Abstract: A method of processing a semiconductor substrate to increase fracture strength and a semiconductor substrate formed by that method. In a preferred embodiment, the semiconductor substrate is utilized in a printhead. The semiconductor substrate has a feature such as an ink feed channel machined therein, and following machining the die is processed to remove material adjacent the machined feature to reduce micro-cracks or other defects that may have been created during the feature machining process. The crack containing material may be removed by several procedures. A preferred procedure is etching with a solution containing TMAH.

Abstract: A system embodiment for controlling an electrical signal level has a first and a second switch, with one of the switches connected to a high voltage source and the other connected to a low voltage source. One of the switches is biased to an on position when the voltage is less than the low level, with the signal increasing to a level of at least the low level while the switch is biased to the on position. The other of the switches is biased to an on position when the signal is greater than the high level, with the signal discharging to at least below the high level while the switch is in the on position.

Abstract: A tape drive for use with a magnetic recording tape, the tape drive including a system for determining the amount of tension on the magnetic recording tape, the magnetic recording tape having a length in the direction of tape travel and a width in the direction perpendicular to the length, the tape having first and second servo bands thereon spaced apart in a direction transverse to the length of the tape, the tape drive including servo elements configured to read the first and second servo bands on the tape; and a servo processor configured to determine changes in distance between the first and second servo bands, and to detect changes in the amount of tension along the length of the tape based on the determined changes in distance between the first and second servo bands.

Abstract: A multi-function printer device is configured for use with job control sheets having machine readable indicia thereon, the multi-function printer device including a housing; an imaging area supported by the housing; a scanner supported by the housing to selectively scan at the imaging area; a print engine supported by the same housing; a control keypad supported by the housing; computer network interface hardware supported by the housing and adapted to be coupled to a computer network; and a controller coupled to the scanner, print engine, control keypad and computer network interface hardware and configured to control the print engine, and the scanner to provide a plurality of predefined printing, scanning, and copying functions, the functions including a function to receive a digital document from the computer network via the network interface hardware and to print one or more copies, a number of the functions being selectable from the computer network, but only a subset of the number of functions being sel

Abstract: A flipping wiper scraper system for cleaning several inkjet printheads in an inkjet printing mechanism has a wiper support mechanism which moves several elastomeric wipers across the printheads to wipe off accumulations of ink residue. This ink residue is then scraped off of the wipers to ready them for the next wiping stroke using a scraper system. The wiper support mechanism inverts the wipers to engage scraper bars of the scraper system. The scraper bars have scraping heads and capillary channels to draw liquid ink residue away from the heads through capillary forces. The scraper bars are arranged so only one or two wipers are scraped at any given time to reduce noise and quiet overall unit operation. A method of cleaning an inkjet printhead, along with an inkjet printing mechanism having such a flipping wiper scraper system are also provided.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead is provided with a high nozzle packing density. The printhead has ink feed holes for each firing chamber that are individually tuned such that the pressure drop from the reservoir to the firing chamber is held constant for all firing chambers on said printhead.

Abstract: An ink drop detector includes a sensing target which is imparted with an electrical stimulus when struck by at least one ink drop burst which has been ejected from an ink drop generator. The detector also includes electronics coupled to the sensing target which characterize the electrical stimulus in terms of a mathematical phase. Methods for analyzing ink ejected from an ink drop generator, and a method for optimizing ink drop generator firing frequency are also provided.

Abstract: Printing is performed by depositing dots of ink having the same color but different colorant loads. A higher drop weight is used for the lower colorant load ink, and a lower drop weight is used for the higher colorant load ink.

