JP5766059B2 - Image forming apparatus, image forming apparatus control method, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to control of an image forming apparatus that processes page description language (PDL) data by a plurality of processors.

In recent years, due to improvements in hardware technology, a multi-core CPU has been developed, and a personal computer (PC) or the like can simultaneously execute a plurality of applications.
In a multi-function printer (MFP; Multifunction Printer or Multifunction Peripheral), a multi-core CPU is mounted in order to execute a plurality of functions such as copying and printing in parallel without stress.

  When printing processing of page description language (PDL) data, a method has been proposed in which drawing commands are processed in parallel by a multi-core CPU and processed at high speed by the multi-core CPU (Patent Document 1). reference).

  There has also been proposed a method in which drawing commands in PDL data are rearranged, and then each drawing command is processed in parallel by each CPU and efficiently processed by a multi-core CPU (see Patent Document 2).

JP 2009-116450 A JP 2009-259231 A

  However, as shown in Patent Document 1, when the PDL is processed in parallel, the order of the generated intermediate codes is not guaranteed, so it is necessary to rearrange the generated intermediate codes after the page ends. It takes time to process.

  Further, as shown in Patent Document 2, when rearranging commands in advance, it is necessary to receive all data in advance, and it takes time until initial printing is performed while memory resources are compressed.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems. The object of the present invention is to perform the process from the drawing command of the page description language data to the generation of the intermediate code in parallel using the multi-core CPU without performing the rearrangement in advance or the rearrangement. Drawing commands that cannot be changed can be processed sequentially, using a multi-core CPU without waste, improving the performance of page description language data processing according to the number of CPU cores, and speeding up page description language data with less memory resources To provide a mechanism that can reduce the printing time.

  The present invention is an image forming apparatus that performs printing based on page description language data, and that sequentially analyzes drawing commands included in the page description language data, and draws from drawing commands analyzed by the analyzing means A plurality of generation units that generate intermediate codes in parallel in units of commands, a rendering unit that generates image data from the intermediate codes generated by the plurality of generation units, and printing the image data generated by the rendering unit A determination unit that determines whether or not the drawing command analyzed by the analyzing unit can be changed in processing order with each drawing command that has been analyzed before the drawing command and intermediate code generation has not ended; The drawing order determined to be changeable by any of the drawing commands by the means. For the command, the generation unit is requested to generate intermediate code regardless of the intermediate code generation end status of the previously analyzed drawing command, while the determination unit changes one or more specific drawing commands and processing order. The drawing command determined to be impossible has management means for controlling to wait for completion of intermediate code generation of the specific drawing command and to request generation of intermediate code from the generation means.

  According to the present invention, even if the processing from the drawing command of page description language data to the generation of the intermediate code is performed in parallel using the multi-core CPU without performing the rearrangement in advance or the rearrangement, the order can be changed. Drawing commands that cannot be changed can be processed sequentially, using a multi-core CPU without waste, improving the performance of page description language data processing according to the number of CPU cores, and speeding up page description language data with less memory resources The printing time can be shortened.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the data flow of the whole PDL in this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the task control of the whole PDL in this invention. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing when the image forming apparatus 101 is turned on. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a reception process 301 executed by a reception task 401 according to the first embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a PDL process 302 executed by a PDL task 402 according to the first exemplary embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the task control of the whole PDL in this invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a DL generation management process 303 executed by a DL generation management task 403 according to the first exemplary embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the DL production | generation end process shown to S1361 of FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the drawing image of a drawing object. It is a figure for demonstrating the change of the DL generation management table in execution of the DL generation management task in Example 1. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a DL generation process 304 executed by each DL generation task 404 according to the first exemplary embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a rendering process 305 executed by a renderer task 405 according to the first exemplary embodiment. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of PDL data in Embodiment 2. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a DL generation management task 403 according to the second embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the drawing result of a drawing object. It is a figure for demonstrating the change of the DL generation management table in execution of the DL generation management task in Example 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows the accumulated time of each process in 2 core CPU.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 101 denotes an image forming apparatus. A multi-core central processing unit (CPU) 204 can perform arithmetic processing and control of the image forming apparatus 101 in parallel. That is, the CPU 204 corresponds to a plurality of processors. The CPU 204 can process a plurality of processes (for example, a plurality of DL generation tasks described later) in parallel by a plurality of cores (arithmetic units).

  Reference numeral 201 denotes a ROM which stores a control code of the CPU 204 and the like so as to be readable by a computer. The control code stored in the ROM 201 is for causing the CPU 204 to function as a receiving unit 211, an analysis unit 212, an intermediate code generation management unit 213, an intermediate code generation unit 214, an expansion processing unit 215, and the like, which will be described later.

  Reference numeral 202 denotes a RAM which temporarily stores various information. The RAM 202 is used as a reception buffer 221, a work memory 222, a frame buffer 223, a raster memory 224, and the like.

  A network interface (network I / F) 203 is used to input / output information to / from an external device such as a PC via the network 102, and receives print data transmitted from the external device.

  The reception unit 211 stores the data received via the network I / F 203 in the reception buffer 221. The reception unit 211 reads print data from the reception buffer 221, specifies PDL (Page Discription Language) from the read print data, stores the PDL data in the work memory 222, and stores the PDL data (page data) in the analysis unit 212. Description language data).

The analysis unit 212 reads the PDL data passed from the reception unit 211 from the work memory 222 and analyzes the command.
The intermediate code generation management unit 213 determines the data analyzed by the analysis unit 212 and stores information for controlling intermediate code generation in the work memory 222.

  The intermediate code generation unit 214 generates an intermediate code (DL: Display List (also referred to as intermediate data)) that is internal information for performing drawing from the data analyzed by the analysis unit 212 and stores the generated intermediate code in the frame buffer 223. The intermediate code (DL) is data for which a raster image can be generated by a renderer 207.

  The expansion processing unit 215 expands the intermediate code (DL) stored in the frame buffer 223 into a raster image (bitmap data), and stores the expanded raster image in the raster memory 224. The expansion processing unit 215 performs processing at high speed using the renderer 207, which is dedicated hardware, because processing takes time.

  The reception buffer 221 is a memory that stores print data received via the network I / F 203. The work memory 222 is a memory that is temporarily used when converted into PDL data specified from input print data or an intermediate code.

