Abstract: The present invention provides an electrostatic attracting-type ink jet recording method by which an ink dot which has adhered to the recording medium or intermediate recording material can be prevented from affecting the drawing direction of the subsequently jetting ink, whereby an ink can be invariably allowed to jet onto a proper position to form an image with a high quality.

Abstract: A method for clustering speaker data from a plurality of unknown speakers. The method includes steps of providing a portion of audio data containing speech from at least all the speakers in the audio data and dividing the portion into data clusters. A pairwise distance between each pair of clusters is computed, the pairwise distance being based on a likelihood that two clusters were created by the same speaker, the likelihood measurement being biased by the prior probability of speaker changes. The two clusters with a minimum pairwise distance are combined into a new cluster and speakers models are trained for each of the remaining clusters including the new cluster. The likelihood that two clusters were created by the same speaker may be biased by a Markov duration model based on speaker changes over the length of the initial data clusters.

Abstract: There is disclosed a crucible assembly comprising: (a) an electrically conductive tube having a first end portion and a second end portion and defining an opening in the surface of the tube, wherein the tube defines an imaginary horizontal line which bisects the cross-sectional dimension of the tube and an imaginary vertical line which bisects the cross-sectional dimension of the tube; and (b) at least one power connection area, operatively associated with the first end portion of the tube, wherein for the crucible assembly having only one power connection area associated with the first end portion, the one power connection area is positioned above the imaginary horizontal line on the same side of the horizontal line as the opening in the tube surface, wherein for the crucible assembly having at least two power connection areas associated with the first end portion, the at least two power connection areas permit coupling of at least two power cables.

Abstract: In a document handling system for feeding document sheets of varying dimensions to be imaged at an imaging station through a document feeding path from a document input tray, a system for automatically determining the dimension of the document sheet being fed in its feeding direction before it is imaged, yet also providing a compact document handling system with a short document feeding path, with a sheet buckling system including a sheet buckling chamber between the document input tray and the imaging station, and feeding the trailing portion of the document sheet faster than the leading portion to substantially buckle the intermediate portion out of the document feeding path so that the distance between the trailing and leading ends of the buckled document sheet along the document feeding path is substantially reduced, and so that the trailing end of the buckled document sheet normally passes and actuates a first sheet edge sensor before the sheet reaches a second sheet edge sensor upstream of the imaging s

Abstract: A conductive carrier composition comprised of a core with a coating thereover comprised of a mixture of first and second polymers, and wherein the first polymer contains a conductive component, and the second polymer contains a metal oxide.

Abstract: There is provided a scheduling apparatus for a printing system, the scheduling apparatus including a memory for storing a set of two or more feed signals, the set of feed signals including a first feed signal and a second feed signal with the first feed signal and the second feed signal corresponding respectively with a special sheet and an imagable regular substrate having opposing sides. The scheduling apparatus further includes a controller for generating the first and second feed signals. The controller, which communicates with each of a print engine and a special sheet insertion apparatus determines whether the imagable regular substrate is to imaged on both of the opposing sides and, when it is determined that the imagable regular substrate is to be imaged on both the opposing sides, the controller schedules the first and second feed signals to be transmitted respectively to the print engine and the special sheet insert apparatus during a single pitch.

Abstract: A dot judgment circuit judges whether there exists color information in dot-pattern-developed image data of pixels around a black pixel under attention. When not finding the existence of color information, the dot judgment circuit selects a head driver for driving a recording head for jetting a slow drying black pixel. When finding the existence of color information, the dot judgment circuit selects a head driver for a recording head for jetting a quick drying black ink or head drivers for recording heads for jetting quick drying Y, M and C inks.

Abstract: A proximal particle list including numbers of particles located within a predetermined distance from a particular particle is generated in calculating a Coulomb force acting on a particular particle or a related potential. A van der Waals force acting on the particular particle or a related potential is thereafter calculated based on only the particles included in the proximal particle list.

Abstract: A safety system for a power stapler in which stapling of a set of sheets is actuated by inserting the set of sheets into the stapling jaws of the stapler, includes a large transparent upper plate mounted above the entrance to the stapling jaws and extending away from the stapling jaws by a distance greater than the length of a human finger, more than approximately 8 centimeters, and a lower plate below the entrance to the stapling jaws similarly extending, to prevent fingers from being inserted into the stapling jaws of the stapler. The upper and lower plates are spaced apart by a distance greater than the maximum thickness of the set of sheets to be stapled, to allow any set of sheets to be inserted into the stapling jaws from in between the upper and lower plates and be movable for alignment between the plates while being visible through the transparent upper plate.

