Method for generating transposed image data

• US 8,023,144 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2006
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Inventors: Crutchfield, David A., Ward, James Alan, Case, Christopher Wilson
• Primary Examiner(s): LETT, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US11/456,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20080013119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,897 Days
• Field of Search: 358/3.06, 358/3.09, 358/3.1, 358/3.3, 358/534, 399/181, 347/131
• US Class Current: 358/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/10 by matrix printers G06K15/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40 Picture signal circuits H04N1/387 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for generating transposed image data for use in an imaging apparatus having access to a memory includes (a) generating a set of data blocks corresponding to at least a portion of image data representing an image to be printed; (b) performing a combined format and transpose operation on the set of data blocks; and (c) storing a result of the combined format and transpose operation in the memory.

Claims

1. A method for generating transposed image data for use in an imaging apparatus having access to a memory, comprising:

(a) generating a set of data blocks corresponding to at least a portion of image data representing an image to be printed;

(b) performing a combined format and transpose operation on said set of data blocks; and

(c) storing a result of said combined format and transpose operation in said memory,

wherein a plurality of sets of transposed data blocks generated as a result of performing said combined format and transpose operation are accumulated in said memory at least until one or more full swaths of print data is stored in said memory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said combined format and transpose operation includes sequentially formatting said set of data blocks to generate a set of formatted data blocks and transposing formatted image data in said set of formatted data blocks to meet the requirements of printhead logic of a printhead.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said formatting includes converting halftone image data for printing on a particular pass of said printhead over a sheet of print media.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of data blocks corresponding to said portion of said image data is retrieved from halftone memory by a series of multi-word DMA In-bursts.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a set of transposed data blocks generated as a result of said combined format and transpose operation are sent to said memory by a series of multi-word DMA Out-bursts.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said combined format and transpose operation comprises:

generating a set of formatted data blocks;

buffering said set of formatted data blocks in an SRAM format buffer;

retrieving said set of formatted data blocks from said SRAM format buffer; and

generating a set of transpose data blocks from said set of formatted data blocks.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a size of said SRAM format buffer is determined by performing a cost versus performance analysis.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

(d) repeating acts (a) through (c) until all of said image data has been processed.

9. A method for generating transposed image data for use in an imaging apparatus, comprising:

(a) generating a set of data blocks corresponding to a portion of image data representing an image to be printed;

(b) performing a format operation on said set of data blocks to generate a set of formatted data blocks; and

(c) performing a transpose operation on said set of formatted data blocks to generate a set of transposed data blocks,

wherein said set of data blocks corresponding to said portion of said image data is retrieved from halftone memory by a series of multi-word DMA In-bursts.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said format operation includes converting halftone image data for printing on a particular pass of a printhead over a sheet of print media.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said transpose operation includes rearranging formatted image data in said set of formatted data blocks to meet the requirements of printhead logic of said printhead.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein a plurality of sets of transposed data blocks are accumulated in a memory at least until one or more full swaths of print data is stored in said memory.

13. The method of claim 9, comprising:

(d) storing said set of transposed data blocks in a memory; and

(e) repeating acts (a) through (d) until all of said image data has been processed.

14. A method for generating transposed image data for use in an imaging apparatus, comprising:

generating a set of data blocks corresponding to a portion of image data representing an image to be printed;

performing a format operation on said set of data blocks to generate a set of formatted data blocks; and

performing a transpose operation on said set of formatted data blocks to generate a set of transposed data blocks,

wherein said set of transposed data blocks are sent to a memory by a series of multi-word DMA Out-bursts.

15. A method for generating transposed image data for use in an imaging apparatus, comprising:

generating a set of data blocks corresponding to a portion of image data representing an image to be printed;

performing a format operation on said set of data blocks to generate a set of formatted data blocks; and

performing a transpose operation on said set of formatted data blocks to generate a set of transposed data blocks;

buffering said set of formatted data blocks in an SRAM format buffer; and

retrieving said set of formatted data blocks from said SRAM format buffer to perform said transpose operation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a size of said SRAM format buffer is determined by performing a cost versus performance analysis.