JPH08142414A - Color data printing method and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To reduce the capacity of a page memory by supposing that a developed image is constituted of (n) constitutional elements when encoded color printing data is decoded to develop an image and subsequently extracting the constitutional elements to output them as printing data. CONSTITUTION: A developed image is supposed to be constituted of (n) constitutional elements when encoded color printing data is decoded to develop an image. At first, only the i-th element is extracted to be outputted as printing data. Continuously, at least one of the i-th and j-th element is changed and data is printed until the value capable of being taken by the i-th or j-th element becomes respective natural numbers from (l) to (n). That is, data is developed as an image according to the program of a page describing word developing processing procedure memory part 22 to be stored in a page memory 31. An engine controller 6 is started according to the program of a whole control procedure memory part 20.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

The present invention relates to a workstation,
The present invention relates to an image processing unit in various information processing apparatuses such as a word processor, a facsimile, a laser printer, an ink jet printer, and a copying machine, and particularly to a color data printing unit suitable for printing out color print data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a laser beam printer (LB
In P), the coded color print data is decoded and the image is developed, and the image development result is irradiated with laser light on the photosensitive drum provided in the LBP to attach various toners to the charged photosensitive drum. , That is, draw. At that time, in the middle of the drawing, stop the drawing operation,
The operation of the LBP cannot be put in a standby state for new processing.

Therefore, at least one for drawing
It is necessary to store the image expansion data for pages in the page memory provided in the LBP and prepare for drawing.

For example, in the case of a monochrome binary laser printer, the minimum capacity of the page memory required for mounting is
Output size A4, output resolution 300 dpi (dot per
Inch) is about 1 MByte.

On the other hand, in the case of a so-called full-color laser printer, which can express each color of R (red), G (green), and B (blue) in 256 gradations (that is, gradation is expressed by 8-bit data of each color), The page memory capacity is 24 times (8 bits x 3 colors = 2) compared to a monochrome binary laser printer.
4 times), which is 24 Mbytes.

This is the capacity when the output size is A4 and the output resolution is 300 dpi.

As the resolution becomes higher and the resolution becomes, for example, 600 dpi and 1200 dpi, the capacity required as a page memory is 96 Mbytes, 38
It will be 4 Mbytes, which will be an enormous capacity. That is, when the resolution is changed from 300 dpi to 600 dpi, the horizontal and vertical resolutions are each doubled, that is, a page memory having a capacity of 96 Mbytes which is four times 24 Mbytes is required as a whole. Similarly, the resolution is 300d
From pi to 1200 dpi, the horizontal and vertical resolutions are four times each, that is, a page memory having a capacity of 384 Mbytes, which is 16 times 24 Mbytes, is required as a whole.

[0008] By the way, the increase in the amount of mounted memories has become a factor that sharply raises the cost of products.
Therefore, conventionally, for example, after the purchase, a SIMM (Single Inline Memory Module) is added according to the color expression power (that is, the number of gradations that can be expressed) and the resolution required by the user, and the capacity of the page memory is expanded. Was adopted. This reduces the initial cost when the user purchases.

[0009]

By the way, in the conventional technique as described above, when the user desires the image quality of the print data with a considerably high resolution, the result is several hundreds.
It was necessary to add a page memory having a capacity of about Mbyte.

Therefore, the total cost is the same as purchasing an expensive full-color printer from the beginning.

Further, in the above-mentioned prior art,
Instead of slowing down the printing speed of the printer, the device is not configured to make a trade-off that reduces the memory capacity.Therefore, the user considers the trade-off between the printing speed and the memory capacity and sets the printing speed. Even at the expense of
It is not possible to make a choice to reduce the memory capacity, and these are parameters fixed by the manufacturer at the time of manufacture, and even if the printing speed is sacrificed, the memory capacity can be reduced, that is, the cost can be reduced. In some cases, the LBP having a satisfactory cost performance is not always provided to the user who wants to do so.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a color data printing means capable of reducing the capacity of the page memory and printing in full color even if the printing speed is somewhat sacrificed.

