JP3799011B2 - How to generate print data for all pages - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for generating print data for all pages, and more particularly to a method for generating print data for all pages for a laser printer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As racer printer technology is improved, printers are creating higher resolution pages. The amount of raster data required to transmit an image to a printer for printing also increases, which adversely affects printer performance. For 300 DPI devices, an 8 inch wide and 10 inch wide raster image has a data capacity of 0.9 megabytes when it is dithered before being transmitted to the printer. I need. Also, a data capacity of 3.9 megabytes is required for a 600 DPI device, and a data capacity of 14.4 megabytes is required for a 1200 DPI device.
[0003]
Prior art methods for generating print data for laser printers are inefficient. For example, during the print data generation procedure, all objects in the document are compared to each other by performing a raster operation, so if the amount of documents is large, it takes time to combine them. Cost.
[0004]
Furthermore, due to the nature of the laser printer, it requires a large storage capacity to temporarily store the processing data during the generation of all page images, so that any page is printed before it is printed. All page images must be adjusted.
[0005]
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to reduce the amount of memory for temporarily storing processing data, and to efficiently print the print data of all pages to the printer by specifying the position of all objects. It is to provide a method for generating automatically.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In accordance with the claimed subject matter, an operating system's graphics device interface (GDI) and printer driver are utilized to convert a document to a full page image. GDI provides the object of the document and the coordinates of the object within the document. The document is divided into a plurality of blocks. In order to record the coordinates of the object, an address array having a plurality of address units is established. Each address unit corresponds to one of the blocks and is used to record the position of interest within the block. Update the position recorded in the address unit according to the coordinates of the object provided by the GDI. A corresponding image element is generated for each block according to the updated position recorded in the corresponding address unit. Finally, all image elements are integrated to obtain a full page image.
[0007]
The present invention produces an effect of efficiently combining objects by generating each image element without referring to other objects located in other blocks of the document.
[0008]
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the various drawings and in the preferred embodiment of the invention. It will become clear that there is no doubt.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1, a functional block diagram of a computer system 10 connected to a printer 30 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The computer system 10 includes an operating system (OS) 12 such as a Windows (registered trademark) 95 operating system sold by Microsoft Corporation, and a memory 26 for storing data. In accordance with the method of the present invention, the OS 12 is used to control the operation of the computer system 10 and controls the operation of the graphics device interface (GDI) 14 for managing the graphics process of the computer system 10 and the printer 30. A printer driver 16 is provided. GDI 14 is a standard graphic interface for Microsoft Windows operating systems. Each time the computer system 10 controls the printer 30 to print a document such as the document 18 stored in the computer system 10, the document 18 is converted to a full page image for the printer to print. The GDI 14 and printer driver 16 must be used. A laser printer is used as the printer 30 because print data for all page images must be prepared before printing a page corresponding to the document 18. In other words, the printer 30 does not print the document 18 until the printer 30 receives all the print data of all the converted page images from the document 18.
[0010]
Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the document 18. In general, each document in computer system 10 that is sent to printer 30 for printing has at least one target. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the document 18 has three objects 20a, 20b and 20c. Each object 20a-20c has a plurality of pixels 22 and associated coordinates 24. When the computer system 10 generates print data for the document 18 to the printer 30, the GDI 14 provides the computer system 10 with corresponding information of the document 18, such as pixels 22 and coordinates 24. As a result, the computer system 10 converts the document 18 into an all-page image, and subsequently generates corresponding print data for the printer 30.
[0011]
The document 18 has a print range from (0, 0) to (800, 800). However, the three objects 20a to 20c of the document 18 are located only within the range of (100, 60) to (700, 540), and (0, 0)-(800, 60), (0, 60)- There is no target in the four ranges represented by (100, 540), (700, 60)-(800, 540) and (0, 540)-(800, 600). Therefore, the generation of print data corresponding to these four ranges should be simplified. In the first embodiment, the GDI 14 provides the coordinates of the objects 20a-20c in the document 18. Thus, according to the coordinates 24 of the targets 20a to 20c provided by the GDI 14, the printer driver 16 sets the range of (100, 60)-(700, 540) as the main processing range and the other four that do not include the target. A range can be defined as a non-target range. When the GDI 14 and the printer driver 16 define the range (100, 60)-(700, 540) as the main processing range, the coordinates 24 of the objects 20a to 20c in the document 18 are written so as to define the main processing range. In addition, the memory 26 is used. For example, when the GDI 14 provides the coordinates 24 of the object 20a and subsequently the coordinates 24 of the objects 20b and 20c, respectively, the memory 26 may write the range (100, 60)-(200, 120) as the main processing range. The main processing range written in the memory 26 is later changed in the order of (100, 60)-(600, 450) and (100, 60)-(700, 540).