  The frame buffer 223 is a memory that stores the intermediate code generated by the intermediate code generation unit 214. The raster memory 224 is a memory for storing a raster image whose development is controlled by the development processing unit 215 from the intermediate code stored in the frame buffer 223.

  As described above, the renderer 207 is dedicated hardware that generates a raster image with the display list (DL) stored in the frame buffer 223 as an input under the control of the expansion processing unit 215.

  Reference numeral 205 denotes an engine I / F that inputs and outputs signals to and from the printer engine 206. Based on the raster image data, the printer engine 206 forms a latent image on a photosensitive drum by, for example, a well-known electrophotographic process, transfers the image onto a sheet, fixes it, and performs printing. The printing method of the printer engine 206 is not limited to the printing method by the electrophotographic process, and any printing method may be used, for example, other printing methods such as an ink jet method and a sublimation method.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the data flow of the entire PDL in the present invention. Each process shown in FIG. 2 has input and output data, which are temporarily stored in the RAM 202.

  A reception process 301 is a process executed by the reception unit 211. The reception process 301 specifies PDL from the reception data stored in the reception buffer 221 and stores the PDL data 311 in the work memory 222.

  The PDL process 302 is a process executed by the analysis unit 212. The PDL processing 302 analyzes the PDL data 311 stored in the work memory 222 and stores an intermediate code generation command (DL generation command 312) in the work memory 222 according to the analyzed command. The DL generation command 312 is generated for each drawing command analyzed from the PDL data, and is an instruction for generating an intermediate code from the drawing command.

  The DL generation management process 303 is a process executed by the intermediate code generation management unit 213. The DL generation management process 303 makes a determination according to the DL generation command 312 stored in the work memory 222. Based on the determination result, the DL generation management process 303 stores (sequentially registers) the drawing information (drawing object) of the DL generation command in the DL generation management table 315 in the work memory 222, and manages the DL generation execution. To do.

  The DL generation process 304 is a process executed by the intermediate code generation unit 214. The DL generation process 304 generates a DL 313 according to the DL generation command 312 stored in the work memory 222 and stores it in the frame buffer 223.

The rendering process 305 is executed by the development processing unit 215. The rendering process 305 generates a bitmap 314 from the DL 313 stored in the frame buffer 223 using the renderer 207 and stores the bitmap 314 in the raster memory 224.
In PDL, it is necessary to sequentially execute the processes described above and generate DLs in order of commands of PDL data.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of task control of the entire PDL in the present invention. Note that each task shown in FIG. 3 is generated when the image forming apparatus 101 is powered on, and processing of each task is executed in accordance with an instruction from another task.

The reception task 401 executes a reception process 301 in accordance with an instruction from the network I / F 203 and requests the PDL task 402 to start a job.
The PDL task 402 requests PDL data from the reception task 401, and requests the DL generation management task 403 to process from the analysis result of the PDL processing 302.
The DL generation management task 403 manages the determination of data requested for processing from the PDL task 402 and the operation status of the plurality of DL generation tasks 404, and requests the DL generation task 404 to perform processing. Also, the DL generation management task 403 requests the renderer task 405 to perform processing when the DL generation for one page is completed.

Each DL generation task 404 performs DL generation processing 304 for generating an intermediate code (DL) in units of drawing commands from the drawing commands requested to be processed by the DL generation management task 403.
The renderer task 405 executes the rendering process 305 in accordance with the request from the DL generation management task 403, passes it to an engine task (not shown), and requests a print process.
Each task is independent, and a multi-core CPU 204 can execute a plurality of tasks in parallel.

Hereinafter, the image forming apparatus 101 process will be described with reference to flowcharts.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing when the image forming apparatus 101 is turned on. Note that the processing of this flowchart (each step such as S1001 to S1005) is realized by the CPU 204 of the image forming apparatus 101 executing a program recorded in the ROM 201 so as to be readable by a computer.

In step S <b> 1001, the CPU 204 activates the reception task 401 to enable the reception process 301.
In step S <b> 1002, the CPU 204 activates the PDL task 402 so that the PDL process 302 can be executed.
In step S <b> 1003, the CPU 204 activates the DL generation management task 403 so that the DL generation management process 303 can be executed.

In step S <b> 1004, the CPU 204 activates one or more DL generation tasks 404 so that the DL generation processing 304 can be executed. The CPU 204 activates DL generation tasks 404 by the number of CPU cores and executes the DL generation tasks 404 in parallel by the CPU cores.
In step S <b> 1005, the CPU 204 activates the renderer task 405 so that the rendering process 305 can be executed.
Each step can be executed in any order, and communication between tasks can be performed.

Hereinafter, each task of the image forming apparatus 101 will be described with reference to flowcharts.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the reception process 301 executed by the reception task 401 according to the first embodiment. That is, the processing in this flowchart (each step such as S1101 to S1121) is realized by the CPU 204 of the image forming apparatus 101 executing the program (reception unit 211) recorded in the ROM 201.

  First, the reception task 401 waits for data reception or a data acquisition request (S1101, S1110). When data is received via the network I / F 203 (Yes in S1101), the reception task 401 stores the data in the reception buffer 221 in S1102.

  In step S1103, the reception task 401 determines whether the job has been started. If it is determined that the job has not been started yet (No in S1103), the reception task 401 proceeds with S1104. In S <b> 114, the reception task 401 performs “job start notification” to the PDL task 402. In response to this “job start notification”, the PDL task 402 makes a “data acquisition request” to the reception task.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the job has already been started (Yes in S1103), the reception task 401 returns the process to S1101.
When the “data acquisition request” is received from the PDL task 402 via the network I / F 203 (Yes in S1110), the reception task 401 advances the process to S1111.

In step S <b> 1111, the reception task 401 determines whether data is stored in the reception buffer 221.
If it is determined that data is stored in the reception buffer 221 (Yes in S1111), the reception task 401 advances the process to S1112.
In step S <b> 1112, the reception task 401 copies the data stored in the reception buffer 221 to the address of the work memory 222 passed from the PDL task 402 when the data acquisition request is made.

  In step S <b> 1113, the reception task 401 notifies the PDL task 402 of “data acquisition completion”. Next, in S1114, the reception task 401 releases the reception buffer 221 and returns the process to S1101.

