Abstract: A system and method are provided for registering source and target images. The method includes receiving a first source image and a first scanned image. The first scanned image is one that has been generated by scanning a printed page that has been generated by printing the first source image or a transformed first source image derived from the first source image. Locations of corners of a target image in the first scanned image are identified. With a first computed transform, the corners of the target image in the first scanned image are aligned to corners of the first source image to generate an aligned target image. Local features in the source image and aligned target image are detected. A second transform is computed to align the target image with the first source image, based on the detected local features.

Abstract: Pigmented polymer particles may comprise a thermoplastic polymer and a pigment, wherein at least some of the pigmented polymer particles have a morphology according to (a), (b), (c), or any combination thereof: (a) the pigment having a coating comprising the thermoplastic polymer and the coated pigment adhered to a thermoplastic polymer particle, (b) the pigment being embedded in an outer surface of the thermoplastic polymer particle, and (c) the pigment being encapsulated by the thermoplastic polymer particle. The pigmented polymer particles, especially the highly spherical pigmented polymer particles, may be useful, among other things, as starting material for additive manufacturing. For example, a method may comprise: depositing, upon a surface, the foregoing pigmented polymer particles optionally in combination with other thermoplastic polymer particles; and once deposited, heating at least a portion of the particles to promote consolidation thereof and form a consolidated body.

Abstract: Particles may be produced that comprise an unsaturated polyamide and an initiator. Said particles may be used in additive manufacturing methods that comprise: depositing the particles optionally in combination with other thermoplastic polymer particles upon a surface; and once deposited, heating at least a portion of the particles to promote consolidation thereof and crosslinking of the unsaturated polyamide, thereby forming a consolidated body comprising a crosslinked polyamide.

Abstract: The disclosure discloses methods and systems for keyword-based printing. The method includes receiving a request for printing a document from a user. Upon receiving the request, a user interface including a keyword-based printing option is provided to the user. The keyword-based printing option allows the user to input one or more keywords. Based on the one or more input keywords, one or more pages from the document having the one or more matching keywords are identified. The pages identified to include the one or more keywords are excluded and the remaining pages of the document are printed.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses methods and systems for adding one or more new images to an input document having one or more pages. The method includes receiving an input document from a user. Upon receiving the input document, a user interface having an option for adding one or more new images to the input document is provided to the user for selection. Once selected, one or more keywords are identified based on the content of the input document. Based on the identified keywords, one or more new images are searched via one or more sources and displayed to the user for selection. The user provides his input to add the selected images to a pre-defined area in the input document. Subsequently, the selected images are added to the pre-defined area of the input document, resulting in an output document, for further processing.

Abstract: A system and method to establish a no-login authenticated and contextualized two-ways data flow between a medicine user and the pharmaceutical manufacturer. Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, enabling short-range communication between two compatible devices is utilized via a writeable NFC tag carried by a medication package. The writeable NFC tag includes medication information, anti-counterfeiting information, as well as data about the patient and the prescription. The NFC tag may be read by a user device associated with the patient, enabling the user device to merge this data with the patient's feedback, send this rich flow in a secure way to the manufacturer, who in turn is now able to provide rich contextual guidance to the patient.

Abstract: Devices include electrically conductive elements contacting a vacuum belt, and a voltage source connected to the electrically conductive elements. The electrically conductive elements form an electrical circuit from the voltage source, through the belt, and back to the voltage source. The electrically conductive elements are positioned so that they are separated from the belt when the belt moves the sheets of media between the electrically conductive elements and the belt. A processor is capable of identifying leading edges of the sheets of media on the belt (when voltage of the electrical circuit changes from a relatively higher voltage to a relatively lower voltage) and identifying trailing edges of the sheets of media on the belt (when the voltage of the electrical circuit changes from the relatively lower voltage back to the relatively higher voltage).

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system has a controller configured to modify numerical control programming instructions to form interlocking structures that improve object structural integrity in the Z-direction. The interlocking structures are produced by forming one layer with swaths that are separated by gaps and another layer that is formed over the gaps to fill the gaps and lay over the swaths forming the gaps.

Abstract: A method is disclosed. For example, the method executed by a processor of a multi-function device (MFD) includes receiving a video image of a multi-function device (MFD), applying an object detection model to the video image to generate an annotated image with bounding boxes around persons detected in the video image, determining a number of the bounding boxes, determining that the number of bounding boxes is greater than a threshold in a policy associated with the MFD, and deactivating the MFD.

Abstract: Printing devices herein comprise an internal power supply within the body of the printing devices. Also, a processor and printing components are within the body and connected to the internal power supply. A user interface is external to the body and is connected to the processor and the internal power supply. The user interface has a universal serial bus (USB) connection. A USB hub structure is within the body and is connected to the processor, the internal power supply, and the user interface. The USB hub structure includes an integrated circuit (IC), a power connector connected to the internal power supply, and a plurality of USB connectors connected to the IC. The USB connectors can extend through the body and one of the USB connectors connects the USB connection of the user interface to the processor and the internal power supply.

Abstract: A system and method are provided enabling higher precision in composite based additive manufacturing (‘AM”). The method includes staging a fibrous material such as carbon fiber sheets by potentially cutting to length and placing a sheet onto an elevator. Above the elevator is a gantry that holds a moveable print head and a powder deposition device as well as an excess powder recapture device. A liquid is placed onto the fiber by the print head such that when the subsequent step of dusting the area with a plastic powder, the powder sticks to the area where the liquid was imaged. Subsequently, excess powder is removed and pressure and potentially heat are applied to sinter the layer and compress to the desired height.