Abstract: Ink jet printer system for printing an image on a web overlaying a removable substrate and method of assembling the printer. The ink jet printer system comprises an ink jet print head for jetting ink onto the web to form an image on the web. A feeder mechanism is coupled to the print head for feeding the web and substrate past the print head during printing. A first roller is aligned with the feeder mechanism and is adapted to engage the substrate for removing the substrate from the web. A second roller is aligned with the first roller, the second roller being adapted to layer a covering onto the printed image as the first roller removes the substrate from the web. A third roller is aligned with the second roller for supplying the covering to the second roller. In this manner, a layered web is defined. Moreover, a steaming core is provided to bundle-up the layered web, so that a steaming roll is defined thereby.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for performing speculative directory cache tag updates for read accesses to memory is herein disclosed. A control unit for performing tag updates is coupled between the memory controller and the memory bank in a multiprocessor system that employs a directory-based coherency protocol. The control unit transmits data read from the memory bank to the memory controller while calculating the updated tag that it then writes back to the memory bank. In this manner, the memory bank busy time and memory bus traffic are reduced thereby improving the overall performance of a memory access.

Abstract: The operating-point differentiated test results are obtained by running a code sequence on the device at a first operating point to generate predicted results and then running the same code sequence on the device at a second operating point defined by changing an electrical parameter of the first operating point to generate actual results. Any differences that might exist between the predicted and actual results are due to the changed operating point of the device.

Abstract: A system and a method for converting markings made on media with a marking agent into a digital form representing the markings. The system of the present invention includes a marking device and an illumination digital scanning device. The marking device can be a manual or machine marking device, each containing the marking agent. The marking agent is dispensed by the marking device onto the media. The marking agent is a chemical that emits a certain radiation frequency set when illuminated by an illumination frequency set. The illumination digital scanning device converts the markings of the marking agent into a digital form. The method of the present invention includes marking the media with the marking agent, illuminating the markings to cause the marking agent to radiate at the radiation frequency set and converting the radiation into a digital form representing the markings.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for more conveniently displaying circuit information in a schematic format by creating a visual representation of information about particular signals as part of a schematic representation of the signals. The method applies to a circuit design stored as data in a computer memory, which design may be displayed as a schematic using x-y coordinates for signals, circuit elements, and signal names. Signal names are retrieved from the circuit design. Display coordinates for the signal names are retrieved from the circuit design. Signal information, such as timing information for the signals, is retrieved for example from a timing analyzer. Using the x-y coordinates, the signal information is displayed as part of the schematic.

Abstract: A methodology for translating conditional expressions of a non-Verilog hardware description language (HDL) program, not readily recognized by Verilog HDL, which can then be used to prove out a logic circuit design. IF/CASE/COND (ICC) expressions occurring within the HDL program that are not recognized by Verilog HDL are categorized and accordingly translated to IF/CASE statements in Verilog HDL syntax. For ICC expressions that are part of a conditional or binary operator expression, a globally incremental variable that is representative of a corresponding variable of an ICC expression is created for each variable of the ICC expression. The ICC expression is then assigned to the globally incremental variable(s) which is placed in an always statement that is recognized by Verilog HDL. Synthesis can then be performed on the always statement by a processor to generate a logic circuit representative of the module of the non-Verilog HDL program.

Abstract: A tone dependent error diffusion halftoning system uses tone dependent thresholds and error weightings that are optimized by minimizing a model based cost function. An upper and lower threshold are used to compare with the modified pixel value. If the modified pixel value is greater than the upper threshold, a dot is printed, if less than the lower threshold, no dot is printed, and if between, a binary bitmap is used to determine whether a dot should be printed. For each midtone threshold level, a halftone image is generated by a direct binary search method and an error diffusion method. The magnitudes of the fast Fourier transforms, of the halftone images are compared using a visual cost function and the thresholds and error weightings are altered to minimize the cost function. For highlight and shadow tone levels, a filtered halftone image from an error diffusion system is compared to the continuous tone image after filtering the image via a human visual system model.