On the other hand, if it is determined that no data is stored in the reception buffer 221 (No in S1111), the reception task 401 waits for data reception in S1120.
When the data is received via the network I / F 203 (Yes in S1120), the reception task 401 stores the received data in the address of the work memory 222 passed at the time of the data acquisition request in S1121, and S1112 Proceed with the process.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the PDL process 302 executed by the PDL task 402 according to the first embodiment. The processing of this flowchart (steps such as S1201 to S1223) is realized by the CPU 204 of the image forming apparatus 101 executing a program (analysis unit 212) recorded in the ROM 201.

  First, in step S <b> 1201, the PDL task 402 waits for a “job start notification” from the reception task 401. Upon receiving a “job start notification” from the reception task 401, the PDL task 402 passes the address of the work memory 222 to the reception task 401 and performs a “data acquisition request” in S 1202.

  In step S <b> 1203, the PDL task 402 waits for a data acquisition completion notification from the reception task 401. When the data acquisition completion notification is received from the reception task 401 (Yes in S1203), the PDL task 402 analyzes the data stored at the address of the work memory 222 in S1204.

  In step S1205, the PDL task 402 determines whether the data stored in the work memory 222 is data indicating page start as a result of the analysis in step S1204.

  If it is determined that the data indicates page start (Yes in S1205), the PDL task 402 performs a “page start notification” to the DL generation management task 403 in S1206.

  In step S <b> 1207, the PDL task 402 waits for a “page start process completion notification” from the DL generation management task 403. Upon receiving a “page start process completion notification” from the DL generation management task 403 (Yes in S1207), the PDL task 402 returns the process to S1202.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S1205 that the data does not indicate page start (No in S1205), the PDL task 402 advances the process to S1210.
In step S1210, the PDL task 402 determines whether the data stored in the work memory 222 is data indicating page end.
If the PDL task 402 determines that the data indicates the page end (Yes in S1210), the PDL task 402 performs a “page end notification” to the DL generation management task 403 in S1211.

  In step S <b> 1212, the PDL task 402 waits for a “page end process completion notification” from the DL generation management task 403. When the “page end process completion notification” is received from the DL generation management task 403 (Yes in S1212), the PDL task 402 returns the process to S1202.

On the other hand, when it is determined in S1210 that the data does not indicate the end of the page (No in S1210), the PDL task 402 advances the process to S1220.
In step S1220, the PDL task 402 determines whether the data stored in the work memory 222 is data indicating job end. If it is determined that the data does not indicate the job end (No in S1220), the PDL task 402 advances the process to S1221.

In step S <b> 1221, the PDL task 402 generates a DL generation command from the data (drawing command) stored in the work memory 222 and stores the DL generation command in the work memory 222.
Next, in S1222, the PDL task 402 makes a DL generation processing request to the DL generation management task 403. At this time, the DL generation command generated in S1221 is transferred to the DL generation management task 403 via the work memory 222.

  Further, in step S1223, the PDL task 402 waits for a DL generation end notification from the DL generation management task 403. When the DL generation end notification is received from the DL generation management task 403 (Yes in S1223), the PDL task 402 returns the process to S1202.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the data stored in the work memory 222 is data indicating job end (Yes in S1220), the PDL task 402 returns the process to S1201.

Here, with reference to FIG. 7, a drawing object subjected to DL generation processing in the DL generation task 404 will be described.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a drawing object instructed to be drawn by a drawing command processed in the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 7, the drawing object includes data indicating a point sequence of a plurality of vertex coordinates 3 (Xn, Yn) forming the outer diameter 1001. Further, the drawing object has a color value (R, G, B) for drawing the outer diameter 1001 or a region 1003 within the outer diameter, and drawing coordinates (X, Y) at the upper left of the rectangle 1002 including the outer diameter 1001. And data indicating the width Wd and the height Ht of the rectangle 1002.

  In the overlap determination described later, the determination is made using the drawing coordinates (X, Y) of the rectangle 1002 of each drawing object and the width Wd and height Ht of the rectangle 1002. In the color determination described later, the determination is performed using the outer diameter 1001 or color values (R, G, B) for drawing the region 1003 surrounded by the outer diameter.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the DL generation management process 303 executed by the DL generation management task 403 according to the first embodiment. The processing of this flowchart (each step such as S1301 to S1382) is realized by the CPU 204 of the image forming apparatus 101 executing a program (intermediate code generation management unit 213) recorded in the ROM 201.

  When receiving a notification from another task, the DL generation management task 403 determines whether the notification is a DL generation request, a DL generation end notification, a page start notification, or a page end notification (S1301, S1360, S1370, S1380).

  When it is determined that the received notification is a “page start notification” from the PDL task 402 (Yes in S1370), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1371.

  In S 1371, the DL generation management task 403 sets “0” to CurID indicating the ID of the current drawing object and ObjectCount (variable reserved in the RAM 202) indicating the number of drawing objects registered in the DL generation management table. Initialize to. CurID is a variable indicating the ID of the current drawing object, and is secured in the RAM 202. Further, ObjectCount is a variable indicating the number of drawing objects registered in a DL generation management table described later, and is secured in the RAM 202.

Next, in S1372, the DL generation management task 403 performs “page start process completion notification” to the PDL task 402, and returns the process to S1301.
If it is determined that the received notification is a “DL generation request” from the PDL task 402 (Yes in S1301), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1302.
In S1302, the DL generation management task 403 increments CurID.
In step S1303, the DL generation management task 403 assigns a CurID to the current drawing object generated from the DL generation command received via the work memory 222 together with the DL generation request. This drawing object corresponds to a drawing object whose drawing is instructed by a drawing command whose DL generation command instructs DL generation.

  Next, in S1304, the DL generation management task 403 acquires the drawing position (CurX, CurY), width CurWd, height CurHt, and color (CurR, CurG, CurB) of the current drawing object from the DL generation command.

Next, in S1305, the DL generation management task 403 determines whether or not the ObjectCount is “0”.
If it is determined that the ObjectCount is “0” (Yes in S1305), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1322.
In S1322, the DL generation management task 403 registers the current drawing object information in the “DL generation processing in progress” state in the DL generation management table. For example, as shown by 1221 in FIG. 11A, CurID, drawing position, width, height, color, and 1222 are in a DL generation processing state (here, “DL generation like 1211 and 1212”). “Exec”) indicating “processing state” is registered in the DL generation management table.