[0012]
Referring to FIG. 3, it is an explanatory diagram of another document 50. Document 50 consists of a text-only object, i.e., an object labeled "Text". Accordingly, the document 50 is separated into a main processing range 56 and non-target ranges 52, 54, 58 and 60. Further, the main processing range 56 is separated into a target range 62 and an empty range 64. The target range 62 is a range for displaying the text target of the document 50, and the empty range 64 is all parts of the main processing range 56 except the target range 62. When generating print data of the document 50, print data corresponding to the four non-target ranges 52, 54, 58 and 60 is generated by embedding a null value in a memory used for storing the print data. . Corresponding to the main processing range 56 by embedding a null value in the memory and then calculating the print data of the main processing range 56 according to the null value of the empty range 64 and the pixels of the target range 62 given by the GDI 14. Generate print data. By embedding with a null value and processing the print data in the main processing range 56 independently, the print data generation speed can be increased.
[0013]
Please refer to FIG. 4 and FIG. FIG. 4 shows a record table of the memory 26 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a plurality of blocks 72 of the document 70 mapped in the memory 26. In the second embodiment, the document 70 is also composed of several objects 74 and has a size of 8.5 inches wide and 11 inches long. The resolution of the document 70 is 600 DPI. The memory 26 is used to establish an address array and has a plurality of address units 28. The document 70 is divided into a plurality of blocks 72. Blocks 72 are equal in size, and each block contains 10 scan lines for document 70. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. Each address unit 28 corresponds to one of the blocks 72 and is used to record the position of the object 74 within the block 72. For example, the first address unit REC # 0 records the position of the object 74 in the first ten scanning lines in the document 70, that is, the scanning lines 0-9. The second address unit REC # 1 records the position of the object 74 in the next ten scanning lines in the document 70, that is, the scanning lines 10 to 19. When the computer system 10 generates print data of the document 70 for the printer 30, the GDI 14 provides the printer driver 16 with the object 74 of the document 70 and the coordinates of the object 74 in the document 70. The position recorded in the address unit 28 is then updated according to the coordinates of the object 74 provided by the GDI 14. When a position recorded in any address unit 28 is updated, if the corresponding block 72 in the address unit 28 does not include any target 74 in the document 70, a predetermined flag (ie, an “empty block” flag) ) Is written in the address unit. However, if block 72 includes any object 74 in document 70, image element 82 is generated by performing a conversion process on block 72. For example, the first three blocks A-C do not include any object 74. Thus, the three address units REC # 0 to REC # 2 record the same flag, that is, a null value, and embed a predetermined code (for example, “empty code”), thereby embedding three corresponding image elements. # A- # C is generated. On the other hand, the block N includes several objects 74. Thereby, the corresponding address unit REC # N records the upper left and lower right coordinates of the block N in the document 70, and performs the conversion process for the block N according to the pixels of the object 74 in the block N provided by the GDI 14. As a result, an image element #N is generated. When the block N conversion process is performed, if the printer 30 is in black and white printing mode, the object 74 in block N is converted to gray level image data. Next, the gray level image data is converted into image element #N. However, when executing the conversion process of block N, if the printer 30 is in color mode, the object in block N is converted to cyan-magenta-yellow-black (CMYK) image data. Subsequently, the CMYK image data is converted into an image element #N. Accordingly, the printer 30 can print either a monochrome document or a color document.
