Abstract: A capacitor is created in an ink tank supplying ink to an ink jet printhead by placing parallel capacitive plates on sides of the tank with the ink therebetween acting as the capacitor dielectric. An electrical AC potential is applied across the capacitor. Changes in current flow through the plates are detected in a phase sensitive bridge circuit and digital signals are generated and sent to a processor for conversion into low ink level signals. The output signal is also used to identify a particular type of ink by either comparing points on a characteristic curve of the ink volume verses capacitance or, in a second embodiment, by periodically sweeping an applied oscillator voltage over a selected frequency range and comparing measured electrical resonance parameters for the ink tank capacitor with stored information about resonance parameters for different types of ink.

Abstract: An electroforming process and apparatus for creating a nickel or like substrate encapsulated by another material to prevent wear to the nickel substrate. The encapsulation of the nickel substrate requires encapsulation of the inner and outer diameter of the nickel substrate. The encapsulating material must adhere to the nickel substrate. Encapsulation of the nickel substrate prevents exposure of the nickel and thus avoids the hazardous nickel dust particles that can occur when the nickel is exposed.

Abstract: An object tracking and motion control system includes a thermal marking unit such as a laser for inducing localized thermal indicia on objects. A thermal tracking unit, typically a two dimensional thermal sensing array, is positioned to measure movement of objects marked with localized thermal indicia. A motion control unit is connected to the thermal tracking unit to permit adjustment of motion of objects marked with induced localized thermal indicia based on their measured movement.

Abstract: In a dicing step in which a spout face is formed and a flow path length is defined, for example, a region in a cut depth direction is divided into a cutting region B containing spouts, a region A above the region B, and a region C below the region B. Feedrate v2 when the region B is cut is applied for cutting head material with high quality. Feedrate v1 when the region A is cut is set to, for example, three times the feedrate v2 when the region B is cut, and the blade form is shaped at the feedrate v2. Feedrate v3 when the region C is cut is the same as the feedrate v2 when the region B is cut, whereby affecting the upper cut face is prevented and the yield is improved.

Abstract: The invention provides an integrated dark matrix for an active matrix liquid crystal display. A plurality of pixel electrodes overlap at least one of a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines. A perimeter of the pixel electrodes overlaps the gate lines and/or data lines by twice the distance that the pixel electrode is above the gate and data lines, respectively to obtain a viewing angle of over 60 degrees.

Abstract: A channel for recirculating a stream of air located adjacent a stream of marking particles exiting substantially tangentially from a marking particle transport member within a developer unit is provided. The stream of marking particles defines an inner boundary thereof extending tangentially from a first position adjacent to the transport member and defines an outer boundary thereof spaced from the transport member and the inner boundary. The channel includes a first member positioned outside the stream of marking particles. At least a portion of the first member is positioned substantially adjacent the outer boundary of the stream of marking particles and is spaced from the transport member. The channel also includes a second member connected to the first member and a third member connected to the second member. The second member is positioned adjacent the transport member and is spaced from the stream of marking particles.

Abstract: A computer implemented method of preventing the reproduction of specks while reproducing an image including specks represented via source scan lines. According to the method, on a scan like-by-scan line basis, each source scan line signal is transformed into speckless output run lengths. A source run length is selected and examined by a processor to determine whether it represents part of a speck. If the selected source run length might represent a speck, the processor determines whether the selected source run length can be protected from removal. If it cannot, the length of the selected run length and its subsequent neighbor are added to the output run length. As a result, the speck represented by the selected run length disappears from the image by merger with adjacent source run lengths. On the other hand, if the selected source run length is protected from removal, an output run length is output that represents source run length(s) previous to the selected source run length.

Abstract: An ink tank has a main ink chamber which is hermetically sealed and communicated with an ink jet head connected to a lower portion of the main ink chamber, through a communicating passage, and in which ink is to be contained, and an auxiliary ink chamber which is communicated with a lower space of the main ink chamber through a communicating passage. A porous member is packed in the auxiliary ink chamber.

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: A method of encoding an image at full resolution for storing in a reduced image buffer for subsequent decoding and printing by a marking device, the method including the steps of dividing the image into a plurality of blocks wherein each block is comprised of a plurality of pixels. The step of identifying a number of color regions present in each of the plurality of blocks. The step of selecting a predefined encoding process from a plurality of predefined encoding processes for each of the plurality of blocks according to the number of color regions present in each of the plurality of block. And, the step of storing the encoded plurality of blocks in the reduced image buffer for subsequent decoding and printing by the marking device.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus having a multi-level image input component for reading graphic information and for transmitting the graphic information as multi-level image data, a two-level image input component for reading graphic information and for transmitting the graphic information as two-level image data, an image printing component for printing image data received therein as a multi-level image or a two-level image based on predetermined print parameters, an image data recognizing component for determining whether the image data received from either of the multi-level image input component and the two-level image input component, is multi-level image data or two-level image data, and a print parameter changing component for changing the print parameters in the image printing component based on the determination made by the image data recognizing component.