[0013]

There are the following methods for solving the above problems.

That is, when the coded color print data is decoded and the image is expanded, it is assumed that the expanded image to be expanded is composed of n (n is a natural number) constituent elements.

First, the i-th constituent element (1≤
i ≦ n: i is a natural number), and the extracted i-th component is printed out as print data. Next, j-th (1 ≦ j ≦ n: j is a natural number such that j ≠ i)
Process of extracting only the component of the above, and outputting the extracted j-th component as print data by superimposing it on the print output of the i-th component at least one of i and j. And the possible value of i or j is 1
It is a method of printing color print data until each of the natural numbers from 1 to n.

The following method of printing color print data may be used.

First, when the coded color print data is decoded and the image is expanded, the expanded image that has been expanded is stored in the storage means.

Then, assuming that the expanded image to be expanded is composed of n (n is a natural number) constituent elements,
First, only the i-th constituent element (1 ≦ i ≦ n: i is a natural number) of the developed image stored in the storage means is extracted, and the extracted i-th constituent element is printed out as print data. To do.

Next, only the j-th component (1≤j≤n: j is a natural number of j ≠ i) of the developed image stored in the storage means is extracted, and the extracted j-th component is extracted. The process of superimposing the components as print data on the print output of the i-th component by printing is changed by changing at least one of i and j, and the value that i or j can take is from 1 This is a method of printing color print data until each natural number n.

In the above method, it is conceivable that each of the constituent elements has a different color component to form a developed image. Further, in the above method, a method in which each of the constituent elements has a different print area to form a developed image is also conceivable.

Further, the following device may be used.

That is, when the coded color print data is input, and when the color print data input via the input means is decoded and the image is expanded, n expanded images are expanded. Assuming that n is a natural number), it is provided with an image development / separation unit that separates the developed image into the components.

Further, the i-th constituent element (1≤i≤
n: i is a natural number), the extracted i-th component is printed out as print data, and then the j-th component is output.
Only the th (1 ≦ j ≦ n: j is a natural number j ≠ i) component is extracted, and the extracted j-th component is used as print data for printout of the i-th component. At least one of i and j is changed between the print processing means for performing superposed printout processing and the processing performed by the print processing means, and i or j is a natural number of 1 to n. Until then, the printing apparatus is configured to include a control unit that prints color print data.

Further, the following modes of the printing apparatus may be used.

That is, input means for inputting coded color print data, storage means for storing a developed image obtained by decoding the color print data input via the input means and developing the image, and image developing. The developed image is
Assuming that it is composed of n (n is a natural number) components,
And an extraction unit for extracting an arbitrary component of the developed image stored in the storage unit.

Further, the i-th constituent element (1≤i≤
n: i is a natural number), the extracted i-th component is printed out as print data, and then the j-th component is output.
Only the th (1 ≦ j ≦ n: j is a natural number j ≠ i) component is extracted, and the extracted j-th component is used as print data for printout of the i-th component. At least one of i and j is changed between the print processing means for performing superposed printout processing and the processing performed by the print processing means, and i or j is a natural number of 1 to n. Until then, the printing apparatus is configured to include a control unit that prints color print data.

[0027]

[Operation] The operation will be described below.

Now, as color components, cyan (hereinafter appropriately referred to as "Cyan") and magenta (hereinafter appropriately referred to as "Mag").
enta), yellow (hereinafter referred to as "Yello" as appropriate)
W)) and black (hereinafter appropriately referred to as “Black”) to be used for color printing.

Therefore, it is assumed that toners for four colors are prepared. Further, it is assumed that the photosensitive drum is irradiated with a laser beam to attach the toner to the charged photosensitive drum, as in a normal LBP.

