US 6,186,682 B1Granted

Printing system that can predict the time it will take to print a document using various formats and pick the optimum printing path

AssigneeNEC Corporation

InventorMasahiro Ishiyama

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Abstract

A printing system comprises a printer in communication with a host computer through a bidirectional data transfer connection. A first processing time predicting section is capable of predicting first data processing time taken for the host computer to generate bit image data from print data. A second processing time predicting section is capable of predicting second data processing time taken for the printer to generate bit image data from print data. A transfer time predicting section is capable of predicting data transfer time taken for the data transfer connector to transfer data. A distribution controlling section determines distribution of data processing needed to generate bit image data from print data based on combination of the first and second data processing times predicted and the transfer time predicted to provide shortest time data processing distribution plan.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A printing system comprising:

a printing apparatus controller including a first bit image generator for generating bit image data from print data;
a printing apparatus including a second bit image generator for generating bit image data from print data;
a first processing time predicting section for predicting first data processing time taken for the first bit image generator to generate bit image data from print data;
a second processing time predicting section for predicting second data processing time taken for the second bit image generator to generate bit image data from print data;
a data transfer connector interconnecting the printing apparatus controller and the printing apparatus;
a transfer time predicting section for predicting first data transfer time taken for the data transfer connector to transfer data from the printing apparatus controller to the printing apparatus;
and
a distribution controlling section that determines distribution of data processing needed to generate bit image data from print data based on a combination of the first and second data processing times predicted and the transfer time predicted to provide a shortest time data processing distribution plan for printing print data.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.