Raster image processor and processing method for universal data output

• US 20020097418A1
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Christina Ying Liu, William Ho Chang
• Original Assignee: Christina Ying Liu, William Ho Chang
• Inventors: Chang, William Ho, Liu, Christina Ying
• Application Number:
  US10/054,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20020097418A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1228 Printing driverless or using generic drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1238 Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1245 by conversion to intermediate or common format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1253 Configuration of print job parameters, e.g. using UI at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1258 by updating job settings at the printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/128 Direct printing, e.g. sending document file, using memory stick, printing from a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1286 via local network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 : in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 : Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 : Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 : Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 : Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 : using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/181 : Receiving print data characterized by its formatting, e.g. particular page description languages
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1836 : Rasterization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 : specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 : Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 : Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 : Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 : with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00283 : with a television apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 : with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00403 : Voice input means, e.g. voice commands
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 : the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00488 : providing an audible output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00854 : Recognising an unauthorised user or user-associated action
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00938 : Software related arrangements, e.g. loading applications program loading in general G06F9/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32534 : details of interfacing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32582 : Output interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 : involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/442 : using a biometric data reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 : Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 : Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0053 : Optical, e.g. using an infrared link
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 : By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 : Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 : Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 : Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 : using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A raster image processing method for processing input content into an output data acceptable for rendering by an output engine included in an output device includes the step of employing an information apparatus to rasterize at least part of the input content into one or more output images with at least one rasterization parameter associated with the output device. An intermediate output data including the output images is generated and is transmitted to the output device for rendering. An output controller that is distinct from the information apparatus and associated with the output device performs at least one image processing operation on the output images included in the intermediate output data. The output controller conforms the intermediate output data into the output data acceptable for rendering by the output engine.

Claims

1. A raster image processing method for processing content into an output data acceptable for rendering by an output engine included in an output device, the output data corresponding to data content accessible at least partly from an information apparatus, the method comprising:

rasterizing at the information apparatus at least part of the content into one or more output images with at least one rasterization parameter associated with the output device;

generating at the information apparatus an intermediate output data for rendering of the data content at the output device, the intermediate output data including said one or more output images;

transmitting the intermediate output data from the information apparatus for rendering at the output device;

performing at least one image processing operation, at an output controller that is distinct from the information apparatus and associated with the output device, on said one or more output images included in the intermediate output data; and

conforming at the output controller the intermediate output data into the output data acceptable for rendering by the output engine.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising rasterizing at least part of the content into said one or more output images with rasterization parameters that include one or more of resolution, color space, output size, and bit depth.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising encoding said one or more images with mixed raster content encoding.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising transmitting the intermediate output data by wireless communication.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising performing at least one image processing operation, on the one or more output images that includes one or more of a color correction operation, a color matching operation, a color management operation, a scaling operation, an interpolation operation, a color space conversion, and a halftoning operation.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising conforming the intermediate output data by performing one or more of compression, decompression, segmentation, de-segmentation, storing, and retrieving.

7. A raster image processing method for processing content into a print data acceptable for rendering by a printer engine included in a printing device, the printing device including a printer controller, the print data corresponding to content accessible at least partly from an information apparatus, the method comprising:

rasterizing at the information apparatus at least part of the content into one or more output images with at least one rasterization parameter;

generating at the information apparatus an intermediate output data that includes the one or more output images;

transmitting at the information apparatus the intermediate output data from the information apparatus to a processor distinct from the information apparatus and associated with the printing device;

converting at the processor the intermediate output data into a print data acceptable to the printer controller, and raster image processing at the printer controller the print data for rendering by the printer engine.

8. The method of claim 7 comprising rasterizing at least part of the content with rasterization parameters including one or more of resolution, color space, output size, bit depth, and rendering intent.

9. The method of claim 7 comprising encoding the one or more images with mixed raster content encoding.

10. The method of claim 7 comprising transmitting the intermediate output data by wireless communication.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising interpreting the intermediate output data and retrieving the one or more output images.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising one or more operations on the one or more output images that include one or more of compression, decompression, segmentation, de-segmentation, storing, retrieving, color correction, color management, scaling, interpolation, color space conversion, and decryption.