First, when the coded color print data is decoded and the image is expanded, the expansion result obtained by first extracting the color information of only the first color (for example, Cyan) is stored in the page memory. Then, referring to the stored developed image of the first color, the photosensitive drum is irradiated with laser light, and toner for the color component Cyan is attached to the photosensitive drum.
So-called drawing printing is performed and transferred to a print medium.

In this state, next, the second color (for example, Ma
(genta) color information is stored in the page memory. Then, with reference to the stored developed image of the second color, the photosensitive drum is irradiated with laser light, and the toner for the color component Magenta is drawn on the photosensitive drum, and the print result so far (that is, only Cyan is printed). And the color component Magent.
Transfer the toner to a.

Hereinafter, in succession, the third (for example, Yellow
w), the same processing is executed for the fourth color (for example, Black).

Then, the print medium (for example, paper) on which the toners of all the colors are superimposed and transferred is discharged as a print result of the coded color print data.

In this way, the printing process of the coded color print data is completed.

As described above, according to the present invention, when the color print data is image-developed, cyan (Cyan), magenta (Magenta), yellow (Yellow), and black (B).
primary colors such as rack) (Primary Colors)
Are not output to the page memory at the same time, but are output to the page memory in multiple times for each color component. In response to this, the printer engine sequentially prints color print data on paper and waits for processing. Therefore, the page memory mounted on the laser printer does not have to be provided for each color component. As a result, in the above example, the capacity of the page memory can be reduced to 1/4, and the cost of the LBP can be reduced.

The operation of another aspect of the present invention is as follows.

Similar to the above-mentioned example, as the color component,
Consider color printing using cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

Therefore, it is assumed that toners for four colors are prepared. Further, it is assumed that the photosensitive drum is irradiated with a laser beam to attach the toner to the charged photosensitive drum, as in a normal LBP.

First, when coded color print data is decoded and an image is developed, it is compared with SIMM,
The developed image that is the result of image development is stored in a low-priced storage device such as a hard disk, an optical disk, a magnetic disk, or a floppy disk, which has a low price per unit storage capacity.

Next, from the developed image stored in the storage device, first, the components of the developed image obtained by extracting the color information of only the first color (for example, Cyan) are stored in the page memory. Then, with reference to the stored developed image of the first color, the photosensitive drum is irradiated with the laser beam to generate the color component Cya.
Toner for n is attached to the photosensitive drum, so-called drawing printing is performed, and the toner is transferred to the print medium.

In this state, next, from the developed image stored in the above storage device, the second color (for example, magenta) is generated.
The constituent elements of the developed image obtained by extracting the color information of only a) are stored in the page memory. Then, referring to the stored developed image of the second color, the photosensitive drum is irradiated with laser light, and the toner for the color component Magenta is drawn on the photosensitive drum, and the print result up to now (that is, only Cyan is printed). And the color component Magent
Transfer the toner to a.

Hereinafter, in succession, the third (for example, Yellow
w), the same processing is executed for the fourth color (for example, Black).

Then, the print medium (for example, paper) on which the toners of all the colors are superimposed and transferred is discharged as a print result of the coded color print data.

In this way, the printing process of the coded color print data is completed.

Thus, according to another aspect of the present invention,
Cyan (Cya
n), Magenta, Yellow (Yello)
w), black (Black) and other primary colors (Primary)
Colors) are not output to the page memory at the same time, and hard disk, optical disk, magnetic disk, floppy disk, optical disk, which has a lower price per unit storage capacity than SIMM or the like which constitutes the page memory. The result of the image expansion is temporarily stored in an inexpensive storage device such as a magnetic disk, and the
The result of image development is output to the page memory separately for each color component and output to the page memory.
Since the printing of the color print data on the paper and the standby of the processing are sequentially repeated, the page memory mounted on the laser printer does not have to be provided for each color component.

As a result, the page memory (S
The capacity of the IMM) can be reduced to "1/4" of the conventional one, and as a result, the total cost of the LBP can be reduced.

