Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing a halftone image generates halftone cells based on grayscale image data and bitmap code. A human readable pattern is embedded within the halftone image. Each of the halftone cells is formed from dot patterns having one of a plurality of predetermined shapes. The predetermined shapes of the halftone cells form the human readable pattern. The halftone cells are written onto a recording medium to produce the halftone image. Rotation of the halftone cells allows data to be encoded within each of the halftone cells without varying the tone of the image. The tone of the image may be controlled by selectively varying a thickness of the dot patterns within the halftone cells.

Abstract: An electronic image processing apparatus includes a controller and a plurality of resources in an arbitrary configuration. Each of the resources provides an associated processor storing data related to operational capabilities of the associated resource. The controller is adapted to dynamically configure the image processing apparatus to operate in accordance with the the operational capabilities of each of the processors by defining job requirements as a combination of images defining a set of sheets and specifying compilations of sheets. The job requirement is converted into an assembly tree relationship for merging into additional assembly trees for formulating the job requirement.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for removing contaminants from a contaminated area of the subsurface which comprises providing a borehole in the contaminated area; placing in the borehole a perforated riser pipe inside of which is situated a vacuum extraction pipe with an opening situated within the perforated riser pipe, wherein a packing is situated in a portion of the annular space between the vacuum extraction pipe and the perforated riser pipe; applying a vacuum to the vacuum extraction pipe to draw gases and liquid from the subsurface into the perforated riser pipe below the packing and from the riser pipe into the vacuum extraction pipe and transport both the gases and the liquid to the surface as a common stream; forming from the common stream a stream which is primarily liquid and a stream which is primarily gaseous; and removing contaminants from at least one of the liquid stream and the gaseous stream. Also disclosed is an apparatus for carrying out the disclosed process.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ink composition which comprises an aqueous liquid vehicle, a colorant, and an additive material selected from the group consisting of (a) symmetric acetylenic bisester alcohols, (b) symmetric acetylenic bisalkyl alcohols and acetylenic bisalkoxy alcohols, (c) symmetric acetylenic bisamido alcohols, (d) symmetric bisamido alcohols, (e) mono amido alcohols, (f) trialkylhydroxy compounds, (g) derivatives of 1,2-diols and 1,3-diols, (h) thio diols, (i) aromatic diols, (j) heterocyclic diols, (k) imino alcohols, (l) salts of hydroxyl compounds, (m) saccharides and saccharide derivatives, and (n) mixtures thereof. Also disclosed is an ink jet process which comprises (1) incorporating into a thermal ink jet printing apparatus the aforementioned ink composition; and (2) causing droplets of the ink to be ejected from the printing apparatus in an imagewise pattern onto a substrate, thereby generating images on the substrate.

Abstract: In reproduction systems in which a printer outputs a plurality of different plural sheet print jobs, a system is provided for automatically separating respective print jobs into separate specially formed folders for respective print jobs and stacking a number of them into one or more specially shaped print jobs stacking containers, with the closed folders formed to extend above and provide clear distinctions and separations of their respective print jobs in the container so that a selected print job can be readily removed as a unit from the container. The folders may be on-line separately printed in tab areas and folded. The folding can be uneven or skewed or otherwise formed to be held above their contained print jobs even if the folder was from the same size paper stock.

Abstract: Improved optical scanner comprises semiconductor laser 10, aperture 12, collimator 14, cylindrical lens 16, polygonal mirror 18 and single-element f.theta. lens 22 which is formed of an amorphous polyolefin as a plastic material. Surface S1 of f.theta. lens 22 which is on the side adjacent polygonal mirror 18 is aspheric and asymmetrical with respect to an axis of rotation, and opposite surface S2 on the side adjacent photoreceptor drum 26 is also aspheric but symmetrical with respect to an axis of rotation. Lens surface S1 is an anamorphic aspheric surface which is convex toward polygonal mirror 18 in the deflecting plane due to the positivity of the paraaxial radius of curvature R1M but which is concave toward the polygonal mirror 18 in the plane orthogonal to the deflecting plane due to the negativity of the paraaxial radius of curvature R1S.

Abstract: A protection circuit prevents snapback events in MOS transistors associated with semiconductor or micromechanical structures, such as ink-jet ejectors. A bulk electrode associated with the MOS transistor is monitored for unusual high voltages which are consistent with an impending snapback event. The voltage on the bulk electrode is then used to turn on the control transistor which connects the gate of the MOS transistor to ground and thereby protects the device.

Abstract: An error diffusion process adds an error value to an input grey image value to produce a modified input grey image value before comparing the modified input grey image value with a predetermined threshold value. A rendering value and error is generated based on the comparison. An error equal to the modified input grey value is generated when the modified input grey value is less than the predetermined threshold value, and an error equal to the modified input grey value minus an effective spot area value is generated when the modified input grey value is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value. The effective spot area value is retrieved from a look-up table having a plurality of effective spot area values based on the input grey image value.

Abstract: Disclosed is a coated paper which comprises (a) a substrate; (b) a hydrophobic barrier layer comprised of a water insoluble component and a water or alcohol soluble anticurl agent, said hydrophobic barrier layer being present on both sides of the substrate; (c) image receiving coatings situated on the top of both hydrophobic barrier layers, said image receiving coatings being suitable for receiving images of an aqueous ink, said coatings comprising (1) a polymeric binder, (2) a dye fixative, (3) a pigment, (4) a lightfastness inducing agent, and (5) a biocide.