  Next, in step S1323, the DL generation management task 403 increments ObjectCount, and in step S1324, the DL generation management task 403 makes a “DL generation request” to the empty DL generation task 404 and returns the process to step S1301. When a DL generation request is made, a DL generation command is notified to the DL generation task 404 together with the DL generation request. Upon receiving this DL generation request, the DL generation task 404 performs DL generation and returns a “DL generation end notification” to the DL generation management task 403 (details are shown in FIG. 12 described later).

If it is determined in S1305 that the ObjectCount is not “0” (No in S1305), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1310.
In S1310, the DL generation management task 403 acquires one drawing object registered in the DL generation management table, and draws the drawing position (X, Y), width Wd, height Ht, color (of the acquired drawing object). R, G, B) and the ObjID of the drawing object ID are acquired.

  In step S1311, the DL generation management task 403 compares the drawing position, width, and height of the current drawing object and the drawing object registered in the DL generation management table acquired in step S1310. It is determined whether or not. The method for determining whether there is an overlap is as follows.

(CurX <X + Wd) AND (CurY <Y + Ht) AND (CurX + CurWd> X) AND (CurY + CurHt> Y)
When this conditional statement is satisfied, it is determined that there is an overlap. On the other hand, when this conditional statement is not satisfied, it is determined that there is no overlap.

If it is determined that there is no overlap (No in S1311), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1314.
On the other hand, if it is determined that there is an overlap (Yes in S1311), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1312.
In S1312, the DL generation management task 403 compares the colors (R, G, B) of the current drawing object and the drawing object registered in the DL generation management table acquired in S1310, and determines whether the colors are different. Determine whether. The color judgment method is performed by the following conditional statement.

(CurR ≠ R) OR (CurG ≠ G) OR (CurB ≠ B)
When the conditional statement is satisfied, the colors are determined to be the same. On the other hand, when the conditional statement is not satisfied, the colors are determined to be different.

If it is determined that the colors are the same (No in S1312), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1314.
On the other hand, if it is determined that the colors are different (Yes in S1312), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1313.
In step S1313, the DL generation management task 403 holds ObjID as a drawing object to be waited for. The ObjID is held in the RAM 202.
That is, in the waiting determination process of this embodiment, when there are overlaps in the drawing positions of two drawing commands and the drawing colors are different, it is determined that the processing order of the two drawing commands cannot be changed. In other cases, it is determined that the processing order of the two drawing commands can be changed.
In step S <b> 1314, the DL generation management task 403 determines whether all drawing objects registered in the DL generation management table have been checked. Then, S1310 to S1314 are repeatedly executed until it is determined that all drawing objects registered in the DL generation management table have been checked.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that all drawing objects registered in the DL generation management table have been checked (Yes in S1314), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1320.

In step S1320, the DL generation management task 403 determines whether the ID of the drawing object to be waited for is held.
If it is determined that the ID of the drawing object to be waited for is not held (Yes in S1320), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1321.
In S1321, the DL generation management task 403 determines whether there is a free DL generation task 404.
If it is determined that there is a free DL generation task 404 (Yes in S1321), the DL generation management task 403 executes the above-described processing of S1322 to S1324, and returns the processing to S1301.

On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no free DL generation task (No in S1321), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1330.
In step S1330, the DL generation management task 403 registers the current drawing object in the “DL generation task idle state” in the DL generation management table. For example, as indicated by 1221 in FIG. 11A, CurID, drawing position, width, height, color, and as shown by 1222, a DL generation task idle state (in this case, “DL generation” as indicated by 1214). "Wait = 0" indicating "task idle state" is registered in the DL generation management table.

Further, the DL generation management task 403 increments ObjectCount in S1350 and returns the process to S1301.
If it is determined in S1320 that the ID of the drawing object to be waited for is held (No in S1320), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1340.

  In S1340, the DL generation management task 403 registers the current drawing object in the “waiting state” in the DL generation management table. For example, as indicated by 1221 in FIG. 11A, CurID, drawing position, width, height, color, and 1222, as shown in “waiting state” (for example, when the waiting ID is “2”, 1213 In this way, “wait = 2” indicating “ID = 2 waiting state” is registered in the DL generation management table. When a plurality of waiting IDs (for example, 0, 2, 4) are held, a plurality of waiting IDs (waiting information) are registered as “wait = 0, 2, 4,”.

Then, the DL generation management task 403 increments ObjectCount (S1350), and returns the process to S1301.
When the DL generation management task 403 determines that the received notification is a “DL generation end notification” from the DL generation task 404 (Yes in S1360), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1361.

In S 1361, the DL generation management task 403 performs a DL generation end process shown in FIG. 9 described later, and returns the process to S 1301.
When the DL generation management task 403 determines that the received notification is a “page end notification” from the PDL task 402 (Yes in S1380), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1381.

In S1381, the DL generation management task 403 makes a “rendering request” to the renderer task 405.
Further, in S1382, the DL generation management task 403 performs “page end process completion notification” to the PDL task 402, and returns the process to S1301.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the DL generation end process shown in S1361 of FIG. The process of this flowchart (each step such as S1401 to S1430) is realized when the CPU 204 of the image forming apparatus 101 executes a program (intermediate code generation management unit 213) recorded in the ROM 201.

  First, in step S <b> 1401, the DL generation management task 403 deletes from the DL generation management table the drawing object information that matches the ID of the completed drawing object notified from the DL generation task 404 together with the “DL generation end notification”.

Next, in S1402, the DL generation management task 403 decrements ObjectCount.
Further, in S1403, the DL generation management task 403 determines whether or not the ObjectCount is “0”.
If it is determined that ObjectCount is “0” (Yes in S1403), the DL generation management task 403 ends the DL generation end process and returns the process to the flowchart of FIG.

On the other hand, when it is determined that ObjectCount is not “0” (No in S1403), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1404.
In S1404, the DL generation management task 403 acquires one piece of drawing object information registered in the DL generation management table, and the state of the acquired drawing object (hereinafter referred to as “current drawing object”) is “DL”. It is determined whether or not the “generation processing state”.

  If it is determined that the current drawing object state is the “DL generation processing state” (Yes in S1404), the DL generation management task 403 proceeds directly to S1430.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the current drawing object state is not the “DL generation processing state” (No in S1404), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1405.
In step S1405, the DL generation management task 403 determines whether the ID of the finished drawing object is the ID of the current drawing object waiting target.
If it is determined that the ID of the finished drawing object is not the ID of the current drawing object waiting target (No in S1405), the DL generation management task 403 proceeds directly to S1430.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the ID of the finished drawing object is the ID of the waiting target of the current drawing object (Yes in S1405), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1406.

