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US 2003/0193675 A1Published application
Printing apparatus printer driver, and buffer management method
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsJiro Moriyama, Hidehiko Kanda
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AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsJiro Moriyama, Hidehiko Kanda
Estimating the term…
In a printing apparatus which performs printing by scanning a printhead having printing elements arrayed in a predetermined direction on a printing medium in a direction crossing to the array direction on the basis of information transmitted from a host apparatus, stores print data transmitted from the host apparatus, and has a buffer smaller in capacity than a print data amount printed on the printing medium by one scanning of the printhead, the buffer is divided into a plurality of blocks corresponding to rectangular regions printed by scanning. The use order of the blocks is so managed as to circularly store print data in the blocks along with the progress of printing. When print data representing non-driving of the printing elements successively exist in a predetermined amount, the predetermined amount of print data is represented by specific control data without storing the predetermined amount of print data in the blocks. High-speed, high-quality printing can be achieved with a low-cost arrangement having a memory smaller in capacity than a data amount printed by one main scanning.
A printing apparatus which performs printing on a printing medium on the basis of print data transmitted from a host apparatus by using a printhead in which a plurality of printing elements are arrayed in a predetermined direction, comprising:
A printer driver which is installed in a host apparatus connected to a printing apparatus which performs printing on a printing medium on the basis of print data transmitted from a host apparatus by using a printhead in which a plurality of printing elements are arrayed in a predetermined direction, comprising scanning means for scanning the printhead in a main scanning direction crossing to the predetermined direction, a buffer which stores the print data transmitted from the host apparatus in order to transfer the print data to the printhead, and is smaller in capacity than a print data amount for printing by scanning the printhead by a width scannable by said scanning means, block management means for dividing said buffer into a plurality of blocks corresponding to rectangular regions printed by scanning, and managing a use order of the blocks so as to circularly store print data in the blocks along with progress of printing, and null data management means for, when print data representing non-driving of the printing elements successively exist in a predetermined amount, representing the predetermined amount of print data by specific control data without storing the predetermined amount of print data in the blocks, and transmits control information and print data to the printing apparatus, comprising:
A buffer management method for a printing apparatus which performs printing by scanning a printhead having printing elements, arrayed in a predetermined direction, on a printing medium in a direction crossing to the array direction on the basis of information transmitted from a host apparatus, stores print data transmitted from the host apparatus, and has a buffer smaller in capacity than a print data amount printed on the printing medium by one scanning of the printhead, comprising:
A host apparatus which is connected to a printing apparatus for performing printing by scanning, in a main scanning direction crossing to a predetermined direction, a printhead having a plurality of printing elements arranged in the predetermined direction, and transfers print data used for printing to the printing apparatus, comprising:
A printer driver which is executed in a host apparatus that is connected to a printing apparatus for performing printing by scanning, in a main scanning direction crossing to a predetermined direction, a printhead having a plurality of printing elements arrayed in the predetermined direction, and transfers print data used for printing to the printing apparatus, wherein the printer driver controls to generate print data corresponding to one scanning of the printhead in the main scanning direction, and start transferring the print data to the printing apparatus after generating the print data corresponding to one scanning of the printhead.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
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Using printers: by matrix printers
Input data handling means: buffers
Graphical data reading
Term end not estimated
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, printer driver, and buffer management method, particularly, to a buffer management method for a printing apparatus which performs printing by scanning a printhead having printing elements arrayed in a predetermined direction on a printing medium in a direction crossing to the array direction on the basis of information transmitted from a host apparatus and, more particularly, to a printing apparatus and printing method capable of high-speed, high-quality printing while reducing the capacity of a storage means (memory) arranged in the printing apparatus and reducing the cost of the printing apparatus.
At present, there are known various printing methods used to print characters, images, information, and the like on printing media. An inkjet printing method has widely been used in printing apparatuses, copying machines, and the like because of low noise, low apparatus cost, low running cost, and compact apparatus can be facilitated.
A conventional serial inkjet printing apparatus prints one page by alternately repeating main scanning by a printhead and sub-scanning of conveying a printing medium. A memory having a memory capacity enough to store all data to be printed by one main scanning at a main scanning printing width printable by a printing apparatus is used as a print buffer for storing data to be printed by the printhead. After all data to be printed by one main scanning are stored in the print buffer, main scanning of the printhead starts to perform printing.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a view showing the concept of a print buffer set in the first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the schematic arrangement of an inkjet printing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail in accordance with the accompanying drawings.
In this specification, “print” is not only to form significant information such as characters and graphics, but also to form, e.g., images, figures, and patterns on printing media in a broad sense, regardless of whether the information formed is significant or insignificant or whether the information formed is visualized so that a human can visually perceive it, or to process printing media.
“Print media” are any media capable of receiving ink, such as cloth, plastic films, metal plates, glass, ceramics, wood, and leather, as well as paper sheets used in common printing apparatuses.