Method and apparatus for assembling a composite image from a plurality of data types

• US 5,303,342 A
• Filed: 12/22/1992
• Issued: 04/12/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag
• Original Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Inventors: Edge, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, Arthur G.
• Application Number:
  US08/064,362
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 395/101-102, 395/109-110, 395/112, 395/114, 395/115-116, 395/150, 395/164-166, 358/451, 358/449, 358/462, 358/261.4, 358/528, 358/530, 358/540, 382/17, 382/19, 382/22, 382/41, 382/54, 355/266, 355/311
• US Class Current: 358/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1276 adding two or more images, e.g. texturing, shading, form overlay
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/129 Colour printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3871 the composed originals being of different kinds, e.g. low- and high-resolution originals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/46 Colour picture communication systems

Abstract

A method and apparatus for combining multiple image data files of differing sizes, resolutions, and formats in real time into a single data stream for conversion into halftone pixel data for printing by either single or multiple beam recording devices. The data of varying formats is received via a host interface which couples the data to a standard VME bus. The internal CPU reformats the data and stores it on disk memory. The data is routed by the CPU to one of a plurality of scan-line video processors which converts the data into halftone pixel data. The halftone data is routed to a single or multiple beam recording device for printing. A special low resolution image is prepared by the CPU for preview at a video work station.

Claims

1. A method for combining in real time a plurality of image data files of differing sizes, resolutions, and formats and for real time converting of said data into halftone pixel data for output on either single or multiple beam recording devices comprising:

receiving said plurality of image data files from a source;

reformatting each of said image data files as they are received into one of several possible formats, each format being determined by the original format of said image data file in conjunction with an image data conversion means, said reformatting being performed in real time while said data is being received at the maximum data rate of said source and which may include separating said image data file into multiple image data files according to color separation;

storing said reformatted data files, said storing being performed in real time while said data is being received at the maximum data rate of the source;

preparing a data map file to specify which portions of said plurality of different image files are to be retrieved from storage when the conversion from image data to halftone pixel data takes place, based on position coordinates for each image determined by an operator, in which said map file is optimized to permit maximum data retrieval rate from said storage;

retrieving and transferring said reformatted image data files according to said map file in which portions of variable size from each file are retrieved and placed in at least one data buffer of image data conversion means via high speed interface in response to a ready signal from said image data conversion means, said retrieval and transfer of data occurring iteratively until all image files have been converted;

converting in parallel said plurality of data types each of which may contain certain of said plurality of image data file portions into one output stream of high resolution halftone pixels via image data conversion means, said converting occurring in real time while said retrieval and transferring of reformatted image data files is being performed and in response to a ready signal transmitted from an output recording device; and

,

transmitting said high resolution halftone pixels also in response to said ready signal transmitted from said output recording device.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising assembling a preview file of lower resolution from each of said plurality of image data files, said assembling being performed in real time while said data is being received at the maximum data rate of said source.

3. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of image data files representing a plurality of images in a plurality of data formats;

means coupled to said receiving means for processing said plurality of image data files to produce image data files of new format, the new format being dependant on the original image data format of each image file in conjunction with the required format for an image data conversion means, said processing capable of being performed in real time while said data is being received at the maximum data rate of the source and which may involve separating a particular image data file into a plurality of files according to color separation;

means coupled to said processing means for storage of said reformatted image data files, said storage capable of being performed in real time while said data is being received at the maximum data rate of the source;

means coupled to said processing means for receiving portions of said plurality of reformatted image data files retrieved from storage by said processing means and for converting in parallel said plurality of different image data formats each of which may contain certain of said plurality of image data file portions into a composite image in the form of a halftone pixel data stream, said converting performed in real time in response to ready signals transmitted from an image recording means; and

,

means coupled to said converting means for transmitting said halftone pixel data stream to said image recording means in response to ready signals transmitted from an image recording means.