  In step S1406, the DL generation management task 403 deletes the ID of the finished drawing object from the waiting target ID of the current drawing object. For example, when the finished drawing object ID is “1” and the current drawing object state is “wait = 1, 2”, the waiting target ID “1” is deleted and “wait = 2”. To.

In step S <b> 1407, the DL generation management task 403 determines whether the ID of the waiting target is registered in the current drawing object (there is a waiting target).
If it is determined that the ID of the waiting target is registered in the current drawing object (there is a waiting target) (No in S1407), the DL generation management task 403 proceeds directly to S1430.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the waiting object ID is not registered in the current drawing object (no waiting object) (Yes in S1407), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1408.

In S1408, the DL generation management task 403 determines whether there is a free DL generation task 404 (the DL generation task 404 is free).
If it is determined that there is a free DL generation task 404 (the DL generation task 404 is free) (Yes in S1408), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1410.

  In S1410, the DL generation management task 403 changes the state of the current drawing object registered in the DL generation management table to “Exec” indicating the “DL generation processing in progress” state. In S1411, the DL generation in the empty state is generated. The task 404 is requested to generate a DL.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no free DL generation task 404 (DL generation task 404 is not empty) (No in S1408), the DL generation management task 403 advances the process to S1420.

  In S1420, the DL generation management task 403 changes the state of the current drawing object to “Wait = 0” indicating “DL generation task empty waiting state”, and advances the process to S1430.

In S1430, the DL generation management task 403 determines whether or not the processing of S1404 to S1430 has been completed for all drawing objects in the DL generation management table.
If it is determined that there is a drawing object in the DL generation management table that has not been subjected to the processing of S1404 to S1430 (No in S1430), the DL generation management task 403 advances the processing to S1404.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the processing of S1404 to S1430 has already been completed for all drawing objects in the DL generation management table (Yes in S1430), the DL generation management task 403 ends this DL generation end processing, and the flowchart of FIG. Return processing to.

  The process of FIG. 9 described above is executed every time a “DL generation end notification” is received from the DL generation task 404. That is, the process in FIG. 9 is executed every time the DL generation task 404 finishes DL generation.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11A to 11C, changes in the DL generation management table during execution of the DL generation management task shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 will be described in detail.
10 and 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining changes in the DL generation management table during execution of the DL generation management task in the first embodiment. Here, registration and deletion of the DL generation management table will be described by taking a case where there are two DL generation tasks 404 as an example.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a drawing image of a drawing object.
In FIG. 10, reference numerals 1101, 1102, 1103, 1104, and 1105 denote drawing images of drawing objects.
FIG. 11A is a diagram illustrating a state in which the DL generation management task 403 illustrated in FIG. 10 has registered the drawing objects 1101, 1102, 1103, and 1104 in the DL generation management table.

In FIG. 11A, reference numerals 1201 and 1202 denote pointers to drawing object information executed by the DL generation task 0 and the DL generation task 1, respectively.
Reference numeral 1203 denotes a DL generation management table 315 (FIG. 2) that manages registered drawing objects.
Reference numerals 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214 denote registered drawing object information corresponding to the drawing objects 1101, 1102, 1103, and 1104 shown in FIG. The drawing object information stores information such as an ID, a drawing position (X, Y), a width Wd, a height Ht, a color (R, G, B), and a processing state as 1222. Has been.

  The drawing object information 1211 and 1212 are “Exec” indicating “DL generation processing in progress”. Also, the drawing object information 1213 is “Wait = 2” indicating “waiting state of the drawing object with ID = 2”. Further, the drawing object information 1214 is “Wait = 0” indicating “DL generation task idle state” (no waiting).

FIG. 11B is a diagram showing a DL generation management table when the drawing object 1105 is registered.
As shown in FIG. 11B, reference numeral 1215 denotes drawing object information of the drawing object 1105. As shown in the drawing object information 1215, the drawing object 1105 has a drawing position (230, 230), a width 100, and a height 100.

  The drawing object 1105 is determined to be “no overlap” in the overlapping determination in S1311 of FIG. 8 with respect to the drawing object 1101 with ID = 1. Therefore, the drawing object 1101 with ID = 1 and the drawing object 1105 do not affect the drawing result even if the DL generation order is switched. Therefore, the drawing object 1101 with ID = 1 is not a waiting target of the drawing object 1105.

  In addition, the drawing object 1105 is determined to have “overlap” in the overlapping determination in S1311 of FIG. 8 with respect to the drawing object 1102 with ID = 2, and the color determination in S1312 of FIG. 8 is performed. Note that the color value (255, 0, 0) of the drawing object 1102 is the same as the color value (255, 0, 0) of the drawing object 1105, and is determined to be “same color” in the color determination in S1312 of FIG. . Therefore, the drawing object 1102 with ID = 2 and the drawing object 1105 do not affect the drawing result even if the order of DL generation is switched. Therefore, the drawing object 1102 with ID = 2 is not a waiting target of the drawing object 1105.

  Further, the drawing object 1105 is determined as “overlapping” in the overlapping determination in S1311 of FIG. 8 with respect to the drawing object 1103 with ID = 3, and the color determination of S1312 in FIG. 8 is performed. The color value (0, 0, 0) of the drawing object 1103 is different from the color value (255, 0, 0) of the drawing object 1105, and is determined as “different color” in the color determination of S1312 of FIG. Therefore, the drawing object 1103 with ID = 3 is a waiting target of the drawing object 1105. Therefore, ID = 3 is stored in the drawing object information 1215 as “Wait = 3” as a waiting target.

  The drawing object 1105 does not overlap with the drawing object 1103 with ID = 4, as in the case of the drawing object 1101 with ID = 1. Therefore, the drawing object 1104 with ID = 4 and the drawing object 1105 do not affect the drawing result even if the DL generation order is switched. Therefore, the drawing object 1104 with ID = 4 is not a waiting target of the drawing object 1105.

