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US 2010/0128287 A1Published application
Lowering the consumption of ink in computer printing
AssigneeSoftware Imaging Limited
InventorsAnthony William Harris, Peter Kaplan, Bruno Bouby, Jerry Lim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of printing an image comprises sending a data stream representing the image to a printer driver, generating a stream of print instructions at the printer driver, forwarding the stream of print instructions to a printer, and printing the image in accordance with the print instructions. The data stream or stream of print instructions is intercepted and processed so that the printer uses less ink to print the image than it would if the processing was not performed.
Claims20
A shell driver arranged to:
- intercept a data stream defining an image to be printed sent from an application to a printer driver before receipt by the printer driver;
- process the intercepted data stream to generate a modified data stream which defines a modified image requiring less ink to be printed than the image defined by the intercepted data stream prior to processing;
- and
- forward the modified data stream to the printer driver.
1 more element
A printing system comprising:
- a printer driver arranged to:
- receive a data stream defining an image to be printed;
- process a received data stream to generate a stream of print instructions for causing a printer to print the image defined by a received data stream;
- and
- forwarding a generated stream of print instructions to a printer;
- and
- a shell driver arranged to:
- intercept the data stream defining an image to be printed sent to a printer driver before receipt by the printer driver;
- process the intercepted data stream to generate a modified data stream which defines a modified image requiring less ink to be printed than the image defined by the intercepted data stream prior to processing;
- and
- forward the modified data stream to the printer driver.
8 more elements
A printing method comprising:
- providing a shell driver operable to intercept a data stream defining an image to be printed sent by an application program to a printer driver and process the data stream to generate a modified data stream which defines a modified image requiring less ink to be printed than the image defined by the intercepted data stream prior to processing;
- sending a data stream defining an image to be printed from an application program to a printer driver;
- intercepting the data stream before receipt by the printer driver using the shell driver;
- processing the intercepted data stream using the shell driver to generate a modified data stream which defines a modified image requiring less ink to be printed than the image defined by the intercepted data stream prior to processing;
- forwarding the modified data stream to the printer driver;
- processing the modified data stream using at the printer driver to generate a stream of print instructions for causing a printer to print the modified image;
- forwarding the stream of print instructions to a printer;
- and
- printing the modified image in accordance with the print instructions.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.