Abstract: An annular window-shaped structuring element is provided for image processing to remove speckles from a scanned image. The window-shaped structuring element is composed of two differently sized squares sharing the same geometric center-point. The pixel to be analyzed with the structuring element is at the center-point. The structuring element is used in a method to remove speckles from binary, grayscale, and/or color images by first eroding the image, detecting speckles relative to other pixels in the image, and removing declared speckles. The method may additionally include a halftoning module to protect halftone images.

Abstract: Provided are particles for use in a display device, in which particles cohesive force between the particles and a specific gravity are reduced, and an image display medium which can ensure a stable display image over a long period of time, and an image forming device. The particles for a display device are such that the cohesive force between the particles and the specific gravity are reduced. Further, the present invention can provide the image display medium, in which a driving voltage can be set to be low, and which can ensure a stable display image over a long period of time even if there are shocks from an exterior or static states over long periods and the image forming device utilizing this image display medium.

Abstract: A nozzle for ejecting a droplet has a straight portion having a substantially straight shape. A driving waveform to be applied to a piezoelectric actuator includes a first voltage change process for expanding volume of a pressure generating chamber to retract a meniscus of the nozzle portion toward the pressure generating chamber and a second voltage change process for compressing the volume of the pressure generating chamber to eject a droplet. Voltage change quantity and voltage change time of the first voltage change process are set so that meniscus retraction quantity D when the second voltage change process is applied satisfies 0.8·ln≦D≦1.5·ln (ln designates length of the straight portion of the nozzle). Consequently, when the second voltage change process is applied, strong liquid surface interference can be produced in the nozzle central portion. Therefore, a droplet having an extremely small droplet volume can be ejected.

Abstract: A diffusion part diffuses an optical signal emitted from the end face of an optical fiber of an input light guide. An input reflection part reflects the optical signal diffused by the diffusion part in the direction of an output reflection part. A transparent medium guides the optical signal reflected by the input reflection part in the direction of the output reflection part. Output reflection parts reflect optical signals guided in the transparent media in the direction of optical fibers of output light guides. The optical signal reflected by the output reflection part is incident on the end face of the optical fiber and is transmitted over the output light guide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to providing supplemental counts or “clicks” to account for recovery conditions in a document processing system. The application of recovery counts combined with the system cycle count when suitably summed will provide superior measure of the wear for a replaceable element as well as improved indication for the determination of the end of life of a replaceable element in that system. In this manner the more timely service or substitution for that replaceable element in the system can be provided, thereby allowing costs and service down-time to be minimized.

Abstract: The present invention relates to applying usage or weighting factors to static cycle counts or “clicks” as tallied in a document processing system. The application of weighting factors to a system cycle count when suitably summed will provide superior measure of the wear to a replaceable element as well as improved indication for the determination of the end of life for a replaceable element in that system. As such the more timely service or substitution for that replaceable element in the system can be provided, thereby allowing costs and service down-time to be minimized.

Abstract: A discharge arrangement usable in an electrostatographic printing machine uses a plurality of emissions to discharge an image receiver, such as a photoreceptor, of the printing machine. The discharge arrangement can be used as a charge erase arrangement, a reconditioning device, an imaging device, or a combination of these. In embodiments, the different emissions come from different groups of emitters within the arrangement, such as from different stations including rows of emitters or groups interspersed within a single row. In other embodiments, at least some of the emitters are tunable and can emit more than one type of emissions. For example, tunable LEDs could be employed in the arrangement.

Abstract: A method for assigning setting information to a client suitably distributes clients among gateways which are used for connection to an external network. A server assigns gateways to each client in order such that the load placed onto the gateways can be distributed. When a request for extension of use is received from a client A which uses GW1 after a failure has occurred in GW1, the server assigns GW2 which is available. In this process, a lease period is set at a shorter time than the base lease period. When a request for extension of use is received from the client A after GW1 is restored, the server returns the gateway to be used to GW1.

Abstract: An improved and more efficient device and method for creating multiple punch holes during a finishing process of paper sheets and other sheet materials. A highlight of the present invention is the ability to select between at least two configurations of punch holes automatically, without manual adjustment, and “on-the-fly” without interruption of the sheet or paper flow. The improved sheet punch comprises two rotatable punches set at different angles such that when one intersects the sheet path, the other clears the sheet path. The speed of rotation is controlled such that the non-selected punch intersects the sheet path in a space between pitches.

Abstract: A method for placing nitride laser diode arrays on a thermally and electrically conducting substrate is described. The method uses an excimer laser to detach the nitride laser diode from the sapphire growth substrate after an intermediate substrate has been attached to the side opposite the sapphire substrate. A secondary layer is subsequently deposited to act as a transfer support structure and bonding interface. The membrane is released from the intermediate substrate and a thermally conducting substrate is subsequently bonded to the side where the sapphire substrate was removed. Similarly, the secondary layer may be used as the new host substrate given an appropriate thickness is deposited prior to removal of the intermediate substrate.

