Abstract: The positions of the slitter blades of a slitter-winder are calibrated using a laser to perform measurement and calibration of the fiber web cutting point of each slitter blade pair. Measurement and calibration is preformed on the top slitter blade of each of a multiplicity of slitter blade pairs one after another. The laser measures one slitter blade of each slitter blade pair while they are engaged. The slitter blade pairs between the laser and the slitter blade pair being measured are not engaged. Carriages which support the slitter blades have position sensors which the laser measurements calibrate and the blade pair positions are measured and the carriage positions are read simultaneously. The cutting edges of the slitter blades are sharpened to have straight sides and the laser measurement system is located so the laser beam is directed to the straight side.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for detecting wave front aberration of a projection objective lens in a photolithography machine are disclosed. The apparatus comprises: a light source system configured to generate an illuminating beam; a spatial filter configured to receive the illuminating beam and generate ideal spherical wave; a splitter plate arranged downstream to the spatial filter at a predetermined angle with respect to an optical axis of the spherical wave and having a transflective film being applied on a surface thereof; the projection objective lens configured to receive a beam from the splitter plate and generate an output beam; a spherical mirror configured to reflect the output beam from the projection objective lens to the projection objective lens, light passing through the projection objective lens being reflected by the splitter plate; and an interferometer configured to receive light reflected by the splitter plate and measure the wave front aberration of the projection objective lens.

Abstract: An optical power meter including a photodiode having a surface for receiving a beam of light, a thermo-electric cooler for maintaining the photodiode at a predetermined temperature, and a current monitor for measuring a drive current passing through the thermo-electric cooler allows dark current drift arising from a varying thermal gradient across the active region of the photodiode to be corrected, thus improving stability of the optical power meter. More specifically, by monitoring the TEC drive current, and applying a correction factor to the optical power readings, the stability of optical power readings is improved by an order of magnitude.

Abstract: A method and a device for inspecting containers and/or preforms. A scattering medium is provided in the interior of the containers or preforms and is irradiated in such manner that the scattering medium forms a bright field behind the container or preform wall area to be imaged. In this way, the wall area can easily be illuminated and imaged from different directions, so that inspection units can be created with a high degree of design freedom and with smaller dimensions.

Abstract: A sample support apparatus is provided in which a XY-table and a Z-table moving along a height direction are disposed in a Z-reference surface as a height reference, and in which a sample is disposed at a predetermined height position while supported by the Z-table, the sample support apparatus comprising, a height correction unit that controls movement of the Z-table, and a Z-sensor that is provided on the Z-reference surface to measure the height from the Z-reference surface, wherein a measuring surface is aligned along the same axis with respect to a measuring position of the sample, the height of the measuring surface from the Z-reference surface is measured by the Z-sensor, the height correction unit moves the Z-table according to the measured value of the height so that the sample is disposed at the predetermined height position.

Abstract: Micro volume inline optical sensor comprising a flowcell having a sample chamber which has a volume less than 0.4 mL and increases in diameter from two ends toward the middle, a flow passageway intersecting the chamber where the diameter is the greatest, monitoring ports with optically transmissive windows at the ends of the chamber, mounting rings on opposite sides of the flowcell disposed coaxially of an optical axis that passes through the monitoring ports and the sample chamber, and a light source and an optical detector mounted on the mounting rings in alignment with each other along the optical axis. In one embodiment, the sample chamber has a side wall with oppositely inclined frusto-conical sections, and the ends of the chamber are closed and sealed by the monitoring port windows and O-ring gaskets that surround the open ends and are compressed between the body of the flowcell and the windows.

Abstract: Embodied is a two-color, fiber-delivered picosecond source for coherent Raman scattering (CRS) imaging. A wavelength tunable picosecond pump is generated by nonlinear spectral compression of a prechirped femtosecond pulse from a mode-locked titanium:sapphire (Ti:S) laser. A 1064-nm picosecond Stokes pulse is generated by an all-fiber time-lens source (or suitable alternative source) that is synchronized to the Ti:S laser. The pump and Stokes beams are combined in an optical fiber coupler, which serves not only as the delivery fiber but also as the nonlinear medium for spectral compression of the femtosecond pulse. CRS imaging of mouse skin is performed to demonstrate the practicality of this source.

