Abstract: A plurality of lasers (having openings 170) are formed at predetermined positions at equal intervals on at least two main scanning lines on a semiconductor substrate 100. The lasers have each a predetermined beam diameter and take different positions in the main scanning direction, thereby providing a two-dimensional surface emitting laser array emitting laser beams through a lens system to form a pixel line with no gap on the main scanning line of an image formation face moving in the sub-scanning direction. The two-dimensional surface emission laser array is used to provide a laser beam scanner, a laser beam recorder, and a laser beam recording method.

Abstract: A coated xerographic photographic paper comprised of (1) a cellulosic substrate; (2) a first antistatic coating layer in contact with one surface of the substrate; (3) a second toner receiving coating on the top of the antistatic layer, and comprised of a mixture of a binder polymer, a toner spreading agent, a lightfastness inducing agent, a biocide, and a filler; and (4) a third traction controlling coating in contact with the back side of the substrate comprised of a mixture of a polymer with a glass transition temperature of from between about -50.degree. C. to about 50.degree. C., an antistatic agent, a lightfastness agent, a biocide and a pigment. The traction promoting third coating is also capable of receiving images from a xerographic copier/printer.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of polymer latex particles by conducting a pre-reaction emulsification with monomer, polar comonomer, water, surfactant, chain transfer agent, and initiator; and which pre-reaction emulsification is effected at a low temperature of from about 3.degree. C. to about 35.degree. C., for example, and thereafter, effecting emulsion polymerization by heating the aforementioned emulsified mixture in a reactor at a temperature of from about 25.degree. C. to about 125.degree. C. The aforementioned reactor contents are retained at this temperature, that is 25.degree. C. to 125.degree. C. for an effective time period. Thereafter, the reaction mixture is cooled.

Abstract: A system generates image background and black threshold grey values associated with an image. The system includes a histogram buffer and a peak and valley detection circuit, operatively connected to the histogram buffer, to determine a first grey value having a peak frequency associated with a background, a second grey value having a peak frequency associated with a black threshold, and a third grey value having a minimum frequency associated with a histogram of the image. A quarter peak detection circuit, operatively connected to the histogram buffer, determines a fourth grey value having a frequency equal to one quarter of the peak frequency associated with the first grey value and a fifth grey value having a frequency equal to one quarter of the peak frequency associated with the second grey value.

Abstract: A modular fuser assembly having a lightweight plastic structural housing. The lightweight housing is made possible by utilizing heavy steel endplates which are designed so that the net moment on each end plate pair is minimized. This is accomplished by having the load points on opposite sides of the endplate and aligned such that the moments tend to negate each other. The design of the endplates allows the use of relatively lightweight cross members thus enabling the lightweight thermoplastic housing.

Abstract: A multistation color electrophotographic printer having an erase lamp located opposed to or before the last physical developer housing, but after the first physical developer housing.

Abstract: A transfer drum includes a pair of annular frames, a coupling member for coupling the annular frames, and a transfer material holding member being wrapped around the annular frames. In the transfer drum, the coupling member is attached so that a top face of a main body, other than attachment ends of the coupling member, is positioned relative to the annular frames to be lower than outer peripheral surfaces of the annular frames. The transfer material holding member has ends in a circumferential direction overlapped on and bonded to each other and ends in an axial direction stuck to the outer peripheral surfaces of the annular frames. The transfer material holding member is attached so that it is placed out of contact with the top face of the main body of the coupling member.

Abstract: A three dimensional document workspace for interacting with large numbers of document objects. A document object may be a document or a document collection. The document workspace is divided hierarchically in terms of interaction rates. A focus space is where direct interaction with a document or document collection occurs. An immediate memory space or desktop is for placing pages or books that are in use, but not currently being interacted with. A tertiary space or bookcase is where many books and pages that are not in use, but which it is desirable to have ready access to. Moving document objects in the document workspace is facilitated by touch-drop and flick gestures. The touch-drop gesture addresses the problem of obscuring distant (hence smaller) document objects by presenting a visual line indicating a destination for a moved document object. Flick gestures are used to quickly move document objects within the document workspace.

Abstract: A non-contact optical sheet size and/or position detection system for detecting the position of at least one edge of an outside (top or bottom) document sheet stacked in a sheet stacking tray in which thin document sheets of different sizes and/or positions are stacked on top of one another; with an illumination source for illuminating the potential sheet edge areas at an angle generating detectable sheet edge shadows, and an optical detection system remotely detecting the edge shadow positions to provide sheet edge location information to a control system for the imaging or offsetting of the sheet. In a document feeder for sequentially feeding a top or bottom sheet to be imaged, the detection system may be responsive only to a moving sheet edge shadow to determine the size of the sheet being fed to be imaged relative to other sheets in the stack irrespective of intermixed different sizes of sheets in the stack. For a bottom feeder the detection may be through an elongate aperture in the tray.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining charge density and mobility in a liquid solution having electrically charged particles therein. The apparatus includes an electrode, and a dielectric member having a first surface situated opposite the electrode for providing a volume therebetween in which a sample of the liquid may be placed. A fixed bias voltage applied to the electrode to produce an electrical current flow through the liquid solution and the dielectric member. A device coupled to the dielectric member, measures the electrical current as a function of time to provide a measure of voltage decay across the liquid solution. The voltage decay corresponds to the charge density of the liquid solution.