Abstract: An ink jet printer is configured in a hybrid architecture wherein a full width printbar is combined with a partial width color scanning assembly to provide the capability of selectively printing in black only or, alternately, of producing color prints by operating the color scan assembly exclusively. The cost of the hybrid system, when compared to a full width color system using four full width printbars, is greatly reduced. Throughput time is reduced by providing the control circuitry for distinguishing between black only and color operation and selectively controlling the printer mode of operation. The hybrid architecture is particularly useful in a LAN system since it provides a mechanism for balancing the relative color versus black page decomposition speed limitations. Also, the hybrid architecture enables a relatively simple implementation of a checkerboarding technique to suppress banding in output prints.

Abstract: A flexible belt is disclosed which includes a major segment and at least one narrow minor segment, the narrow minor segment extending from one end of the belt to the opposite end and being more extendible than the major segment when subjected to an externally applied tension. This belt may be a component of a composite cylindrical device including a rigid drum substrate supporting the flexible belt in a stretched condition. The composite cylindrical device may be fabricated by providing a preformed rigid cylindrical support drum having a predetermined outer circumference, a first end and a second end, providing a flexible belt having an outer surface and an inner surface circumference of at least about 0.

Abstract: An apparatus for filtering contaminants from marking particles is provided. The apparatus includes a conduit and a mover for moving the marking particles within the conduit. The apparatus also includes a screen positioned adjacent the conduit so that substantially all the marking particles discharged from the conduit pass through the screen.

Abstract: An electrophotographic imaging member including a charge generating layer, a charge transport layer and an overcoating layer, the transport layer including a charge transporting aromatic diamine molecule in a polystyrene matrix and the overcoating layer including a hole transporting hydroxy arylamine compound having at least two hydroxy functional groups and a polyamide film forming binder capable of forming hydrogen bonds with the hydroxy functional groups of the hydroxy arylamine compound. This imaging member is utilized in an imaging process.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of embedding and recovering machine readable information on a substrate which comprises (a) writing data in a predetermined machine readable code format on the substrate with a photochromic marking material having a first state corresponding to a first absorption spectrum and a second state corresponding to a second absorption spectrum; and (b) thereafter effecting a photochromic change in at least some of the photochromic marking material from the first state to the second state.

Abstract: A printing system for processing one or more images of a job is provided. The printing system includes a video bus communicating with both a first transfer module and an image processing section. In operation, a first segment of the job is processed in the image processing section while a second segment of the job is buffered in the first transfer module. Subsequently, the first segment of the job is transferred away from the image processing section, with a second transfer module, coincidentally with the the second segment being transferred to the image processing section.

Abstract: An apparatus for developing an electrostatic latent image with liquid developing material. The apparatus includes a liquid developing material coating flow applicator for applying a substantially uniform coating of liquid developing material to a moving surface, wherein a housing, situated proximate to the moving surface, includes a fluid transport channel having a relatively narrow-width elongated outlet port for delivering a flow of liquid developing material to the moving surface, and an air flow channel having an elongated inlet aperture located adjacent the moving surface and immediately upstream from said outlet port for applying vacuum pressure to the flow of liquid developing material for varying the profile of the coating flow to provide variation of flow stability as well as thickness. A discussion of the effects of variations in the outlet port geometry, in particular, increasing the dimension between the downstream wall and the surface to be coated, has also been provided.

Abstract: A vacuum corrugation feeder used to feed a wide variety of sheet sizes and stocks includes a variable ratio feedhead plenum. Included within vacuum plenum is an adjustable shutter apparatus that includes a foam roller mounted for rotation on shaft. A shutter member in the form of a plastic sheet is connected to the foam roller and can be wrapped and unwrapped around the foam roller by rotation of knob that is connected to the shaft depending on whether the vacuum pressure is to be high or low. The foam roller is mounted above a plenum plate of the vacuum plenum such that rotation of the knob in a clockwise direction causes the shutter to unwrap from the foam roller and partially cover vacuum holes in the plenum plate and thereby decrease the amount of negative pressure from the vacuum plenum that reaches sheets being fed.

Abstract: A table recognition apparatus for recognizing a table image wherein coexist characters and ruled lines. The apparatus comprises a character/ruled line separating part for separating characters from ruled lines in the table image; a character block extracting part for extracting character blocks from the character image separated by the character/ruled line separating part; and a character block extending part for extending the character blocks extracted by the character block extracting part in such a manner that the edges of the character blocks are aligned according to the positional relations between the blocks.

Abstract: A reversible display medium capable of repeatedly exhibiting a transparent state and a light-scattering state by an action of at least one of heat, electric field, and magnetic field, the medium comprising a substrate having thereon a recording layer comprising a side-chain high molecular weight liquid crystal, which is a copolymer comprising at least a liquid-crystal monomer component and a non-liquid-crystal monomer component having a substituent capable of making a hydrogen bond.

Abstract: A variable-gain amplifying device uses different gains for amplifying an input bias voltage signal, and an input composite signal produced by superposing an input bias voltage signal on an input signal, respectively.