Image Processing Apparatus Memory Management for Large Format Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large-format printers face memory shortages during processing of large images or graphic data, leading to interruptions in printing due to limitations in hardware resources, despite existing methods like data reduction through flattening, which may not always prevent memory shortages.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus generates intermediate data based on print data and stores relevant information in an external storage device, allowing for continued processing by shifting data from internal memory to external storage when memory thresholds are exceeded, thereby preventing memory shortages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If data reduction through flattening is performed to reduce memory usage, then memory consumption is reduced, but processing time increases due to repeated flattening cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing flattening processing in advance for all pages before memory allocation occurs. The intermediate data is generated and stored externally beforehand, so when actual printing proceeds, no repeated flattening is needed during memory-constrained processing, thus avoiding time loss from multiple flattening cycles
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves data from internal memory (one dimension) to external storage (another dimension). By storing intermediate data externally rather than keeping it all in internal memory, the system bypasses memory capacity limitations while maintaining processing efficiency
2Reliability
If large images or graphic data are processed in memory, then printing quality is maintained, but memory shortage occurs preventing continuation of processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions data storage from internal memory to external storage device, effectively expanding the available storage capacity beyond physical memory limits. This allows large images and graphic data to be processed without causing memory shortages that would interrupt printing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts intermediate data from internal memory and stores it externally. By taking out the bulk data storage function from the memory subsystem, the system can handle large print jobs without exceeding memory capacity, ensuring printing continuity
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus comprises a generation unit configured to generate, based on print data, pieces of information to be used for generating intermediate data based on the print data, and store the pieces of information in an external storage device connected to the image processing apparatus, and a rendering unit configured to generate the intermediate data using the pieces of information, and generate a raster image by performing rendering based on the generated intermediate data.