Methods and systems for rendering data based on overlap characteristics

• US 8,339,653 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Uoc H., Owen, James E., Henerlau, Paul R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zheng, Jacky X
• Application Number:
  US12/413,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20100245917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.7, 358/2.1, 358/1.13, 358/448, 358/453, 358/462, 358/1.17, 358/1.18, 382/173, 382/178, 382/180, 382/305, 382/238, 382/232, 345/625, 345/629, 345/634, 345/635
• US Class Current: 358/1.18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/12 Digital output to print unit , e.g. line printer, chain printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1211 Improving printing performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/124 Parallel printing or parallel ripping
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1849 using an intermediate representation, e.g. a list of graphical primitives
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1856 characterized by its workflow
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention are related to systems and methods for rendering graphical objects in a printing system. According to one aspect of the present invention a graphic list may be partitioned, and the graphic-list partitions may be rendered “out-of-order” or concurrently.

Claims

1. A method, in a printing system, for rendering a print job, said method comprising:

receiving a graphic list comprising a first plurality of graphic-list elements;

from said first plurality of graphic-list elements, determining a second plurality of graphic-list elements, wherein said second plurality of graphic-list elements comprises all graphic-list elements in said first plurality of graphic-list elements that, when rendered, do not overlap and are not overlapped by any other rendered graphic-list element in said first plurality of graphic-list elements;

associating said second plurality of graphic-list elements with a first partition;

from a third plurality of graphic-list elements comprising all graphic-list elements in said first plurality of graphic-list elements not in said second plurality of graphic-list elements, determining a fourth plurality of graphic-list elements that, when rendered, does not overlap with any other rendered graphic-list element in said third plurality of graphic-list elements; and

associating said graphic-list elements in said fourth plurality of graphic-list elements with a second partition.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein each graphic-list element in said fourth plurality of graphic-list elements, when rendered, overlaps with at least one other graphic-list element in said fourth plurality of graphic-list elements.

3. The method as described in claim 2 further comprising:

rendering said first partition on a first renderer; and

rendering said second partition on a second renderer.

4. The method as described in claim 3, wherein said rendering said first partition and said rendering said second partition occur substantially concurrently.

5. The method as described in claim 3 further comprising:

bit-blitting said rendered first partition to a page memory; and

bit-blitting said rendered second partition to said page memory.

6. The method as described in claim 5, wherein said bit-blitting said rendered first partition and said bit-blitting said rendered second partition occur substantially concurrently.

7. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

rendering said first partition on a first renderer; and

rendering said second partition on a second renderer.

8. The method as described in claim 7, wherein said rendering said first partition and said rendering said second partition occur substantially concurrently.

9. The method as described in claim 7 further comprising:

bit-blitting said rendered first partition to a page memory; and

bit-blitting said rendered second partition to said page memory.

10. The method as described in claim 9, wherein said bit-blitting said rendered first partition and said bit-blitting said rendered second partition occur substantially concurrently.

11. A printing system comprising:

a graphic-list receiver for receiving a graphic list comprising a first plurality of graphic-list elements;

an overlap determiner for determining if a first graphic-list element in said first plurality of graphic-list elements overlaps with another of said graphic-list elements in said first plurality of graphic-list elements;

a non-overlap-partition partition associator for associating, when said first-graphic list element does not overlap with another of said graphic-list elements according to said overlap determiner, said first graphic-list element with a first partition;

an overlap-grouping determiner for determining, from a third plurality of graphic-list elements comprising all graphic-list elements in said first plurality of graphic-list elements not in said second plurality of graphic-list elements, a fourth plurality of graphic-list elements that, when rendered, does not overlap with any other rendered graphic-list element in said third plurality of graphic-list elements; and

a disjoint-overlap-partition partition associator for associating said graphic-list elements in said fourth plurality of graphic-list elements with a second partition.

12. The printing system as described in claim 11 further comprising:

a first renderer for rendering said first partition; and

a second renderer for rendering said second partition.

13. The printing system as described in claim 12, wherein said first renderer and said second renderer operate substantially concurrently.

14. The printing system as described in claim 12 further comprising:

a page memory;

a first bit-blitter for bit-blitting said rendered first partition to said page memory; and

a second bit-blitter for bit-blitting said rendered second partition to said page memory.

15. The printing system as described in claim 14, wherein said first bit-blitter and said second bit-blitter operate substantially concurrently.

16. The printing system as described in claim 11, wherein said overlap-grouping determiner further comprises determining each graphic-list element in said fourth plurality of graphic-list elements so that, when rendered, said each graphic-list element in said fourth plurality of graphic-list elements overlaps with at least one other graphic-list element in said fourth plurality of graphic-list elements.

17. The printing system as described in claim 16 further comprising:

a first renderer for rendering said first partition; and

a second renderer for rendering said second partition.

18. The printing system as described in claim 17, wherein said first renderer and said second renderer operate substantially concurrently.

19. The printing system as described in claim 17 further comprising:

a page memory;

a first bit-blitter for bit-blitting said rendered first partition to said page memory; and

a second bit-blitter for bit-blitting said rendered second partition to said page memory.

20. The printing system as described in claim 19, wherein said first bit-blitter and said second bit-blitter operate substantially concurrently.