Abstract: In color printing the quality of the image reproduced depends upon factors which include the type of image processing chosen, which affects the amount of colorant consumed; the type of paper used, uncoated or coated; and optional coatings applied thereto. The cost of a printing job can be significantly affected by the amount of colorant and the quality of paper used. A method of changing the factors affecting image quality and determining the cost of the job based on the output image quality is disclosed. This method allows a customer to choose the desired image quality versus cost trade-offs for a printing job.

Abstract: An electrophotographic dry toner comprising toner particles having externally added thereto fine particles of an inorganic compound having been surface treated with an amphoteric surface active agent. The toner is excellent in fluidity, anti-caking properties, charging properties, and environmental stability and provides excellent images free from defects such as black spots.

Abstract: An ink jet printhead is disclosed which has improved printhead cooling thereby improving operating efficiency. The printhead is constructed so that the manifold bringing ink from an ink reservoir into an ink inlet to the printer directly contacts the thermally conductive surface of the substrate in which the heater elements are formed- The cooler ink removes some of the accumulated heat from the heater substrate and is subsequently ejected. In one embodiment the printhead comprises an upper channel substrate which is bonded to a lower heater substrate which is formed with a ledge which extends past the rear face of the channel substrate. The channel substrate has an ink inlet formed into its rear face and adjacent to an extended portion of the heater silicon surface. An ink reservoir brings ink to the printhead via an ink manifold which is sealed against the exposed silicon surface and against the side of the ink inlet.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for maintaining the proper operation of an ink recorder having an ink recording head which prints an image on a recording medium by selectively depositing ink drops from a plurality of ink ejectors in response to image data. The ink recorder supports a plurality of performance modes and may be a color image recorder having a plurality of color inks and a plurality of ink ejectors for each color ink. A time period during printing is determined and the number of print drop commands received by each of the plurality of ink ejectors is counted during the time period. A target value for the number of print drop commands received by each ejector is set based on a pre-determined one of the plurality of performance modes, the image data, and a characteristic of each color ink in the case of a color ink recorder.

Abstract: Disclosed is a composition which comprises (a) a polymer containing at least some monomer repeat units with photosensitivity-imparting substituents which enable crosslinking or chain extension of the polymer upon exposure to actinic radiation, said polymer being of the formula ##STR1## wherein x is an integer of 0 or 1, A is one of several specified groups, such as ##STR2## B is one of several specified groups, such as ##STR3## or mixtures thereof, and n is an integer representing the number of repeating monomer units, wherein said photosensitivity-imparting substituents are hydroxyalkyl groups; (b) at least one member selected from the group consisting of photoinitiators and sensitizers; and (c) an optional solvent. Also disclosed are processes for preparing the above polymers and methods of preparing thermal ink jet printheads containing the above polymers.

Abstract: A coating apparatus comprises a coating vessel holding a coating liquid with a liquid leakage preventing member having an opening. A cylindrical member such as a cylindrical support for supporting a photosensitive member is inserted into the opening and the cylindrical member is moved relative to the coating liquid vessel in the vertical direction. A scraping member for scraping the coating liquid is at least partially immersed in the coating liquid, or is positioned above the surface of the coating liquid in the coating liquid vessel, the scraping member being almost concentric to the cylindrical member and movable in the radial direction of the cylindrical member. The cylindrical member is axially aligned with the scraping member using coating liquid pressure applied to the scraping member to coincide the center of the scraping member with the center of the cylindrical member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a carrier for developer of an electrostatic latent image and related technologies. The carrier is excellent in the ability to impart charge suitably and stably to toner and has a structure durable enough to maintain the ability for a long period of time such that the structure can prevent the toner from being adhered onto the carrier surface for a long period of time.The carrier comprises a core covered with a resin coating layer containing resin particles and an electroconductive fine powder in the form of a dispersion in a matrix resin.The carrier can be produced by a method comprising the steps of preparing a coating solution by placing materials in a solvent which can dissolve the matrix resin, but cannot dissolve the resin particles, dispersing the particles of the resin, applying the solution to a core and removing the solvent. A high-quality image can be formed by use of the developer comprising the carrier and the toner.

Abstract: The present invention provides a synchronous distributed simulation apparatus having a simulation supervising device which supervises a simulation device, and the simulation device which performs a synchronous simulation under supervision of the simulation supervising device, in which the simulation supervising device comprises counting means for counting time in simulation, time width setting means for setting a time width of simulation for each time zone where facilities are operated in a manufacturing process which is an object of the simulation in accordance with the time counted by the counting means, and transmitting means for transmitting data showing the time width set by the time width setting means to the simulation device, and the simulation device comprises receiving means for receiving the data showing the time width transmitted by the transmitting means in the simulation supervising device, discrete-event simulation means for simulating the manufacturing process in which change of a state may be

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for dividing an image area according to the present invention, when data of a quantized multi-gradational image are to be divided into regions according to a texture of the image, the quantized multi-gradational image data are divided into plural rectangular subareas and boundary areas. Each of the rectangular subareas and a boundary area in the periphery of the subarea are combined to form one set. The area dividing is conducted on each of the sets. In the area dividing, the subarea is subjected one time to a dividing process, and the boundary area is subjected two or more times to a dividing process.