Abstract: A circuit which uses a compressor to divide each separation image into 8-line strips, and to independently compress each strip, a single decompressor to decompress two or more color image separations, strip by strip, by interleaving them, and to apply them to two or more print heads, one for each color separation. DMA from a main memory is used to apply both separations to the decompressor, and the decompressor output is demultiplexed into two print heads, one for each separation. This is done to drive each color separation simultaneously in a single-pass color printer. Multiplexing logic controls the DMA into the decompressor and the output of the decompressor into separate buffers for each color separation. Additional logic uses the page and line sync from each print head to synchronize the accessing of the correct image raster from buffers at the output of the decompressor to the associated print head.

Abstract: Disclosed is a recording sheet which comprises a substrate and an additive material selected from the group consisting of pyrrole compounds, pyrrolidine compounds, pyridine compounds, piperidine compounds, homopiperidine compounds, quinoline compounds, isoquinoline compounds, quinuclidine compounds, indole compounds, indazole compounds, and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: In a method for preferably assigning, to a client, setting information necessary for connection to an external network, an address assignment processing section of a server which is a coordinator server at that point assigns an IP address and GW address and returns the assigned information to the client in response to an address assignment request from the client. The address assignment processing sections of servers which will become, through a server circulation process, the coordinator server respectively at subsequent points in time also function similarly. The client connects to the Internet via one of the gateways by referring to the GW address designated in the response from the server. A server which recognized that a failure has occurred in another server changes the GW address assigned to the client in order to switch the communication route for the client to access the Internet.

Abstract: A cleaning station for a vertical nozzle plate of an ink jet printer includes a cylindrical cleaning roller that has an outer surface, and has a substantially vertical central axis and a substantially vertical rotational axis. The roller is spaced from the nozzle plate to form a cleaning cavity between the roller and the nozzle plate. The roller has a top end above the nozzle plate and a bottom end below the nozzle plate. A drive element is connected to the roller to rotate the roller about its rotation axis. A fluid outlet near the top of the roller directs cleaning fluid onto the outer surface of the roller, and into the cleaning cavity between the roller and the nozzle plate. A fluid reservoir stores cleaning fluid, and a fluid conduit conducts cleaning fluid from the fluid reservoir to the fluid outlet.

Abstract: In order to simplify prevention of unauthorized or malicious electronic mail transmission, a mail server comprises a password conversion table which shows registered correlation among user ID, a formal password, and a virtual password different from the formal password, both assigned to each user for user authentication by a general-purpose mail server. A user is informed of only a virtual password. When electronic mail having a virtual password and addressed to an outsider of a company is sent from a client PC, a password conversion processor converts the virtual password into a corresponding formal password with reference to the password conversion table, and the virtual SMTP server function processor sends the electronic mail now having the formal password to the general-purpose mail server. A user at a client PC cannot access the general-purpose mail server using a virtual password as the user is not authenticated using the virtual password.

Abstract: A discharge device usable in an electrostatographic printing machine uses a plurality of emissions to discharge an image receiver, such as a photoreceptor, of the printing machine. The discharge device can be used as a charge erase device, a reconditioning device, an imaging device, or a combination of these. In embodiments, the different emissions come from different groups of emitters within the device, such as from rows of emitters or from groups interspersed within a single row. In other embodiments, at least some of the emitters are tunable and can emit more than one type of emissions. For example, tunable LEDs could be employed in the device.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for fast computation of associative operations over fixed size regions of a digital image. More particularly, this invention relates to the application of associative operations—such as MINIMUM, MAXIMUM, AND and OR—to fixed size regions of a digital image such as hexagonal, octagonal and rectangular regions. This is accomplished by tiling the image and calculating two-dimensional running calculations of the operator for each possible corner overlap configuration of a window that is run over the tiles of the image and thus used to analyze the image.

Abstract: A scanning device comprises a controller that determines a resolution of an output image, for example the native resolution of a printer. The controller also determines a resolution of an input image based on the resolution of the output image, s that the definition of the input image is equal to the definition of the output image. The controller then controls the resolution of a scanner according to the resolution of the input image.

Abstract: An improved blending tool with an enlarged collision profile and method of use by rotation in a blending machine. The improved blending tool comprises an enlarged collision surface fixed at the end of the tool's center shank wherein at least half of the trailing surface of the collision surface is negatively sloped.

Abstract: A platen cover having a plurality of platen cover surfaces that can be exposed. Each platen cover surface has a different color and/or has a different surface treatment, such as matte, gloss, reflective and the like. The different exposable surfaces are carried on at least one removable platen cover surface that can be detachably attached to the platen cover. To change the exposed surface, the platen cover surface is detached from the platen cover. That platen cover surface can then be rotated to expose a different face of the platen cover surface. Alternately, a different platen cover surface can be installed. In other exemplary embodiments, the platen cover has a plurality of retractable platen cover layers that can be exposed. Each platen cover layer has a different color and/or surface treatment. The quality of many functions that are performed in an image capture device can be improved by using different platen cover colors.