In the above description, the color components Cyan,
The banding by Magenta, Yellow, and Black was described, but in addition, red (hereinafter,
Appropriately referred to as "Red"), green (hereinafter referred to as "Green" as appropriate)
n ”), blue (hereinafter appropriately referred to as“ Bule ”)
Banding with other color components, or banding with the image area after development other than color components,
The processing by the combination of the color component and the image area is also the same in principle.

Further, the "banding (processing)" means separating the entire data into the constituent elements constituting the entire data by paying attention to a certain parameter. This can be realized by sequentially performing the processing on the element.

[0049]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the basic concept of the method for printing color print data according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the "solid line" shows the flow of data, and the "dotted line" shows the flow of control.

First, the document file 7 stores data to be color printed, which is created by an information processing device such as a word processor. The data to be printed is
A code for expanding the image is attached. The code is automatically generated and added by operating an information processing device such as a word processor.

The overall control procedure storage unit 20, the banding processing procedure storage unit 21, and the page description language expansion processing procedure storage unit 22 incorporate programs for describing the operation of the CPU (not shown).

Therefore, the CPU (not shown) performs overall control (control such as activation of 21, 22, and 6 shown by dotted lines) according to the program stored in the overall control procedure storage unit 20, and stores the banding processing procedure. Part 2
1. According to the programs stored in the page description language expansion processing procedure storage unit 22, banding processing and page description language expansion processing are performed, respectively.

First, the data to be printed (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “document data”) stored in the document file 7 is sent to the banding processing procedure storage unit 21.

The banding processing procedure storage unit 21
Also has a storage area for temporarily storing sequentially applied data.

Then, the CPU operates according to the program stored in the overall control procedure storage unit 20. Specifically, the CPU performs the banding process according to the program stored in the banding process procedure storage unit 21.

In the banding process, data attributes such as page size and used colors (color components) are set as necessary based on the information attached to the coded data sent from the document file 7. There is a process of recognizing and setting.

The data such as the used color recognized in this way is sent to the page description language expansion processing procedure storage unit 22. The page description language expansion processing procedure storage unit 22 also has a storage area for such data.

Then, the CPU sets the data of the color component (for example, Cyan) to be extracted first in the page description language expansion processing procedure storage unit 22.

The CPU decodes the coded color print data according to the program stored in the page description language expansion processing procedure storage unit 22, expands the image into the image, and stores it in the page memory 31. At this time, based on the image-developed data, the set color component (Cyan) is set.
Data is extracted, and the extracted data is stored in the page memory 31.

The page description language is, for example,
A book published by Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., "PostScript (R) Language Reference M".
You can use the language described in "anual" (commonly known as "Postscript").
A registered trademark of Systems, Inc.). Further, for example, outline data of character data and the like are stored in advance in the font ROM 4, and when the CPU develops an image, the image is developed with reference to the contents of the font ROM 4.

After storing the decoded data in the page memory 31, the CPU gives an instruction to activate the engine controller 6 for controlling the drive of the movable part of the printer according to the program stored in the overall control procedure storage 20. .

As a result, the engine controller 6
The expanded image data stored in the page memory 31 is drawn by the printer engine 5 using the set color (Cyan), printed on a print medium such as paper, and waits for the next start command.

Here, the drawing means, specifically, the process of irradiating a laser beam to attach the toner corresponding to the set color to the charged photosensitive drum while rotating the photosensitive drum. . The printer engine 5 is sequentially activated each time a color is set by the banding process.

Now, the color print data is again subjected to banding processing. In the figure, the color print data is illustrated as being sent to the banding processing procedure storage unit 21. Then, the CPU executes the banding process to extract the color component to be extracted next (for example, Magnent).
The setting of a) is set in the page description language expansion processing procedure storage unit 22.
Do to.

Then, the CPU decodes the coded color print data in accordance with the program stored in the page description language expansion processing procedure storage unit 22, expands the image into the image, and stores it in the page memory 31. At this time, the data about the set color component (Magenta) is extracted from the image-developed data, and the extracted data is stored in the page memory 31.

