatment strip and the belt seam region, and a pressure applicator that forces the treatment strip against the belt seam region. The support element can be a tube over which the belt hangs and can include a vacuum belt hold system that secures the seam region against the tube during treatment. The heat source can be an infrared laser or an infrared lamp. Optics form a heat spot or a heat line on the strip and seam region, and a pressure wheel traverses the seam region after heating to compress the strip and seam and bond a thermoplastic polymer of the strip to the seam region of the belt.

Abstract: A flexible imaging member seam treatment method comprising bonding a thermoplastic polymer film to the seam of the flexible imaging member after placing the film on the seam. The film is bonded by heating the film above a glass transition temperature of at least one of a thermoplastic polymer from which the film is made and a polymer from which an imaging layer of the flexible imaging member is made. The film can be formed on a flexible, removable substrate. Treatment according to embodiments significantly improves seam region physical properties, greatly reducing cracking and delamination resulting from bending stresses induced by traversal of rollers.

Abstract: An image processing system that utilizes a CPU is provided. In the image processing system, image data to be processed is separated into plural image data elements, using predetermined requirements. At least one of the image data elements is selected. The selected image data element is subjected to pre-processing including orthogonal transform and quantization to create intermediate data. In order to create compressed data, both the intermediate data and an unselected image data element in the selection are subjected to entropy encoding.