Reduced cost high resolution real time raster image processing system and method

• US 5,828,814 A
• Filed: 09/10/1996
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raster Printing Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: Moore Business Forms Inc.
• Inventors: Treis, Anthony L., Recchione, Robert J., Kernin, Kevin P., Cyman, Theodore F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, Arthur G.
• Application Number:
  US08/709,848
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 395/110, 395/112, 395/114, 395/115, 395/116, 395/833, 395/834, 395/882, 395/884, 395/892, 400/61, 400/62, 400/67, 400/76, 358/442, 358/444
• US Class Current: 358/1.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/10 by matrix printers G06K15/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0014 Transforming the printer input data into internal codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0065 Page or partial page composition

Abstract

A reduced cost, scaled down raster image processor (RIP) provides fast real time imaging without the cost and complexity of prior designs. The scaled down RIP can be tailored to accommodate image generation in a particular printing range to efficiently run print bars at a reduced equipment cost. The scaled down RIP utilized a personality module in conjunction with a scaled down controller to provide limited print information to a print engine. The personality module tailors the system for a particular print engine, such as a Moore® Independent Cartridge Array (MICA) ink jet printer. The personality module is responsible for requesting and reading raster data to build up the staging RAM. A pair of EEPROMs may be used to control each bar read according to the position and distance from the other. Pixel data is then sent to the service station along with the print bar address. The personality module outputs the sequence of pixel data to the service station for imaging, interfaces the display and keyboard information, and transfers the various offsets to a control ASIC for rehandling the pixel data at the staging RAM.

Claims

1. A scaled down raster image processor for reduced cost, reduced complexity processing of print image data to be printed on a particular print engine, said scaled down raster image processor comprising:

a master controller circuit which receives a job description file and, in response to said job description file, prepares displays lists and transfers fonts for storage in a font image memory;

a scaled down controller circuit that operates in accordance with display lists received from said master controller circuit and said stored fonts to generate a digital representation of an image;

a bit image memory associated with said scaled down control circuit, wherein said bit image memory stores the digital image representation generated by said scaled down controller; and

a personality module for said particular print engine, said personality module operable to request and read raster data from said bit image memory and to provide said raster data to said print engine to operate said print engine and thereby produce an image.

2. The scaled down raster image processor of claim 1, wherein said personality module receives pixel data from said scaled down control circuit and directs the pixel data to a staging memory.

3. The scaled down raster image processor of claim 2, wherein said personality module is connected to a print engine which prints on a moving web, and wherein said personality module is connected to sense movement of said moving web and synchronizes the output of pixel data from said staging memory to said print engine with movement of said web.

4. The scaled down raster image processor of claim 3, wherein said print engine has a plurality of printing mechanisms arranged in an array to print a corresponding plurality of print bars, at least two of the printing mechanisms being displaced relative to one another in the direction of web movement, and wherein said personality module loads data for the individual print bars in said staging memory with the same base address.

5. The scaled down raster image processor of claim 4, wherein said personality module receives offset values for the individual print bars and wherein said personality module adds the offset values to the staging memory address for the respective bar print data prior to outputting pixel data from said staging memory to said print engine.

6. The scaled down raster image processor of claim 5, wherein said print engine includes a plurality of ink jet cartridges arranged on a series of adjacent mounting brackets.

7. The scaled down raster image processor of claim 5, wherein said offset values are adjustable by an operator through a data terminal which interfaces with said personality module.

8. The scaled down raster image processor of claim 1, wherein said first control circuit writes font data to an input first-in, first-out memory, and wherein said scaled down controller includes a first application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which transfers the font data from said first-in, first-out memory to said font image memory.

9. The scaled down raster image processor of claim 8, wherein said scaled down controller further includes a second ASIC which operates in response to said display list to generate said digital image representation and store it in said bit image memory.

10. The scaled down raster image processor of claim 9, wherein said bit image memory includes a first memory area and a second memory area, whereby said personality module may read data from one memory area while said second ASIC stores an image in the other memory area.

11. The scaled down raster image processor of claim 9, wherein said second ASIC of said scaled down controller includes a crop section which organizes a crop mask for absolute width of a character stored in said bit image memory.

12. The scaled down raster image processor of claim 11, wherein said second ASIC of said scaled down controller further includes a shifter section which places character data in said bit image memory according to coordinate information from said display list.

13. The scaled down raster image processor of claim 12, wherein said second ASIC of said scaled down controller includes a merge logic section which merges information from said crop section and said shifter section for display list data stored in said bit image memory.

14. The scaled down raster image processor of claim 13, wherein said merge logic section includes combinational logic which operates in response to information in said display list to produce a selected print mode.

15. The scaled down raster image processor of claim 14, wherein said selected print mode is one of normal mode, overprint mode, reverse mode, and pattern mode.

16. The scaled down controller of claim 9, wherein said first ASIC of said scaled down controller decodes address signals from said first control circuit and, in response to the decoded signals, provides enable signals for one of said first ASIC, said second ASIC and said personality module.

17. A method of providing print information to a print engine that prints on a moving web and has a plurality of printer mechanisms for printing a plurality of adjacent print bars, wherein at least two of said printer mechanisms are displaced relative to one another in the direction of web movement, comprising the steps of:

forming a display list specifying an image;

storing font information in a font image memory;

generating a digital representation of an image based on said display list and said stored font data, and storing said digital image representation in a bit image memory;

reading raster data from said bit image memory and directing pixel data to a staging memory, data for each print bar having the same base address;

for each print bar, adding an offset value to said base address for said print bar data; and

providing offset print bar data to said print engine in synchronism with web movement.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising the additional preliminary step of setting said offset values with an operator controlled data terminal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein both coarse and fine offset values may be adjusted.