Abstract: A liquid crystal-polymer composite film comprising (1) a high-molecular weight compound containing at least one kind of monomer units providing a side chain having a liquid crystal nature and at least one kind of monomer units providing a side chain having no liquid crystal nature and (2) a low-molecular weight liquid crystal, the high-molecular weight compound (1) and the low-molecular weight liquid crystal (2) being in separate phases, and the monomer units providing a side chain having no liquid crystal nature being crosslinked; and an electro-optical element comprising a pair of substrates each having an electrode having interposed therebetween a liquid crystal-polymer composite film comprising (2) a low-molecular weight liquid crystal and (1) a high-molecular weight compound in separate phases, the substrates each having a surface comprising a material having a reactive group on the side in contact with the composite film, the reactive group being chemically bonded to the high-molecular weight compound (

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for mapping digital image data using paired erosion-based filters. One filter of the pair creates a superset of the output image data and the other a subset of the output image data, and combinatorial logic is then applied to the superset and subset data to obtain the mapped image data. In one embodiment a plurality of erosion-based filters are used where one filter of the pair is extensive and the other filter is antiextensive, each pair generating a sample phase of a high resolution output image.

Abstract: Storage, manipulation, and retrieval of files, for example data representations of scanned documents, is facilitated by establishing a relationship between an arbitrary, image domain file label and a computer recognizable text domain file name for the file. Selection of the arbitrary, image domain file label is interpreted as a selection of the related file. The arbitrary, image domain file name is assigned by way of a paper form or the like, and may be assigned at the time of document storage. The arbitrary, image domain file label facilitates the meaningful naming of a file for storage when a keyboard or other typical text entry apparatus is unavailable, such as when inputting a document for storage by way of a facsimile machine. Character recognition is not performed on the arbitrary, image domain file label, so the burden on the processing resource is minimized, while errors from inaccuracy are eliminated.

Abstract: A negatively charged liquid developer comprised of a nonpolar liquid, a mixture of a first and a second thermoplastic resin with dissimilar melt indexes, a pigment, charge director, optional charge adjuvent, a charge control agent comprised of a component of the alternative formulas ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl, and n is 0 (zero), 1, 2, 3, or 4, and wherein the melt index of the first resin is from about 50 to about 800 grams, and the melt index of the second resin from about 850 to about 2,500 grams.

Abstract: An ink for ink jet printing includes an emulsifiable polymer resin and a pigment, and may be made by: (a) combining (1) an emulsion of an emulsifiable polymer resin in an anionic medium with (2) a pigment and a cationic surfactant; and (b) aggregating particles in the mixture of step (a) to a desired particle size, thereby producing a solution of aggregated particles. The particles can optionally be coalesced to alter the particle size of the particles.

Abstract: Disclosed is a diagnosing method for diagnosing devices to be diagnosed on the basis of information on operating status of the diagnosed devices. In the method, information on operating status of a plurality of diagnosed devices is collected, then common symptoms, which are common to the diagnosed devices, are extracted from a plurality of items of the information on operating status, and after that a trouble to probably occur in the diagnosed devices is determined on the basis of the common symptoms.

Abstract: An automatic document handler includes a compact document handling system capable of automatically feeding cut sheet documents and computer form documents to a pair of scanner arrays arranged on opposite sides of a curvilinear document transport path. The document handling system includes a constant velocity transport comprising at least a roller pair located along a curved portion of the curvilinear transport path to eliminate interference between a sliding scanner array and document feed rollers. The document handler scans originals without transporting them over the platen and the platen cover serves as an input tray for computer form original documents.

Abstract: A cap actuating assembly for an ink supply cartridge of a printer includes a pivoting member adapted for rotation about a pin between first and second positions. An actuating arm extends from the pivoting member and is operatively engaged by a printhead to begin the rotation and advancement of the cap into a sealed position. The entire cap actuating assembly is also slidably received on a support rail for limited movement between first and second stop members. Biasing members assist in removing the cap assembly from its sealed engagement and preparing the cap actuating assembly for sealing the printhead during the next storage operation.

Abstract: A deskewing and registering device for an electrophotographic printing machine. A single set of sensors determine the position and skew of a sheet in a paper path and generate signals indicative thereof. A pair of independently driven nips forward the sheet to a registration position in skew and at the proper time based on signals from a controller which interprets the position signals and generates the motor control signals. An additional set of sensors can be used at the registration position to provide feedback for updating the control signals as rolls wear or different substrates having different coefficients of friction are used.