Abstract: A power supply module supplies power to a power bus. The module includes a module casing. Within the module casing is a power supply and a means for cooling the power supply. The power bus supplies power to the means for cooling the module as well as to other devices connected to the power bus. Multiple power supply modules are included in a disk drive array system. Each module provides power to the power bus and to each means for cooling. Upon failure of one of the power supplies, the other of the power supplies will provide power to each device connected to the power bus, including the means for cooling the failed power supply.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for testing architectural compliance of processors wherein various types of cases requiring some structure can be simulated and a degree of randomness can be added to the case without destroying the structure of the case. The apparatus comprises a computer capable of being configured to execute a testing program. When the computer is executing the testing program, the computer generates instructions and simulates execution of the instructions in a processor. During simulation, the computer detects when simulation of an instruction has caused an event to occur in the processor. The computer identifies the event that has occurred and generates a list of atoms and stores the list in a memory device in communication with the computer. Each of the atoms in the list corresponds to a description of a particular event handler task to be performed by the processor in response to the occurrence of the event.

Abstract: An ink jet printhead including a thin film substructure including an elongated gold trace having openings formed therein. An ink barrier layer is disposed on the thin film substructure in contact with the gold trace and the regions exposed by the openings in the elongated gold trace. The openings are configured to provide for reliable adhesion between the ink barrier layer and the regions exposed by the openings in the elongated gold trace.

Abstract: A system for projecting electrically conductive or semi-conductive toner directly on to print media using a direct electrostatic projection printing device that includes a projection control electrode positioned between a reference electrode and an orifice plate. A mechanism is provided for generating a first electric field between the reference electrode and the orifice plate to form a cloud of toner particles between the reference electrode and the orifice plate. A mechanism is also provided for intermittently generating a second electric field between the projection control electrode and the orifice plate to project toner particles through the orifice plate on to a sheet of paper.

Abstract: A collection spittoon with a vacuum connection draws air and ink ejected during service spitting through an opening in the top of the spittoon. The collected ink includes main ejected drops and aerosol generated during the service process. A method for servicing an inkjet printhead comprises positioning the printhead over an opening in a spittoon chamber, establishing an air flow into the chamber through the opening, actuating the printhead to spit ink droplets in a service mode, and collecting the ink droplets and associated aerosol by drawing the ink droplets and aerosol into the chamber with the air flow.

Abstract: A sequence of data blocks written onto a medium of a data storage system includes first and subsequent appended data blocks having an append point code for identifying the first appended data block location. For data blocks having a running block number or frame number, the block or frame number of the first appended data block is stored as the append point code. The appended point code identifies the most recently append point location and aids in processes, such as tracking calibration, data integrity confirmation and track positioning.

Abstract: This invention relates to the reconstruction of a color plane in image mosaic data with correction for color aliasing artifacts, in particular where the image mosaic data is unequally weighted between different colors. The image mosaic is composed of a plurality of interleaved image pixels (13,14,15) of at least three color values (16,17,18), each of which has a luminance value. Each row and column of the mosaic contains image pixels of at least two colors. An edge strength metric is assessed at locations in the image mosaic using at least two luminance values of the same color value to determine the strength of luminance changes and hence of detected edges at said locations. A low spatial frequency image (33,34,35) is generated for each color value (16,17,18) in which changes in luminance values are smoothed. The smoothing for each color value is in accordance with said edge strength metric so that smoothing at the locations of detected edges is inhibited.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that allows the adjustment of the intensity of the illumination source in a barcode reader, using the barcode reader as the measuring device, to give a predetermined amount of light from a known target. The adjustment of the intensity of the illumination source in the barcode reader compensates for the manufacturing tolerances of the barcode reader.

Abstract: A method of ink jet printing wherein at least one row of pixels adjacent a leading edge of a print medium and/or trailing edge of the print medium is printed using a print mode that employs fewer passes than the print mode utilized for printing rows that are further from such edges.

Abstract: The inventive mirror provides both an image and information to a user. The inventive mirror allows a user to review electronic information, while performing personal hygiene procedures. For example, the user could look at the inventive mirror and review news headlines and/or stories, read and respond to e-mails, and/or review and edit their schedule of appointments, while grooming. The smart mirror has two modes. In a power off mode, the smart mirror acts as a standard reflective mirror. In a power on mode, then the smart mirror becomes a display device. The display device may comprise a touch screen, which would allow direct user interaction.

