Apparatus and methods for image processing optimization for variable data printing

• US 9,753,677 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2015
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Printable Technologies Incorporated (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: PTI Marketing Technologies, Inc. (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Inventors: Cogan, Douglas Neal, Mitchell, Kevin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas D
• Application Number:
  US14/884,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20160103639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1211 Improving printing performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1212 achieving reduced delay between job submission and print start
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1243 Variable data printing, e.g. document forms, templates, labels, coupons, advertisements, logos, watermarks, transactional printing, fixed content versioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1245 by conversion to intermediate or common format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/125 Page layout or assigning input pages onto output media, e.g. imposition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1286 via local network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1296 Printer job scheduling or printer resource handling
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for providing a pre-rasterized print job for variable data printing are disclosed. In one embodiment, a set of printer characteristics may be determined and then transferred to a typesetting system. The typesetting system may then pre-rasterize objects of the print job based in part on the received printer characteristics. A pre-rasterized print job, including the pre-rasterized objects and print layout instructions may then be generated, such as in the form of a PostScript file, which may then be transferred to a raster image processor (RIP) for generation of printed output. In another embodiment, a printer characterization file may be used for execution on a printing system to determine the set of printer characteristics that may include native resolution, rotation angle, compression data and/or other data or information characterizing the printing system.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing performance in a printing system, comprising:

receiving, at the printing system, a pre-rasterized print job including one or more pre-rasterized objects and instructions for generating a printed page;

storing, in a memory in communication with a raster image processor, the pre-rasterized print job;

executing, using the raster image processor, the instructions to determine a native resolution and a rotation of a printer in the printing system;

executing, using the raster image processor, the instructions to determine a native resolution and rotation of the pre-rasterized print job;

comparing, with the raster image processor, corresponding parameters of the printer and the pre-rasterized print job wherein the corresponding parameters include the native resolution and the rotation of the printer and the native resolution and the rotation of the pre-rasterized print job;

generating, based on the comparing, a comparison result; and

rasterizing, when the comparison result is not a match, objects in the pre-rasterized print job to generate rasterized objects.

2. The method of claim1, further comprising:

reading, from the memory, the pre-rasterized print job, and

generating, using the one or more pre-rasterized objects, a print file containing at least one of a page layout and a page frame.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising rendering a printed output in the printing system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein rendering includes rendering the printed output on paper or other printable media using thermal toner or ink.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising removing, from the memory, the pre-rasterized print job.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the objects within the pre-rasterized print job include unrasterized objects and the one or more pre-rasterized objects.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising rendering a printed output in the printing system.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising removing, from the memory, the pre-rasterized print job.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-rasterized print job is in the form of a Java, C, C#, C++, scripting languages, PostScript, PPML, or XML file.

10. A system for enhancing performance in a printing system, the system comprising:

a typesetter configured to generate a pre-rasterized print job including one or more pre-rasterized objects and instructions for generating a printed page; and

a printing subsystem including a raster image processor and a memory, configured to receive the pre-rasterized print job and the instructions, the printing subsystem being configured to store the pre-rasterized print job in the memory and to execute the instructions on the raster image processor to determine a native resolution and a rotation of a printer in the printing system and a native resolution and rotation of the pre-rasterized print job, the printing subsystem further being configured to;

perform, using the raster image processor, a comparison by comparing corresponding parameters of the printer and the pre-rasterized print job wherein the corresponding parameters include the native resolution and the rotation of the printer and the native resolution and the rotation of the print job,

generate a result of the comparison, and

rasterize, when the comparison result is not a match, objects in the pre-rasterized print job to generate rasterized objects.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the result of the comparison is a match and wherein the one or more pre-rasterized objects do not require re-rasterizing by the raster image processor.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the raster image processor is configured to generate a print file containing a page layout or a page frame using the one or more pre-rasterized objects.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the printing subsystem further comprises a rendering station, the rendering station configured to render a printed output.

14. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code that when executed cause a processor to:

receive, at a printing system, a pre-rasterized print job including one or more pre-rasterized objects and instructions for generating a printed page;

store, in a memory in communication with the processor, the pre-rasterized print job;

execute the instructions to determine a native resolution and a rotation of a printer in the printing system;

execute the instructions to determine a native resolution and rotation of the pre-rasterized print job;

perform a comparison by comparing corresponding parameters of the printer and the pre-rasterized print job wherein the corresponding parameters include the native resolution and the rotation of the printer and the native resolution and the rotation of the pre-rasterized print job;

generate a result of the comparison; and

rasterize, when the comparison result is not a match, objects in the pre-rasterized print job to generate rasterized objects.

15. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the result of the comparison is a match and the one or more pre-rasterized objects do not require re-rasterizing by the processor.

16. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the code further causes the processor to generate a print file containing a page layout or a page frame using the one or more pre-rasterized objects.