Abstract: A method for operating a processor-controlled machine, and a machine having a processor, operate on an object-based model data structure from which a first image has been produced in order to produce a second image for display in the spatial context of the first image. A viewing operation region (VOR) is displayed coextensively with a first image segment of the first image in the display area of the machine's display device. The first image segment includes a display object representing a model data item in the object-based model data structure. In response to the display of the VOR, a second image is produced using the model data item in the object-based model data structure. The second image is displayed in the VOR, in the spatial context of the first image, simultaneously with the display of the first image, replacing the first image segment in the display area. The method may operate cooperatively with a graphical object editor application executing in a graphical user interface environment.

Abstract: To relax the graphical constraints on the precision of the handwriting that is required for accurate computerized interpretation of handwritten text, the text that is to be interpreted is written in accordance with this invention using symbols that are exceptionally well separated from each other graphically. These symbols preferably define an orthographic alphabet to reduce the time and effort that is required to learn to write text with them at an acceptably high rate. Furthermore, to accommodate "eyes-free" writing of text and the writing of text in spatially constrained text entry fields, the symbols advantageously are defined by unistrokes (as used herein, a "unistroke" is a single, unbroken stroke).

Abstract: A process for the preparation of toner compositions comprising:(i) preparing an emulsion latex comprised of sodio sulfonated polyester resin particles of from about 5 to about 500 nanometers in size diameter by heating said resin in water at a temperature of from about 65.degree. C. to about 90.degree. C.(ii) preparing a pigment dispersion in a water by dispersing in water from about 10 to about 25 weight percent of sodio sulfonated polyester and from about 1 to about 5 weight percent of pigment;(iii) adding the pigment dispersion to a latex mixture comprised of sulfonated polyester resin particles in water with shearing, followed by the addition of an alkali halide in water until aggregation results as indicated by an increase in the latex viscosity of from about 2 centipoise to about 100 centipoise;(iv) heating the resulting mixture at a temperature of from about 45.degree. C. to about 80.degree. C.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hot melt ink composition comprising (a) an ink vehicle, said ink vehicle being a solid at about 25.degree. C. and having a viscosity of from about 1 to about 20 centipoise at a temperature suitable for hot melt ink jet printing, said temperature being greater than about 45.degree. C., (b) a photochromic material, (c) an optional colorant, and (d) an optional propellant.

Abstract: A technique for automatically producing, or training, a set of bitmapped character templates defined according to the sidebearing model of character image positioning uses as input a text line image of unsegmented characters, called glyphs, as the source of training samples. The training process also uses a transcription associated with the text line image, and an explicit, grammar-based text line image source model that describes the structural and functional features of a set of possible text line images that may be used as the source of training samples. The transcription may be a literal transcription of the line image, or it may be nonliteral, for example containing logical structure tags for document formatting and layout, such as found in markup languages.

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: A color printer calibration method for improving printer accuracy in regions of local non-linearity includes the steps of: a) starting with filled rectangular array of color mappings A.sub.0 mapping printer signals to device independent color space signals; b) empirically deriving a set of color mappings P.sub.i in an area of interest; c) using a set of planes defined by the color mappings of A.sub.0, and the set of empirically derived color mappings P.sub.i, identifying a new set of planes such that each point defined by A.sub.0 and each point defined by P.sub.i is located at the intersection of three planes, the intersection points of this expanded number of planes defining a set of points P.sub.i(expanded) that define a full rectangular array A.sub.1 of mappings including mappings A.sub.0, mappings P.sub.i and mappings P.sub.i(expanded) ; d) storing the mapping A.sub.1 for use in the creation of a new color space transformation LUT for use with the printer.

Abstract: A method for producing discontinuous chips during the machining of a work piece by a cutting tool is provided. The method includes the steps of engaging the cutting tool into the workpiece to produce a continuous chip and directing a stream of cryogen toward the continuous chip, so as to rapidly cool the continuous chip and fracture the continuous chip into the discontinuous chips.

Abstract: An apparatus and method that uses a toner valve to seal the interface between a cleaner housing and waste container. The toner valve incorporates a two piece valve of which the larger, called the main valve, is housed in the cleaner housing, and the smaller, called the lid, is housed in the top of the waste container. When the waste container is inserted onto the cleaner housing, the main valve of the cleaner housing is coupled to the lid of the waste container. A handle extending from a shaft in the main valve enables movement of the complete toner valve. The coupling of the two piece toner valve enables the toner valve to work as a single unit when the handle is rotated, opening the waste container and the cleaner housing and providing a totally sealed open path for the toner to fall from the cleaner housing to the waste container. Further rotation of the two piece toner valve closes both the cleaner housing and the waste container.

Abstract: A sheet handling system has an endless transporting and supporting belt for transporting sheet along a path. The belt includes a ferroelectric material layer for generating an electrostatic force on the surface thereof to retain the sheet.