Abstract: A control panel assembly includes a modular control panel box that is mounted to a door. The door is used to cover an opening that affords access to an internal component bay that resides within an electrical system housing. A tongue and groove joint provides a mechanism for selective positioning of the modular control panel box on the door such that the modular control panel box may be moved to a position that does not interfere with opening motion of the door that, otherwise, would occur when the modular control panel box moves rearwardly of the opening to contact an adjacent chassis.

Abstract: A demonstration page automatically resizes itself to fit a preferred media size of a printing device on which the demonstration page is printed. The demonstration page image is embedded in a printer control language (or page description language) to enable the automatic resizing of the image. The demonstration page omits control language commands that would otherwise override the preferred media size. Thus, the preferred media size stored in the printing device is used by the demonstration page for resizing and printing purposes. The demonstration page includes control language that identifies an original media size associated with the stored image and further includes control language that calculates scale factors for resizing the image to best fit the preferred media size.

Abstract: An antifuse structure has an antifuse between first and second thermal conduction regions. Each of the first and second thermal conduction regions has a portion of low thermal conductivity and a portion of high thermal conductivity. The portion having low thermal conductivity is between the respective portion of high thermal conductivity and the antifuse.

Abstract: An adapter and method for converting the data interface hardware of a computer peripheral device. A set of connectors is arranged to mate with the interface conductors of a computer peripheral device that contains the circuitry and firmware necessary to support the use of more than one computer peripheral data interface. Another set of connectors is provided to connect with the interfaces being used by a computer. An indication to the device of which of the supported data interfaces is to be used is provided.

Abstract: An evacuated structure removes air accumulated within a container that contains material held at a first pressure. The evacuated structure has a shell that includes a slowly defusing air-permeable material. The air permeable material interfaces to a volume of space evacuated to a second pressure less than the first pressure within the container. Unwanted air that accumulates within the container is drawn into the volume of space of the evacuated structure due to the difference in pressure between the interior of the container and the interior of the shell.

Abstract: A fluid transport conduit for conveying ink-jet ink from a reservoir to a printhead in an ink-jet printer is provided. The fluid transport conduit comprises at least one inner layer, such as high density polyethylene, cyclic olefin copolymer, or polypropylene homopolymer, that is flexible and is a barrier to liquids, and at least one outer layer, such as nylon or polyvinyl alcohol, that is a barrier to air and is softer, or more compliant, than the inner layer, with the inner layer bonded to the outer layer. The two layers are advantageously co-extruded to form the fluid transport conduit.

Abstract: A system of classifying incoming media entering an inkjet printing mechanism identifies the media without requiring any special manufacturer markings. The media is first optically scanned using a blue-violet light at an initial intensity to obtain both diffuse and specular reflectance data. Certain information from the printer driver housed in a host computer or other information may be used to infer time-saving shortcuts about the type of media being supplied to the printing unit. A printing mechanism constructed to implement this method is also provided.

Abstract: A system receives a flow of data packets via the link and determines a target bandwidth to be allocated to the flow on the link. In response to the flow, the receiving system transmits data to the sending system. The transmitted data control the sending system such that when the sending system transmits subsequent data packets to the receiving system, such subsequent data packets are transmitted at a rate approximating the target bandwidth allocated to the flow. In one embodiment, the rate at which the transmitted data from the receiving system arrive at the sending system determines the rate at which the sending system transmits the subsequent data packets. The receiving system can control the rate by delaying its response to the sending system according to a calculated delay factor. In another embodiment, the data transmitted from the receiving system to the sending system indicate a maximum amount of data that the receiving system will accept from the sending system in a subsequent data transmission.