Abstract: One embodiment relates to a method for overlay sampling. The method provides a number of fields over a semiconductor wafer surface. An inner subgroup of the number of fields includes fields in a central region of the wafer surface. An outer subgroup of the number of fields includes neighboring fields near a circumferential edge of the wafer surface. The method measures a first number of overlay conditions at a corresponding first number of overlay structures within a field of the inner subgroup. The method also measures a second number of overlay conditions at a corresponding second number of overlay structures within a field of the outer subgroup. The second number is greater than the first number. Based on the measured first number of overlay conditions and the measured second number of overlay conditions, the method determines an alignment condition for two or more layers on the semiconductor wafer surface.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a measurement mark includes: a first line pattern, first lines extending in a first direction, the first lines arranged in a second direction in the first line pattern, the first line pattern capable of forming a first moire pattern by overlapping with an arrangement pattern including a pattern, and a first polymer and a second polymer being alternately arranged in the pattern; a second line pattern, second lines extending in the first direction, the second lines being arranged in the second direction in the second line pattern, the second line pattern capable of forming a second moire pattern by overlapping with the arrangement pattern; and a reference pattern with a reference position configured to assess a first shift amount from the reference position of the first moire pattern and a second shift amount from the reference position of the second moire pattern.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a semiconductor device including a circuit area in which an integrated circuit is formed, a position misalignment checking mark of which a contrasting density is detected under polarized illumination and is not detectable under non-polarized illumination, and a peripheral pattern that is disposed on a periphery of the position misalignment checking mark and has a contrasting density that is not detectable under the polarized illumination.

Abstract: A process of measuring overlay metrologies of wafers, the wafer having a plurality of patterned layers. The process begins with retrieving historical overlay metrologies from a database, and real overlay metrologies of a first group of the wafers are measured. On the other hand, virtual overlay metrologies of a second group of the wafers are calculated with the retrieved historical overly metrologies. The real overlay metrologies of the first group of the wafers and the virtual overlay metrologies of the second group of the wafers are stored to the database as the historical overlay metrologies.

Abstract: An aspect of the present embodiment, there is provided a film measurement apparatus including an optical processing unit configured to irradiate a substrate with light, the substrate including a multi-layered film thereon, an electrical processing unit configured to be inputted measurement spectrum of reflection light reflected from the substrate, to calculate a film parameter of each of layers in a stacked structure of the multi-layered film by matching plural times between the measurement spectrum and theoretical spectrum theoretically calculated on a basis of the stacked structure, to set each of links to a film parameter of each layer having a same film in the multi-layered film, to calculate a representative film parameter in each of the links, and to calculate the film parameter of each of the layers corresponding to the representative film parameter.

Abstract: A communication system includes a transmission terminal for displaying a color code having a plurality of colors of code patterns arranged two-dimensionally, and a spectroscopic measurement device including a variable wavelength interference filter for dispersing the light from the image displayed on the transmission terminal, an imaging section adapted to image the light dispersed by the variable wavelength interference filter to obtain a spectral image, a colorimetric section adapted to measure a dispersion spectrum of each of pixels in each of spectral images of a plurality of wavelengths with respect to the color code based on the light intensity value in each of the pixels, in the case in which the spectral images are obtained, and a decode section adapted to detect an arrangement of the code patterns based on the pixel positions and the dispersion spectrums of the respective pixels, and decode the color code.

Abstract: An advanced mass gauge sensor is disclosed comprising a vessel having an interior surface which reflects radiant energy at wavelengths at least partially absorbed by a fluid or fluids contained within the vessel, an illuminating device or devices for introducing radiant energy at such wavelengths into the vessel interior, and detectors for measuring the energy per unit area of illumination within the vessel created by the radiant energy which is not absorbed by the fluid or fluids.

Abstract: A pump probe measuring device (1) comprises: an ultrashort optical pulse laser generator (2) for generating a first ultrashort optical pulse train which is a pump light (3a), second and third ultrashort optical pulse trains (3b), (3c) which are probe lights; an optical shutter unit (6) to which the second and the third ultrashort pulse trains (3b), (3c) are introduced; and a detecting unit (20) including an irradiation optical system (8) for directing the pump light (3a), the first probe light (3b) and the second probe light (3c) to a sample (7), a sensor (11) for detecting a probe signal from the sample (7), and a phase-sensitive detecting means (12) connected to the sensor (11).