FIG. 11C is a diagram illustrating a DL generation management table at the end of DL generation of the drawing object 1102 with ID = 2.
As shown in FIG. 11C, the drawing object information 1211 with ID = 1 is determined as “DL generation processing in progress” in S1404 of FIG. 9, and nothing is changed.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11B, the drawing object information 1213 with ID = 3 is determined as “the drawing object 1102 with ID = 2 for which DL generation has been completed is a waiting target” in S1405 of FIG. . Then, in S1406 of FIG. 9, “2” is deleted from “wait = 2” in the drawing object information 1213 and is changed to “wait = 0”. As a result, the drawing object information 1211 is in a state where there is no waiting target ID and the “DL generation task 1” is empty. Therefore, in S1410 of FIG. 9, the drawing object information 1213 with ID = 3 is changed to “Exec” indicating “DL processing state”. This state is shown in FIG.
The drawing object information 1214 with ID = 4 and the drawing object information 1215 with ID = 5 are not changed.

Hereinafter, the DL generation task 404 and the renderer task 405 will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the DL generation process 304 executed by each DL generation task 404 according to the first embodiment. The processing of this flowchart (each step such as S1501 to S1503) is realized by the CPU 204 of the image forming apparatus 101 executing a program (intermediate code generation unit 214) recorded in the ROM 201.

In step S1501, the DL generation task 404 waits for a DL generation request from the DL generation management task 403.
When a DL generation request is received from the DL generation management task 403 (Yes in S1501), the DL generation task 404 advances the process to S1502.
In step S1502, the DL generation task 404 generates a DL according to the DL generation command received together with the DL generation request, and stores the generated DL in the frame buffer 223.
In step S1503, the DL generation task 404 notifies the DL generation management task 403 of the DL generation end. When the DL generation end notification is performed, the DL generation management task 403 is also notified of the ID of the DL generation command generated in S1502. When the notification process in S1503 ends, the DL generation task 404 returns the process to S1501.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the rendering process 305 executed by the renderer task 405 according to the first embodiment. The processing of this flowchart (each step such as S1601 to S1603) is realized by the CPU 204 of the image forming apparatus 101 executing a program (development processing unit 215) recorded in the ROM 201.

The renderer task 405 waits for a rendering request from the DL generation management task 403 in S1601.
When a rendering request is received from the DL generation management task 403 (Yes in S1601), the renderer task 405 advances the process to S1602.
The renderer task 405 performs DL transfer for transferring the DL generated on the frame buffer 223 from the frame buffer 223 to the memory in the renderer 207 in accordance with the DL generation in each DL generation task 404. For this reason, when there is a “rendering request”, the DL transfer is almost finished, and the renderer task 405 is ready to perform rendering.

  In step S1602, the renderer task 405 performs rendering on the DL stored in the memory in the renderer 207, which is dedicated hardware, by the DL transfer, and the bitmap data (raster data) rendered by the renderer 207 is rasterized. Store in the memory 224.

  In step S1603, the renderer task 405 outputs the bitmap data to the printer engine 206 via the engine I / F 205, causes the printer engine 206 to print, and returns the process to step S1601.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, when DL generation is performed from drawing commands in parallel in a multi-core CPU, the order (processing order) of drawing commands sequentially analyzed by the PDL task is analyzed first. It is configured to determine whether or not the drawing command that has not finished DL generation can be changed. For drawing commands whose order can be changed (processing order can be changed), DL generation is performed without considering the order (regardless of the intermediate code generation end status (DL generation end status) of the previously analyzed drawing command). Request. On the other hand, with respect to drawing commands whose order cannot be changed (processing order cannot be changed), the DL generation order is managed so that DL generation is requested in order (waiting for the end of DL generation of the previous drawing command) ( Control). With such a configuration, even if the processing from the PDL data drawing command to the generation of the intermediate code (DL) is performed in parallel using the multi-core CPU without performing prior rearrangement or subsequent rearrangement, For drawing commands that cannot be changed, the multi-core CPU can be processed without waste, the performance of PDL processing can be improved according to the number of CPU cores, and PDL data can be processed at high speed with less memory resources. Printing time can be shortened.

  In the first embodiment, a configuration is shown in which waiting determination is performed for all drawing objects registered in the DL generation management table. In the second embodiment, when the waiting determination is not necessary as in the case where the drawing object is divided and sent by the host computer that generates the PDL data, the waiting determination is not performed. Hereinafter, it explains in detail using a drawing.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of PDL data according to the second embodiment.
The drawing objects 1403, 1404, and 1405 are images obtained by dividing one image data.
In order to reduce the phase shift between adjacent images when performing enlarged drawing, drawing objects 1403, 1404, and 1405 may be drawn in an overlapping manner as indicated by 1443, 1444, and 1445. Such drawing objects 1403, 1404, and 1405 overlap, but there is no problem even if they are drawn in any order. For this reason, it is not necessary to determine whether to wait in the DL generation management task 403 between the drawing objects 1403, 1404, and 1405.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to prevent the DL generation management task 403 from making a waiting determination for such a drawing object, the host computer includes a suggestion information (hint information) in each image drawing command. Is configured to be added.

  For example, in order to remove the drawing object 1403 from the waiting determination target for the drawing object 1404, the hint information 1431 is set to “Hint = 1” on the host computer side and added to the drawing command 1421 of the drawing object 1404.

  For the drawing object 1405, in order to remove the drawing objects 1403 and 1404 from the waiting determination target, the hint information 1432 is set to “Hint = 2” on the host computer side and is added to the drawing command 1422 of the drawing object 1405.

  That is, the printer driver of the host computer (information processing apparatus) that can notify the image forming apparatus 101 via the network 102 responds to each drawing command generated corresponding to a plurality of drawing objects obtained by dividing one image data. In addition, hint information is added so that the waiting determination is not performed between them. In the hint information, a number indicating the order in which the drawing commands are transmitted to the image forming apparatus 101 is stored. Hint information is not added to the first drawing command, or “Hint = 0” is added. Hereinafter, “Hint = 1”, “Hint = 2”, “Hint = 3”, “Hint” = 4 ”,... Are added to the series of divided drawing commands in the order of transmission.

  In the example of FIG. 14, hint information is not added to the first drawing command 1420, and the drawing commands 1421 and 1422 are sequentially set to “Hint = 1”, “Hint = 2”, and so on. A number indicating the transmission order to 101 is added as hint information.

  The hint information added to the drawing command in this way indicates the start position of a series of drawing commands that do not require waiting determination. In other words, in the example of FIG. 14, with respect to the drawing command 1421, the drawing command 1420 analyzed first is excluded from the waiting determination target as indicated by “Hint = 1” indicated by 1431. As for the drawing command 1422, as indicated by “Hint = 2” indicated by 1432, the drawing command 1420 analyzed second and the drawing command 1421 analyzed first are excluded from the waiting determination target.

