Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring and controlling electrical parameter of an imaging surface, the monitoring controlling apparatus including a patch generator for recording a first control patch at a first voltage level and a second control patch at a second voltage level on the imaging surface; electrostatic voltmeter for measuring voltage potentials associated with the first control patch and second control patch. A processor, in communication with the patch generator, calculates the electrical parameters of the imaging surface from the measured voltage potentials from the first and second control patches. The processor determines a deviation between the calculated electrical parameters values and setup values. Then, the processor produces and sends a feedback error signal to the patch generator if the deviation exceed a threshold level. The patch generator records a third control patch at a third voltage level on the imaging surface upon reception of the error signal. The ESV senses the third control patch.

Abstract: A pixel circuit construction for image sensing includes a photosensor, an amplifier, a selector switch and, and a reset switch. The amplifier may be a single polycrystalline silicon (channel) transistor for high gain. The selector switch may also be a single polycrystalline silicon (channel) transistor for high conductivity. The reset switch may a single amorphous crystalline silicon (channel) transistor for low leakage current. The photosensor and amplifier may be connected to a shared bias line or may be connected to separate bias and drive lines, respectively. The selector and reset switches may be connected to a shared data line or may be connected to separate data and reset lines, respectively. Laser crystallization and rehydrogenation techniques are well suited to obtaining devices described herein. Linearization of output response is provided.

Abstract: A valve array for supporting objects such as paper with controlled fluid flow is disclosed. Optional valve arrays can be used to controllably eject marking agents for marking or coating a paper or other suitable substrate. Each valve in the valve array has one or more flap elements positioned in a valve chamber. These flap elements are movable to alternatively block the fluid flow through valve chamber outlets with the aid of various catch mechanisms for controllably latching the flap elements. The catch mechanisms have a disabled state and an activated state for holding and allowing release of the flap elements. Once the catch mechanism are disabled, the flap elements are free to move to another position, provided they can overcome the mechanical fluid flow forces that tend to hold it in position. To counter and utilize such forces for moving the flap elements, an impulse mechanism kicks the flap element into the valve chamber, away from the catch mechanisms.

Abstract: An interactive desktop system comprising a work surface, a display device such as a projector for displaying images in a first area on the work surface, a camera for capturing images in a second area on the work surface, and an image processor, coupled to the display device and to the camera, said image processor being suitably programmed (a) for causing the display of barcodes on the work surface, (b) for causing the capture of said barcodes and, in dependence on the captured information, (c) for determining the position of said second area relative to said first area. The barcodes are displayed in a horizontal then vertical orientation, with an image capture in each display orientation being performed by the camera. This enables the camera's field of view within the displayed image to be determined. In an alternative embodiment, glyph codes may be used instead of barcodes.

Abstract: Every printing system has characteristic defects which detract from high quality printing. Xerographic printing systems show defects such as banding, mottled colors in large fill areas, trail-edge deletion and starvation where toner concentrations drop at certain color edges, misregistration, and so on. Ink jet printing systems can show ink bleeding, streaking in the direction of head movement, and so on. One approach to reducing predictable printer defects is to modify the digital data being sent to the printer to pre-compensate for the defect. One pre-compensation method identifies runs of color which meet the criteria likely to cause a printing defect and applies a function f(edge-distance, object-type) to such runs to modify them appropriately. However, if multiple defects are being corrected, an efficient method is needed to identify potential defects since a normal search procedure performed on a band of collected runs one at a time for each defect is time-consuming.

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: A method and apparatus for producing high quality toner images in an electrostatic printing machine. The method using the apparatus includes (a) forming an initial developed toner image on a photoreceptor using initial developed toner image forming assemblies including a first charging device for uniformly charging the photoreceptor, and a development assembly including charged toner solids having a single charge polarity; and (b) refining the initial developed toner image using reverse charge printing (RCP) assemblies including a second charging device for reversing charge polarity on unwanted toner solids in background areas of the initial developed toner image, and for removing such unwanted toner solids from such background areas, thereby producing a high quality final toner image having sharp image area edges and highly clean background areas.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising an electrically conductive substrate having thereon a charge-generating layer and a charge-transporting layer, wherein the charge-transporting layer comprises: a nonuniform charge-transporting layer comprising an electrically inactive matrix and a charge-transporting domain dispersed in the matrix; and the uniform charge-transporting layer comprising a charge-transporting matrix.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a fixing unit for performing a fixing process by bringing a fixing member having a heat source and a pressurizing member having an elastic layer into contact with each other, wherein control is performed such that a portion in the vicinity of a deformed portion of the pressurizing member and the leading end of the transfer member do not coincide with each other.

Abstract: Novel semiconductor devices are monolithically defined with p-type and/or n-type wide bandgap material formed by impurity induced layer disordering of selected regions of multiple semiconductor layers. The devices are beneficially fabricated by simultaneously forming the n-type and/or p-type layer disordered regions with sufficiently abrupt transitions from disordered to ordered material. The novel devices include laterally and vertically oriented P-i-N or N-i-P photodetectors integrated with laterally oriented P-N-P or N-P-N bipolar transistors, respectively, an N-P-N or P-N-P bipolar transistor monolithically integrated with an edge emitting semiconductor laser, and laterally and vertically oriented P-i-N or N-i-P photodetectors integrated with the monolithically integrated bipolar transistor and edge emitting semiconductor laser.

