Image processing apparatus and method
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsTakashi Ohno, Jouji Ooki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One page is segmented into a plurality of bands (segments), and dot image data is generated on a per band basis from given information (graphic object). High-speed printing with a small-sized memory is achieved by allowing one band to be converted into dot image data and dot image data for another band to be transmitted to a printer, concurrently in parallel. When the conversion of a band to dot image data needs more time than is available for printing one band, or when the data quantity of object per page exceeds an allocated memory area, an object corresponding to a degraded image data is generated, and then the degraded image data is generated on a per band basis based on the resulting object.
Claims30
An image processing apparatus comprising:
- generating means for generating image data into a band memory on a per band basis in accordance with objects;
- transmitting means for transmitting the per-band image data to output means in a manner such that generation of image data of one band by said generating means and transmission of image data of another band by said transmitting means are performed in parallel;
- and
- determining means for determining the grade of the image data to be generated by said generating means, wherein when the grade determined by said determining means changes, said band memory is relocated and wherein said generating means generates per band image data for an entire page at the grade determined by said determining means.
An image processing method comprising the steps of:
- generating image data into a band memory on a per band basis in accordance with objects;
- transmitting the per-band image data to output means in a manner such that generation of image data of one band at said generating step and transmission of image data of another band at said transmitting step are performed in parallel;
- and
- determining the grade of the image data to be generated at said generating step, wherein when the grade determined in said determining step changes, said band memory is relocated and wherein said generating step generates per band image data for an entire page at the grade determined at said determining step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.