Abstract: A tapered screw spittoon system is provided for an inkjet printing mechanism to handle waste inkjet ink residue that has been spit from an inkjet printhead during a nozzle clearing or “spitting” routine. The spittoon system has a cylindrical reservoir with a tapered screw rotatably mounted therein. The reservoir defines an entranceway opening to receive the ink residue, which then lands on a spit region of the screw. The screw has a tapered shaft which increases in diameter from the entranceway opening toward an exit opening defined by the reservoir wall at a remote location. When rotated, the tapered screw transports the ink residue from the spit region toward the exit opening. During transport, the ink residue is compacted between the screw shaft and the reservoir, and is squeezed out of the reservoir through the exit opening for permanent storage in a container surrounding the reservoir.

Abstract: An imaging device includes a housing, a first door rotatably coupled to the housing and a second transparent door overlying the first door. A decorative sheet between the first door and the second transparent door allows the imaging device to be customized in appearance.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for indicating a low toner condition in a printer having a plurality of toner cartridges are provided. A method is provided which includes presenting a cartridge having low toner at a cartridge access way where the cartridge can be removed and replaced. The method can also include providing a carriage which can movably support the plurality of toner cartridges and can automatically move the cartridge having low toner to the cartridge access way when a low toner condition is detected. An apparatus is provided which includes a movable carriage which can move in a substantially linear manner. Other apparatus are provided which include a movable carriage which can move in a substantially rotational manner.

Abstract: A method for the fabrication of electrical contacts using metal forming, masking, etching, and soldering techniques is presented. The method produces a plurality of specialized electrical contacts, capable of use in an interposer, or other device, including non-permanent or permanent electrical connections providing contact wipe, soft spring rates, durability, and significant amounts of travel.

Abstract: A method for establishing two-way communications between a host system and a device when the address of the device is initially unknown. The host system submits a job to a device with the job including address and other information required for the device to respond with the device's address. Once the host system has the device address, the host system and the device can establish bi-directional communications. In a print job, a print job language (PJL) command known as SOCKETPING is used to transmit the information between a print client and a printer. The SOCKETPING command includes fields for host system address family, protocol, address, and port as well as extensions to define job status reporting parameters. The printer responds to the SOCKETPING command with the necessary address information for the printer and job status reports as specified in the SOCKETPING extensions.

Abstract: An emitter has an electron supply layer and a tunneling layer formed on the electron supply layer. Optionally, an insulator layer is formed on the electron supply layer and has openings defined within in which the tunneling layer is formed. A cathode layer is formed on the tunneling layer. A conductive layer is partially disposed on the cathode layer and partially on the insulator layer if present. The conductive layer defines an opening to provide a surface for energy emissions of electrons and/or photons. Preferably but optionally, the emitter is subjected to an annealing process thereby increasing the supply of electrons tunneled from the electron supply layer to the cathode layer.

Abstract: Circuitry for scanning and observing domino CMOS logic or other logic gates. Master and slave stages includes circuitry for latching a bit into the master stage through pulsing of a clock signal and subsequently latching the bit into the slave stage through pulsing of another clock signal. The number of transistors required for scanning is minimized by using existing latch structures within the logic.

Abstract: The present invention, in various embodiments, provides techniques for reducing effects of electrical impedance. In one embodiment, the impedance is in the form of inductance and arises from vias in a termination PCB and from resistors used on the PCB. In one embodiment, a power plane is placed near the resistors. Additional power and ground planes are created in parallel among themselves and perpendicular to the vias, which cause capacitance to be formed between each pair of the ground and power planes, the ground planes and the vias, and the power planes and the vias. In one aspect, the power plane near the resistors and the formed capacitance allow the high-frequency returned currents to flow through a smaller loop and thus be affected by a smaller inductance. Additionally, the created capacitance reduces both the total impedance of the vias and the resistors and any impedance that result from power-ground discontinuity.