Abstract: A spectrometry device includes a wavelength-tunable interference filter that is provided with a stationary reflection film, a movable reflection film and an electrostatic actuator which changes a gap dimension between the stationary reflection film and the movable reflection film; a detector that receives incident light; a filter control unit that sets the gap dimension between the stationary reflection film and the movable reflection film to be a first dimension corresponding to light having a first wavelength which is smaller than that of a measurement target wavelength region; a cutoff filter that cuts off the light having a wavelength which is smaller than that of the measurement target wavelength region; and a light quantity acquisition unit that acquires the light quantity of stray light received by the detector when the gap dimension is changed to be the first dimension.

Abstract: A resonator fiber optic gyroscope (RFOG) is provided.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to apparatuses and methods for imaging inside a vessel. In certain aspects, the invention provides an apparatus that includes an imaging device configured to image an inside of a vessel, and a sensing device configured to detect a conformational shape of the apparatus.

Abstract: An optical tomographic imaging information acquisition apparatus according to an SD-OCT system including: at least two super luminescent diodes; a sensor and a spectrometer that are for acquiring information on a measurement target; a combiner section for the photoreceptor unit configured to combine emitted beams from the at least two super luminescent diodes (SLDs) and to guide the beams to the photoreceptor unit; a monitor unit configured to monitor a spectrum of the emitted beams from the at least two super luminescent diodes; a driving unit configured to drive the SLDs; and a control unit configured to feed back a monitored result by the monitor unit to the driving unit, the driving unit is further configured to drive only one of each of the at least two super luminescent diodes. With the apparatus, a spectral shape can be easily controlled to be unimodal.

Abstract: Disclosed is a Natural Light Interferometer. The interferometer measures the amplitude and phase distribution of a coherent or incoherent electromagnetic signal, including natural light. In principle, the amplitude and phase distribution of any signal of any wavelength, incoherent or coherent, may be measured using this technique. The corresponding image may be reconstructed as well. The interferometer exploits Fourier transform heterodyne techniques but extends this technology to incoherent signals. The interferometer generates the analyzing signal by exploiting nanotechnology-based signal generation stimulated by the original signal. The Natural Light Interferometer applications include surveillance and reconnaissance; metrology; space-based free-flying, tethered or rigid interferometer arrays; and ground-based sparse interferometer arrays. There is also disclosed a homodyne embodiment of the Natural Light Interferometer that exploits quadrature phase techniques.

Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for measuring straightness of components of rotating assemblies are described. A digital mapping system for measuring the straightness of a shaft of an electric submersible pump comprises a light emitting micrometer. A method for measuring the straightness of components of rotating assemblies comprises providing a controller with acceptable deviation parameters for a component to be measured, surface mapping the component using a light emitting micrometer, electronically identifying bent locations on the component that exceed the acceptable deviation parameters, and measuring circumferentially at the bent locations with the light emitting micrometer to determine the magnitude of the bend. An apparatus for measuring a component of a rotating assembly comprises a light emitting micrometer configured to map the surface of a component and a range finder coupled to the micrometer for determining the location of the micrometer during measurement.

Abstract: A position detector includes a source of radiant energy, such as infrared light. A sensor is spaced from the source. The source and the sensor can be carried spaced apart from one another by a housing. Control circuits, carried by the housing, are coupled to the source and the sensor. Pulsed radiant energy, emitted by the source is incident on the sensor only when transmitted by a solid optical medium which has a predetermined orientation relative to the housing. When the medium has the predetermined orientation, the sensor receives transmitted radiant energy from the source. When the medium moves from the predetermined orientation, the sensor ceases to receive the transmitted radiant energy from the source, and the control circuits can generate an alarm indication.

Abstract: A computing device is electronically connected to a measurement machine and a controller. The controller is connected to a sensor installed on the measurement machine. The computing device receives spectral signal data sent from the controller and generates an intensity distribution diagram according to the spectral signal data. Furthermore, the computing device sends control commands to the measurement machine, to adjust a position of the sensor on the measurement machine according to variation of a peak value of a wave in the intensity distribution diagram.

