Abstract: A digital copier is designed to minimize image imperfections by limiting pickup of contaminants by an image carrier. Paper sheets are conveyed to an image transfer area by use of a conveyor unit. The conveyor unit includes paper feed rollers. The image transfer area includes the image carrier and a transfer roller. The paper sheets pass between the image carrier and the transfer roller. When no paper sheets are in the image transfer area, the transfer roller is in contact with the image carrier. The transfer rollers and the paper feed rollers include a rubber material with a solubility parameter chosen to minimize transfer of contaminants to the image carrier. In one example, the transfer roller and the paper feed roller are formed from a rubber material having a solubility parameter greater than or equal to 8.2 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.1/2. To further minimize imperfections in the image due to pickup of contaminants, the rubber material of the paper feed member has a dielectric constant greater than or equal to 4.

Abstract: An image signal encoding apparatus reads an image from an original and converts the image into color data values including lightness and chromaticity components. The data values are stored and divided into pixel blocks with data values of lightness components and pixel blocks with data values of chromaticity components. Average lightness component data values are computed for pixel blocks of lightness components and average chromaticity data values are computed for pixel blocks of chromaticity components. A region determination is made whether the pixel blocks correspond to a color, monochrome or background region in the original based on the average pixel block data values of lightness components and chromaticity components. A switch outputs the lightness pixel block data values during the region determination, and outputs the lightness and chromaticity pixel block data values after the region determination.

Abstract: A self-clocking glyph code pattern is parameterized in at least one further dimension by the selection of the parallel propagating unique numeric sequences that are employed for parameterizing the code pattern in two-dimensional space and additional sequence is embedded in the code pattern for identifying the parameterizing sequences that are being used.

Abstract: A software architecture is provided for allowing users to impart various types of button behavior to ordinary human interpretable elements of electronic documents by associating hidden persistent character string button attributes to such elements. This architecture permits such buttons to be edited and searched through the use of the edit and search routines that are ordinarily provided by standard document editors.

Abstract: A color electrophotographic printing system that uses one switched developer power supply for all developers and that enables a reduced size by reducing the interdocument zone. The interdocument zone is reduced by using a developer order in which the last used developers in a development cycle is physically located first. Beneficially, the developer that is used first is physically located last.

Abstract: A system for creating and manipulating groups of graphic objects using enclosures. A persistent graphic object, such as a closed loop is drawn around a set of graphic objects as an enclosure. When the enclosure is selected the enclosure and the set of graphic objects within are grouped. Besides moving graphic objects into and out of the enclosure, the contents of a group can then be modified by 1) graphically altering the enclosure loop to include or remove graphic objects, 2) fusing groups by moving one of them so that their enclosure loops overlap (i.e., they "fuse" into one), 3) fusing groups through gestures which "touch" enclosure loops of the groups to be fused or 4) splitting the group into multiple groups through a splitting gesture.

Abstract: A xerographic reproduction machine for producing toner particle copy images of original images on sheet substrates includes a machine frame; a movable image bearing member mounted within and to the frame, the image bearing member having an image bearing surface defining a path of movement thereof. The xerographic reproduction machine also includes xerographic imaging elements mounted at various distributed locations along the path of movement for forming toner particle copy images of original images on the image bearing surface; devices for transferring the toner particle copy images onto sheet substrates for fusing; and an impulse air ejector cleaning system for intermittently purging and cleaning particulate dirt from sensitive elements among the electrostatographic imaging elements.

Abstract: Disclosed is a multi-media document editing system capable of editing display positions (spatial structures) of a group of multi-media data as well as display start and display end (temporal structures) in a simple manner through an editing interface.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for logic based resolution conversion and enhancement of digital images. The invention employs a selectively controllable architecture wherein a plurality of input resolutions can be converted to a common output resolution. The system has particular use in highlight color systems, wherein the highlight color data may be processed separately for each color plane, using the present invention, and then recombined to produce enhanced highlight color output. Moreover, the hardware preferably employs an interlocked area mapping technique to produce the resolution converted bit planes of digital image data.

Abstract: A system including any number workstations, file servers, printers and other fixed devices coupled in a network, and a number of portable devices carried by users and coupled to the network by infrared (IR) link. Each portable device emulates its user's personal satchel for documents: the device is programmed to receive transmit and store document references or tokens, each of which is associated with an electronic document stored in the database. Documents are distributed from one person to another by transmission of document references or tokens, and a document is sent to a printer by beaming that document's reference or token to an IR transceiver associated with that printer. The portable device is preferably a handheld or wristwatch computer with a graphical display for enabling the user to transfer documents, and the fixed devices preferably include a scanner/copier/printer having its own IR transceiver.

