Abstract: Methods and systems for managing and/or processing a blockchain to maintain data security for confidential and/or personal data are provided. According to certain aspects, the disclosed data security techniques may enable access sharing functionality utilizing the blockchain. For example, access sharing may be utilized to file documents, share policy information, and/or comply with an audit. The data security techniques disclosed herein also enable the use of smart contracts to transfer funds associated with payment obligations and/or other forms of blockchain based payments, comply with anti-money laundering requirements, report industry data, validate interest payments and/or maintain agent sales data. Data security may be achieved through the use of public key/private key encryption techniques.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing and/or processing a blockchain to maintain data security for confidential and/or personal data are provided. According to certain aspects, the disclosed data security techniques may enable access sharing functionality utilizing the blockchain. For example, access sharing may be utilized to share policy information. The policy information may be associated with a smart contract. Accordingly, the policy information may be encrypted using a public key for the smart contract and compiled into a block of the blockchain. In response to a request to provide access to the information to a particular node, the private key for the smart contract may be encrypted using the public key for the particular node and compiled into a block of the blockchain.

Abstract: Methods and systems for processing a blockchain comprising a plurality of immutable sales records corresponding to sales made by agents of an entity are provided. According to certain aspects, a transaction request indicating a sale made by an agent of the entity may be received at a first node. A block including a sales record indicating the sale made by the agent may be added to a blockchain and transmitted to another node for validation. The first node may add the block to a copy of the blockchain, where the block may be identified by a hash value that references a previous block in the blockchain that includes at least one additional sales record.

Abstract: A shingle coating asphalt composition is provided that is produced from a paving grade asphalt. The asphalt composition comprises a paving-grade asphalt that has been modified with one or more polymer additives; and a secondary additive comprising one or more of a viscosity reducing agent, a wax, a salt of a fatty acid ester, and an amide of a fatty acid. The shingle coating asphalt coating composition is used to make a shingle. The shingle includes a substrate, the asphalt, and roofing granules.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing and/or processing a blockchain to maintain data security for confidential and/or personal data are provided. According to certain aspects, the disclosed data security techniques may enable access sharing functionality utilizing the blockchain. For example, access sharing may be utilized to file documents, share policy information, and/or comply with an audit. The data security techniques disclosed herein also enable the use of smart contracts to transfer funds associated with payment obligations and/or other forms of blockchain based payments, comply with anti-money laundering requirements, report industry data, validate interest payments and/or maintain agent sales data. Data security may be achieved through the use of public key/private key encryption techniques.

Abstract: Processes are presented for creating electronic banding compensation profiles for raster output scanner (ROS) devices by printing and scanning a test pattern having a series of strips extending along a process direction and spaced from one another along a cross process (fast scan) direction, analyzing the scanned data to determine facet-specific banding errors corresponding to individual strips, and selectively adjusting banding correction profiles to counteract the banding errors.

Abstract: Raster Output Scanners and printing systems are presented along with methods for mitigating banding in printing systems, in which electronic banding compensation is employed using cross-process direction light source intensity banding correction profiles tailored to corresponding reflective facets of a rotating polygon.

Abstract: Processes are presented for creating electronic banding compensation profiles for raster output scanner (ROS) devices by printing and scanning a test pattern having a series of strips extending along a process direction and spaced from one another along a cross process (fast scan) direction, analyzing the scanned data to determine facet-specific banding errors corresponding to individual strips, and selectively adjusting banding correction profiles to counteract the banding errors.

Abstract: Raster Output Scanners and printing systems are presented along with methods for mitigating banding in printing systems, in which electronic banding compensation is employed using cross-process direction light source intensity banding correction profiles tailored to corresponding reflective facets of a rotating polygon.

Abstract: A method and apparatus saves on toner cost and improves productivity for running registration and color process controls in a printer by making dual use of patches for both functions. That is, the small patches normally used only for registration measurement are also used for xerographic process control measurements, thereby eliminating the need for large patches and obtaining registration information and color control information at the same time. The dual use of small patches to measures both registration and color process control is made possible by periodically establishing correlation between the density of large density patches and the smaller registration patches.

Abstract: A method and apparatus saves on toner cost and improves productivity for running registration and color process controls in a printer by making dual use of patches for both functions. That is, the small patches normally used only for registration measurement are also used for xerographic process control measurements, thereby eliminating the need for large patches and obtaining registration information and color control information at the same time. The dual use of small patches to measures both registration and color process control is made possible by periodically establishing correlation between the density of large density patches and the smaller registration patches.