[0014]
According to the coordinates recorded in the address unit 74, the GDI 14 and the printer driver 16 generate all page images. Here, referring to FIG. 6, there are explanatory views of the document 70 and the all-page image 80. The full page image 80 has a plurality of image elements 82, each image element 82 corresponding to one of the blocks 72 of the document 70. When generating print data for document 70, GDI 14 and printer driver 16 generate a corresponding image element 82 for each block 72 according to the updated location recorded in the corresponding address unit 28. For example, the image element #A is generated according to the updated position recorded in the address unit REC # 0. GDI 14 and printer driver 16 generate only one image element 82 at a time. Therefore, the capacity of the memory 26 for temporarily storing data, that is, pixel and print data can be reduced. For example, if the document 70 is divided into M blocks, the capacity of the memory 26 for temporarily storing data can be reduced to about 1 / M of the data amount of all page images 80. In the second embodiment, the all page image 80 is print data of the document 70 and is transmitted to the printer 30 for printing. After all image elements 82 of all page images 80 are generated, the image elements 82 are integrated into all page images 80. Next, the entire page image 80 is transmitted to the printer 30. The printer 30 receives the all page image 80, and the printer 30 automatically prints the all page image 80.
[0015]
Referring to FIG. 7, there is a relationship explanatory diagram showing the document 70 in FIG. 5 mapped to the memory 26 in FIG. 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The main difference between the third embodiment and the second embodiment is that, in the third embodiment, each of the ten scan lines in the document 70 is further divided into five blocks 92, and the number of address units 29 is increased. Is five times the number of address units 28. Similar to the second embodiment, the GDI 14 and printer driver 16 generate only one corresponding image element at a time, and then integrate all the image elements into the full page image 80.
[0016]
In contrast to the prior art, the present invention is a method for generating a full-page image by integrating multiple image elements, without reference to other objects located in other blocks of the document, A method of generating each image element is disclosed. Therefore, the generation of print data according to the present invention is more efficient. In addition, only one of the image elements is generated at a given time so that the memory capacity for temporarily storing data can be reduced.
[0017]
Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that various modifications and changes of the apparatus may be made while maintaining the teachings of the present invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the claims.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a computer system connected to a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the document shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of another document.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a recording table in the memory of FIG. 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a relationship explanatory diagram showing a plurality of blocks of a document mapped in the memory shown in FIG. 1;
6 is an explanatory diagram of the document and all page images shown in FIG. 5. FIG.
7 is a relationship explanatory diagram showing the document of FIG. 5 mapped to the memory of FIG. 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Computer system 12 Operating system (OS)
14 Graphic Device Interface (GDI)
16 Printer driver 18 Document 20a, 20b, 20c Target 22 Pixel 24 Coordinate 26 Memory 28, 29 Address unit 30 Printer 50 Document 52, 54, 58, 60 Non-target range 56 Main processing range 62 Target range 64 Empty range 70 Document 72 Block 74 Target 80 All page image 82 Image element 92 Block

Claims (8)

A method of converting a document into a full page image using a graphics device interface (GDI) of an operating system,
The operating system is installed in the computer system to control the operation of the computer system;
The GDI is a method that is capable of managing the graphics process of the computer system, where:
Providing the object of the document and the coordinates of the object in the document using the GDI;
Dividing the document into a plurality of blocks;
Establishing an address array having a plurality of address units, each address unit corresponding to one of the blocks so as to record a position of interest in the block;
Updating the position recorded in the address unit according to the coordinates of the object provided by the GDI;
Generating a corresponding image element for each block according to the updated position recorded in the corresponding address unit; and integrating said image element into a full page image;
A method consisting of: When updating the position recorded in any of the address units, if the corresponding block in the address unit includes any part of the object of the document, the upper left coordinates and the lower right coordinates of the part of the object in the block The method of claim 1, wherein: is written in address units. 2. When updating a position recorded in any address unit, if a corresponding block of the address unit does not include any part of a target of a document, a predetermined flag is written in the address unit. The method described in 1. 2. When generating any image element of the block, if the block includes any part of the object of the document, the image element is generated by performing a conversion process on the block. The method described in 1. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein in performing the conversion process, objects in the block are converted to gray level image data and the gray level image data is converted to the image elements. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein in performing the conversion process, objects in the block are converted to cyan-magenta-yellow-black (CMYK) image data, and the CMYK image data is converted to the image elements. . 2. When generating any image element of the block, if the block does not include any portion of the object of the document, a plurality of pixels having a predetermined code are integrated into the image element. The method described. The method of claim 1, wherein the blocks have equal sizes.

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