Xerox Corporation

Eastman-Kodak Company

Barrett L Gady

Palghat Srinivas Ramesh

Eric Michael Gross

Donald Saul Rimai

William H Wayman

Peter S Alexandrovich

Eric Scott Hamby

Salvatore Leone

Jean A Maksymiak

The presently described embodiments relate to improving system productivity where maintenance purge routines are required through use of a digital front end (DFE) job scheduler. This approach utilizes knowledge of future jobs to maximize productivity. So, even if a low coverage area job is being processed, and a purge routine is scheduled, the purge routine may be avoided. This is achieved by projecting the system evolution over a future time horizon and determining the schedule of toner purge events (a non productive dead cycle) to minimize a cost function that penalizes the purge event (dead cycling and material loss should be minimized) and the deviation of average toner resident time in the sump from some desired set point of range. In this regard, knowledge that a high coverage area job is downstream and average toner residient time may be advantageously used to effectively perform the purge itself while in productive mode. The system gains knowledge of whether low coverage area jobs or high coverage area jobs are pending by using information stored within the print job file (e.g., a page description language job file). For example, a page description language (PDL) file typically includes information on the area coverage trajectory over time. This will allow a system to generate a predictive model which can constantly recalculate statistics based on knowledge of currently running jobs, new jobs or a change in customer criteria.

Method and system for improved implementation of maintenance routines in a productive system

A toner concentration control system for maintaining image quality in a developer structure, the toner concentration control system including: a transfer efficiency estimator for measuring a transfer efficiency estimate associated with a developed image on an imaging surface before and after transfer; and a toner dispenser, responsive to the transfer efficiency estimator, for adjusting a toner dispense rate.

Feed forward and feedback toner concentration control utilizing post transfer sensing for TC set point adjustment for an imaging system

An apparatus for developing a latent image recorded on a movable imaging surface, including: a reservoir for storing a supply of developer material including toner particles; a donor member being arranged to receive toner particles from the reservoir and to deliver toner particles to the image surface at locations spaced apart from each other in the direction of movement of the imaging surface thereby to develop the latent image thereon; and a humidification system, associated with the reservoir, for maintaining the supply of developer material at a predefined humidity.

Developer humidifier

A method of producing images includes forming an electrostatic latent image on a primary image forming member. A toner image is developed on the primary image forming member using a developer comprising dry toner particles having a mean volume weighted diameter D between 5 .mu.m and 10 .mu.m. The toner particles contain particulate addenda in a concentration range between (3.2/D)% and (5.6/D)%. The toner image is electrostatically transferred from the primary image forming member to an intermediate transfer member having a compliant layer, and then electrostatically transferred from the intermediate transfer member to a receiver.

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Rochester, NY, United States of America

Barrett L Gady