Further, after storing the decoded data in the page memory 31, the CPU instructs to start the engine controller 6 for controlling the driving of the movable portion of the printer according to the program stored in the overall control procedure storing portion 20. give. As a result, the engine controller 6
The expanded image data stored in the page memory 31 is drawn by the printer engine 5 by using the set color (Magenta), and is printed by being superimposed on the print medium printed by the set color (Cyan). Wait until the start command of comes.

Thereafter, the same processing as above is performed for the yellow and black color components.

In this way, Cyan, Magent
Image development, drawing, and superimposed printing on the print medium are repeated for the color components of a, yellow, and black, and the final print result 10 is discharged to the outside of the printer as the print result of the color print data.

By such processing, Cyan, Ma
It is possible to print color print data without providing a page memory for each of the color components of genta, yellow, and black. By such processing, the page memory becomes 1/4 of the conventional one. Also,
The color components may be sequentially set to Red, Green, and Blue.

Thus, it can be said that the processing shown in FIG. 1 shows an example of banding processing by color components.

Next, FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the hardware of the full-color printer according to the present invention.

The printer stores a CPU 1, a program in which the operation of the CPU 1 is described, in the memory 2, a memory 3 having a page memory, a font ROM 4 and a page memory which are referred to when an image of coded color print data is developed. A printer engine 5 for printing the stored data, an engine controller 6 for controlling the printer engine 5, a document file 7 in which coded color print data to be printed is stored, and these components are interconnected. It has a bus 8 that operates.

As described with reference to FIG. 1, the document file 7 stores data to be color printed, which is created by an information processing device such as a word processor.
A code for expanding an image is attached to the data to be printed. The code is automatically generated and added by operating an information processing device such as a word processor.

The memory 2 is provided with an overall control procedure storage section 20, a banding processing procedure storage section 21, and a page description language expansion processing procedure storage section 22.

Then, the CPU 1 carries out overall control (control of activation of 21, 22, 6 shown by dotted lines, etc.) according to a program stored in the overall control procedure storage section 20,
Further, according to the programs stored in the banding process procedure storage unit 21 and the page description language expansion process procedure storage unit 22, the banding process and the page description language expansion process are performed, respectively.

In addition, the memory 3 has a work area 30 used when the CPU 1 executes various processes and a procedure stored in the page description language expansion processing procedure storage unit 22.
1 is provided with a page memory 31 for storing the expanded image data in which the image is expanded.

The printer engine 5 includes a toner container for each color component, a photosensitive drum, a step motor for rotating the photosensitive drum, and a laser for adhering toner of a predetermined color to the charged photosensitive drum. A semiconductor laser for irradiating light, an optical scanning unit for laser light, and a print medium supply / discharge mechanism are provided.

Then, under the control of the engine controller 6, the step motor is driven to rotationally drive the photosensitive drum, and at the same time, the light scanning means is driven to irradiate a desired position on the rotating drum with laser light. The toners for the respective colors are sequentially attached, and the attached toners are superimposed and printed on the print medium such as paper with each color, and finally the print medium is discharged by the print medium supply / discharge mechanism.

Although the document file 7 is directly connected to the bus 8 in the configuration shown in FIG.
The document file 7 is connected via a bus 8 to a personal computer (PC) or workstation (W
It may be provided in the information processing apparatus such as S) and the data of the document file 7 may be sent to the banding processing procedure storage unit 21 when necessary.

An example of the processing performed by this device configuration is shown in FIG.
Since it has been described with reference to, the detailed description will be omitted, but it will be roughly described as follows. In addition,
The following processing is performed by the CPU 1.

When the coded data is given from the document file to the banding processing procedure storage unit, the color setting is performed by the banding processing.

Then, by the page description language expansion processing, the coded data is decoded and the image is expanded. At this time, only the expanded data regarding the set color is extracted and stored in the page memory 31. The image expansion is performed by referring to the font ROM 4 in which outline information of character data and the like are stored.