Abstract: Various systems and methods maintain a print job of a user in a print queue and identify the user approaching a printing device using a user identification device operatively connected to the printing device. Such systems/methods alter the position of the print job within the print queue (e.g., to a higher priority position) or even begin printing the print job when the user identification device identifies the user approaching the printing device (i.e., before the user reaches the printing device). Systems and methods can also identify the urgency of the user using the user identification device. The amount that the print queue is altered can be based on the amount that the urgency of the user is elevated.

Abstract: A vacuum roller system and a method of operation the vacuum roller system can include an assembly of interdigitated rollers, and a vacuum system, wherein the assembly of interdigitated rollers is operably connected to the vacuum system to move sheets of media through a downstream dryer in a printer, wherein a vacuum is drawn between individual rollers among the assembly of interdigitated rollers so that the vacuum is distributed across a sheet of media and is split around the individual rollers. The spacing between the individual rollers among the assembly of interdigitated rollers is variable to vary the vacuum.

Abstract: Reversibly crosslinkable compositions are provided for forming removable crosslinked films. A reversibly crosslinkable composition may comprise entangled chains of a polysiloxane comprising pendant functional groups having formula —NH—(C?O)—X—COOH, wherein X is an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, or an aryl group; a plurality of inorganic oxide nanoparticles; and a solvent; wherein non-covalent bonds between the pendant functional groups and the inorganic oxide nanoparticles crosslink the entangled chains to form a polymeric matrix in the absence of the solvent, wherein the non-covalent bonds dissociate and the polymeric matrix collapses in the presence of water and heat.

Abstract: Additive manufacturing processes featuring consolidation of thermoplastic particulates may form printed objects in a range of shapes. Inorganic nanoparticles disposed upon the outer surface of the thermoplastic particulates may improve flow performance of the thermoplastic particulates during additive manufacturing, but may be undesirable to incorporate in some printed objects. Polymer nanoparticles may be substituted for inorganic nanoparticles in some instances to address this difficulty and provide other advantages. Particulate compositions suitable for additive manufacturing may comprise: a plurality of thermoplastic particulates comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a plurality of polymer nanoparticles disposed upon an outer surface of the thermoplastic particulates, the polymer nanoparticles comprising a crosslinked fluorinated polymer.

Abstract: A downloaded app controls a device to recognize whether a connected card reader is an unsupported card reader or whether an unsupported card is supplied to the connected card reader. The app automatically generates support for the unsupported card reader or unsupported card by reading the identifying information from the unsupported card reader or unsupported card, modifying an existing driver support file by adding the identifying information to the existing driver support file to create a modified driver support file, and testing the unsupported card reader or unsupported card using the modified driver support file. If the tests are successful, the app then supplies the modified driver support file to other devices separate from the printer.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a dryer configured to attenuate the effects of temperature differentials arising in substrates that are caused by holes in a media transport belt and a platen covering a vacuum plenum. The dryer includes a heater, a media transport belt cooler, and a media transport belt. The media transport belt is configured to move substrates past the heater after ink images have been formed on the substrates and the media transport belt cooler is positioned to remove heat energy from the media transport belt after the media transport belt has passed the heater and the substrates have separated from the media transport belt. The substrate cooler is configured to reduce a temperature of the media transport belt to a temperature that attenuates image defects arising from temperature differentials in the media transport belt when the media transport belt is opposite the heater.

Abstract: A thread printing system includes a source spool containing thread. The system also includes various print heads, each of which is fluidly connected to an ink tank. The print heads are positioned to direct and apply ink to a segment of the thread as the thread travels along a transport path along from the source spool. The system also includes a fuser having one or more print rollers that are connected to a heating element. The fuser receives the dyed thread and fuses the ink to the thread. The system may include a controller that is configured to apply ink of different colors to different segments of the thread.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an authentication approach to grant access to a secure service on an electronic device. The authentication approach includes receiving, via an electronic device, a request to access the secure service. The authentication approach includes determining whether the electronic device is positioned at a location that corresponds to a virtual authentication lock. The authentication approach includes displaying, in response to determining the device is positioned at the location that corresponds to the virtual authentication lock, the virtual authentication lock on a display of the electronic device. The authentication approach includes receiving one or more interactions with the virtual authentication lock. The authentication approach includes determining whether the one or more interactions correspond to one or more authentication interactions related to the virtual authentication lock.

Abstract: A web sheet processing system for cutting and/or stacking AM composite printed sheets from the web combines web edge waste with the cut sheets, stacking the waste with the 3D object. The waste may be removed during the cleaning of the 3d object (e.g., by abrasive blasting, chemical removal, dissolution) to result in a 3D printed object. This approach eliminates the separate need for waste removal of a rewound web of substrate material waste. In examples, a tractor drive transport assembly ensures consistent web/sheet motion via tractor feeding along the edges of the web/sheet to a stacker subsystem. The tractor drive transport assembly, in combination with a drive guide, positions the cut sheets over the stacker subsystem for release onto the top of a stack, with the substrate waste that would normally be processed downstream stacked with the 3D object for removal during a normal cleaning of the object.