Abstract: A fuser module for a compact printer or copier includes therein a decurler which shares a common drive means with the fuser rolls. The decurler comprises a set of deformable rollers disposed on a decurling roll, the total length of deformable rollers being less than 25% of the effective length of the decurling roll. The module pivots open for jam clearance from either the fuser rolls or decurler.

Abstract: A data transmission apparatus in which the bandwidth necessary for an application is determined and is communicated to a transmission interval counting function. The transmission interval counting function determines a transmission interval according to the necessary bandwidth and effects transmit control on a transmission unit transmitting function with timing set at this transmission interval so as to transfer data in a desired bandwidth. Owing to the above construction, even when a plurality of types of applications for transmitting data at desired times exist and they perform data transmissions while sharing the use of a network, the contention between the data transmissions in the network can be prevented from occurring. This prevents data losses and delays in data transmission from increasing.

Abstract: An oxide thin film comprising an oxide represented by ABO.sub.3, wherein A comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of the groups IA, IIA, IIIA, IVB and VB of the periodic table, and B comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of the groups IVA and VA of the periodic table, wherein said oxide thin film has a mixed structure in which crystal grains are dispersed in an amorphous phase or an ultrafine grain phase. The oxide thin film is prepared by preparing an organic solvent solution (1) of a metal alkoxide compound of A and a metal alkoxide compound of B; adding water, or water and a catalyst to the organic solvent solution (1) to prepare a solution (2); mixing the organic solvent solution (1) and the solution (2) to prepare a mixed solution; coating the mixed solution on a substrate to form a thin film; and subjecting the thin film to heat treatment.

Abstract: In an ink tank, a main ink chamber is contiguous to a sub ink chamber containing an absorption member, and an air communication hole is formed on the top of the sub ink chamber. The absorption member holds ink pressure constant by capillary attraction of the absorption member. First, ink in the sub ink chamber is consumed with consumption of ink. When ink is consumed in a predetermined amount, air passes through the absorption member and a meniscus forming portion to form bubbles, which then move to the main ink chamber. Ink pressure is held constant by surface tension of the meniscus forming portion. Even if ink remains in a small amount, the ink leading portion makes the meniscus forming portion wet for holding ink pressure.

Abstract: Light scanning devices forming electrostatic latent images on photosensitive bodies are disposed so as to correspond respectively to the plurality of photosensitive bodies which correspond to a plurality of colors, respectively. Electrooptical elements are disposed on light paths of light beams. The electrostatic latent images formed on the respective photosensitive bodies 1 are respectively developed by developing means. Developed electrostatic latent images are respectively superposed together and transferred onto a sheet, so that a color image is formed. Images-for-detecting-offset-amounts, which are formed on a conveying body by the light scanning devices, are detected, and offset amounts of images of the respective colors are detected. Based on detected offset amounts, voltages are applied to the respective electrooptical elements such that the offset amounts become values of a predetermined range.

Abstract: In workflow management software, task objects describing a successfully-completed workflow process instance are copied. The copied task objects are then generalized in the relevant variables thereof, so that the entire workflow process is thus generalized for direct re-use in an amended workflow process definition. In this way, ad-hoc amendments to the workflow process, such as those initiated by the persons who collaborate in the work process, can be easily incorporated into a new work process.

Abstract: Custom color control techniques are extended by using a high and a low pigment loaded toner for each color of the primary colors in the printing system. In one application, a large gamut of colors and fine control of color is accomplished by using a minimum number of colored pigments with each color incorporated into both high and low pigment loaded toners. Another application of the high/low pigment loaded toners is the ability to increase the developed mass per unit area (DMA) for rough papers without increasing pigment mass per unit area (PMA) by either mixing high and low pigment-loaded toners or by mixing a high pigment-loaded toner with an unpigmented toner to obtain the desired custom color. A novel sensor which senses fluorescent molecules in toner particles provides a color independent measure of total toner solids.

Abstract: To facilitate the recovery data from an embedded data pattern through the use of a appropriately sized capture window that is randomly positioned within the data pattern, the embedded data pattern is composed of a plurality of identical, one dimensionally or two dimensionally regularly tiled embedded data blocks which contain sufficient spatial addressing information to permit the logical reconstruction of a complete data block from any set of fragments that collectively provide a full cover for the surface area of any one tile. To this end, the capture window is sized to include a shape which is completely registered with the data pattern in which is capable of tiling the recording medium in accordance with the tiling vectors.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ink composition which comprises water, an anionic dye, and a polyquaternary amine compound selected from the group consisting of polydiallyl ammonium compounds, polyquaternized polyvinylamines, polyquaternized polyallylamines, and mixtures thereof. Also disclosed are methods for using the aforementioned ink composition in ink jet printing processes.

Abstract: A molding assembly for producing a magnetic development roller having relatively precise magnetic development fields for use in an electrostatographic reproduction machine to develop a latent image recorded on a photoconductive member of the machine. The molding assembly includes a cylindrical member having a first end, a second end, a first radius, and a shell portion. The shell portion includes an outer surface, and an inner surface defining a molding cavity that has a second radius corresponding to an outer radius of a magnetic development roller molded within the molding cavity. The molding assembly also includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced channels formed within the shell portion, with each channel of the plurality having generally parallel walls, and being located immediately adjacent the inner surface of the shell portion for containing a permanent magnet suitable for inducing a magnetic field in a magnetic development roller molded within the molding cavity.