Printer, image processing device, image processing method, and recording medium

• US 6,882,440 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2000
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nitta, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): HASKINS, TWYLER LAMB
• Application Number:
  US09/564,331
• Time in Patent Office: 1,812 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.16, 358/1.17, 358/524, 358/501, 358/521, 358/530, 358/523, 347/237, 347/238, 347/246, 347/247, 347/249, 355/83, 355/84, 399/16
• US Class Current: 358/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3875 combined with enlarging or reducing enlarging or reducing per se H04N1/393

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide a printer capable of efficiently processing print data corresponding to a plurality of images in the main scanning direction, as in the case of an index print, with a limited memory capacity, thereby improving the throughput, and an image data processing method for executing the operations of the printer. An image data processing section accesses original image data including partial images of a plurality of images printed through one main scanning, and generates bit image data by executing predetermined image processing. An image data control section temporarily stores the image data in a primary buffer, and when necessary, reads out a part thereof from the primary buffer band by band, copies the read data to a band (secondary) buffer, and sends the data to a print processing section. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to access the original image data to obtain each portion of the partial images and execute predetermined image processing each time when the necessity arises, thereby improving the processing efficiency.

Claims

1. A printer for printing onto a print medium by moving a carriage having a print head alternately in a main scanning direction and a sub scanning direction, comprising:

image processing means for generating bit image data by executing predetermined image processing on digital image data from outside;

first image data storing means for storing said bit image data;

second image data storing means for storing said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of said carriage;

storage control means for controlling transfers of said bit image data from said first image data storing means to said second image data storing means; and

title generating means for printing title information representing the contents of said index image on the print medium including said index image,

wherein said image processing means include an index image generating section for generating an index image in which a plurality of original images corresponding to said digital image data are placed in a matrix form, leaving a space between each other; and

said storage control means store bit image data corresponding to said index image in said first image data storing means.

2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein said title generating means generate a first title corresponding to said index image oriented to the main scanning direction of said carriage, and a second title corresponding to said index image oriented to the sub scanning direction of said carriage, said printer further comprising title selecting means for selecting either said first title or said second title depending on the orientation of said index image to be printed, and wherein said storage control means store in said first image data storage means bit image data obtained by combining the title selected by said title selecting means and the corresponding index image.

3. A printer for printing onto a print medium by moving a carriage having a print head alternately in a main scanning direction and a sub scanning direction, comprising:

image processing means for generating bit image data by executing predetermined image processing on digital image data from outside;

first image data storing means for storing said bit image data;

second image data storing means for storing said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of said carriage;

storage control means for controlling transfers of said bit image data from said first image data storing means to said second image data storing means, wherein;

said image processing means include;

data selecting means for selecting, from the bit image data before the scaling up or scaling down processing of the original images corresponding to said digital image data and the bit image data after the scaling up or scaling down processing, the bit image data having less amount of data; and

correction processing means for generating bit image data obtained by executing predetermined correction processing on the bit image data selected by said data selecting means, and wherein

said storage control means store the bit image data generated by said correction processing means in said first image storing means.

4. A printer for printing onto a print medium by moving a carriage having a print head alternately in a main scanning direction and a sub scanning direction, comprising:

image processing means for generating bit image data by executing predetermined image processing on digital image data from outside;

first image data storing means for storing said bit image data;

second image data storing means for storing said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of said carriage;

storage control means for controlling transfers of said bit image data from said first image data storing means to said second image data storing means, wherein;

said digital image data inputted from outside is compressed in JPEG format; and

said image processing means restore the original images by expanding the compressed data.

5. A printer for printing onto a print medium by moving a carriage having a print head alternately in a main scanning direction and a sub scanning direction, comprising:

image processing means for generating bit image data by executing predetermined image processing on digital image data inputted from outside;

first image data storing means for storing said bit image data;

data volume determining means for determining whether or not the volume of said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of said carriage exceeds the maximum memory capacity of said first image data storing means;

storage control means for storing said bit image data in said first image data storage means when said data volume determining means determine that the volume of said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of said carriage does not exceed the maximum memory capacity of said first image data storing means, and for providing a part of said digital image data necessary for (printing) to said image processing means without using said first image data storage means when said data volume determining means determine that the volume of said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of said carriage exceeds the maximum memory capacity of said first image data storing means; and

second image data storage means for storing said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of said carriage, wherein

when said data volume determining means determine that the volume of said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of said carriage does not exceed the maximum memory capacity of said first image data storing means, said storage control means store, among the bit image data stored in said first image data storing means, the bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of said carriage in said second image data storing means, and when said data volume determining means determine that the volume of said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of said carriage exceeds the maximum memory capacity of said first image data storing means, said storage control means store said bit image data generated by image processing means directly in said second image data storing means without storing it in said first image data storing means.

6. An image processing device for providing bit image data to a print processing device which prints onto a print medium by scanning alternately in a main scanning direction and a sub scanning direction, said image processing device comprising:

image processing means for generating bit image data by executing predetermined image processing on digital image data inputted from outside;

first image data storing means for storing said bit image data;

data volume determining means for determining whether or not the volume of said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of said print processing device exceeds the maximum memory capacity of said first image data storing means; and

storage control means for storing said bit image data in said first image data storage means when said data volume determining means determine that the volume of said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of said carriage does not exceed the maximum memory capacity of said first image data storing means, and for providing a part of said digital image data necessary for printing to said image processing means without using said first image data storage means when said data volume determining means determine that the volume of said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of said carriage exceeds the maximum memory capacity of said first image data storing means.

7. An image processing method for generating bit image data corresponding to digital image data inputted from outside, comprising:

a first step for generating said bit image data by executing predetermined image processing on said digital image data;

a second step for storing said bit image data in a first storage region;

a third step for determining whether or not the volume of said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of a print processing device exceeds the maximum memory capacity of said first storage region; and

a fourth step for storing said bit image data in said first storage region when it is determined in said third step that the volume of said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of the print processing device does not exceed the maximum memory capacity of said first storage region, and for providing a part of said digital image data necessary for printing to an image processing means without using said first storage region when it is determined in said third step that the volume of said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of the print processing device exceeds the maximum memory capacity of said first storage region.

8. A recording medium, which can be read by a computer, for recording a program to generate bit image data corresponding to digital image data inputted from outside, said program comprising:

a first step for generating said bit image data by executing predetermined image processing on said digital image data;

a second step for storing said bit image data in a first storage region;

a third step for determining whether or not the volume of said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of a print processing device exceeds the maximum memory capacity of said first storage region; and

a fourth step for storing said bit image data in said first storage region when it is determined in said third step that the volume of said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of the print processing device does not exceed the maximum memory capacity of said first storage region, and for providing a part of said digital image data necessary for printing to an image processing means without using said first storage region when it is determined in said third step that the volume of said bit image data corresponding to images printed during one main scanning of the print processing device exceeds the maximum memory capacity of said first storage region.