Image Forming Apparatus Band Memory Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses face challenges in reducing the required capacity of the output memory while composing image data for pages, especially when they cannot temporarily stop printing between principal and rear surface printing, leading to increased memory demands and hardware complexity.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus divides image data for composition into bands, secures unique regions for non-coinciding bands and common regions for coinciding bands in the output memory, allowing sequential reading and composition of image data in page units, reducing the memory capacity needed for continuous printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the capacity of the sub memory is increased to store image data for multiple pages, then continuous printing productivity is improved, but the hardware cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The image data for composition is divided into multiple bands (first band, second band, third band, etc.) corresponding to different regions of the page. This segmentation allows the system to process and store only the necessary portions of image data in the sub memory, rather than requiring complete page data for multiple pages, thereby reducing memory capacity requirements while maintaining continuous printing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The image data for composition is prepared and divided into bands in advance before printing. The necessary band data is pre-loaded into the sub memory, allowing the printing process to proceed without interruption. This preliminary preparation ensures that the sub memory only needs to hold the specific band data required for upcoming print operations, reducing overall memory requirements
2Reliability
If the sub memory stores complete image data for multiple pages, then printing continuity is improved, but the hardware cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of storing complete image data for multiple pages, the system segments the image data into specific bands and stores only the necessary bands in the sub memory. This selective storage approach maintains printing continuity by ensuring required band data is available while significantly reducing the memory capacity needed compared to storing complete multi-page image data
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different storage strategies to different regions of image data. Only the specific bands that will be needed for continuous printing are stored in the sub memory, while other portions are handled differently. This localized approach to data storage optimizes memory usage by allocating resources only where necessary for maintaining printing continuity
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes: a hardware processor that: generates image data for composition; and divides the image data for composition into bands; an output memory; a storage that determines whether image data of each band coincides with image data of another band, secures a unique region, transfers the image data of the band to the unique region and associates the band with the unique region, secures common regions, transfers the image data of one of the bands to the common region and associates any one of the common regions to each of the bands; a reader that reads the image data from the region associated with each band and outputs the image data for composition; a composer that composes the image data for composition with the image data to be printed; and an image former that forms an image based on the composed image data.