Abstract: A method for synchronizing the feeding of an insert by a first drive mechanism with a sheet feed by a second feed mechanism and the first feed mechanism is disclosed. The method includes the steps of placing the sheet in operable contact with the second feed mechanism at a first position, traversing the sheet sequentially with the second feed mechanism and the first feed mechanism, advancing the sheet toward a second position in cooperation with a first sensor adjacent one of the first feed mechanism and the second feed mechanism, placing the insert in operable contact with the first feed mechanism at a third position subsequent to the first sheet being in cooperation with the sensor, and advancing the insert into a fourth position within the first feed mechanism positioned closely behind the sheet positioned at a fifth position within the first feed mechanism.

Abstract: An enhancement to the standard JPEG image data compression technique includes a step of recording the length of each string of bits corresponding to each block of pixels in the original image at the time of compression. The list of lengths of each string of bits in the compressed image data is retained as an "encoding cost map" or ECM. The ECM, which is considerably smaller than the compressed image data, can be transmitted or retained in memory separate from the compressed image data along with some other accompanying information and is used as a "key" for editing or segmentation of the compressed image data.

Abstract: A single tray or multi tray sheet feed system is provided. A sensor is provided to sense the sheets leaving from the single tray or multi tray system. If the paper weight of sheets of paper on a tray fall within a first range of paper weight values, the sensor is designed to have a first given voltage response condition for sensing these sheets and if the paper weight of the sheets falls within a second range of paper weight values the sensor is designed to have a second given voltage response condition for sensing the latter sheets. A current value supplied to the emitter of the sensor can be controlled to provide the desired voltage response or a resistance in a phototransistor collector circuit can be varied to provide the desired voltage response condition.

Abstract: A method of generating electronic monetary tokens that supports off-line transactions while preventing double-spending. Generation of electronic token halves by a financial services provider begins in response to a request from a buyer to generate electronic monetary tokens to be used with an identified seller. First, the financial services provider generates a multiplicity of electronic monetary tokens. Second, the provider splits each electronic monetary token into two electronic token halves and associates with each the same serial number. These electronic token halves when combined recreate the electronic monetary token from which they were generated, but by themselves neither electronic token half has any value. Nor can either electronic half by itself be used to create the electronic monetary token without the token half's mate.

Abstract: A representation of a color image region is called a space-color separable (SCS) model because the spatial structure of the image region is represented separately from that of the color-space structure. The representation uses two functions, one to represent the region's spatial structure and another to represent its color-space structure. In one implementation, the spatial structure is represented by polynomials of arbitrary degree to map image locations to the parameter values of the color-space model which in turn maps these parameter values to a zero-, one-, two-, or three-dimensional linear subspace of color space. The representation is resolution-independent and can accommodate both transformations of image coordinates and transformation of color coordinates. In particular, the polynomial-linear implementation can easily accommodate both affine transformations of image coordinates and linear transformations of color coordinates.

Abstract: A print media sheet tray control system for use with a printing system having a controller is provided. The control system includes a print media sheet tray which is configurable, through use of the controller, in a selected one of a first operational mode and a second operational mode. The configurable print media sheet tray is characterized by a print media attribute set having a selected state which can be either a first state or a second state. If the configurable print media sheet tray is configured in the first operational mode, then the controller prohibits printing system operation if the selected state has been altered from the first state to the second state. On the other hand, if the configurable print media sheet tray is configured in the second operational mode, then operation of the printing system is permitted provided the alteration was achieved pursuant to a preselected alteration process.

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 overhead scanning system records pages from bound documents in an upright and open condition. A light stripe is projected onto each page of the bound document to measure the non-planar deformations of each page. The scanning system records a first image with the light stripe and a second image without the light stripe. After identifying a set of pixels representing the light stripe in the first image, the set of pixels is smoothed to minimize large transitions between scan lines. Subsequently, a crease is identified in the set of pixels that represents the spine of the bound document. The pixels forming the crease are replaced with pixels that are defined using a parametric model that approximates the spine region of a bound document. This substitution insures that the spine region of a bound document is accurately depicted before determining a page shape transform with the identified set of pixels representing defining the projected light stripe.

Abstract: In a raster output scanning apparatus including a laser diode adapted to output a writing beam, a reflex circuit controls the laser diode. A sensor diode is positioned to receive a portion of light flux from the laser diode while the laser diode emits the writing beam to expose one pixel area on a photosensitive surface. An accumulator associated with the sensor diode accumulates charge created by the sensor diode resulting from light flux from the laser diode. A comparator associated with the accumulator monitors charge accumulated on the accumulator and arrests the source of light flux when the charge accumulated on the accumulator reaches a predetermined threshold level.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting an input image including a plurality of input pixels each having a number of possible input levels of optical density to an output image including a plurality of output pixels each having a number of possible output levels of optical density using phantom output levels in an error diffusion technique, an automatic image enhancement technique, or other printing methods and apparatus where errors are fed back to alter an input image. The method includes generating a modified optical density value by adding an error value, if any, to the input level of one of the input pixels, generating a phantom output level as a function of the modified optical density level, determining the error value as a function of the selected phantom output level; and generating an output pixel having one of the output levels determined as a function of the modified optical density value.

