115 results about "Raster image processing" patented technology

A method and apparatus which dynamically determines if the raster image processing (RIP) for a print job data file is more efficiently performed by the host computer or by the printer in a printing system. The entire printing process is monitored and, based on a model for estimating the time required for various component print processes, a determination is made where the raster processing of the print data for the next print job should be performed to balance the processing load across the printing system to best utilize the maximum printing speed of the printer print engine.

The invention provides a printing method and apparatus, comprising a software application that works with proprietary printing utilities, and that may include one or more additional software components for adding additional printing technology. The invention also comprises an automatic print load-balancing component in a centralized or distributed raster image processing (RIP) printing environment that enables faster system performance over single or multiple processors.

A system and method are provided for de-spooler job joining. The method comprises: despooling a plurality of print jobs at a client device; joining the print jobs into a single joined print job; and, rendering the joined print job as a single continuous print job. The de-spooler may be part of an imaging device or the client device supplying the print jobs. In one aspect, joining the print jobs includes: concatenating; creating a single spool file with multiple raster image processes (RIPs). Alternately, joining the print jobs includes: generating a RIP for each print job, with RIP end/start instructions; removing the RIP end/start instructions; concatenating the plurality of RIPs; and, creating a single spool file with a single RIP. In another aspect, joining the print jobs includes: converting each print job into an image format file; and, merging into a single RIP.

A job joining capability is used in a Multifunction Peripheral Device (MFP) to conduct continuous Raster Image Processing (RIP) across multiple job boundaries. Print jobs which do not have inter-RIP conflicts are printed back-to-back as a continuous single RIP. This is particularly advantageous for single copy, single page, and other small print jobs.

This invention is directed to a method and apparatus for raster image processing which allows access to the page buffer during raster image processing. The method and apparatus of the present invention allow for virtually every page presented to the raster image processor to be printed with available memory. In addition, the method and apparatus for raster image processing of the present invention significantly reduces the bandwidth required between the raster image processor and the raster image processor manager. In addition, the method and apparatus for raster image processing of the present invention has equal or better performance than those methods or apparatuses that use display lists. Further, the method and apparatus of the present invention support the use of tag data and multiple page description languages.

The invention discloses a storing method of a rasterization lattice of a variable data printed page. The method comprises the following steps of: generating the rasterization lattice of the variable data printed page by a raster image processor RIP; carrying out block processing on the generated rasterization lattice according to a set block strategy, and setting a unique block identification for each block according to the set regulation of block identification; determining whether the blocks in the current page are same with the corresponding blocks with same block identification in the front page; if so, using the corresponding blocks as reference blocks and storing page identification of the page where the block identification and the reference block are located; if not, storing the block identification and block lattice data contained in the blocks and recording the storing positions. The storing method and the system can reduce the data storage capacity of the rasterization lattice of the variable data printed page, save storage space and cost and can improve the speed of storage and access.

This invention comprises a converged printer architecture for controlling both electro-photographic (EP) processing and raster image processing (RIP) of data for laser modulation over a video line. By converging EP process control with image processing control, significant advantages in cost, image quality, and output stability are achieved. A digital signal processor (DSP) serves as the central processing resource of the architecture. The DSP is well suited for the dual role of image processing and real-time feedback process control. The DSP can operate in open loop motor/motion control, print process control, and in closed loop feedback control including image processing adaptations for quality and stability enhancements.

A method for performing black trapping and under print processing on image data from a raster image processing (RIP) frame buffer is provided. The image data includes pixel data according to a predetermined color space (e.g., RGB) and may include black rendering hints. If black rendering hints are not included, the method includes steps to determine if each pixel from the frame buffer is black or black with respect to predetermined thresholds. Three further embodiments of the method are provided in regard to CMY under print values for a black pixel when all pixels of a context window surrounding the black pixel are black. One embodiment provides no CMY under print. Another embodiment provides a predefined CMY under print. Still another embodiment provides an adaptive CMY under print based on the last saved CMY under print value.

An image processing apparatus includes a first determining unit for determining which medium an image is to be formed on; a second determining unit for determining an amount of a coloring material of a recording material according to the medium determined by the first determining unit; a color processing unit for executing color processing in a raster image processing unit according to the amount of the coloring material determined by the second determining unit; a comparing unit for comparing a predetermined medium with a medium that is to be used for output to determine whether these media match, after the color processing by the color processing unit; and a controlling unit for controlling whether to adjust the amount of the coloring material again according to a result of the comparison by the comparing unit.

A defocusing projection grating measurement method based on a Sierra Lite dithering algorithm mainly aims to generate a two-value dithering grating through the Sierra Lite dithering algorithm, improve the sine performance of the grating after defocusing and then improve the quality of a phase position. The defocusing projection grating measurement method includes the implement steps of generating a sine grating by a computer, calculating dithering output starting from the pixel at the top left corner of an image of the grating, calculating a quantization error of the pixel according to a gray value of the dithering output, selecting an S-shaped scanning direction and a corresponding kernel function coefficient to diffuse the error according to the fact that whether the pixel is in an odd-numbered line or an even-numbered line or not, overlapping the error to a corresponding next pixel until the image of the whole grating is processed completely, obtaining a needed measured grating by defocusing and projecting the finally obtained dithering grating through a projector, obtaining a principal value phase position through a classic four-step phase shift method, unfolding the principal value phase position to obtain an absolute phase position, and finally obtaining three-dimensional information of a measured object according to a conversion formula between the phase position and height.

