APPARATUS & METHODS FOR IMAGE PROCESSING OPTIMIZATION FOR VARIABLE DATA PRINTING

• US 20110026042A1
• Filed: 08/03/2009
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PTI Marketing Technologies, Inc. (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Printable Technologies Incorporated (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Inventors: Mitchell, Kevin A., Cogan, Douglas Neal
• Granted Patent: US 8,670,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1211 Improving printing performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1212 achieving reduced delay between job submission and print start
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1243 Variable data printing, e.g. document forms, templates, labels, coupons, advertisements, logos, watermarks, transactional printing, fixed content versioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1245 by conversion to intermediate or common format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/125 Page layout or assigning input pages onto output media, e.g. imposition
• 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 3/1287 via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1296 Printer job scheduling or printer resource handling
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for providing a pre-rasterized print job for variable data printing are disclosed. In one embodiment, a set of printer characteristics may be determined and then transferred to a typesetting system. The typesetting system may then pre-rasterize objects of the print job based in part on the received printer characteristics. A pre-rasterized print job, including the pre-rasterized objects and print layout instructions may then be generated, such as in the form of a PostScript file, which may then be transferred to a raster image processor (RIP) for generation of printed output. In another embodiment, a printer characterization file may be used for execution on a printing system to determine the set of printer characteristics, that may include native resolution, rotation angle, compression data and/or other data or information characterizing the printing system.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing performance in a printing system, comprising:

receiving a set of printer characteristics associated with a first printer;

receiving data defining one or more objects to be incorporated in a print job;

rasterizing, based at least in part on the set of printer characteristics, a first object of the one or more objects to generate a first pre-rasterized object; and

generating a pre-rasterized print job, in a programmed file format, said print job including said first pre-rasterized object and a set of print layout instructions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of printer characteristics includes data defining a native resolution of the first printer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of printer characteristics includes data defining a rotation angle of the first printer.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the first object is rotated at a print angle other than 0, 90, 180 or 270 degrees.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of printer characteristics includes data defining an optimized compression value for the first printer.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first pre-rasterized object is compressed according to the optimized compression value.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first object is a raster image object and the first pre-rasterized object is generated at a native resolution of the first printer defined in the set of printer characteristics.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the first pre-rasterized object is generated at a rotation angle of the first printer defined in the set of printer characteristics.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first object is a drop shadow object and the first pre-rasterized object is generated at a native resolution of the first printer defined in the set of printer characteristics.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first object is a vector object and the first pre-rasterized object is generated at a native resolution of the first printer defined in the set of printer characteristics.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more objects includes a vector object and further comprising:

rasterizing the vector object to generate a second pre-rasterized object; and

generating said pre-rasterized print job to include said second pre-rasterized object.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more objects includes a drop shadow object and further comprising:

rasterizing the drop shadow object to generate a second pre-rasterized object; and

generating said pre-rasterized print job to include said second pre-rasterized object.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the one or more objects includes a drop shadow object and further comprising:

rasterizing the drop shadow object to generate a second pre-rasterized object; and

generating said pre-rasterized print job to include said second pre-rasterized object.

14. A method for enhancing performance in a printing system, comprising:

receiving, at the printing system, a printer characterization file including executable instructions to determine a set of one or more printer characteristics of the printing system;

executing the instructions on a processor of the printing system so as to determine said one or more printer characteristics; and

providing, as an output, said one or more printer characteristics.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the set of one or more printer characteristics include a native resolution and a native rotation angle of a printer of the printing system.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the printer characterization file includes one or more raster images and the set of one or more printer characteristics include one or more optimized compression levels associated with the printing system for said one or more raster images.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the output is provided as data on a computer readable electronic storage medium.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the output is provided as a printed output.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

providing the output to a typesetter; and

generating a pre-rasterized print job at the typesetter, said generating a pre-rasterized print job including;

receiving the set of printer characteristics;

receiving data defining one or more objects to be incorporated in a print job;

