Gpu-based rip architecture
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsLena QIAN, Zachary Theodore WARREN, Andrew Peter DOWNING
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of printing document data in page description language format using a plurality of graphics processing units. The plurality of tiles representing the document using the assigned graphics processing units are rendered in parallel with one another, and the rendered tiles are transmitted, bypassing the central processing units, from each of the graphics processing units to a corresponding one of a plurality of print head controllers, with the rendered tiles transmitted at a higher frequency than a frequency at which the plurality of tiles is output from each print head controller. The rendered tiles are repeatedly transmitted until each print head controller completes output of the previous band.
Claims7
A method of printing document data in page description language format using a plurality of graphics processing units via a video interface, said method comprising:
- converting the document data to a set of rendering commands corresponding to a plurality of bands, using at least one central processing unit, wherein each of the plurality of bands includes a plurality of tiles and each of the tiles included in a band is associated with one of a plurality of swathes;
- assigning each of the plurality of tiles to one of the plurality of graphics processing units in accordance with a swathe associated with each of the plurality of tiles;
- rendering the plurality of tiles representing the document using the assigned graphics processing units in parallel with one another;
- transmitting the rendered tiles from each of the graphics processing units to a corresponding one of a plurality of print head controllers, bypassing the central processing units, wherein the rendered tiles are transmitted at a higher frequency than a frequency at which the plurality of tiles is output from each print head controller, and the rendered tiles are repeatedly transmitted until each print head controller completes output of the previous band;
- and
- outputting, from each of the print head controllers, the rendered tiles forming a complete band for printing the rendered tiles.
A system for printing document data in page description language format using a plurality of graphics processing units via a video interface, said system comprising:
- a memory for storing data and a computer program;
- a processor coupled to said memory for executing said computer program, said computer program comprising instructions for:
- converting the document data to a set of rendering commands corresponding to a plurality of bands, using at least one central processing unit, wherein each of the plurality of bands includes a plurality of tiles and each of the tiles included in a band is associated with one of a plurality of swathes;
- assigning each of the plurality of tiles to one of the plurality of graphics processing units in accordance with a swathe associated with each of the plurality of tiles;
- rendering the plurality of tiles representing the document using the assigned graphics processing units in parallel with one another;
- transmitting the rendered tiles from each of the graphics processing units to a corresponding one of a plurality of print head controllers, bypassing the central processing units, wherein the rendered tiles are transmitted at a higher frequency than a frequency at which the plurality of tiles is output from each print head controller, and the rendered tiles are repeatedly transmitted until each print head controller completes output of the previous band;
- and
- outputting, from each of the print head controllers, the rendered tiles forming a complete band for printing the rendered tiles.
A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program stored thereon for printing document data in page description language format using a plurality of graphics processing units, said program comprising:
- code for converting the document data to a set of rendering commands corresponding to a plurality of bands, using at least one central processing unit, wherein each of the plurality of bands includes a plurality of tiles and each of the tiles included in a band is associated with one of a plurality of swathes;
- code for assigning each of the plurality of tiles to one of the plurality of graphics processing units in accordance with a swathe associated with each of the plurality of tiles;
- code for rendering the plurality of tiles representing the document using the assigned graphics processing units in parallel with one another;
- code for transmitting the rendered tiles from each of the graphics processing units to each of a corresponding one of a plurality of print head controllers, bypassing the central processing units, wherein the rendered tiles are transmitted at a higher frequency than a frequency at which the plurality of tiles is output from each print head controller, and the rendered tiles are repeatedly transmitted until each print head controller completes output of the previous band;
- and
- code for outputting, from each of the print head controllers, the rendered tiles forming a complete band for printing the rendered tiles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.