Abstract: There is provided a transmission device configured to serialize data of a change amount that is based on a signal acquired from a sensor, and transmit the data by simplex communication.

Abstract: [Object] To enable to detect a force acting on a surgical instrument with a simpler configuration. [Solution] Provided is an information processing device including an acting force calculation unit that calculates, on a basis of a first detected value by a first force sensor provided on one side of a rod-shaped member, at least one of acting forces on a first point of action and a second point of action that differ from each other on an other side of the rod-shaped member.

Abstract: There is provided a transmission device configured to serialize data of a change amount that is based on a signal acquired from a sensor, and transmit the data by simplex communication.

Abstract: [Object] To enable to detect a force acting on a surgical instrument with a simpler configuration. [Solution] Provided is an information processing device including an acting force calculation unit that calculates, on a basis of a first detected value by a first force sensor provided on one side of a rod-shaped member, at least one of acting forces on a first point of action and a second point of action that differ from each other on an other side of the rod-shaped member.

Abstract: An improved method implemented in a print job management apparatus for processing print jobs in a multiple-printer print shop environment is described. When an operator manually assigns a print job to a printer, the job ticket settings of print job are compared with capabilities of the printer to detect any constraints (i.e. incompatibilities). Messages including textual descriptions of the detected constraints are displayed in a UI, and job ticket settings that caused each constraint are displayed adjacent the corresponding message. The job ticket settings display allows the operator to change values of the job ticket settings and then re-evaluate the job assignment to detect any further constraints. The display and input steps are performed using a single UI. The changed job ticket settings are kept in a temporary version of the job ticket, and the original job ticket is updated with the changed values when the job is finally printed.

Abstract: A printing device is provided with an imager to capture an output image of the paper after it is printed on. The output image is compared to an input image representing the image being printed to detect any artifacts in the output image and to determine the type of the artifacts. The types of the artifacts include effects caused by dirty drum, low or missing toner, dirty or wrinkled paper, etc. The printing device performs a responsive action based on the type of artifacts detected, including displaying a diagnostic message, stopping the printing, rejecting the sheet, re-printing, printing subsequent pages with a corrective action, etc. Further, another imager is provided to capture an image of the paper before it is printed on, and the image is analyzed to detect artifacts of the input paper, including dirty or wrinkled paper, wrong paper size, paper skew or misalignment, etc.

Abstract: A system and method for fulfilling a customer's print job needs through a process carried out by an online platform. The process includes the steps of receiving the print job with particular requirements from the customer, and retrieving from database profiles of a multiplicity of participating print shops to determine which print shop or print shops can handle the print job by matching all of the particular requirements. If it is determined that there is one print shop suitable to handle the print job by best matching all of the particular requirements, then assign the print job to the one suitable print shop. If it is determined that more than one print shop is needed to handle the print job, then split the print job and assign the split print job to a plurality of suitable print shops that together can best match all of the particular requirements of the print job.

Abstract: A method and system for promoting and marketing more environmental friendly print shops through a process carried out by an online platform. The process includes the steps of receiving a print job request with particular specifications from a customer, retrieving from a database profiles of participating print shops to determine which print shops can handle the print job, calculating a job-level green score based on the particular specifications of the print job request for each such print shop, and recommending to the customer a list of print shops that can handle the print job with a ranking of their job-level green scores. The process may also include the steps of collecting information and data from the print shops to prepare their profiles and calculate a shop-level green score for each print shop based on a set of environmental friendly factors, and storing the profiles in a database, and recommending the print shops that can handle the print job based on a ranking of total green score.

Abstract: A method and computer program is described for managing a print shop system in which a plurality of color and black and white printers are connected to and managed by a computer. To print a source document having mixed color and black and white pages with a color-split printing process, the computer first execute a verification program to determine whether the source document indeed contains mixed color and black and black and white pages by utilizing a recursive pair-down or page-down scheme where the color values of the pages are compared and as soon as a mismatch in the color values of the processed pages occurs, the computer will return a result indicating that the source document indeed contains mixed color and black and white pages. Alternatively the computer will return a result indicating that the source document does not contain mixed color and black and white pages when a last page of the document is reached but a mismatch of the color value of the compared page never occurs.