Abstract: A real-time measurement of relative position data and/or of geometrical dimensions of a moving body by lighting unit and a detector unit, wherein the moving body is movably guided relative to both of the units. Light beams are transmitted from the lighting unit towards the detector unit; the moving body protrudes between the lighting unit and the detector unit into the volume flooded by the light beams, so that the shadow border of the shadow thrown by the moving body extends over the detector unit. The detector unit includes a two-dimensional optical position detector, which is designed as a two-dimensional optical waveguide containing photo-luminescent particles. Signals from the two-dimensional optical waveguide are read out by a plurality of small-area photoelectric sensors spaced apart from one another, the strength of the signals correlating with the intensity of the light at the sensor location in waveguide mode.

Abstract: A method includes passing an interrogating light beam through a Fourier transform lens and onto the surface of a material to form a Fraunhofer diffraction pattern of one or more surface features of the material. An image of the diffraction pattern is processed to determine the dimensions of the feature.

Abstract: A three-dimensional laser scanner instrument for acquiring three-dimensional geometric data of a scene (1) comprises an illumination system (3) for generating a light beam (2) and for scanning an illumination point of said light beam (2) through said scene (1), a light detection system (6-9) comprising at least one light detector (8), said light detection system being arranged to receive light from said scene (1), and an optical system (4) for imaging light scattered in or reflected from said scene (1) onto said light detection system (6-9).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, an image receiving unit, an aggregate printing process unit, a size receiving unit, a size judgment unit, and an aggregate sheet number determination unit. In the case where the size judgment unit judges that an aggregate printing process is executable in such a manner that the smallest size (aggregate smallest size) of characters included in an aggregate print image formed on a sheet by the aggregate printing process is not smaller than the lower limit value (lower limit size) of the size of characters included in the aggregate print image received by the size receiving unit, the aggregate sheet number determination unit determines the aggregate sheet number in such a manner that the aggregate smallest size is not smaller than the lower limit size, and the aggregate printing process unit executes the aggregate printing process using the aggregate sheet number.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with a storage unit for storing setting information including at least a size of a substitute recording medium, and a processing unit for executing a print instruction by automatically changing a size of a recording medium to be used to the size of the substitute recording medium based on the setting information stored in the storage means, when the size of the recording medium specified by the print instruction is not available.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises an image forming section configured to form a toner image on a printing recording medium, a fixing section configured to heat the printing recording medium printed with the toner image at a fixing temperature, a temperature control section configured to control the fixing section to a temperature above a color erasing temperature, a conveyance section configured to convey the printing recording medium or a color erasing recording medium to the fixing section, and a speed control section configured to control, according to a setting temperature of the fixing section, a speed ratio of a traveling speed of the fixing section to a conveyance speed of the conveyance section.

Abstract: The invention provides a network computer system and novel pharmacy printers and their methods of use wherein the local CS includes a pharmacy printer for printing pharmacy orders including prescriptions, and the pharmacy printer includes a pharmacy printer database storing drug information and association of a drug identifier with information about a corresponding drug, and additional information, and obtains and uses instructions for printing the additional information in association with printing of a prescription label from characters contained in a prescription label print file for the prescription label.

Abstract: In the image processing apparatus, a display control unit displays property control units that specify correction strength independently for chroma, brightness and hue angle in selectable ranges in accordance with the user operation. Allowed correction ranges for chroma, brightness and hue angle based on a color difference formula are set to the selectable ranges. If correction strength specified by one of the property control units is changed according to the user operation, then an allowed correction range determining unit determines and changes the allowed correction ranges of residual properties using the color difference formula to which the changed correction strength of one property among chroma, brightness and hue angle has been applied, and the display control unit changes the selectable ranges of the property control units of the residual properties to the changed allowed correction ranges, and changes indication of the property control units of the residual properties.