A raster image processing system and method accepts a digital page description as a series of page elements (text, graphics, images, etc.) and creates output video-ready (“flattened”) raster without allocating large amounts of raster memory (arrays of pixels) and without creating a display list of all page elements. This technique improves performance (greater speed with fewer resources consumed) in the typical output process: rendering, image processing, compression, and transmission. The method records each page element in memory in a manner that largely retains the inherent compression of the element description, and fully retains the positional relationships with its neighboring elements. Where an incoming page element overlaps an existing one, the intersections are calculated on the fly, and elements underneath are immediately split, merged, shrunken, or deleted. Each incoming page element is immediately processed and recorded as described above, and then discarded. The result is a continuously precise, simple, non-overlapping (“flat”) representation of the final output raster. In other words, in one embodiment, the representation starts empty, then stays compressed and flat throughout while accumulating representations of page elements.

The invention discloses a novel maskless photoetching system and a technological process thereof. The novel maskless photoetching system comprises a material number system, an exposure system, an RIP(Raster Image Processing) module, a data processing module, a position correcting module, a light source module, an illumination system optical module, a graph generator, a master control module, an energy correcting module, a projection lens module, an automatic focusing module, a motion platform module and an alignment module. Compared with a traditional maskless photoetching system, the material number system, the RIP module, the position correcting module, the energy correcting module, the automatic focusing module and the alignment module are added, so that the accuracy and the stabilityof the novel maskless photoetching system are increased, the efficiency and the yield of product processing are increased, the production cost of a product is reduced, high-automation large-scale production application can be realized, the novel maskless photoetching system is particularly suitable for being embedded to a production line in an industry 4.0 grade, and intelligent, unmanned, continuous and stable production operation can be realized.

Methods and apparatus are provided for automated promotion of monochrome jobs for highlight color (HLC) production printers in favor of color print jobs when it is determined that the color print jobs cannot be printed in an originally called-for marking material. First print jobs having a color content and second print jobs not having a color content are stored in a print queue. When an inability of the printing apparatus to print hard copy documents having a color content is detected, print jobs not having a color content are selected for printing from the print queue. Jobs are processed to determine color content including use of a raster image processing (RIP) at a low level resolution. A process in a print queue management system is provided for detecting an inability of the printing apparatus to print hard copy documents having a color content and for promoting print jobs without a color content for printing.

Systems and methods are presented in which a print job is segmented into multiple parts or chunks prior to facilitate raster image processing by including in each of the parts the print job preamble, one or more page portions, and only those resources required for the page portions, and the generated chunk files are provided to one or more raster image processing components for rendering or printing.

What is provided are a system and method for print/copy job environments utilizing a page description language (PDL). In one embodiment, an input PDL stream describing embedded objects in a job is received and parsed. Reusable document components (RDCs) are identified. A determination is made as to how many placements are in the PDL for each identified RDC. If no RDCs are placed more than once, caching is disabled. If it is not efficient to split the PDL stream into smaller tasks, page parallel rip (PPR) is disabled. The embedded objects are analyzed to determine a number of PPRs for the job based on system resources. A raster image processing (RIP) time is projected for each path in the job based on the determined number of placements and the determined number of PPRs. A job processing path is prescribed for the job based on the most efficient projected RIP time.

A print controller, method and program product in which print stream data is received, parsed into local and global portions, packaged for further raster image processing, and then processed in parallel by a plurality of raster image processors.

A cover-driven book production method and system are disclosed. The method of cover-driven book production includes providing a plurality of book covers. The book covers can be identified using, for example, a scanner. A book block can then be retrieved from a book repository based on the identified cover. After performing raster image processing (RIP) of the book block, copies of the book block can be printed. Finishing can be accomplished by binding the printed book blocks to the book covers using an in-line binder or off-line binder.

A spot color pattern system provides a naming convention that allows the user to name a custom spot color pattern. A Raster Image Processing (RIP) has a database of spot color patterns that are user definable and are patterns which are images of a textile, fabric, metal, etc., that are repeatedly printed across the job. The RIP interprets a spot color pattern name in print job, looks up the spot color in its database, pulls up the image associated with the spot color pattern name, adds Postscript® pattern code to the print job to paint the spot color across the background of the print job, realistically simulating the final print media, and adds other code to perform other tasks, such as mirroring or four-way mirroring to prevent stitches from appearing. A RIP user interface gives the user the ability to create, modify, or delete spot color patterns. The invention also provides a mechanism that allows an application program to access a custom spot color pattern from the RIP.

The invention discloses a printing system and a printing method, which relate to the field of printing and can solve the problem that one printing system can not be compatible with a plurality of devices to work. The printing system comprises a device framework unit, a typesetting unit, a raster image processing unit and a printing device, wherein the device framework unit is used for generating device framework files and device control information data; the typesetting unit is used for generating page description data and device control parameters and invoking the device framework unit to generate the device framework files; the raster image processing unit is used for generating page raster data according to the page description data, invoking the device framework unit to generate the device control information data and sending the page raster data and the device control information data to the printing device; and the printing device is used for carrying out raster imaging on the page raster data. The printing method comprises the following steps: generating the device control parameters and the page description data according to a printing task; generating the device framework files according to the device control parameters; generating the page raster data according to the page description data; and carrying out raster imaging. The invention is suitable for bulk print.

A method and apparatus for direct printing of multiple views of 3-D objects in a PDF file is described. When a PDF file containing 3-D object data is sent to a printer, without using an application or print driver, the controller of a printer generates and prints a plurality of views of the 3-D object based on pre-defined viewing angle settings. The printer controller opens the PDF file, converts the 3-D PDF data to PS data based on the viewing angle, performs raster image processing, prints the bitmap images corresponding to the viewing angle, and repeats the process for all viewing angles. The plurality of views may be printed on separate pages, or on one page in an N-in-1 format. More generally, the method applies to direct printing of files containing objects that are capable of providing multiple appearances, where multiple or desired appearances of the objects are automatically printed.