The data stored in the page memory 31 is drawn on the photosensitive drum of the printer engine 5 and printed on the print medium in the set color.
This control is performed by the engine controller 6.

Then, the CPU 1 sequentially changes the set color and performs drawing and printing. The printer engine 5 ejects the print medium when drawing and printing for all the set colors are completed.

As described above, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of page memories 31 corresponding to each set color, and full-color printing can be performed only with the configuration having the page memory 31 for one color. As a result, the required memory capacity is significantly reduced, and the LBP cost can also be significantly reduced.

FIG. 3 is a basic flowchart of the color printing process according to the present invention, which shows the processing contents performed by the CPU 1.

First, in step 1000, the counter i and the variable Num are initialized.

In this processing, the given color print data is converted into four color components (Cyan, Magenta,
Num = 4 is set because the banding process is based on the so-called color component by separating the image into yellow and black).

Of course, three color components (Red, Gre
en, Bule), Num = 3
The same process can be performed by setting Num = separation number in other cases.

Next, in step 2000, the document data (color print data) from the document file 7 is loaded.

Next, in step 3000, when the image data of the document data is developed, the color components to be extracted, etc. are set.
Set the parameters required for banding.

Next, in step 4000, step 3
According to the parameter designated by 000, the document data is subjected to image development processing, data of the set color component is extracted from the image developed data, and the extraction result is stored in the page memory 31.

Further, in step 5000, the engine controller 6 is instructed to draw the data stored in the page memory 31 on the photosensitive drum of the printer engine 5 and print it on a print medium such as paper.

Waiting until the drawing and printing are completed (step 6000), the threshold value of the counter is checked in step 7000, and if i <Num, the counter i is incremented (step 8000) and step 2000 Return to.

In step 9000, the process of discharging the full-color printed paper is performed in a state where the superimposition of printing has been completed for all the color components.

In this flowchart, the document data is loaded from the document file 7 for each banding process, but the loaded document data may be held in the work area 30 and used. .

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing details of the banding process of step 3000 in FIG.

First, when the value of the counter i is "0",
In steps 3010 and 3020, the color designation parameter is set to Cyan.

When the value of the counter i is "1",
In steps 3030 and 3040, the color designation parameter is set to Magenta.

Similarly, when the value of the counter i is "2", the color designation parameter is set to Yellow in steps 3050 and 3060. Furthermore, the counter i
When the value of is “3”, the color designation parameter is set to Black in steps 3070 and 3080.

As described above, the color designation is Cyan or Mag.
enta, Yellow, Black are performed in this order,
It can be seen that banding processing by color components is performed.

The above color setting is performed by, for example, PostScript Level 2 (Post Sc) which is a kind of page description language.
If it is ript Level 2), it can be realized by using a conversion function between color spaces such as Separation, which is a function provided in the language. That is, a process of converting arbitrary color data into color data of a desired designated color may be described by using a built-in function such as Separation.

Generally, however, no matter what page description language is used, a process of outputting only a desired designated color should be added to the process of outputting the result of image development to the page memory 31. The processing procedure for color setting can be easily realized by simply performing the above.

As mentioned above, Cyan, Magent
For each color component of a, Yellow, and Black, the image development process that considers the designated color and the process of drawing by overlapping are repeated to simultaneously develop the image for all color components, and then collectively. The capacity of the page memory 31 can be compressed to 1/4 as compared with the method of printing on paper or the like.

In the above description, the banding process using the color components has been described, but various banding methods can be considered.

As an example, a method of using color components and banding in the image area together will be described.

FIG. 5 shows an example in which the document data 10 after image development is divided into n print areas in the raster direction and banded.

Hereinafter, each banded area is
0th area 11, 1st area 12, ..., (n-2) th area 1
3, referred to as the (n-1) th region 14. In addition, the color designation itself is Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Bla.
Suppose that the order is ck.

