Image manipulation for a digital copier which operates on a block basis

A method of manipulating an image, comprising the steps of:

• reading blocks of image data, representing an image, out of memory;
• rotating the blocks of image data so that image data within the blocks is rotated;
• writing into a print buffer the blocks of image data such that a location of the blocks is rotated with respect to the orientation of the image stored in memory;
• and
• printing the blocks of image data-which are stored in the printer buffer, after the buffer has M complete main-scan lines of image data.

A method of combining images, comprising the steps of:

• reading blocks of image data of a first image;
• reading corresponding blocks of image data of a second image;
• logically combining the corresponding blocks of image data of the first and second images;
• writing into a print buffer the logically combined blocks of image data;
• printing the blocks of image data which are stored in the printer buffer, after the buffer has M complete main-scan lines of image data.

A method of forming an image having a first end and a second end which is perpendicular to the first end, comprising the steps of:

• selecting a section of an image;
• dividing the section which has been selected into rows and columns of blocks;
• writing a first row of blocks of the section which has been selected into a memory until the first end of the image to be formed is reached;
• writing in sequence subsequent rows of the section which has been selected into the memory until the first end of the image to be formed is reached for the subsequent rows, and when the image to be formed is not completed to the second end but a last row of the section which has been selected is reached, writing in sequence the rows of the section which has been selected beginning again with the first row of blocks, until the image to be formed is completed to the second end.

A system for manipulating an image, comprising:

• means for scanning an image line-by-line to obtain scan data;
• means for writing the scan data into a buffer;
• means for rotating image data of a block of M lines by N pixels of the scan data and writing the block which has been rotated to a memory, after the buffer has M lines of scan data which extend to an end of the image;
• and
• means for rotating image data of other blocks of the scan data in the buffer having M lines of the scan data and writing the other blocks which have been rotated into memory.

A system for manipulating an image, comprising:

• means for reading blocks of image data, representing an image, out of memory;
• means for rotating the blocks of image data so that image data within the blocks is rotated;
• means for writing into a print buffer the blocks of image data such that a location of the blocks is rotated with respect to the orientation of the image stored in memory;
• and
• means for printing the blocks of image data which are stored in the printer buffer, after the buffer has M complete main-scan lines of image data.

A system for combining images, comprising:

• means for reading blocks of image data of a first image;
• means for reading corresponding blocks of image data of a second image;
• means for logically combining the corresponding blocks of image data of the first and second images;
• means for writing into a print buffer the logically combined blocks of image data;
• means for printing the blocks of image data which are stored in the printer buffer, after the buffer has M complete main-scan lines of image data.

A system for forming an image having a first end and a second end which is perpendicular to the first end, comprising:

• means for selecting a section of an image;
• means for dividing the section which has been selected into rows and columns of blocks;
• means for writing a first row of blocks of the section which has been selected into a memory until the first end of the image to be formed is reached;
• means for writing in sequence subsequent rows of the section which has been selected into the memory until the first end of the image to be formed is reached for the subsequent rows, and when the image to be formed is not completed to the second end but a last row of the section which has been selected is reached, writing in sequence the rows of the section which has been selected beginning again with the first row of blocks, until the image to be formed is completed to the second end.