Interpreter for executing rasterize processing to obtain printing picture element information

The interpreter of claim 3, further comprising:

• means incorporated in the one of the at least two information processing units, for transmitting a message for requesting participation in the rasterize processing, to the other of the at least two information processing units, prior to distributing the partial files by the distributing means;
• and
• means incorporated as a resident program in the other of the at least two information processing units, for responsive to the message for discriminating whether the other of the at least two information processing units can participate in the rasterize processing according to load condition of the other of the at least two information processing units, and for activating the rasterize means only when the other of the at least two information processing units can participate in the rasterize processing.

An information processing unit connected to at least one other information processing unit via a network, each of the information processing units having an independent memory which is not shared with other information processing unit of thenetwork for independently processing an assigned task in a parallel-processing system, comprising:

• means for dividing the source file or an intermediate code file converted from the source file into plural partial files each of which can be rasterized independently;
• and
• file transmitting means for transmitting at least a part of the plural partial files to the other information processing unit in the network in order to partially share the rasterize processing of the plural partial files with the other information processing unit.

A method for rasterize processing to obtain printing picture element information from a source file, in an information processing unit connected to at least one other information processing unit via a network, each of the information processing unit having an independent memory which is not shared with another information processing unit of the network for independently processing an assigned task in a parallel-processing system, the method comprising the steps of:

• dividing a source file or an intermediate code file converted from the source file into plural partial files each of which can be rasterized independently;
• and
• transmitting a part of the plural partial files to the other information processing unit in order to partially share the rasterize processing of the plural partial files with the other information processing unit.

A method for rasterize processing to obtain printing picture element information from a source file, in one information processing unit connected to at least one other information processing unit via a network, each of the information units having an independent memory which is not shared with another information processing unit of the network for independently processing an assigned task in a parallel processing system, the method comprising the steps of:

• obtaining partial picture element information by rasterizing a part of plural partial files which are divided from the source file or an intermediate code file converted from the source file and each of which can be independently rasterized;
• receiving other partial picture element information obtained by rasterizing other part of the plural partial files in the other information processing unit, from the otherinformation processing unit via the network;
• combining the partial picture element information and the other partial picture element information to obtain entire picture element information.

An information processing unit connected to a plurality of other information processing units via a network, each of the information units having an independent memory which is not shared with another information processing unit of the network for independently processing an assigned task in a parallel processing system, comprising:

• means for collecting via a network a plurality of partial picture element information from the other information processing units obtained by rasterizing plural partial files which are divided from a source file or an intermediate code file converted from the source file and each of which can be independently rasterized;
• and
• means for combining the collected plural partial picture element information to obtain the entire picture element information.

A method for rasterize processing to obtain printing picture element information from a source file in one information processing unit connected to at least one other information processing unit via a network, each of the information units having an independent memory which is not shared with another information processing unit of the network for independently processing an assigned task in a parallel processing system, the method comprising the steps of:

• collecting plural partial picture element information form the other information processing unit obtained by rasterizing plural partial files which are divided from the source file or an intermediate code file converted from the source file and each of which can be independently rasterized;
• and
• combining collected plural partial picture element information to obtain entire picture element information.