Abstract: A display system provides temporal stochastic dithering to image data for storage in a frame buffer for display. Stochastic dithering is used to reduce the size of the frame buffer and the complexity of the drive circuitry that is used to display an image in accordance with the image data. The bit depth of the frame buffer is reduced by spatially dithering image data for the image data before the image data is written into the frame buffer. Additionally, the displayed image is temporally dithered by using a different dither pattern for successive frames. Uncorrelated stochastic dither patterns are used to minimize detection of the dither patterns within the displayed image.

Abstract: A digital imaging system is provided that includes a digital camera and a color printer. The digital camera comprises: a housing; an image sensor adapted to capture analog image data; an analog-to-digital converter adapted to convert the analog image data; an image processor adapted to perform first processing and compression of the digital image data to create a first-processed digital image file; a digital memory in the camera housing having a plurality of the first-processed digital image files stored in the digital memory; and a color printer interface to which a digital image file, which is selected from the digital memory, is applied. The color printer comprises: a color-marking apparatus, and a digital camera interface, wherein the image processor in the digital camera is adapted to perform second processing on the selected digital image file before the selected digital image file is applied.

Abstract: A system wherein already-existing computing and memory resources in an electronic camera are used to process an image for printing. Rather than duplicating, in printers, computing and memory resources that are already in digital cameras, significant computing and memory resources need exist only in the camera. A digital camera can support many different printers, each with its own set of parameters such as for example print size, pixel size, colorimetry, sensitometry, and artifacts compensation. Printer parameters are uploaded from the printer to the camera to provide a basis for image processing specific to the associated printer; whereby compensation may be done for variations in the printer characteristics which may occur as a result of printer manufacturing variations, and further so that compensation may be done for different media types which may be installed in the printer.

Abstract: A display system provides stochastic dithering to image data for storage in a frame buffer for display. Dithering is used to reduce the size of the frame buffer and to reduce the complexity of the drive circuitry that is used to display an image. The bit depth of the frame buffer is reduced by spatially dithering image data before it is written into the frame buffer. Stochastic dither patterns (which are uncorrelated) are used to minimize adverse effects of the dither patterns within the displayed image.

Abstract: A system wherein already-existing computing and memory resources in an electronic camera are used to process an image for printing. Rather than duplicating, in printers, computing and memory resources that are already in digital cameras, significant computing and memory resources need exist only in the camera. A digital camera can support many different printers, each with its own set of parameters such as for example print size, pixel size, colorimetry, sensitometry, and artifacts compensation. Printer parameters are uploaded from the printer to the camera to provide a basis for image processing specific to the associated printer; whereby compensation may be done for variations in the printer characteristics which may occur as a result of printer manufacturing variations, and further so that compensation may be done for different media types which may be installed in the printer.

Abstract: A bicycle trailer hitch or accessory mount uses a trailer tongue or accessory receiving flange on a body with a pin that is rotatably and removably carried in a integrally mounted bicycle frame socket, the body and socket each having a corresponding bearing surface.

Abstract: It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a structure and method of processing signals, which includes transforming a signal into subbands by applying a forward discrete wavelet transform (FDWT) to the signal, partitioning the subbands into overlapping subband subsets, inverse transforming the overlapping subband subsets into signal subsets by applying at least one inverse discrete wavelet transform (IDWT) to the overlapping subband subsets, and combining the signal subsets to reproduce the signal. The IDWT is applied to all of the subband subsets in parallel.

Abstract: A data-reading image capture apparatus, camera, and method of use. The capture apparatus has a digital image detector sensitive to a band of visible radiation and a band of invisible electromagnetic radiation. An optical system, in the capture apparatus, focuses the bands of electromagnetic radiation on the image detector. An image separator is disposed in the capture apparatus, in operative relation to the digital image detector and optical system. The image separator is switchable between an image capture state and a data reading state. The image separator is attenuative for the band of invisible radiation and transmissive for the band of visible radiation in the image capture state. The image separator is attenuative for the band of visible radiation and transmissive for the band of invisible radiation in the data reading state.

Abstract: A bicycle trailer hitch or accessory mount uses a trailer tongue or accessory receiving flange on a body with a pin that is rotatably and removably carried in a integrally mounted bicycle frame socket, the body and socket each having a corresponding bearing surface.

Abstract: A system wherein already-existing computing and memory resources in an electronic camera are used to process an image for printing. Rather than duplicating, in printers, computing and memory resources that are already in digital cameras, significant computing and memory resources need exist only in the camera. A digital camera can support many different printers, each with its own set of parameters such as for example print size, pixel size, colorimetry, sensitometry, and artifacts compensation. Printer parameters are uploaded from the printer to the camera to provide a basis for image processing specific to the associated printer; whereby compensation may be done for variations in the printer characteristics which may occur as a result of printer manufacturing variations, and further so that compensation may be done for different media types which may be installed in the printer.

Abstract: Dye cartridge system adapted to reduce an exterior envelope of a printer and method of providing same. The printer comprises a housing having a front sidewall that has an aperture therethrough. A platen and a print head are disposed in the housing. The print head is movable from a first position spaced-apart from the platen to a second position adjacent to the platen, such that the platen and the print head define a clearance therebetween when the print head is in the first position. A dye donor cartridge carrying a dye donor ribbon is insertable through the aperture and into the housing to a position adjacent to the print head. A rod-shaped catch-member is attached to the end portion of the dye ribbon. Moreover, a dye ribbon take-up spool, which is permanently disposed in the housing has a recess therein for receiving the catch-member. When the catch-member is received in the recess and the take-up spool is rotated, the dye ribbon winds about the take-up spool.

