Methods and systems for processing image data

• US 6,738,150 B1
• Filed: 04/14/1999
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Gunning, Chris R., Frederiksen, Dellas G., Claiborne, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Kimberly
• Assistant Examiner(s): EBRAHIMI DEHKORDY, SAEID
• Application Number:
  US09/292,044
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.16, 358/1.15, 358/1.12, 358/1.11, 358/296, 358/435, 358/436, 358/439, 358/1.14, 400/708, 400/76, 345/788, 345/801
• US Class Current: 358/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1825 Adapting the print data to an output condition, e.g. object trapping trapping on rasterized data H04N1/58
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1851 parted in a plurality of segments per page
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32358 using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter H04N1/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32571 Details of system components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/329 Storage of less than a complete document page or image frame

Abstract

Methods and systems for processing image data in connection with peripheral units such as laser printers are described. In one embodiment, an image pipeline is queried to determine at least one constraint which affects the image data provided to the image pipeline from a source of image data. If appropriate, the constraint(s) is imposed on the image data to provide constrained image data. After the constraint is imposed on the image data, the constrained image data is provided from the source to the image pipeline for processing into a page-arranged output. In another embodiment, image data which is provided by a source is stored in a first buffer. A handle is assigned to the image data. The handle is passed through at least a portion of the image pipeline. After such passing, at least a portion of the image data which was stored in the first buffer is copied directly into at least one strip buffer, with such copying being the first copying of the image data after the storing thereof in the first buffer. Other embodiments are described.

Claims

1. In a peripheral unit that converts image data to page-arranged output, the peripheral unit including a source which provides the image data, and an image pipeline which processes the image data into the page-arranged output, the image pipeline having at least one constraint which affects the image data provided by the source, a method of processing image data comprising:

querying the image pipeline to determine said at least one constraint, said image pipeline being configured to process raster data for driving a laser printer print engine;

imposing, if appropriate, said at least one constraint on said image data to provide constrained image data prior to providing said constrained image data to said image pipeline; and

after said imposing, providing said constrained image data from the source to the image pipeline for processing into said page-arranged output.

2. The image data processing method of claim 1, wherein said querying comprises providing a communication link between said source and said image pipeline, said querying taking place over said communication link.

3. The image data processing method of claim 1, wherein said at least one constraint includes a plurality of constraints.

4. The image data processing method of claim 1, wherein the image pipeline includes a display list builder which processes the image data into individual strips having at least one strip parameter, and an image processor which renders the individual strips into a raster bit map, and further wherein said querying comprises determining said at least one strip parameter of the display list builder.

5. The image data processing method of claim 4, wherein said at least one strip parameter comprises a plurality of strip parameters at least one of which comprising a strip dimension.

6. The image data processing method of claim 5, wherein said plurality of strip parameters comprise a strip buffer width and a strip buffer height.

7. In a peripheral unit that converts image data to page-arranged output, the peripheral unit including a source which provides constrained or unconstrained image data, a first buffer for storing the constrained or unconstrained image data, an image pipeline which processes the constrained or unconstrained data into the page-arranged output, and at least one strip buffer for storing page-arranged output, a method of processing image data comprising:

storing image data provided by the source in said first buffer;

assigning a handle to said image data;

passing said handle through at least a portion of the image pipeline; and

after said passing, copying at least a portion of said image data which was stored in said first buffer directly into said at least one strip buffer, said copying being the first copying of said image data after said storing of said image data in said first buffer.

8. The image data processing method of claim 7, wherein the image pipeline includes a display list builder which builds a display list describing data which is to be provided into the page-arranged output, and wherein said passing comprises storing said handle on the display list.

9. The image data processing method of claim 8, wherein the display list builder builds a display list comprising a plurality of strips having at least one strip parameter comprising a constraint which affects the image data provided by the source, and further comprising determining said at least one strip parameter prior to passing said handle through said at least a portion of the image pipeline.

10. The image data processing method of claim 9 further comprising using said determined at least one strip parameter and imposing said parameter, if appropriate, on said image data to provide constrained image data.

11. The image data processing method of claim 8, wherein the display list builder builds a display list comprising a plurality of strips having at least one strip parameter comprising a constraint which affects the image data provided by the source, and further comprising determining said at least one strip parameter prior to storing said image data in said first buffer.

12. The image data processing method of claim 9 further comprising using said determined at least one strip parameter and imposing said parameter, if appropriate, on said image data to provide constrained image data.

13. The image data processing method of claim 8, wherein the display list builder builds a display list comprising a plurality of strips having at least one strip parameter comprising a constraint which affects the image data provided by the source, and further comprising querying said image pipeline to determine said at least one strip parameter prior to passing said handle through said at least a portion of the image pipeline.

14. The image data processing method of claim 13 further comprising using said determined at least one strip parameter and imposing said parameter, if appropriate, on said image data to provide constrained image data.

15. A peripheral unit for producing a print media having printed matter thereon comprising:

a source comprising a query processor, the source being configured to provide image data describing an image; and

an image pipeline operably coupled with the source and configured to receive image data therefrom and process said image data into a page-arranged output, the image pipeline being configured to process raster data for driving a laser printer print engine, the image pipeline having at least one constraint which affects the image data provided by the source, wherein the query processor is configured to query the image pipeline to ascertain said at least one constraint prior to providing the image data to the image pipeline.

16. The peripheral unit of claim 15, wherein the source is further configured to impose said at least one constraint on the image data prior to providing the image data to the image pipeline.

17. The peripheral unit of claim 15, wherein the image pipeline includes a display list builder apparatus configured to process image data into individual strips having at least one strip parameter, and an image processor which is configured to render the individual strips into a raster bit map, and wherein the query processor is configured to ascertain said at least one strip parameter.

18. The peripheral unit of claim 17, wherein said at least one strip parameter comprises a plurality of strip parameters.

19. The peripheral unit of claim 18, wherein said plurality of strip parameters comprise a strip buffer width and a strip buffer height.

20. The peripheral unit of claim 15 further comprising:

a first buffer coupled with the source and the image pipeline and configured to hold image data provided by the source; and

at least one handle assigned to the image data which is held in the first buffer, wherein the image pipeline is configured to pass the handle which describes the image data rather than the image data; and

a strip buffer coupled with the first buffer and configured to receive image data directly from the first buffer responsive to passing by the image pipeline.