Method of utilizing variable data fields with a page description language

• US 20020089681A1
• Filed: 03/01/2002
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Forrest P. Gauthier
• Original Assignee: Tesseron Limited
• Inventors: Gauthier, Forrest P.
• Granted Patent: US 6,687,016 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0011 characterised by a particular command or data flow, e.g. Page Description Language, configuration commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0065 Page or partial page composition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A computer implemented method for generating a plurality of bit maps suitable for high-speed printing includes the steps of: (a) providing a page description code specification, where the page description code specification defines at least one data area, and the page description code further defines a graphics state corresponding to the data area, where the graphics state including at least one attribute which controls the appearance of data in the data area; (b) interpreting the page description code specification, and during the interpretation step, identifying the data area defined by the page description code specification; (c) upon the identification of the variable data area in step (b), applying the graphics state corresponding to the data area to a set of alphanumeric characters so as to generate a plurality of character bit maps; (d) storing the plurality of character bit maps; (e) retrieving a variable data item from a plurality of variable data items; (f) associating the variable data item with the plurality of character bit maps; (g) generating a variable data bit map for the variable data using the character bit maps; and (h) repeating steps (e) through (g) for remaining variable data items in the plurality of variable data items. Thus, the stored character bit maps are used repeatedly to generate a plurality of variable data bit maps.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of associating a data area defined in a page description language specification with a plurality of variable data items in a merge file, comprising the steps of:

providing a field name in the merge file associated with the plurality of variable data items;

monitoring data areas defined in the page description language specification for a character string matching the field name;

responsive to a detection of the character string matching the field name, associating a data area containing the character string with the plurality of variable data items in merge file.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring step is performed during a step of interpreting the page description language specification.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the step of interpreting the page description language specification includes the step of generating bit maps for data areas defined in the page description language specification.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein, responsive to a detection of the character string matching the field name, the step of interpreting the page description language specification includes the step of not generating a bit map for the data containing the character string.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein, responsive to a detection of the character string matching the field name, the step of interpreting the page description language specification further includes the step of caching a graphic state for the data area containing the character string, wherein the cached graphic state can be used repeatedly to generate a plurality of variable data bit maps for the plurality of variable data items associated with the field name.

6. A computer implemented method of associating a data area defined in a page description language specification with a plurality of variable data items in a merge file, comprising the steps of:

providing a field name in the merge file associated with the plurality of variable data items;

monitoring data areas defined in the page description language specification for a special character, wherein the special character has a predetermined relationship with a character string matching the field name;

responsive to a detection of the special character, identifying the character string; and

associating a data area containing the special character with the plurality of variable data items in merge file.