13. The method of claim 7 in which the converting of the intermediate output data includes embedding the one or more output image information into the print data.

15. The method of claim 14 comprising creating raster data by rasterizing content that includes at least part of a text or graphics information.

16. The method of claim 14 comprising creating one or more images with each raster-form layer including one or more image attributes that differentiate it from other layers, the one or more attributes including one or more of resolution, color space, output size, bit depth, and compression method, digital watermark, and rendering intent.

17. The method of claim 14 comprising creating one or more images with at least two raster-form layers for storing segmented information that includes an association with one or more of a background and a foreground, and a luminance and a chrominance.

18. The method of claim 14 comprising creating one or more images with at least two raster-form layers for storing segmented information that includes an association with one or more of a text, a graphics, an image, a video, and an audio.

19. The method of claim 14 comprising creating one or more images with at least two raster-form layers, and at least one a selector layer.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising one or more operations on one or more of the raster-form layers that include one or more of compression, decompression, segmentation, de-segmentation, storing, retrieving, color correction, color management, scaling, interpolation, color space conversion, encryption, digital watermarking, and halftoning.

21. The method of claim 14 comprising transmitting the output data by short-range wireless communication.

14. A method of processing content, comprising:

creating raster data by rasterizing at least part of the content;

creating one or more images with at least two raster-form layers for storing segmented information associated with at least part of the content;

storing at least part of the raster data into the at least two raster-form layers according to the segmented information; and

transmitting an output data that includes said one or more images by local short range communication to an output device or system for rendering.

22. A raster image processor for processing content, comprising:

means for creating raster data by rasterizing at least part of the content,

mean for creating one or more images with at least two raster-form layers for storing segmented information associated with at least part of the content,

means for storing at least part of the raster data into the at least two raster-form layer according to the segmented information, and

means for passing said one or more images for delivery to an output device or system.

23. The processor of claim 22 in which the content includes text or graphics information.

24. The processor of claim 22 wherein the means for creating one or more images creates raster-form layers that each include one or more image attributes that differentiate it from other layers, the one or more attributes including one or more of resolution, color space, output size, resolution, bit depth, compression method, digital watermark, and rendering intent.

25. The processor of claim 23 further comprising means for performing one or more operations on one or more of the raster-form layers, said one or more operations including one or more of compression, decompression, segmentation, de-segmentation, storing, retrieving, color correction, color management, scaling, interpolation, color space conversion, encryption, digital watermarking, and halftoning.

26. The processor of claim 22 further comprising means for delivering the one or more images to an output device or system with short-range wireless communication.

27. The method of claim 22 in which the output device or system includes printing device.

29. The method of claim 28 comprising rasterizing content that includes at least part of a text or graphics information.

30. The method of claim 28 comprising rasterizing content into raster-form layers that each include one or more attributes that differentiate it from other layers, the one or more attributes including one or more of resolution, color space, output size, bit depth, and rendering intent.

31. The method of claim 28 comprising rasterizing content into raster-form data layers each associated with segmentation information that includes an association with one or more of a background and a foreground, and a luminance and a chrominance.

32. The method of claim 28 in which the segmented information includes an association with one or more of text, graphics, image, video, and audio.

33. The method of claim 28 comprising performing image processing operations that include one or more of a compression, decompression, segmentation, de-segmentation, storing, retrieving, color correction, color management, scaling, an interpolation, color space conversion, encryption, digital watermarking, and halftoning.

34. The method of claim 28 further comprising transmitting the output image to the processor with short-range wireless communication.

28. A raster image processing method for processing content into output data acceptable for rendering by an output engine included in an output device, the output data corresponding to content accessible at least partly from an information apparatus, the method comprising:

rasterizing at the information apparatus at least part of the content into an output image with at least two raster-form data layers and a selector mask layer, each raster-form data layer being associated with a segmentation type associated to an attribute related to information contained in the data content;

performing at least one image processing operation, at a processor distinct from the information apparatus and associated with the output device, on each data layer of the output image; and

conforming at the processor the output image into a form acceptable for rendering by the output engine.