  Here, a case is shown in which hint information is added to each drawing command generated corresponding to a plurality of drawing objects obtained by dividing one image data. However, not only for each drawing command that divides one image data, but for any series of drawing commands that the host computer does not need to determine whether to wait for any drawing command, the printer driver May be configured to add hint information.

  The printer driver of the host computer is realized by the CPU of the host computer reading and executing a printer driver program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk in a computer-readable manner.

The processing on the image forming apparatus 101 (DL generation management task 403) side in the second embodiment will be described below.
FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the DL generation management task 403 according to the second embodiment. The processing of this flowchart (steps S1301 to S1382, S2001 to S2003, etc.) is realized by the CPU 204 of the image forming apparatus 101 executing a program (intermediate code generation management unit 213) recorded in the ROM 201. is there. In addition, the same step number is attached | subjected to the step same as FIG. 8, and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In step S2001, the DL generation management task 403 acquires the drawing position (CurX, CurY), width CurWd, height CurHt, color (CurR, CurG, CurB), and Hint of the current drawing object from the DL generation command.

  Next, in S2002, the DL generation management task 403 substitutes a value obtained by subtracting Hint from CurID for CheckID (CheckID = CurID−Hint). Note that CheckID is a variable indicating the head ID of a series of drawing objects for which waiting determination is not required by the host computer, and is secured in the RAM 202.

  In step S2003, the DL generation management task 403 compares the drawing object ID registered in the DL generation management table acquired in step S1310 with the Check ID set in step S2002. Then, the DL generation management task 403 determines whether the ID is smaller than CheckID (ID <CheckID).

  If it is determined that the ID is smaller than CheckID (ID <CheckID) (Yes in S2003), the DL generation management task 403 performs processing such as overlap determination and color determination in S1311 to S1314, and performs the processing in S1314. Control to advance.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the ID is not smaller than CheckID (ID ≧ CheckID) (No in S2003), the DL generation management task 403 does not perform processing such as overlap determination and color determination (skipping) as it is. Control is performed to proceed to S1314. The other processes are the same as those in FIG.

Hereinafter, changes in the DL generation management table during execution of the DL generation management task will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17A to 17C.
FIGS. 16 and 17A to 17C are diagrams for explaining changes in the DL generation management table during execution of the DL generation management task in the second embodiment. Here, the registration of the DL generation management table will be described by taking the case of two DL generation tasks 404 as an example.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a drawing result of a drawing object.
In FIG. 16, reference numerals 1401, 1402, 1403, 1404, and 1405 denote the drawing results of the drawing objects.
FIG. 17A is a diagram illustrating a state in which the DL generation management task registers the drawing objects 1401, 1402, and 1403 of FIG. 16 in the DL generation management table.
In FIG. 17A, reference numerals 1501 and 1502 denote pointers indicating the drawing object information executed by the DL generation task 0 and the DL generation task 1, respectively.
Reference numeral 1503 denotes a DL generation management table 315 that manages registered drawing objects.
Reference numerals 1511 to 1513 denote registered drawing object information which stores an ID, a drawing position (X, Y), a width Wd, a height Ht, a color (R, G, B) or an image type Image, and a processing state. ing.

Here, three drawing objects (1401, 1402, and 1403 in FIG. 16) are registered as drawing object information 1511, 1512, and 1513.
The drawing object information 1511 and 1512 are “Exec” indicating the DL generation state. The drawing object information 1513 is “Wait = 1” indicating the DL generation completion waiting state of the drawing object with ID = 1.

FIG. 17B is a diagram showing a DL generation management table when the drawing object 1404 is registered.
In FIG. 17B, reference numeral 1506 denotes a drawing command for the drawing object 1404. As indicated by reference numeral 1506, since the drawing object 1404 is “Hint = 1”, it is determined “No” in S2003 in FIG. 15, and the overlap determination with the drawing object information 1513 with ID = 3 is not performed as a waiting target. The color determination is not executed (omitted) and the processing order is considered to be changeable.
Note that the drawing object information 1514 is subjected to overlap determination and color determination with a drawing object with ID = 1 or ID = 2. Here, “Yes” is determined in the overlap determination or color determination with the drawing object with ID = 1, and “Wait = 1” indicating the DL generation completion waiting state of the drawing object with ID = 1.

FIG. 17C is a diagram showing a DL generation management table when the drawing object 1405 is registered.
In FIG. 17C, reference numeral 1507 denotes a drawing command for the drawing object 1405. As illustrated in 1507, since the drawing object 1405 is “Hint = 2”, it is determined as “No” in S2003 in FIG. 15, and the drawing object information 1513 with ID = 3 and ID = 4 are excluded from the waiting targets. The overlap determination and color determination with the drawing object information 1514 are not executed (omitted), and it is considered that the processing order can be changed.
Note that the drawing object information 1514 is subjected to overlap determination and color determination with a drawing object with ID = 1 or ID = 2. However, here, “No” is determined in any overlap determination or color determination of the drawing objects of ID = 1 and ID = 2, and “Wait = 0” indicating the DL generation thread idle waiting state is set.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the host computer side is configured to add hint information to a series of drawing commands that are determined not to require waiting determination, and transmit the hint information to the image forming apparatus. On the image forming apparatus side, the waiting determination is omitted based on the hint information, the processing order is considered to be changeable, and the DL generation is performed from the drawing command. With such a configuration, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, when a series of drawing commands such as a series of drawing commands obtained by dividing the drawing data in the PDL data does not require waiting determination, the PDL can be performed at higher speed. Data can be processed and printing time can be reduced.

Hereinafter, the effect of the present invention will be described in comparison with the prior art.
FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating the accumulated time of each process in the 2-core CPU.
The accumulation time shown below is the accumulation time of each process of PDL processing, DL generation processing, DL transfer processing, and rendering processing.
It is assumed that the rendering process is performed by dedicated hardware and is referenced from a memory area different from the memory area at the time of DL generation, and the DL generated by the DL generation task 404 is transferred. It is supposed to be. This transfer process is the DL transfer process.

FIG. 18A is a diagram showing the stacking time when one DL generation task 404 is operated.
In this case, the result of the PDL analysis is sequentially generated by one DL generation task 404, and DL transfer is performed in parallel to the memory area where the generated DL accesses the hardware. When the page ends, the DL transfer is almost completed, and rendering is executed. During rendering execution, PDL analysis and DL generation of the next page are executed.