Abstract: In the case where charging by grade in accordance with a plurality of image attributes is performed, it is not possible for a user to identify the image attribute with which printing is performed from the appearance of printed matter that is output. In accordance with a color pixel ratio in image data, an image attribute of the image data is determined and a display unit is controlled to display the determined image attribute and the color pixel ratio.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus performs image formation of a target image with the use of a first color gamut as a standard color gamut for image formation. The image forming apparatus includes a storage section, a color conversion section, and an image forming section. The storage section stores a color expansion table indicating a second color gamut wider than the first color gamut. The color conversion section converts, when a color in the target image is present outside the first color gamut, a color value of the color in the target image to a color value of a coloring material used for image formation on the basis of the color expansion table. The image forming section performs image formation of the target image on the basis of the color value of the coloring material.

Abstract: In a method or system for processing a color print image for digital printing at a predetermined printing apparatus, the print image is deconstructed into color separations according to characteristic color curves of the printing apparatus. The color separations are stored in a data unit as greyscale bitmap images and at least one of a color code and color values are associated with each color separation in the data unit. The print image encoded in the data unit is presented at a display device for monitoring or management before printout at the printing apparatus, the print image being presented at the display device by means of at least one of the color code and color values associated with the respective color separations such that the individual color separations are transparently superimposed.

Abstract: A solution for evaluating a printing configuration for an electronic document in which one or more presentation attributes of a physical reproduction (e.g., a printed copy) of the electronic document are considered. A perceived quality of the physical reproduction of the electronic document can be determined using a set of properties of the electronic document and the one or more presentation attributes. The perceived quality can be utilized in various ways as part of a printing process.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for providing downgraded fonts for VDP printing application are described. A server system may be configured to generate and/or select a set of downgraded rasterized fonts for delivery to a client system in order to provide limited client-side WYSIWIG display functionality using the downgraded fonts. A client side application may use the downgraded fonts to provide a display-only or draft print only rendering of a VDP print job.

Abstract: A method for converting a vector-based representation of a desired device pattern for an exposure apparatus, a lithography or exposure apparatus, an apparatus and method to provide data to a programmable patterning device, and a device manufacturing method. In an embodiment, the method for converting outputs a rasterized representation of the desired dose pattern of radiation corresponding to the desired device pattern, wherein the vector-based representation includes primitive data identifying one or more primitive patterns; and instance data identifying how at least a portion of the desired device pattern is formed from one or more instances of each identified primitive pattern, the method including forming a rasterized primitive of each primitive pattern identified in the primitive data, and forming the rasterized representation by storing each rasterized primitive in association with the instance data corresponding to that rasterized primitive.

Abstract: A system and method for determining top of form while printing on continuous feed media. In one embodiment, a computer-readable storage device is encoded with instructions that when executed cause a processor to: 1) cause a selected printer to produce a print on continuous feed media; 2) determine, based on a compensation factor that accounts for movement of the continuous feed media through the printer in excess of a length of the data of the print, the distance to advance the continuous feed media such that a succeeding print starts at a top of form location of the continuous feed media; and 3) cause the selected printer to advance the continuous feed media in accordance with the determined distance to advance such that the succeeding print starts at the top of form location of the continuous feed media.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an input unit to receive printing data, a controller to determine a duplex printing mode to be applied to the printing data from among a plurality of duplex printing modes and an engine waiting time according to a feature of the input printing data and performance of the image forming apparatus, an image processor to perform image-processing of the input printing data, and an image former to print the image-processed printing data based on the determined duplex printing mode and the determined engine waiting time.

Abstract: Methods and systems for using a printer driver to create and manage barcodes are provided. The printer driver can apply barcodes to printed copies of documents without modifying the documents in their original form. The printer driver can perform methods that include receiving print data descriptive of a document to be printed, selecting a barcode to be embedded, embedding the barcode in the print data to generate modified print data, generating print commands based on the modified print data, and transmitting the print commands to an output device, where the output device generates a printed copy of the document that includes the barcode. The barcode can include an n-dimensional barcode such as a QR code.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for implementing more efficient printing in image forming devices by providing a user-interactive scheme for delaying printing of individual user-requested print operations when an individual image forming device to which a specific user-requested printing operation is directed is determined to be in a power saving mode. The disclosed system and method may determine whether a requested image forming device is in a power saving mode at the time that a user requests an image forming operation and automatically present to the user a formatted user interface page on a display at the user workstation. The formatted user interface may provide the user with an option to direct the image forming device to delay (hold) executing the requested image forming operation until some additional condition is met.

