Dynamic Image Pipeline for Print Quality and Cost Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current printing systems use a single image pipeline for all image types, which fails to dynamically adapt to different image requirements, leading to image degradation and increased costs due to the need for multiple independent pipelines.
Innovation Solution
An image pipeline execution method that analyzes image attributes to determine the image type and dynamically establishes a specialized pipeline for each type, using a combination of hardware and software to select and arrange pipeline stages for optimal processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single image pipeline is used for all image types, then device complexity is reduced, but image quality deteriorates due to inability to adapt to different image requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic image pipeline that can be configured at runtime based on image type analysis. The system analyzes image attributes (such as whether the image is CAD, photo, or graphic) and dynamically establishes appropriate pipeline stages including color space conversion, halftoning, and line enhancement. This dynamic configuration allows the same physical hardware to adapt its processing characteristics to match different image requirements, resolving the contradiction between simplified structure and high quality output.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple independent image pipelines are used for different image types, then image quality is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal image pipeline framework that can perform multiple specialized functions through configurable stages. Instead of implementing separate dedicated pipelines for CAD, photo, and graphic images, the system uses a single multi-functional pipeline that analyzes the input image type and activates appropriate processing stages. This universal approach provides specialized quality treatment for each image type while avoiding the complexity and cost of multiple independent pipelines.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple specialized image processing functions into a single integrated pipeline structure. By combining color space conversion, halftoning, line enhancement, and other processing capabilities into one configurable pipeline, the system achieves the functionality of multiple separate pipelines while reducing overall device complexity and cost.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single image pipeline is used for all image types, then device cost is reduced, but image degradation increases due to lack of specialized processing
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic configuration capability allows the system to provide specialized processing for different image types using a single cost-effective pipeline implementation. By analyzing image attributes and dynamically adjusting pipeline stages, the system achieves specialized quality treatment without requiring expensive multiple dedicated pipelines, thus resolving the cost-quality contradiction.
Data Source
AI summary
An image pipeline execution method includes analyzing at least one attribute of an image and determining an image type of the image from a set of predetermined image types based on the analyzing the at least one attribute of the image. The image pipeline execution method also includes dynamically establishing an image pipeline to process the image based on the image type and executing the image pipeline to print the image.