High volume color image printer system

• US 5,428,464 A
• Filed: 04/26/1994
• Issued: 06/27/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Information Systems Research Australia Pty Limited (Canon Inc.), Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Rogers, Scott A.
• Application Number:
  US08/233,727
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 358/501, 358/300, 358/409, 346/157, 395/109
• US Class Current: 358/501
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/129 Colour printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/36 for synchronising or phasing transmitter and receiver

Abstract

A parallel printing system is disclosed which is particularly useful for colour laser printing. The system includes a source of video image data generally derived from a scanner or a graphics system, and a plurality of print engines that, substantially simultaneously, print images output from the source. The printing system also includes a parallel printing desynchroniser that interfaces the source with each one of the print engines and permits asynchronous operation of each of the print engines by having various data stores, a first of which receives synchronous data from the source, and a plurality of other stores, corresponding to each engine, which receive data from the first store simultaneously, and output that data in synchronism with the respective print engine.

Claims

1. A color printing system comprising:

a source which outputs color video image data;

a plurality of color print engines each of which forms a respective color image sequentially; and

a parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnecting said source and said engines, said desynchronizer unit comprising plural transfer means, one such transfer means corresponding to each said print engine, each said transfer means for transferring said data between said source and a corresponding print engine, said video data being synchronously simultaneously transferred to each of said transfer means;

wherein the transfer to each of said engines from each corresponding transfer means is substantially independent of the transfer to any other of said engines, and the transfer of respective frames of color image data to each print engine from each corresponding transfer means is initiated upon receipt of a frame synchronizing signal from each respective print engine.

2. A printing system comprising:

a source which outputs video image data;

a plurality of print engines; and

a parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnecting said source and said engines, said desynchronizer unit comprising means for transferring said data between said source and each of said engines,

wherein the transfer to each of said engines is substantially independent of the transfer to any other of said engines, and wherein said parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnects said source with the plurality of said engines and a further parallel printing desynchronizer unit, said further parallel printing desynchronizer unit outputting to a further plurality of said engines.

3. A color printing system comprising:

a source which outputs color video image data;

a plurality of color print engines each of which forms a respective color image sequentially; and

a parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnecting said source and said engines, said desynchronizer unit comprising means for transferring said data between said source and each of said engines,

wherein said parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnects said source with a plurality of further parallel printing desynchronizer units, each said further unit interconnecting with a corresponding plurality of said engines; and

wherein the transfer to each of said engines is substantially independent of the transfer to any other of said engines, and the transfer of respective color image data to each print engine is initiated upon receipt of a frame synchronizing signal from each respective print engine.

4. A parallel printing desynchronizer unit comprising:

a preliminary store to synchronously receive video image data from a video data source;

a plurality of first-in-first-out secondary stores each corresponding to a corresponding one of a like plurality of print engines connectable to said unit, said video data being synchronously simultaneously transferred to each of said secondary stores, each said secondary store having a trigger input and a data output both connected to the corresponding engines and arranged to transfer said data to said engine on receipt by said secondary store of a trigger signal from the corresponding engine; and

a plurality of color correctors each corresponding to one of said print engines for adjusting the color balance of the output of the corresponding one of said print engines to provide for substantial uniformity in the color balance of the output of said engines.

5. A parallel printing desynchroniser unit as claimed in claim 4 wherein each said colour corrector includes a map of data adapted to constitute a transfer function on colour data output by said unit.

6. A parallel printing desynchroniser unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein said map is programmable either manually or by said source.

7. A color printing system comprising:

a source which outputs color video image data;

a plurality of color print engines each of which forms a respective color image sequentially; and

a parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnecting said source and said engines, said desynchronizer unit comprising means for transferring said data between said source and each of said engines, said means for transferring said data comprising;

a preliminary store to synchronously receive said video image data from said source;

a plurality of first-in-first-out secondary stores each corresponding to a corresponding one of said plurality of print engines connectable to said unit, said video data being synchronously simultaneously transferred to each of said secondary stores, each said secondary store having a trigger input and a data output both connected to the corresponding engines and arranged to transfer said data to the corresponding engine through said data output on receipt by said secondary store of a frame synchronizing signal at said trigger input from the corresponding engine; and

a plurality of color correctors each corresponding to one of said plurality of print engines for adjusting the color balance of the output of the corresponding one of said print engines to provide for substantial uniformity in the color balance of the output of said engines;

wherein the transfer to each of said engines is substantially independent of the transfer to any other of said engines.

8. A printing system comprising:

a source of color video image data;

a plurality of color print engines;

providing means for providing frames of the color video image data to each of said color print engines, in parallel, upon receipt of a frame synchronizing signal from the respective print engine, said providing means comprising plural transfer means, one such means corresponding to each said print engine, each said transfer means for transferring said data between said source and a corresponding print engine, said video data being synchronously simultaneously transferred to each of said transfer means;

a plurality of color correctors each corresponding to one of said print engines for adjusting a color balance of an output of the corresponding one of said print engines to provide for substantial uniformity in the color balance of the output of said engines.

9. A printing system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said providing means comprises a printing desynchronizer unit allowing for the transfer of said data between said source and each of said engines without substantial synchronization between the operation of any of said engines.

10. A printing system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the source provides color data and the engines are color laser print engines so that said system is adapted to print color images.

11. A printing controller to provide color image data from a color image data source to a plurality of color print engines, comprising:

means for receiving color image data from the color image data source;

means for providing frames of the color image data to each of said color print engines in parallel, upon receipt of a frame synchronizing signal from the respective print engine, said means for providing including a plural transfer means, one such transfer means corresponding to each said print engine, each said transfer means for transferring the data between the source and a corresponding print engine, said video data being synchronously simultaneously transferred to each of said transfer means; and

a plurality of color correctors each corresponding to one of said print engines for adjusting a color balance of an output of the corresponding one of said print engines to provide for substantial uniformity in the color balance of the output of said engines.

12. A printing controller as claimed in claim 11, wherein said providing means comprises a parallel printing desynchronizer unit allowing for the transfer of the data between said source and each said engine without substantial synchronization between the operation of any of said engines.

13. A printing controller as claimed in claim 11, wherein each said color corrector comprises a map of data adapted to constitute a transfer function on color data output by said unit.

14. A printing controller as claimed in claim 13, wherein said map is programmable manually.

15. A printing controller as claimed in claim 13, wherein said map is programmable by said source.

16. A printing controller to provide color image data from a color image data source to a plurality of color print engines, comprising:

means for receiving color image data from said color image data source;

means for providing the color image data to each of said color print engines in parallel; and

a parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnecting said source and said engines, said desynchronizer unit comprising plural transfer means, one such transfer means corresponding to each said print engine, each said transfer means for transferring said data between said source and a corresponding print engine, said video data being synchronously simultaneously transferred to each of said transfer means;

wherein the transfer to each of said engines from each corresponding transfer means is substantially independent of the transfer to any other of said engines, and the transfer of respective frames of color image data to each of said print engines from each corresponding transfer means is initiated upon receipt of a frame synchronizing signal from each respective print engine.

17. A printing controller to provide color image data from a color data source to a plurality of color print engines, comprising:

means for receiving color image data from said color image data source;

means for providing the color image data to each of said color print engines in parallel; and

a parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnecting said source and said engines, said desynchronizer unit comprising means for transferring said data between said source and each of said engines,

wherein the transfer to each of said engines is substantially independent of the transfer to any other of said engines, and wherein said parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnects said source with the plurality of said engines and a further parallel printing desynchronizer unit, said further parallel printing desynchronizer unit outputting to a further plurality of said engines.