Abstract: In a system of networked devices such as printers managed by a computer connected to them by a network, a method is described for executing device discovery and device status update at independent time intervals using a SNMP broadcast method while eliminating thread safety risk. Device discovery and status update are executed as subroutines within a main routine and each subroutine has its own decrement counter. The entire routine is repeated one cycle every time unit. In each cycle, the decrement counters are evaluated. If a counter is a positive value, the corresponding subroutine is skipped and the counter is decremented by one. If a counter is zero, the corresponding subroutine is executed and its counter is reset to the user-specified time interval afterwards.

Abstract: A printing device is provided with an imager to capture an output image of the paper after it is printed on. The output image is compared to an input image representing the image being printed to detect any artifacts in the output image and to determine the type of the artifacts. The types of the artifacts include effects caused by dirty drum, low or missing toner, dirty or wrinkled paper, etc. The printing device performs a responsive action based on the type of artifacts detected, including displaying a diagnostic message, stopping the printing, rejecting the sheet, re-printing, printing subsequent pages with a corrective action, etc. Further, another imager is provided to capture an image of the paper before it is printed on, and the image is analyzed to detect artifacts of the input paper, including dirty or wrinkled paper, wrong paper size, paper skew or misalignment, etc.

Abstract: An improved method implemented in a print job management apparatus for processing print jobs in a multiple-printer print shop environment is described. When an operator manually assigns a print job to a printer, the job ticket settings of print job are compared with capabilities of the printer to detect any constraints (i.e. incompatibilities). Messages including textual descriptions of the detected constraints are displayed in a UI, and job ticket settings that caused each constraint are displayed adjacent the corresponding message. The job ticket settings display allows the operator to change values of the job ticket settings and then re-evaluate the job assignment to detect any further constraints. The display and input steps are performed using a single UI. The changed job ticket settings are kept in a temporary version of the job ticket, and the original job ticket is updated with the changed values when the job is finally printed.

Abstract: An algorithm implemented in a print shop management system for estimating a processing time of a print job by a printer, i.e., how long the print job will take to complete printing and inline finishing, is disclosed. The algorithm takes into account the job's printing requirements and the printer' capabilities in determining the processing time. The estimated processing time is used to improve work flow management of the print shop. Practical applications include: using the estimated processing time to improve print job assignment by the management system; displaying the status of a print job that has been submitted to a printer to show a real-time estimate of when the job will complete the processing; generating an alert prior to a time by which the job must start in order to meet a deadline; and informing downstream operators when the print job will proceed to the next step in the workflow.

Abstract: In a system of networked devices such as printers managed by a computer connected to them by a network, a method is described for executing device discovery and device status update at independent time intervals using a SNMP broadcast method while eliminating thread safety risk. Device discovery and status update are executed as subroutines within a main routine and each subroutine has its own decrement counter. The entire routine is repeated one cycle every time unit. In each cycle, the decrement counters are evaluated. If a counter is a positive value, the corresponding subroutine is skipped and the counter is decremented by one. If a counter is zero, the corresponding subroutine is executed and its counter is reset to the user-specified time interval afterwards.

Abstract: A targeted TCP socket connection-based printer discovery method is disclosed. It does not use network broadcasts; rather, single packets are sent to each IP address. A multi-threaded method is implemented so that each child thread attempts a TCP socket connection with one IP address, and multiple child threads executes simultaneously. If a connection is successful, the child thread records the corresponding IP address in a local record table. After all child threads exits, the parent thread examines each IP address in the local record table to determine whether the IP address is a supported printer not already in the discovered printer list, and adds the IP address to the discovered printer list if appropriate. Alternatively, the steps of determining whether the IP address is supported printer not already in the discovered printer list may be performed by the child threads.

Abstract: A brake booster for holding the braking action even if the brake pedal is released. The booster has a low pressure chamber and a variable pressure chamber with a diaphragm therebetween for moving the output shaft to the brake cylinder. A valve mechanism mechanically controlled by the brake pedal switches a communication passage between the low and variable pressure chambers and an atmospheric pressure passage from the variable pressure chamber to the exterior. A first solenoid valve can close the communication passage between the low and variable pressure chambers irrespective of the brake pedal position so as to hold the braking. A second solenoid valve can control a passage between the variable pressure chamber and the low pressure source so that the braking release can be gently effected.