Abstract: An information processing system of the present invention records information on distribution when information is distributed so that an information distribution route is traced later. In the information processing system, when information held in an information holding section is distributed from an information distribution section to a different information intervention system, a distribution sensing section senses it and records its distribution history in a distribution history holding section. When an information tracing instruction is given, a history collection section fetches distribution histories related to the information to be traced from the distribution history holding section, detects the destination, and instructs the destination information intervention system to trace the information. In response to the instruction, history information is collected from the different information intervention system and is stored in a collected history holding section.

Abstract: A laser beam conditioner consists of a partially reflective surface having a uniform reflectivity of approximately 38.2 percent and a totally reflective surface on opposite sides of a substrate. A coherent light beam incident onto the partially reflective surface of the laser beam conditioner will be partially reflected and partially transmitted. The partially transmitted portion of the coherent light beam will be multiply reflected between the totally reflective mirror and the partially reflective mirror within the beam conditioner, with a portion of light transmitted through the partially reflective mirror at each multiple reflection. The initially reflected portion of the coherent light beam and the transmitted portions of the multiply reflected beams form a conditioned light beam for a homogenizer. The partially reflective surface and the totally reflective surface are slightly less than parallel in order to introduce a minute angular spread among the delayed components of the multiply reflected beam.

Abstract: A dual mode non-contact optical sheet edge detection system for detecting either fully transparent or regular sheets being fed in a sheet transport path of a reproduction system, with an illumination source for illuminating the potential sheet edge area at an angle to generate a detectable sheet edge shadow from transparent sheets, and an optical detection system remotely detecting the generated edge shadow to provide sheet edge location or timing information to a control system. Preferably the sheet edge is held spaced above the illuminated sensor an illuminated sensor target area to enhance the shadow effect.

Abstract: An apparatus for compensating LED printbars, and printers which use LED printbars, for aging. Changes in the slopes of the forward voltage drop verses forward current characteristics (the I-V characteristics) of the LEDs of the LED printbar are determined. The drive currents of the LEDs are then changed as a function of the changes in the slopes so as to compensate for changes in the LED light outputs.

Abstract: Low optical density magnetic fluid which is a stable dispersion of fine magnetic particles. A method of forming the stable dispersion which includes providing an ion exchange resin, loading the ion exchange resin with an ion capable of forming a magnetic phase, treating the loaded resin to form magnetic particles and micronizing the resin and magnetic particles in a fluid to form an aqueous stable colloid. The invention provides submicron particles and submicron particles which are dispersed in an aqueous colloid. A method of forming the stable dispersion which includes providing an ion exchange resin, loading the ion exchange resin with an ion, treating the loaded resin to form nanoscale particles. Fluidizing the resin and particles to form an aqueous stable colloid. A method of forming magnetic materials having tunable magnetic properties and the magnetic materials formed thereby.

Abstract: In a real-time printing system, in which large blocks of digital data corresponding to page images must be located in a memory via a translation table and accessed from the memory within a very narrow time frame, the memory-management internal program of an operating system is overridden by external instructions which lock the translation table in memory.

Abstract: A cooling fan is rotated to cool an irradiation lamp and a read sensor during the reading operation and the standby period both. Although an airflow from the cooling fan is maximized during the reading operation, the airflow is reduced to the extent that a temperature rise originating from the self-generation of heat on the part of the read sensor in the standby condition is suppressed. Thus the temperature of the read sensor is kept constant and the characteristics of the read sensor are prevented from fluctuating. The airflow from the cooling fan can also be regulated by controlling the operating voltage to be applied to a motor for rotating the cooling fan and placing movable airflow regulating plates in the passage of the wind blown from the cooling fan. Thereby, accurate reading can be conducted in any color image reading apparatus since it is possible to minimize variation in the temperature of a read sensor for a certain time after the image reading operation is started.

Abstract: A method for improving feeding of a compilations of recording sheets in a printing process including the steps of forming a stack of the recording sheets having an in-ream curl value between 10 mm to 20 mm from the compilations of recording sheets; loading the stack of recording sheets in a sheet input station; feeding each recording sheet from the stack to a process station, the feeding step includes separating each recording sheet from the stack of recording sheets to be fed to the process station; recording an image on an imageable surface; developing the imaging with marking particles; transferring the developed image onto the recording sheets; and fixing the developed image onto a recording sheet at a fixing station.