Multi-path data processing pipeline

A print data processing pipeline for separately processing a first print data stream formed, alternatively, from lossless data including lossless data elements or compressed lossless data including compressed lossless data elements and a second print data stream formed, alternatively, from lossy data including lossy data elements or compressed lossy data including compressed lossy data elements, said print data processing pipeline using a merge data stream defined by said first print data stream and said second print data stream and formed of merge data including merge data elements corresponding to, alternatively, said lossless data elements and said lossy data elements or said compressed lossless data elements and said compressed lossy data elements, said print data processing pipeline comprising:

• a lossless compressor/decompressor having a first input to receive, said first print data stream and having a lossless decompressed output and a lossless compressed output, said lossless compressor/decompressor to perform alternatively, lossless compression and lossless decompression to generate a first transformed print data stream including, alternatively, said compressed lossless data and said decompressed lossless data said lossless compressor/decompressor includes a configuration to receive said merge data to generate compressed merge data and to receive said compressed merge data to generate decompressed merge data;
• a lossy compressor/decompressor having a second input to receive said second print data stream and having a lossy decompressed output and a lossy compressed output, said lossy compressor/decompressor to perform alternatively, lossy compression and lossy decompression to generate a second transformed print data stream including, alternatively, compressed lossy data and decompressed lossy data;
• a direct memory access controller coupled to said lossless compressed output and said lossy compressed output, said direct memory access controller having a third input to receive at least one of said lossless, said compressed lossless, and said decompressed lossless data, said lossy, said compressed lossy, and said decompressed lossy data, and said merge, said compressed merge, and said decompressed merge data, said direct memory access controller includes a configuration to send at least one of said lossless, said compressed lossless, and said decompressed lossless data, and said merge, said compressed merge, and said decompressed merge data to said lossless compressor/decompressor and said direct memory access controller includes a configuration to send at least one of said lossy, said compressed lossy, and said decompressed lossy data to said lossy compressor/decompressor and;
• a merge unit configured to receive said first transformed print data stream including said decompressed lossless data, said second transformed print data stream including said decompressed lossy data, and said merge data stream, said merge unit to merge said first transformed print data stream and said second transformed print data stream into an output data stream using said merge data stream.

A printer, comprising:

• a processor to generate a first print data stream formed, alternatively, from lossless data including lossless data elements or compressed lossless data including compressed lossless data elements, a second print data stream formed, alternatively, from lossy data including lossy data elements or compressed lossy data including compressed lossy data elements and to generate a merge data stream defined by said first print data stream and said second print data stream and formed of merge data including merge data elements corresponding to, alternatively, said lossless data elements and said lossy data elements or said compressed lossless data elements and said compressed lossy data elements;
• a direct memory access controller configured to receive said first print data stream, said second print data stream, and said merge data stream from said processor;
• a lossless compressor/decompressor having a first input to receive said first print data stream from said direct memory access controller and having a lossless decompressed output and a lossless compressed output, said lossless compressor/decompressor to perform alternatively, lossless compression and lossless decompression to generate a first transformed print data stream including, alternatively, said compressed lossless data and said decompressed lossless data, said lossless compressor/decompressor includes a configuration to receive said merge data to generate compressed merge data and to receive said compressed merge data to generate decompressed merge data;
• a lossy compressor/decompressor having a second input to receive said second print data stream from said direct memory access controller and having a lossy decompressed output and a lossy compressed output, said lossy compressor/decompressor to perform alternatively, lossy compression and lossy decompression transform on said print data elements of said second one of said plurality of print to generate a second transformed print data stream including, alternatively, compressed lossy data and decompressed lossy data;
• a page strip manager coupled to said lossless decompressed output, said lossy decompressed output, and said direct memory access controller;
• said page strip manager having a first lossless output, a first lossy output, and a merge data output;
• a merge unit coupled to the merge data output and configured to receive said first transformed print data stream including said decompressed lossless data, said second transformed print data stream including said decompressed lossy data, and said merge data stream, said merge unit to merge said first transformed print data stream and said second transformed print data stream into an output print data stream using said merge data stream;
• and
• a color space converter coupled to said first lossless output and said first lossy output, said color space converter having a second lossless output and a second lossy output coupled to said merge unit.