Abstract: A photolithographically patterned spring contact is formed on a substrate and electrically connects contact pads on two devices. The spring contact also compensates for thermal and mechanical variations and other environmental factors. An inherent stress gradient in the spring contact causes a free portion of the spring contact to bend up and away from the substrate. An anchor portion remains fixed to the substrate and is electrically connected to a first contact pad on the substrate. The spring contact is made of an elastic material and the free portion compliantly contacts a second contact pad, thereby electrically interconnecting the two contact pads.

Abstract: A biasable transfer system member for use in an electrographic printing apparatus for attracting electrically charged particles from an imaging substrate to the biasable transfer system member includes an electrically conductive core and an outer layer of a fluorinated carbon filled elastomer wherein the fluorinated carbon has a fluorine content of about 10 to about 30 weight percent based on the weight of fluorinated carbon.

Abstract: A dual mode modular reproduction apparatus for selective different sheet printing modes with a common shared base frame unit having integral module mounting guides providing defined simple manual module mounting into the base frame unit into the same effective location of a xerographic engine module with xerographic engine mounting elements which mate with the module mounting guides in the base frame unit for sheet printing xerographically, and an ink jet printing engine module with mounting elements which mate with the same module mounting guides in the base frame unit as the xerographic engine module to operatively mount the ink jet printing engine module in the base frame unit in place of the xerographic engine for sheet printing by the ink jet printing engine module, the xerographic engine module and the ink jet printing engine module thereby being readily manually interchangeable in the base frame unit to provide a choice between xerographic printing or ink jet printing utilizing the same base frame unit

Abstract: A method and apparatus for segmenting image data into windows and for classifying the windows as typical image types includes making two passes through the image data. The method includes a step of making a first pass through the image data to identify windows and to record the beginning points and image types of each of the windows, and a step of making a second pass through the image data to label each of the pixels as a particular image type. The invention also includes a macro-detection method and apparatus for separating a scanline of image data into edges and image runs and for classifying each of the edges and image runs as standard image types. In the macro-detection method, image runs and edges are classified based on micro-detection results and based on image types of adjacent image runs.

Abstract: The present invention provides a toner for developing an electrostatic charge image having excellent characteristics including a developing property, transfer property, fixing property, and cleaning property, and an efficient production method thereof. The present invention relates to a production method of a toner for developing an electrostatic charge image comprising: a first step of forming aggregative particles in a first dispersion including at least dispersed resin particles to prepare an aggregative particle dispersion, a second step of adding a fine particle dispersion containing dispersed fine particles into said aggregative particle dispersion and mixing therewith to form adhered particles having said fine particles adhering to said aggregative particles, and a third step of heating said adhered particles to be melted.

Abstract: A device for adding controlled amounts of moisture to one or both sides of a copy sheet. The device includes a pair of water jets, a reservoir for storing a quantity of liquid and connected to the water jet, a pair of generally cylindrical, pressure rolls, each having an outer cylindrical surface with the rolls being aligned with respect to one another along their axes so as to define a nip between the outer cylindrical surfaces, and a controller for controlling application of water from the water jets to selected portions of each sheet passing thereunder before each sheet enters the nip formed between the outer cylindrical surfaces. Alternatively, the water jets could apply the liquid to the cylindrical surfaces of the pressure rolls.

Abstract: A method of automatically generating a thematic summary from a document image without performing character recognition to generate an ASCII representation of the document text. The method begins with decomposition of the document image into text blocks, and text lines. Using the median x-height of text blocks the main body of text is identified. Afterward, word image equivalence classes and sentence boundaries within the blocks of the main body of text are determined. The word image equivalence classes are used to identify thematic words. These, in turn are used to score the sentences within the main body of text, and the highest scoring sentences are selected for extraction.

Abstract: A fuser member for use in an electrostatographic printing machine has at least one layer of an elastomer composition comprising a silicone elastomer and a mica-type layered silicate, the silicone elastomer and mica-type layered silicate forming a delaminated nanocomposite with silicone elastomer inserted among the delaminated layers of the mica-type layered silicate.

Abstract: An electroluminescent device comprised of a metal thioxinoid of the formula ##STR1## wherein M represents a metal; each n is a number of from 1 to 3; N is nitrogen, S is sulfur, and Z represents an aromatic moiety.

Abstract: An imaging member has a substrate of a polymer insoluble in solvent for the charge transport layer, a Tg of at least 90.degree. C. and a linear thermal contraction coefficient substantially identical to the linear thermal contraction coefficient of a charge transport layer.

Abstract: A drive mechanism including a first member and a second member is provided. The first member defines a first member axis of rotation. The first member has a first member surface. The second member defines a second member axis of rotation. The second member has a second member surface. The first member surface of the first member is in intimate contact at a contact zone with the second member surface of the second member. The contact zone defines a plane extending substantially through the first member axis and the second member axis, whereby the force transmitted by the drive mechanism is substantially tangential to the axes of said members.