FIG. 18B shows the stacking time before the DL generation task 404 is operated by two and before the present invention is supported.
In this case, since the results of PDL analysis are sequentially generated by the two DL generation tasks 404, the processing ends in half the time when the DL generation task 404 is operated alone. However, since the order of the generated DLs is different from the drawing order, the DL combining process (rearrangement) created by each DL generation task 404 is required.

  In addition, after the DL generation of each drawing object, since it is not yet in a state where rendering is possible, the DL transfer is performed after the DL coupling process is completed. Also, DL generation of the next page is after DL transfer, and the effect of operating two DL generation tasks 404 is considerably reduced.

FIG. 18C is a diagram showing the stacking time after the two DL generation tasks 404 are operated and the present invention is supported.
Even in this case, since the result of PDL analysis is DL generated by the two DL generation tasks 404 sequentially, the processing is completed in half the time when the DL generation task 404 is operated by one.
In addition, since the order of the generated DL always matches the drawing order, DL transfer is possible immediately after DL generation of each drawing object. Furthermore, DL generation of the next page can be performed immediately. Therefore, the effect of operating two DL generation tasks 404 can be exhibited without waste. For this reason, the performance of PDL processing can be improved according to the number of CPU cores.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the processing from the PDL data drawing command to the generation of the intermediate code (DL) is performed in parallel using the multi-core CPU without performing prior rearrangement or subsequent rearrangement. However, the drawing commands whose order cannot be changed can be processed in a sequential manner, the multi-core CPU can be used without waste, the performance of the PDL processing can be improved according to the number of CPU cores, and the PDL data can be obtained with less memory resources. Can be processed at high speed, and the printing time can be shortened.

It should be noted that the configuration and contents of the various data described above are not limited to this, and it goes without saying that the various data and configurations are configured according to the application and purpose.
Although one embodiment has been described above, the present invention can take an embodiment as, for example, a system, apparatus, method, program, or storage medium. Specifically, the present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices, or may be applied to an apparatus composed of a single device.
Moreover, all the structures which combined said each Example are also contained in this invention.

(Other examples)
The present invention can also be realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus via a network or various storage media, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, or the like) of the system or apparatus reads the program. It is a process to be executed.
Further, the present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices or an apparatus composed of a single device.
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications (including organic combinations of the embodiments) are possible based on the spirit of the present invention, and these are excluded from the scope of the present invention. is not. That is, the present invention includes all the combinations of the above-described embodiments and modifications thereof.

101 Image forming apparatus 201 ROM
202 RAM
204 CPU
206 Printer Engine 207 Renderer 211 Receiving Unit 212 Analysis Unit 213 Intermediate Code Generation Management Unit 214 Intermediate Code Generation Unit 215 Development Processing Unit

Claims (9)

An image forming apparatus that performs printing based on page description language data,
Analyzing means for sequentially analyzing drawing commands included in the page description language data;
A plurality of generating means for generating in parallel each intermediate code in units of drawing commands from the drawing commands analyzed by the analyzing means;
Rendering means for generating image data from the intermediate code generated by the plurality of generation means;
Printing means for printing the image data generated by the rendering means;
A determination means for determining whether or not the drawing command analyzed by the analyzing means can be changed with each drawing command analyzed before the drawing command and the intermediate code generation is not completed;
For the drawing command determined by the determining means to be able to change the processing order of any of the drawing commands, the generating means is requested to generate intermediate code regardless of the intermediate code generation completion status of the drawing command analyzed earlier. On the other hand, for one or a plurality of specific drawing commands determined by the determination unit and a drawing command determined to be unable to change the processing order, the generation unit generates an intermediate code after waiting for the intermediate code generation of the specific drawing command to end. Management means to control to request,
An image forming apparatus comprising: A management table for sequentially registering drawing commands that have been analyzed by the analyzing means and for which intermediate code generation has not been completed;
The determining means determines whether or not the drawing command analyzed by the analyzing means can change the processing order with each drawing command registered in the management table,
The management means registers a specific drawing command and a drawing command determined to be unchangeable in the processing order by the determining means in the management table with waiting information indicating the specific drawing command added, The drawing command determined by the determining means to be able to change the processing order of any of the drawing commands is registered in the management table without the waiting information, and each drawing command registered in the management table is registered. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generation unit is requested to generate an intermediate code of each drawing command based on a state.   When the generation unit finishes generating the intermediate code of one drawing object, the management unit deletes the waiting information indicating the drawing object from the drawing command registered in the management table, and in a state without the waiting information. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an intermediate code generation is requested from a drawing command registered in the management table.   The determination unit determines that the processing order of the two drawing commands cannot be changed when the drawing positions of the two drawing commands are overlapped and the drawing colors are different, and in the case other than the above, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a determination process for determining that the processing order can be changed for two drawing commands is performed.   When the suggestion information indicating the drawing command and the drawing command that does not determine the processing order is added to the drawing command analyzed by the analyzing means, the determination means indicates the drawing command and the suggestion information. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the processing order is considered to be changeable without performing the determination processing between drawing commands.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the suggestion information is added by a printer driver that operates in an information processing apparatus that generates the page description language data.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the suggestion information is added as information indicating the plurality of drawing commands to a plurality of drawing commands generated by dividing one drawing data. . A method of controlling an image forming apparatus that performs printing based on page description language data received from an information processing apparatus,
An analyzing step for sequentially analyzing drawing commands included in the page description language data;
A plurality of generating steps for generating, in parallel, intermediate codes in units of drawing commands from the drawing commands analyzed in the analyzing step;
A rendering step in which rendering means generates image data from the intermediate code generated in the plurality of generation steps;
A printing step for printing the image data generated in the rendering step;
A determination step for determining whether the drawing command analyzed in the analysis step can change the processing order with each drawing command that has been analyzed before the drawing command and the intermediate code generation has not ended;
For the drawing command for which the management unit determines that the processing order can be changed for any of the drawing commands in the determining step, the intermediate code is sent to the generating unit regardless of the intermediate code generation end status of the drawing command analyzed earlier. On the other hand, for the one or more specific drawing commands determined in the determination step and the drawing command determined to be unable to change the processing order, the generation unit waits for the intermediate code generation of the specific drawing command to end Management steps to control to request intermediate code generation to
A control method for an image forming apparatus, comprising:   The program for functioning a computer as a means as described in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 7.

Images