Abstract: A method of designing a cell in a print production environment may include identifying one or more print jobs, grouping the one or more print jobs into one or more job groups, identifying a job group to assign to a cell, identifying a print job, determining a process, determining a job volume, and determining whether the cell includes a production device capable of performing the determined process. The method may include, in response to the cell not including a production device capable of performing the determined process, determining a production device capable of performing the determined process, determining a capacity, and in response to determining that adding the determined production device to the cell will not increase a number of production devices in the cell to a value that exceeds a threshold value, adding the determined production device to the cell, and determining a recalculated capacity.

Abstract: A print server includes a graphical user interface (GUI) having a dialog screen to enable the user to specify a page range of a current copy and a number of additional copies of a print job to be re-printed upon occurrence of an unrecoverable error during printing of the print job.

Abstract: Tools (e.g., systems, apparatuses, application software, etc.) are provided for managing print services provided to terminal apparatuses. More specifically, each of the terminal apparatuses has deployed thereon a print manager service client agent that communicates with a print manager service providing apparatus over a network, in an automated manner and transparent to a user, without requiring administrative login on either end.

Abstract: An embodiment is a method of presenting options for printing a document. A computing system receives data descriptive of a document to be printed. The computing system identifies one or more preview thumbnail profiles indicative of graphical parameters for rendering a portion of the document to be printed into preview thumbnail images. The computing system renders a portion of the document to be printed, based at least in part on the graphical parameters of the one or more preview thumbnail profiles, to generate one or more preview thumbnail images. The computing system displays the one or more preview thumbnail images on a printer driver user interface in conjunction with one or more printing options. The preview thumbnail images display predicted appearances of the portion of the document corresponding to the printing options.

Abstract: When there is no post-processing performed in a post-processing device, a print job of original PDL data of a general-purpose data structure is output from a computer to a PDL control unit of an image forming device. While, when there is post-processing performed in the post-processing device, a print job of PDL data of an extended data structure generated by adding attribute data of the post-processing is output from the computer to an extended PDL control unit of the post-processing device. Then, the extended PDL control unit extracts the original PDL data of the general-purpose data structure and the attribute data of the post-processing, from the received print job. The attribute data of the post-processing is used for the post-processing control unit to control a post-processing unit. The original PDL data of the general-purpose data structure is output to the PDL control unit of the image forming device.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a plurality of processing units configured to perform different types of processing, a power supply unit configured to supply power to any of the processing units, a job storage unit configured to store a first job, a second job, which is received after the first job, and a third job, which is received after the second job, and a control unit configured to perform control, if the second job is not executable and the third job is executable in a power state to be shifted for executing the first job, to execute the third job after the first job and to execute the second job after the third job.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that is capable of executing authentication processing improved in security of a command including authentication information, which is received over a network from an external apparatus. A CPU receives a command including authentication information via a network. The CPU determines whether or not authentication information included in the received command is a hash value or an encrypted value. The CPU causes processing in accordance with the received command to be executed depending on authentication performed based on the authentication information when it is determined that the authentication information is a hash value or an encrypted value, and causes the processing not to be executed when it is determined that the authentication information is not a hash value or an encrypted value.

Abstract: A network connecting section is configured to operate by using operational power and connected to the telephone network to perform transmission and reception of signals with the telephone network. A main power supply is configured to supply a supply target including the network connecting section with the operational power. A network-event detector is configured to detect an electrical change in the telephone network as a network event. A normal-mode setter is configured to set an operational mode to a normal mode when the network-event detector detects the network event in a state where the operational mode is in a stopped mode. The normal mode is the operational mode in which the operational power is supplied from the main power supply to the network connecting section. The stopped mode is the operational mode in which supply of the operational power to the network connecting section is stopped.

Abstract: Methods and systems resume workflow processing of a print job at intermediate steps of a print workflow. In one embodiment, a control system initiates processing of a print job based on steps in a print workflow, where the steps identify print shop activities to perform for the print job. The control system identifies an error in executing a step of the workflow, and identifies an intermediate step in the workflow that has executed in processing the print job. The control system identifies an updated file for the print job to correct the error, and resumes the processing of the print job at the intermediate step using the update file.