Abstract: A user equipment issues a job for a plurality of documents to a printing system by one operation. The user equipment assigns attributes to the job, the attributes including the specification of collation/uncollation, the designation of processing start instruction wait, the designation of exclusive processing, and the designation of password input wait. The printing system effects printing of the plurality of documents corresponding to attributes of the documents under control of a job scheduling device. The job scheduling device carries but the pausing of documents included in the job, the modification of attributes, addressing of document receiving failures, and search of a document whose format is to be converted, thereby making it possible to efficiently print the plurality of documents.

Abstract: A fast acting printhead maintenance assembly is provided and includes a support frame and a flexible wiping member mounted to the support frame. The flexible wiping member has a body portion, and a wiping edge adjoining the body portion for making wiping contact with a nozzle face of a printhead during relative motion between the printhead and the flexible wiping member. The fast acting printhead maintenance assembly also includes a liquid ink wicking and absorbing member attached to the body portion of the flexible wiping member for immediately and quickly wicking and absorbing liquid ink wiped by the wiping edge from the nozzle face of the printhead, thereby resulting in continued high quality printed images and a relatively longer printhead life.

Abstract: A method of creating an authenticatable sheet of material, includes measuring at least one physical property of the sheet of material; marking an edge of the sheet of material with indicia arranged to form a unique code identifying the sheet of material, wherein the sheet of material includes a first surface, a second surface disposed opposite the first surface and an edge extending between the first surface and the second surface and peripherally about the sheet of material; and recording the measured physical property in a measure database indexed by the edge code. To verify the validity of a sheet of material, the edge code is read, the same physical property is measured and the measured value is compared with the previously stored value extracted from the measure database. If the two are substantially equal, the sheet of material is authentic.

Abstract: Particles are packed in a container. The container is either cylindrical-shaped or box-shaped. The container has a container inner wall and an inner bottom. A ramp is disposed on the container inner bottom. The ramp has a ramp base that is narrower than the container inner bottom. A conical-shaped inclined ramp surface extends upward from the ramp base at a substantially constant ramp surface angle with respect to horizontal and towards the container inner wall. The inclined ramp surface defines a ramp upper rim that is substantially proximate to the container inner wall. The particles have an angle of repose that is less than the ramp surface angle. The particles flow down the inclined ramp surface towards the ramp base. The particles are removed from the container using a vacuum feed nozzle that is disposed proximate to the particles in the container.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus and method for ink jet printing is described. The apparatus includes an ink reservoir for containing a water based ink and a moisture barrier positioned between the ink in the ink reservoir and ambient air. The moisture barrier is formed of microencapsulated water beads adapted to provide a sustained release of the water into ambient air.

Abstract: A composition comprised of a composite comprised of an aromatic or heteroaromatic polymer comprised of monomer or monomers selected from the group consisting of pyrrole, indole, thiophene, thianaphthene, indene, azulene and ring pendant substitutent derivatives thereof as a discrete phase; and a block copolymer as a continuous phase selected from the group consisting of ionophoric and ionomeric copolymers, wherein the block copolymer has at least one apolar segment and at least one ion binding segment, wherein the ionomeric or ionophoric block copolymer is present in an amount from about 99 to about 50 percent by weight based on the combined weight of the block copolymer and the aromatic or heteroaromatic polymer, wherein the block copolymer provides micellar or vesicular domains for organization and polymerization of the monomer or monomers.

Abstract: A transfer assist blade for an electrophotograhic printing machine that provides the necessary stiffness to allow complete transfer of a toner image while avoiding excessive bending stress in the blade. The blade is made up of a semiconductive polyester layer bonded to a non-semiconductive polyester layer. A third and fourth layer of high molecular weight polyethylene are bonded o the second layer. These third and fourth layers do not extend the full length of the blade to provide supplemental stiffness while avoiding excess bending stress.

Abstract: An image quality analysis system is provided that can determine various aspects of image quality easily and with minimal user involvement and minimal user expertise. The system uses a scanner, either a stand-alone or part of a multi-function printer/scanner/copier, to scan a printed test pattern, and then perform a series of analyses on the scanned image using an image quality analysis module that may be built into the image output device being tested, or provided as a stand-alone component that can receive the output from the scanner. There are often a number of different test patterns that would be used depending on which print quality issues are being tested. By encoding each test pattern with a coded identification label, not only can the particular test pattern be identified, but the analysis to be performed can also be determined from the corresponding script when the printed test pattern is scanned and subsequently decoded. Particularly suitable decoders are OCR and barcode readers.