Abstract: An apparatus (100) for measuring toner concentration in a developer contained in a developer housing (10) includes a developer sample container (102) that receives a portion of developer extracted from the developer housing (10). A spectrophotometer (112) measures spectrophotometric data for the portion of the developer in the developer sample container (102). A processor (116) estimates the toner concentration based on the measured spectrophotometric data and a pre-determined relationship (118) between the spectrophotometric data and the toner concentration. A method (200) for estimating the toner concentration in a developer comprising a toner and a carrier includes measuring (220) a color characteristic of the developer, comparing (222) the measured color characteristic with a pre-determined relationship between the color characteristic and the toner concentration, and estimating (226) the toner concentration based on the comparing.

Abstract: An apparatus (100) for measuring toner concentration in a developer contained in a developer housing (10) includes a developer sample container(102) that receives a portion of developer extracted from the developer housing (10). A spectrophotometer (112) measures spectrophotometric data for the portion of the developer in the developer sample container (102). A processor (116) estimates the toner concentration based on the measured spectrophotometric data and a pre-determined relationship (118) between the spectrophotometric data and the toner concentration. A method (200) for estimating the toner concentration in a developer comprising a toner and a carrier includes measuring (220) a color characteristic of the developer, comparing (222) the measured color characteristic with a predetermined relationship between the color characteristic and the toner concentration, and estimating (226) the toner concentration based on the comparing.

Abstract: Removable headwear is provided for therapeutically applying a permanent magnetic field to hair follicles located in the scalp to retard hair loss and promote hair re-growth. A flexible sheet of magnetic material having a plurality of alternating north-south poles is placed with a head covering that is in turn placed upon the head of a subject. Such head covering, while suitable for nighttime wear, may not be deemed socially acceptable for wear during the day. To enable the subject to maximize the exposure of the scalp to the magnetic fields, the head covering is configured to permit an item of conventional headwear to be placed over and cover the inner head covering.

Abstract: A process control method for color quality control maintains a preselected developed mass per unit area (DMA) of black solid area by adjusting the development field during run-time operation. In order to estimate the DMA of a solid black control patch, which is outside the sensing range of an infra-red densitometer (IRD), an estimation technique is employed which accounts for system changes due to adjustment of the development field. The estimation technique includes generating two or more test patches, using a patch generator, which have DMA readings within the sensing range of the IRD. The DMA readings and corresponding development voltages of the test patches are sensed and used to calculate a developability curve. The developability curve is projected into a region beyond the sensing range of the IRD. From the developability curve, the DMA of the solid black control patch is estimated and employed in a closed feedback loop to return the system to the preselected DMA by adjusting the development field.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to an imaging system, and more specifically, a method and apparatus for accurately predicting toner usage and hence toner dispensing requirements in an imaging system. The toner concentration control system maintains toner concentration in a developer structure, which is connected to a dispenser containing toner.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to an imaging system, and more specifically, a method and apparatus for accurately predicting toner usage and hence toner dispensing requirements in an imaging system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a toner concentration control system for maintaining toner concentration in a developer structure, which is connected to a dispenser containing toner. The toner concentration control system comprises: a sensor, reading the toner concentration; means for determining a toner age correction of toner concentration read by the sensor based on toner age of the toner in the developer structure; means for adjusting a toner concentration target based on the correction; and means for generating a feedback dispense command based on the adjusted toner concentration target to dispense toner into the developer structure to maintain the toner concentration in the developer structure.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to an imaging system, and more specifically, a method and apparatus for accurately predicting toner usage and hence toner dispensing requirements in an imaging system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a toner concentration control system for maintaining toner concentration in a developer structure, which is connected to a dispenser containing toner.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to an imaging system, and more specifically, a method and apparatus for accurately predicting toner usage and hence toner dispensing requirements in an imaging system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a toner concentration control system for maintaining toner concentration in a developer structure, which is connected to a dispenser containing toner.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to an imaging system, and more specifically, a method and apparatus for accurately predicting toner usage and hence toner dispensing requirements in an imaging system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a toner concentration control system for maintaining toner concentration in a developer structure, which is connected to a dispenser containing toner.