Abstract: Frame buffer memory bandwidth is conserved by performing a depth comparison between colliding pixels at batch building time. If the incoming pixel fails the depth comparison, then it may be “tossed” and excluded from any batches currently under construction. The batch building process may then continue without the need for a batch flush responsive to the occurrence of the pixel collision. If the incoming pixel passes the depth comparison, then it may yet be possible to avoid flushing: The current rendering mode of the pipeline is determined. If the current rendering mode does not require read-modify-write operations, then the incoming pixel may be merged with the buffered pixel with which it collides. Merger of the two pixels may be accomplished by overwriting the buffered RGBA pixel components with those of the incoming pixel, but only those components corresponding to asserted bits in the incoming pixel's BEN.

Abstract: When a monitor display is to be printed by a color printer, the present invention transforms the monitor colors to compensate for chromatic adaption while mapping the monitor's neutral axis with the printer's neutral axis so neutral colors remain neutral. In the preferred embodiment, it is assumed that there is only partial chromatic adaption by the viewer. The result is that printing the transformed monitor colors using a color printer causes printed colors to appear to the human eye to be similar to the displayed monitor colors, while preserving neutral colors, once the human eye has adapted to the displayed monitor colors and the printed colors.

Abstract: A wide-array inkjet printhead assembly includes a carrier having a first side and a second side contiguous with the first side, and a plurality of printhead dies each mounted on the first side of the carrier. An electrical circuit is disposed on the first side and the second side of the carrier. As such, a plurality of electrical connectors are each electrically coupled to the electrical circuit and one of the printhead dies.

Abstract: A reinforced book assembled from a stack of media sheets and a cover. Each media sheet includes at least one binding region located adjacent to a binding edge of that media sheet. The binding region of each sheet is aligned with and faces a binding region of an adjacent media sheet. The cover extends at least partially over a first face of the stack, wraps around the binding edges of the media sheets, and extends at least partially over a second face of the stack. The book also includes activated imaging material on the binding region of each media sheet binding the media sheets together as well as activated imaging material on the cover binding the cover to the binding regions on the first and second faces of the stack.

Abstract: Bipolar and field effect molecular wire transistors are provided. The molecular wire transistor comprises a pair of crossed wires, with at least one of the wires comprising a doped semiconductor material. The pair of crossed wires forms a junction where one wire crosses another, one wire being provided with Lewis acid functional groups and the other wire being provided with Lewis base functional groups. If both wires are doped semiconductor, such as silicon, one is P-doped and the other is N-doped. One wire of a given doping comprises the emitter and collector portions and the other wire comprises the base portion, which is formed by modulation doping on the wire containing the emitter and collector at the junction where the wires cross and between the emitter and collector portions, thereby forming a bipolar transistor. Both NPN and PNP bipolar transistors may be formed.

Abstract: A method for servicing an inkjet printhead effects recovery against a particular printhead failure mode via implementation of a printhead servicing routine including, but not limited to, a bubble recovery routine, a contaminant purging routine, and/or a (standard) printhead servicing routine. In a preferred embodiment, the method for servicing an inkjet printhead takes into consideration nozzle health data, diagnostics, or the like. In a preferred embodiment, a bitmap or mask is employed to control firing of the nozzles during the servicing of the printhead. In a preferred embodiment, the servicing method includes the step of: firing the printing nozzles in a manner tending to force contaminants at the printing nozzles toward one end of the printhead.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for evaluating nodes in an integrated circuit to determine whether or not networks containing the nodes meet certain design criteria. The method and apparatus of the present invention are embodied in a rules checking system which evaluates the nodes in the integrated circuit to determine whether or not the networks in the integrated circuit comply with the design rules. Compliance with any particular rule is verified by performing one or more checks on the particular node being evaluated. Some checks require less time to perform than others. In some cases, the result of a single check can provide a determination as to whether or not the network containing the node being evaluated complies with the rule associated with the particular check. Furthermore, some checks are less expensive in terms of the amount of time required to perform them than other checks.

Abstract: A printhead for an inkjet printer employs non-circular orifices, such as oval or parallelogram, at the surface of the orifice plate to increase the restoring force of the ink meniscus. The reduced tail and diminished spray of an ink droplet expelled from the non-circular orifice results in improved edge roughness and improved quality of print.