US 6,647,437 B2 · Method for automatically detecting and processing binary postscript print jobs

Abstract

A printer is provided which has a special Emulation Manager function as well as a “code sniffer” function, in which print data received is sent to a code sniffer buffer. A code sniffer function automatically determines the type of emulator that should be called to perform the interpretation or rendering of this print job, and if the code sniffer determines that the correct emulator is PostScript, then the code sniffer scans the data for any “special tokens.” If a special token is found, the PostScript emulator determines if the special token string data is part of a PostScript comment. If it is in the correct format, then the PostScript emulator sets the “mode flag” to the “MacBinary” state, and the code sniffer ceases any further filtering of control characters and disables any change of emulator command that may be received during this print job. The rest of the print job is then interpreted as RAW binary data by the PostScript emulator, until a “UEL” string is encountered.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A method for automatically detecting and processing binary print data, said method comprising:

(a) providing an image forming apparatus having a memory circuit for storage of data, a communications port, and a processing circuit, said memory circuit containing at least one computer program that includes a code sniffer function and an emulator function;
(b) scanning, by use of said code sniffer function, incoming data received at said communications port to determine if a predetermined special token has been received in a print job;
and
(c) if said predetermined special token has been received, said code sniffer function changing a mode of operation so that it will treat all further incoming data for this print job as RAW binary data.

1 more element

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a memory circuit for storage of data, and containing at least one computer program that includes a code sniffer function and an emulator function;
a communications port that is effectively connected to at least one external device and to said memory circuit, said communications port providing data from said at least one external device to said memory circuit, and
a processing circuit which is configured to scan by use of said code sniffer function, incoming data received at said communications port to determine if a predetermined special token has been received in a print job, and if said predetermined special token has been received, said processing circuit is further configured to change a mode of operation so as to require said code sniffer function to treat all further incoming data for this print job as RAW binary data.

A method for automatically detecting and processing binary print data, said method comprising:

(a) providing an image forming apparatus having a memory circuit for storage of data, a communications port, and a processing circuit, said memory circuit containing an input buffer, a code sniffer buffer, an emulator working memory area, and at least one computer program that includes a code sniffer function and an emulator function;
(b) said input buffer receiving input data from said communications port and sending at least one portion of said input data to said code sniffer buffer,
(c) scanning, at the beginning of a print job, said portion of incoming data in the code sniffer buffer to determine the type of emulator that corresponds to said print job input data, and to determine if a predetermined data pattern has been received in a print job;
(d) if at least one predetermined data pattern is found, said code sniffer function temporarily ceasing to pass any further data to said emulator working area until said emulator function determines whether said predetermined data pattern comprises a predetermined special token;
and
(e) if said predetermined special token has been received, said code sniffer function changing a mode of operation so that it will treat all further incoming data for this print job as RAW binary data.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for automatically detecting and processing binary postscript print jobs

Life of this patent

Method for automatically detecting and processing binary postscript print jobs

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23