Abstract: Electrodes are embedded in a biased transfer roller for the transfer of a xerographic image. The electrodes, which run the length of the roller, are deposited on an insulating core surrounding the shaft. A conformable semi-conductive layer of a flexible elastomer covers the embedded electrodes. The semi-conductive layer limits current flow between embedded electrodes, relaxes charge deposited on the roller surface, and maximizes the electric field that attracts the toner from the photoconductor to the image receiving surface (substrate or intermediate). The electroded biased transfer roller may tailor the electric fields within the nip, pre-nip, and post-nip regions between the photoreceptor and the image receiving surface of the xerographic device.

Abstract: A robotic module for a toy construction system includes a housing enclosing a gear mechanism and an actuator connected to a pivot mechanism to supply operational power for rotation. An energy storage device supplies power to the actuator, which rotates in response to instructions received from a control unit connected to the actuator. A connection plate forms a connection between at least two of the modules. At least one position sensor is provided to sense the arrangement of the modules connected together.

Abstract: A process which comprises mixing a carrier core with a polymer core and polymer shell and wherein the polymer shell is present as a coating on said core and said polymer core, wherein said polymer core is generated by emulsification of and heating of monomer forming a seed latex; adding a portion of said seed latex to said emulsification mixture, followed by heating and adding another second portion of said seed latex; and wherein said shell is generated by emulsion polymerization of a monomer, followed by heating.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the control of darkness/lightness in a digital image rendered by a printing system. An original image containing antialiased edges is initially thresholded and filtered to determine an edge map. With knowledge of the edge via the edge map, darkness adjustment is applies to the digital image. Gray-edge compaction is applied thereafter to adjust the position of the edge.

Abstract: The performance of nitride based diodes is currently limited by the resistivity of the ohmic contacts to the p-type GaN. The large value of the contact resistance contributes to a large voltage for device operation. This in turn causes device heating, making cw operation difficult and limiting the device lifetime. A layer of GaP or GaNP alloy between the GaN and the metal contact layer serves to bridge the energetic barrier between the GaN valence band and the metal Fermi level, thus enhancing the hole injection and reducing the contact resistance.

Abstract: A system for manufacturing large quantities of seamed belts for printing systems with controlled imageable seams, which belts require a defined circumference and width, from suitable belt material in a large roll thereof, by feeding a continuous web of that belt material from the roll in (or cut to) a width that is at least as wide as the defined circumference of the finished seamed belt into a seam cutting station, where the opposing side edges of the continuous web of belt material are cut as they move through the seam cutting station into opposing seam-forming mating edge patterns, preferably mating puzzle-cut patterns cut by small movement laser beams on each side of the moving web.

Abstract: A toner maintenance system for an electrophotographic developer unit, including a sump for storing a quantity of developer material comprised of toner material; a first member for transporting developer material from the sump, a viewing window, in communication with toner material, in the sump; an optical sensor, for measuring reflected light off the viewing window and toner material, and generating a signal indicative thereof. A toner concentration controller is adapted to receive a signal from the optical sensor and to generate an “Add Toner” signal to replenish toner material in the sump.

Abstract: A transfix member with a substrate, an optional intermediate layer, and thereover an outer layer having a fluoroelastomer and polyamino polysiloxane, and a heating member associated with the transfix member.

Abstract: A sheet registration system, especially for printers, with a lower cost and lower mass-movement system for both sheet deskewing and transverse registration repositioning of the sheets in the same integral system, especially for higher speed printing. Only one main drive motor can drive both of the two spaced apart sheet feeding nips, together with a lower power, lower mass, deskewing differential drive system for providing the relative differential angular movement of the two spaced sheet feeding nips to achieve the desired amount of sheet deskewing movement, without interrupting the forward feeding movement of the sheet. Also disclosed are extensive further reductions in the component mass of the lateral translation movement for lateral sheet registration.

Abstract: Document authentication is accomplished by acquiring document image data, generating a set of features of the document, and generating an assist channel that includes information on how to generate the set of features. The set of features and the assist channel are digitally signed and the append to the document. Document verification is accomplished by acquiring document image data and verifying the signature. If the signature is valid, aset of features of the document is generated using information contained in the assist channel appended to the document. The generated set of features is then compared to the set of features appended on the document. If the sets do not match, the document is determined to have been altered sometimes after the assist channel was appended to the document, i.e., the document is not genuine. Otherwise, the document can be considered to be genuine.

Abstract: An image formation method which remarkably extends developer life while providing size reduction and high speed coloring. Also, a replenishing toner and a method of producing the same, and a toner cartridge. In the image formation method, conducting image formation by an image formation apparatus having a plurality of xerography units, the developer apparatus of at least one xerography unit has a developer recovering mechanism appropriately replenishing a replenishing toner composed of a toner and a carrier into the developer apparatus and recovering an excess portion of a developer from the equipment. The above-mentioned replenishing toner has a carrier content in the range of 5 to 40% by weight, the above-mentioned carrier is a carrier coated with a resin having a specific composition, and/or the above-mentioned toner is in a specific shape. The replenishing toner may be produced using the above-mentioned recovered developer.