Abstract: A method and system generates a histogram from a scanned image by creating a sample window defined by a number of scanlines to be sampled, a number of leading scanlines to be skipped in a slowscan direction before sampling, a number of leading pixels to skip in a fastscan direction before sampling begins, and a number of pixels within a scantine to be sampled. It is then determined if a number of pixels in the sample window is greater than a capacity of a histogram buffer. If it is determined that the number of pixels in the sample window is greater than the capacity of the histogram buffer subsample windows are created within the sample window.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for comparing symbols extracted from binary images of text for classifying into equivalence classes. The present invention uses a Hausdorff-like method for comparing symbols for similarity. When a symbol contained in a bitmap A is compared to a symbol contained in a bitmap B, it is determined whether or not the symbol in bitmap B fits within a tolerance into a dilated representation of the symbol in bitmap A with no excessive density of errors and whether the symbol in bitmap A fits within a tolerance into a dilated representation of the symbol in bitmap B with no excessive density of errors. If both tests are passed, an error density check is performed to determine a match. The dilated representation of the bitmap accounts for various quantization errors that may occur along the boundaries of a symbol defined in the respective bitmaps. The dilation utilized preserves the topology of the symbol.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed which comprisesa toner-image holding unit for holding a toner image,a recording medium,transfer-fixing means for bringing the recording medium into contact with the toner image on the toner-image holding unit and heating the toner image so as to transfer and fix the toner image onto the recording medium,toner-image cooling means for cooling the toner image transferred and fixed onto the recording medium so as to suppress the flowing of the toner image, andpeeling means for peeling the recording medium off the toner-image holding unit.

Abstract: A donor roll for transporting marking particles to an electrostatic latent image recorded on a surface is provided. The donor roll is adaptable for use with an electric field to assist in transporting the marking particles from the donor roll to a development zone adjacent the surface. The donor roll includes a rotatably mounted body and a first electrode member mounted on the body. The donor roll further includes a second electrode member mounted on the body and spaced from the first electrode member and a resistive member electrically interconnecting the first electrode member and the second electrode member so that when an activation potential for creating an electric field is applied to the first electrode member a portion of the potential will be transferred to the second electrode member creating an attenuated field.

Abstract: An ink for thermal ink jet printing which includes water, a co-solvent and a paper specific surfactant comprising a paper pulp debonding agent, such as Berocell.TM. 584 or Berocell.TM. 078.

Abstract: There are provided an image input section for inputting image data at a constant time interval on a page-by-page basis, an image compression/decompression section for compressing input image data into coded data, a hard disk for storing the coded data, a code buffer for buffering a transfer of the coded data, and an overflow/underflow detection section for detecting an overflow in the code buffer. If an overflow is detected, image processing control section instructs the code buffer to discard the coded data of the overflow-occurring page and continue transferring residual coded data of a preceding page, and causes the image input section to again input image data of the overflow-occurring page.

Abstract: A system for extracting and analyzing information from a collection of linked documents at a locality to enable categorization of documents and prediction of documents relevant to a focus document. The system obtains and analyzes topology, usage and path information from for a collection at a locality, e.g. a web locality on the world wide web. For categorization, document meta information is represented as document vectors. Predefined criteria is applied to the document vectors to create lists of "similar" types of documents. For relevance prediction, networks representing topology, usage path and text similarity amongst the documents in the collection are created. A spreading activation technique is applied to the networks starting at a focus document to predict the documents relevant to the focus document. Using category and relevance prediction information, tools can be built to enable a user to more efficiently traverse through the collection of linked documents.

Abstract: A filter includes a plurality of one-dimensional first dimension filters operating in a first dimension, each of the filters operating on the digital image data in accordance with predetermined filter coefficients to produce a one-dimensional output signal. The filter also includes a plurality of one-dimensional filters, operating in a second, distinct dimension, each one-dimensional second dimension filter receiving output signals from one of the plurality of the first dimension filters and operating on the received output signals in accordance with predetermined filter coefficients to produce second filtered output signals therefrom. A weighting circuit is operatively connected to the one-dimensional second dimension filters to modify each of the produced second filtered output signals according to weighting coefficients.

Abstract: A table forming apparatus useful in forming a complex or large-sized table. In a partial ruled table survey model forming unit, a user selects a model for a survey of a partial ruled table, and designates necessary parameters, whereby a survey of partial ruled table is produced. Data is inputted by a partial table input unit with employing this survey, thereby producing a partial table which will then be stored into a partial table retaining unit. On the other hand, when the user defines information about a relationship between the partial tables, e.g., adjacent information and subdivision information by a partial table relationship information defining unit, this relationship information is retained in a partial table relationship retaining unit. A plurality of partial tables retained by the partial table retaining unit are synthesized by a synthesizing unit with use of the relationship information retained in the partial table relationship information retaining unit, whereby an overall table is formed.

Abstract: A method controls multicast cell access to a switching network with a reservation ring in an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) switch. The switching network distributes the multicast cell in one or more passes from an input channel to one or more output channels of the switch during a switch cycle. An arbitration session for a multicast cell begins by submitting an arbitration request identifying a set of destination output channels to the reservation ring. During an arbitration cycle, the output channels in the set of destination output channels are arbitrated for over the reservation ring. The arbitration request is reissued during later arbitration cycles until access to each of the destination output channels in the set of output channels is granted.