Abstract: A color scanner with a wedge shaped platen sequentially records opposing pages of a bound document positioned thereon using a single imaging station. The scanner includes a partially reflective mirror positioned between the wedge shaped platen. The two sides of the wedge shaped platen are illuminated with polarized light having angles orthogonal to each other. Polarized illuminators operate in combination with polarization analyzers positioned under the wedge shaped platen to sequentially image the opposing pages of the bound document. A controller insures that polarized light sources consisting of the three primary colors red, green, and blue, sequentially expose each opposing page of the bound document. The opposing pages of the bound document are focused through optics onto the single imaging station. In another embodiment, light polarized by analyzers positioned under the wedge shaped platen is filtered by a polarizer positioned in front of the focal optics before reaching the single imaging station.

Abstract: A system for retrieving data representative of individual page images to be printed from a disk drive utilizes a priority system in which individual software entities within the printing apparatus compete for functional access to the hard-drive memory. Different elements, such as the decomposer, and other software entities within the control system are assigned priorities, and commands from the various elements and software entities are executed by the control system in order of the priority of their sources.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for reducing accumulation of toner from the surface of an electrode member in a development unit of an electrostatographic printing apparatus by providing a composition coating including a polymer, lubricant and inorganic material, on at least a portion of the electrode member.

Abstract: A continuous web substrate duplex (both sides) printing system which can utilize a single otherwise conventional or existing xerographic print engine (normally printing conventional cut sheet print substrates) without substantial structural modification, instead of requiring plural print engines on opposite sides of the web. This may be accomplished as shown by operatively docking a special duplex continuous web printing substrate supply module with the cut sheet print engine to form an integral duplex web printing system. Here, this duplex web printing module has an integrated fusing system with translating and half-surface-speed roll fusers for fusing the transferred images on both sides of the web with those two separate moving fusers, with each fuser fusing images on one side of the web after respective separate transfers of sequences of plural first and second web side images.

Abstract: A compact dual decurler mechanism that provides a single straight paper path for achieving bidirectional decurling capability. The dual decurler mechanism consists of two pairs of drive roll and pinch shaft and a camming mechanism for controlling their engagements. The first and the second pairs are oriented in opposite directions in a manner that they can selectively form opposite bending nips for decurling incoming sheets of different curl directions. The operation of the dual decurler can be software controlled through the use of an electric indexing clutch such that, depending on system inputs on image area coverage and the type of finishing device being used, the first pair can be adjusted for toward image (TI) bending, the second pair for away image (AI) bending, or both be set at a neutral setting that keeps both nips open when no decurling is needed. The architecture of the single straight paper path of the dual decurler can minimize paper jams and avoids potential damage to sheets.

Abstract: A method of printing an input digital gray-scale image by ejecting ink on recording medium through a plurality of ink ejecting orifices to form a binary image including a plurality of spots. The method of printing includes the steps of determining an ink spot characteristic or ink ejecting characteristic for at least one of the plurality of ink ejecting orifices, calculating a correction factor based on the characteristic, modifying an error diffusion algorithm with the calculated correction factor, and printing the binary image according to the modified error diffusion algorithm on the recording medium.

Abstract: A bitmap-based digital color printing method and system is described which automatically detects when a black object is to be printed and changes the Bit Block Transfer (BitBlt) method so that the black color becomes a mixture of black plus the background colorants, limited by an allowed maximum non-black value for each separation. More specifically, the process determines, for each non-black separation, a maximum allowable amount to be used in black printing, reads the existing background color bits, and clips them if necessary to the allowed maximum before mixing them into the black color. The result will be a limitation on the total colorant amount of the black area, which improves some printer defects caused by too much colorant. The clipping can be accomplished at the bit level during the read-modify-write process if both the maximum and actual colors are represented with the same monotonic halftone dot specification, and are ANDed together to form the clipped bits.

Abstract: A process which comprises subjecting a mixture of a polymer, a conductive component and an additive to an energy of from about 1 to about 20 kilowatt hours per kilogram and an intensity of from about 20 to about 90 kilowatts per kilogram.

Abstract: A copy media registration module for positioning paper in a feed path is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a module for registering copy media on an imaging member that lies at the end of a paper path, where the registration module can be removed from and replaced into a machine as a single unit. In addition, enhancements can be added to the module to provide for even more accurate copy media registration and greater media substrate latitude as desired. The modular nature of the registration module allows diagnostic testing as well as repairs and/or periodic maintenance to be easily conducted on the unit outside of the machine in which it is typically used. It also provides easy replacement of the unit if it is no longer functional, or for a temporary unit to be used while the permanent unit is being repaired.

Abstract: A bitmap-based digital color printing method and system is described which automatically detects when a black object is commanded to be printed, and changes the Bit Block Transfer (BitBlt) method so that the resultant composition of the black color at each point in the bitmap is responsive to the amount of non-black colorants already existing in the background color at that position on the page. For many printing systems the resulting prints exhibit fewer visual defects. Single-color black objects printed on top of a color field are printed as process black responsive to the background color. Therefore, they exhibit a greater density and gloss and show fewer problems caused by the misregistration of separations or other printer defects, such as white fringes around the black objects. They also avoid problems caused by excessive ink coverage differences between foreground black and background color.