Methods and Systems for Rendering Data

• US 20100245918A1
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Uoc H., Owen, James E., Henerlau, Paul R.
• Application Number:
  US12/413,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20100245918A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/12 Digital output to print unit , e.g. line printer, chain printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1849 using an intermediate representation, e.g. a list of graphical primitives
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1856 characterized by its workflow
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention are related to systems and methods for rendering graphical objects in a printing system. According to one aspect of the present invention a graphic list may be partitioned, and the graphic-list partitions may be rendered “out-of-order” or concurrently.

Claims

1. A method, in a printing system, for rendering a print job, said method comprising:

a) receiving a graphic list comprising a first plurality of graphic-list elements;

b) from said first plurality of graphic-list elements, determining a second plurality of graphic-list elements, wherein said second plurality of graphic-list elements comprises any graphic-list element in said first plurality of graphic-list elements that, when rendered, does not overlap and is not overlapped by any other rendered graphic-list element in said first plurality of graphic-list elements;

c) associating said second plurality of graphic-list elements with a first partition; and

d) associating any graphic-list element in said first plurality of graphic-list elements not in said second plurality of graphic-list elements with a second partition.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

a) rendering said first partition on a first renderer; and

b) rendering said second partition on a second renderer.

3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein said rendering said first partition and said rendering said second partition occur substantially concurrently.

4. The method as described in claim 2 further comprising:

a) bit-blitting said rendered first partition to a page memory; and

b) bit-blitting said rendered second partition to said page memory.

5. The method as described in claim 4, wherein said bit-blitting said rendered first partition and said bit-blitting said rendered second partition occur substantially concurrently.

6. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

a) sub-partitioning said first partition based on graphical-object type; and

b) sub-partitioning said second partition based on graphical-object type.

7. The method as described in claim 6, wherein:

a) said first partition sub-partitions are rendered in any order; and

b) said second partition sub-partitions are rendered sequentially.

8. A method, in a printing system, for rendering a print job, said method comprising:

a) receiving, associated with a print job, a graphic list comprising a first graphic-list element and at least one additional graphic-list element;

b) determining a first spatial region corresponding to an approximate rendering of said first graphic-list element;

c) determining, for each of said at least one additional graphic-list elements, an associated spatial region corresponding to an approximate rendering of said at least one additional graphic-list element;

d) associating said first graphic-list element with a first partition when said first spatial region does not overlap with any of said spatial regions associated with said at least one additional graphic-list elements; and

e) when said first spatial region overlaps with at least one of said spatial regions associated with said at least one additional graphic-list elements, associating said first graphic-list element and said at least one overlapped at least one additional graphic-list elements with a second partition.

9. The method as described in claim 8 further comprising:

a) rendering said first partition on a first renderer; and

b) rendering said second partition on a second renderer.

10. The method as described in claim 9, wherein said rendering said first partition and said rendering said second partition occur substantially concurrently.

11. The method as described in claim 9 further comprising:

a) bit-blitting said rendered first partition to a page memory; and

b) bit-blitting said rendered second partition to said page memory.

12. The method as described in claim 11, wherein said bit-blitting said rendered first partition and said bit-blitting said rendered second partition occur substantially concurrently.

13. The method as described in claim 8 further comprising:

a) sub-partitioning said first partition based on graphical-object type; and

b) sub-partitioning said second partition based on graphical-object type.

14. The method as described in claim 13, wherein:

a) said first partition sub-partitions are rendered in any order; and

b) said second partition sub-partitions are rendered sequentially.

15. A printing system comprising:

a) a graphic-list receiver for receiving a graphic list comprising a first plurality of graphic-list elements;

b) an overlap determiner for determining the overlap status of a first graphic-list element in said first plurality of graphic-list elements; and

c) a partition associator for associating;

i) said first graphic-list element with a first partition when said overlap status indicates overlap between said first graphic-list element and at least one other graphic-list element in said first plurality of graphic-list elements; and

ii) said first graphic-list element with a second partition when said overlap status does not indicate overlap between said first graphic-list element and at least one other graphic-list element in said first plurality of graphic-list elements.

16. The printing system as described in claim 15 further comprising:

a) a first renderer for rendering said first partition; and

b) a second renderer for rendering said second partition.

17. The printing system as described in claim 16, wherein said first renderer and said second renderer operate substantially concurrently.

18. The printing system as described in claim 16 further comprising:

a) a page memory;

b) a first bit-blitter for bit-blitting said rendered first partition to said page memory; and

c) a second bit-blitter for bit-blitting said rendered second partition to said page memory.

19. The printing system as described in claim 18, wherein said first bit-blitter and said second bit-blitter operate substantially concurrently.

20. The printing system as described in claim 15 further comprising a sub-partition generator for sub-partitioning said first partition based on graphical-object type and sub-partitioning said second partition based on graphical-object type.