rasterizing, based at least in part on the set of printer characteristics, a first object of the one or more objects to generate a first pre-rasterized object; and

generating the pre-rasterized print job, in a programmed file format, said print job including said first pre-rasterized object and a set of print layout instructions.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the set of printer characteristics includes data defining a native resolution of the first printer.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the set of printer characteristics includes data defining a rotation angle of the first printer.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the first object is rotated at a print angle other than 0, 90, 180 or 270 degrees.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the set of printer characteristics includes data defining an optimized compression value for the first printer.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the first pre-rasterized object is compressed according to the optimized compression value.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein the first object is an image object and the first pre-rasterized object is generated at a native resolution of the first printer defined in the set of printer characteristics.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the first pre-rasterized object is generated at a rotation angle of the first printer defined in the set of printer characteristics.

27. The method of claim 19 wherein the first object is a drop shadow object and the first pre-rasterized object is generated at a native resolution of the first printer defined in the set of printer characteristics.

28. The method of claim 19 wherein the first object is a vector object and the first pre-rasterized object is generated at a native resolution of the first printer defined in the set of printer characteristics.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the one or more objects includes a vector object and further comprising:

rasterizing the vector object to generate a second pre-rasterized object; and

generating said pre-rasterized print job to include said second pre-rasterized object.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the one or more objects includes a drop shadow object and further comprising:

rasterizing the drop shadow object to generate a second pre-rasterized object; and

generating said pre-rasterized print job to include said second pre-rasterized object.

31. A computer readable medium containing processor executable instructions for:

receiving a set of printer characteristics associated with a first printer;

receiving data defining one or more objects to be incorporated in a print job;

rasterizing, based at least in part on the set of printer characteristics, a first object of the one or more objects to generate a first pre-rasterized object; and

generating a pre-rasterized print job, in a programmed file format, said print job including said first pre-rasterized object and a set of print layout instructions.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31 wherein the set of printer characteristics includes data defining a native resolution of the first printer.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 31 wherein the set of printer characteristics includes data defining a rotation angle of the first printer.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 31 wherein the instructions include instructions to rasterized the first object at a print angle other than 0, 90, 180 or 270 degrees.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 31 wherein the set of printer characteristics includes data defining an optimized compression value for the first printer.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 35 wherein the instructions include instructions to compress the first object to the optimized compression value.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 31 wherein the first object is an image object and the instructions include instructions to generate the first pre-rasterized object at a native resolution of the first printer defined in the set of printer characteristics.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 36 wherein the instructions include instructions to generate the first pre-rasterized object at a rotation angle of the first printer defined in the set of printer characteristics.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 31 wherein the first object is a drop shadow object and the instructions include instructions to generate the first pre-rasterized object at a native resolution of the first printer defined in the set of printer characteristics.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 31 wherein the first object is a vector object and the instructions include instructions to generate the first pre-rasterized object t a native resolution of the first printer defined in the set of printer characteristics.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 37 wherein the one or more objects includes a vector object and further including instructions to:

rasterize the vector object to generate a second pre-rasterized object; and

generate said pre-rasterized print job to include said second pre-rasterized object.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 37 wherein the one or more objects includes a drop shadow object and further including instructions to:

rasterize the drop shadow object to generate a second pre-rasterized object; and

generate said pre-rasterized print job to include said second pre-rasterized object.

43. A computer readable medium containing instructions for execution on a printing system processor to:

receive a printer characterization file including a second set of executable instructions;

initiate execution of the printer characterization file so as to determine a set of one or more printer characteristics; and

provide, as an output, said set of one or more printer characteristics.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 43 wherein the set of one or more printer characteristics include a native resolution and a native rotation angle of a printer of the printing system.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 43 wherein the printer characterization file includes one or more raster images and the printer characteristics include one or more optimized compression levels associated with the printing system for said one or more raster images.

46. The computer readable medium of claim 43 wherein the instructions include instructions to provide the output as data on a computer readable electronic storage medium.

47. The computer readable medium of claim 43 wherein the instructions include instructions to provide the output as a printed output.