Single print job emulation of multiple TIFF files
AssigneeSharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
InventorAndrew R. Ferlitsch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for printing multiple TIFF files as a single print job are disclosed. Multiple-TIFF-file data is concatenated into a single stream, without completely merging the data into a single TIFF file with all byte offsets affected. Instead, tag data is used to either delineate which data comes from which files (allowing offset pointers to be offset or reset), or to set an offset adjustment value to interpret byte offsets that do not refer to the beginning of the file stream. A PDL interpreter and/or a TIFF reader on the printer processes the concatenated data, allowing the use of advanced print features and efficient device utilization when multiple TIFF files are printed together.
Claims30
A method of printing multiple TIFF files, the method comprising:
- concatenating image and image pointer data from first and second TIFF files into a single print job;
- and
- adding tag data to the print job, the tag data containing information that allows a printer to recognize and process the second TIFF file data.
A method of processing a print job containing concatenated image and image pointer data from first and second TIFF files, the method comprising:
- rendering image data corresponding to the first TIFF file;
- recognizing tag data within the print job, the tag data indicating that the print job TIFF data continues beyond the data from the first TIFF file;
- adjusting print parameters according to the tag data to allow TIFF reading of data corresponding to the second TIFF file;
- and
- rendering image data corresponding to the second TIFF file.
A print device capable of rendering TIFF data, comprising:
- a print engine having a TIFF reader, the print engine having the capability to process a print job comprising
- image and image pointer data from multiple concatenated TIFF files, and
- tags instructing the print engine how to read the concatenated TIFF file data;
- and
- a marking engine to print processed data received from the print engine.
A print assistant comprising:
- a TIFF data concatenator to place TIFF data from multiple TIFF files in a common print data stream;
- and
- a tag insertion module to place tags in the print data stream, the tags containing instructions, to a print engine, needed to read the concatenated TIFF data.
An apparatus comprising a computer-readable medium containing computer instructions that, when executed or interpreted by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of printing multiple TIFF files, the method comprising:
- concatenating image and image pointer data from first and second TIFF files into a single print job;
- and
- adding tag data to the print job, the tag data containing information that allows a printer to recognize and process the second TIFF file.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.