In-Place Line Splitting for Multiple Beam Printers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-functional peripherals with limited memory struggle to process print data efficiently for high-density, grayscale, and color printing, leading to increased memory requirements and costs, especially in dual-beam printer engines where image plane buffers are needed for multiple laser beams.
Innovation Solution
The method involves in-place line splitting for multiple beam printer engines, where each line of print data is calculated for a destination and moved accordingly, forming loops until all lines are aligned, reducing the need for additional memory buffers and optimizing data processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple beam printer engine is used to increase print speed, then productivity is improved, but memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the image plane buffer and line buffer functions into a single shared memory structure. The line buffer is positioned at a specific offset within the image plane buffer, allowing both buffers to coexist in the same memory space. This merging eliminates the need for separate memory allocations, reducing total memory requirements while supporting multiple beam printer operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared memory buffer serves multiple functions: it acts as both the image plane buffer for storing complete page images and the line buffer for storing individual scan lines. By making the memory structure universal, the system can handle both full-page imaging operations and line-by-line processing operations using the same physical memory resources, thereby reducing overall memory requirements.
2Manufacturing precision
If image plane buffer is allocated for multiple beam printing, then print quality is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the shared memory buffer into distinct functional regions through software management rather than physical separation. The line buffer occupies a specific offset range within the image plane buffer, and the system uses pointer arithmetic and boundary checking to manage these segments. This segmentation approach maintains print quality by ensuring proper data separation while avoiding the complexity of physically separate memory structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer of software control that manages the shared memory buffer. The firmware implements buffer management routines that handle the offset calculations, data copying, and synchronization between the image plane and line buffer functions. This intermediary software layer simplifies the overall system by providing a unified memory interface while handling the complexity of multiple buffer operations internally.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of rasterizing a print image plane for a multiple beam printer engine, which comprises the steps of receiving an image having a plurality of lines of print data for processing by the printer engine, and performing a print image plane rasterization. The print image plane rasterization includes (a) calculating a first line destination for a first line of print data; (b) moving the first line of print data to the first line destination; and (c) calculating a displaced line destination for a displaced line of print data, and continually moving the displaced line of print data to the displaced line destination until the displaced line of print data is moved to the first line and forms a loop. The process is repeated until each line of the plurality of lines has been moved to a line destination associated with each line of the image.