Image processor with conditional bit map store

• US 6,462,833 B1
• Filed: 02/25/1999
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Claiborne, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wallerson, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): HASKINS, TWYLER LAMB
• Application Number:
  US09/258,097
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.13, 358/1.16, 358/1.15, 358/1.1, 358/1.9, 358/1.18, 358/1.17, 358/1.14, 358/1.11, 358/404, 358/444
• US Class Current: 358/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1831 characterized by the format of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

An imaging system includes a processor and memory for storing descriptions of images. Such images include mosaic patterns that recur in a larger image. When the larger image is displayed, the mosaic patterns are tiled to fill defined areas of the larger image. If a description of a mosaic pattern in terms of graphics primitives would occupy more memory than a description of the mosaic pattern in a bit map format, then the processor converts the image description to a bit map format, stores the result in the memory, and releases the portion of the memory formerly used for storage of the graphics primitives. Otherwise, the processor delays such a conversion until the bit map is needed for tiling.

Claims

1. An imaging system comprising:

(a) a memory; and

(b) a processor that performs a method for managing utilization of the memory, the method comprising;

forming a decomposition of provided graphic elements, the decomposition comprising graphic primitives, the decomposition occupying a first portion of the memory;

determining an estimate of a system resource utilization that would be incurred with a step of rendering;

determining in accordance with the estimate, whether to postpone performance of the step of rendering; and

rendering the graphic primitives to form bit map data occupying a second portion of the memory thereby permitting reuse of the first portion of the memory.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein determining the estimate further comprises determining an estimated amount of memory for the second portion.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein:

(a) the graphics primitives comprise a first graphic primitive of a first type and a second graphic primitive of a second type; and

(b) the estimated amount of memory is calculated as a sum of a first expression in accordance with the first type and a second expression in accordance with the second type.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein determining the estimate further comprises determining a processing duration associated with the step of rendering.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the processing duration is calculated as a sum of a third expression in accordance with the first type and a fourth expression determined in accordance with the second type.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein determining whether to postpone further comprises comparing a size of the first portion with the estimated amount of memory for the second portion.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the estimate further comprises:

determining an estimated amount of memory for the second portion;

forming a difference between a size of the first portion and the estimated amount of memory for the second portion; and

if the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold value, proceeding to perform the step of determining whether to postpone; and

otherwise determining the estimate in accordance with a processing duration associated with the step of rendering.

8. A printer comprising:

(a) an interface for receiving a first description of a page to be printed, the first description conforming to a page description language;

(b) a processor that performs a method comprising;

deriving a second description of a portion of the page from a portion of the first description;

assessing a processor resource utilization with respect to deriving from the second description a third description in bit map format of the portion of the page;

deriving the third description when storage of the third description instead of the second description would improve the resource utilization; and

deriving scan line data from the third description; and

(c) a print engine that prints the page in accordance with the scan line data.

9. The printer of claim 8 wherein:

(a) the processor comprises a memory for storage of the second description and the third description; and

(b) the resource utilization comprises a utilization of the memory.

10. The printer of claim 8 wherein the resource utilization comprises a duration of processing with respect to the step of deriving the third description.

11. The printer of claim 8 wherein the second description conforms to a graphics language comprising graphics primitives.

12. The printer of claim 8 wherein:

(a) the portion of the first description defines a tile; and

(b) the portion of the page described by the second description recurs on the page.

13. The printer of claim 12 wherein the third description is derived only once.

14. A processor, formed on an integrated circuit substrate, that performs a method comprising:

receiving a first description of a tile;

deriving a second description of the tile, the second description for storage in a portion of provided memory;

assessing a resource utilization with respect to deriving from the second description a third description in bit map format of the tile; and

deriving the third description when storage in the memory of the third description instead of the second description would improve the resource utilization.

15. The processor of claim 14 wherein the resource utilization comprises a utilization of the memory.

16. The processor of claim 14 wherein the resource comprises a utilization of the memory and a processor duration with respect to deriving the third description.

17. The processor of claim 14 wherein the second description conforms to a graphics language comprising graphics primitives.

18. The processor of claim 17 wherein:

(a) the first description comprises graphic elements;

(b) deriving the second description comprises forming a decomposition of the graphic elements, the decomposition comprising graphic primitives; and

(c) assessing the resource utilization comprises determining an estimated amount of memory for the third description.

19. The processor of claim 18 wherein:

(a) the graphics primitives comprise a first graphic primitive of a first type and a second graphic primitive of a second type; and

(b) the estimated amount of memory is calculated as a sum of a first expression in accordance with the first type and a second expression in accordance with the second type.

20. The processor of claim 14 wherein the step of assessing further comprises:

determining an estimated amount of memory for the third description;

forming a difference between a size of the first portion and the estimated amount of memory for the third description; and

if the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold value, proceeding to perform the step of determining the third description; and

otherwise assessing the resource utilization in accordance with a processing duration associated with the step of determining the third description.