Abstract: Printer defining a reduced exterior envelope thereof and method of providing same. The printer comprises a housing having a front sidewall that has an aperture therethrough. A platen, a print head and a take-up spool are disposed in the housing. In one embodiment of the invention, the print head is movable from a first position spaced-apart from the platen to a second position adjacent to the platen, such that the platen and the print head define a clearance therebetween when the print head is in the first position. A dye donor cartridge, which has an elongate neck portion, is insertable through the aperture and into the housing to a position adjacent to the print head. The neck portion is sized to be received through the clearance for interference-free insertion of the cartridge. Moreover, the cartridge includes a dye donor supply spool.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for employing non-uniform quantization to avoid marking dots within a region where there is inadequate control of marking density or color. The techniques are typically applied to dye transfer media used in thermal printers where the dye transfer media has a potential variance among lots. Dithering modifications are described for use with non-uniform quantization to provide control of color marking in areas where the energy input into a dye transfer medium results in an output that can vary between different lots of the transfer medium. Error diffusion may also be used with such non-uniform quantization.

Abstract: Thermal printer adapted to detect end of dye donor web by use of light beams. The printer includes a dye donor web supply spindle having a light-reflecting surface thereon. A dye donor web is wound about the spindle, the dye donor web having a predetermined number of substantially transparent color patches therein. A light source disposed near the dye donor web emits an incident light beam containing a predetermined first color penetrating the dye donor web. A portion of the incident light beam that is unabsorbed by the color patches passes through the patches of the dye donor web and is intercepted by the light reflecting surface which reflects the incident light beam. The reflected light defines a reflected light beam that passes through the dye donor web on its way to a detector disposed near the dye donor web. The detector detects the reflected light beam.

Abstract: The present invention is a sample rate converter in which a weighted filtering operation is performed. This operation stores a pixel stream in a random access memory (RAM) 30. During conversion pointers stored in counter 38 and register 40 are used to select the pixels from the RAM which are then multiplied by filter weights and accumulated. A counter 44 and mapping unit 46 select the weight being multiplied. The multiplication is performed by a lookup table read only memory (ROM) 32 that stores the results of the pixel-weight multiplication for all combinations of pixels and weights for each sample rate. An accumulator 33 stores the results of the multiplication until all multiplications have occurred at which point the filtered pixel is output. The output of the lookup table 32 is controlled by the pixel value, the coefficient selected and the table or map selected. The lookup table stores symmetric weights for as many conversion rates as desired.

Abstract: In a non-impact printer apparatus such as an LED printhead a current mirror driver is used to control current to the recording elements, e.g., LED's. The current mirror driver is incorporated in an integrated circuit driver chip and a plurality of these chips are provided on the printhead. Each chip includes two sets of digitally addressable transistors. This allows for individual chip control of current to the respective LED's to correct for nonuniformity of light output from chip to chip due to temperature gradients as well as controlling for light output due to aging of the printhead. A continuously conducting transistor is associated with each set of addressable transistors to provide a minimum offset bias current level and selective activation of the addressable transistors provides for selective increase of a bias current over the minimum level. The bias current is mirrored in those LED's selected for activation.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus with inexpensive data line resequencing circuitry for formatting image signals to a print head. The circuitry includes a resequencing line store device connectable to a data link and a control link for resequencing at least one first line of sequentially ordered data bits carried by the data link according to control signals carried by the control link. The resequencing line store device includes a plurality of interconnected memory cells operable for storage and selectable transfer of the data bits in response to the control signals, whereby the plurality of cells are arranged in a plurality of cell groups and a plurality of cell subgroups corresponding respectively to groups and subgroups of the bits. The bits may be shifted into the plurality of groups in sequential order and shifted from the plurality of cell subgroups in a non-sequential order corresponding to the first and second partitions.

Abstract: A non-impact printer apparatus is described that includes a recording head having a plurality of recording elements such as LED's for recording on a recording medium. A plurality of driver chips are provided on the head and each includes a plurality of current driving channels for selectively driving a plurality of recording elements in accordance with respective image data signals. The driver chips each further include an extra current driving channel not associated with a recording element for generating a current related to that sent to said recording elements. Monitoring of the current in the extra channel is provided to permit for changes of current to the recording elements and/or corrected image data to provide fine tuned control over uniformity of the recording elements.

Abstract: The present invention is an interface adapter circuit that allows multiple types of 256K by 16 bit dynamic random random access memories to be used by system manufacturers. The interface adapter circuit selects a type of outputs signal set to produce responsive to a mode selection signal. The circuit converts an input signal set including a column address probe and low and high by write signals into either a first output signal set, including one column address strobe and high and low byte write signals, or a second output signal set including a single write signal and high and low column address signals, responsive to the selection signal. The circuit includes a logic circuit for producing the signals and flip flops for holding the signal produced. The flip flops also synchronize other memory address, etc. signals with the signals produced by the adapter circuit.

Abstract: In a multi-color electrophotographic reproduction apparatus employing a non-impact electro-optic exposure source, good color balance is obtained by changing the exposure intensity of the recording elements for each different color being imaged. A dot printer apparatus produces a series of different color-resolved electrostatic latent images on a recording member. The apparatus includes an array of discrete elements for dot recording on the recording medium. The elements are selectively enabled for predetermined periods of time during a cycle of operation to form a color-resolved electrostatic latent image on the recording member. Each charged latent image is developed with selected toner particles according to its resolved color. A control signal representative at least in part of the resolved color of each latent image is produced, and the control signal determines the intensity of the elements during each cycle of operation according to each resolved color.