Accordingly, the components of banding are
(Cyan, 0th area), (Cyan, 1st area),
..., (Cyan, n-1th area), ..., (Black,
A total of 4n (pieces) of (n-2th area) and (Black, n-1th area). Therefore, the document data 10 after image expansion shown in FIG. 5 is separated into 4n (pieces) constituent elements by banding in the color components and the image area.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the document data is
The data consists of a circle figure and a triangle figure superimposed on it.

FIG. 6 is a processing flowchart of the banding processing 3000 when the color components and the banding of the image area are used together. The value of the counter i is 0 ≦ i ≦ n−
If 1, the banding specification parameter, which is a parameter for specifying the type of banding, is (Cyan, i-th area) in steps 3110 and 3120
Is set to

Further, the value of the counter i is n≤i≤2n-
If it is 1, the banding specification parameter is set to (Magnenta, (i-n) th area) in steps 3130 and 3140.

Similarly, the value of the counter i is 2n.
If ≦ i ≦ 3n−1, steps 3150, 31
The banding specification parameter is (Yell
ow, the (i−2n) area) and the value of the counter i is 3n ≦ i ≦ 4n−1, the banding designation parameter is set to (Black, the (i−n) in steps 3170 and 3180). 3n) area).

When the image is drawn on the photosensitive drum after the banding process as described above, when the printer engine is started (step 5000), a predetermined raster (a predetermined number of lines in the raster direction) is skipped, and the laser exposure is performed. If the initial drawing position on the drum is set, the processing speed is improved.

The above-mentioned color setting is performed by, for example, PostScript Level 2 (Pos) which is a kind of page description language.
t Script Level 2) can be realized by using an image clipping function (a function of extracting a part of the image area and printing) such as BBox, which is a function provided in the language.

Generally, however, no matter what page description language is used, a process of clipping only a desired area is added to the process of outputting the result of image expansion to the page memory 31. Only then, the processing procedure as shown in FIG. 6 can be easily realized.

As described above, the color component and the banding in the image area are used together, and the image development processing in consideration of the color component and the image area and the processing of printing by overlapping are performed for each banding constituent element. By repeating the process, the capacity of the page memory 31 can be compressed to 1 / (4n) as compared with the method of simultaneously developing an image for all color components and printing the image on paper or the like.

In the banding method described so far, an optimum method may be selected (for example, the above banding number n is set) according to the capacity of the page memory 31.

In addition to the above method, Cyan and Mag
A banding method of color components consisting of two elements, that is, a set of enta and a set of Yellow and Black is also conceivable.

A method of using only the banding process by the image area without considering the banding process by the color component can be considered.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the image area is divided into n image areas, but the print processing is performed for each divided image area, and the superimposed print result is finally obtained. It should be ejected as a print result. Even in this case, the required capacity of the page memory 31 is 1 / n as compared with the case where the division of the image area is not considered.

As described above, it is possible to realize a color data printing means capable of full-color printing, which can reduce the capacity of the page memory even if the printing speed is sacrificed.

Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The present embodiment is characterized in that the result of image development is temporarily stored in a storage device, the stored contents are separated and extracted, stored in a page memory, and drawn.

Incidentally, in the above-mentioned embodiment,
In principle, the components having the same reference numerals are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, but, for example, the banding processing procedure storage unit 21 stores a program indicating a processing procedure specific to this processing.

The separation and extraction means that the result of image development, which is the storage content of the storage device, is separated and extracted according to a specific color order (R, G, B order),
It means to store in order in page memory and prepare for drawing.

First, FIG. 7 shows an explanatory view of the basic concept of the method for printing color print data according to the present invention.

In FIG. 7, the "solid line" shows the flow of data, and the "dotted line" shows the flow of control.

First, the document file 7 stores data to be color printed, which is created by an information processing device such as a word processor. A code for expanding an image is attached to the data to be printed. In addition,
The code is automatically generated and added by operating an information processing device such as a word processor.

The overall control procedure storage unit 20, the banding processing procedure storage unit 21, and the page description language expansion processing procedure storage unit 22 incorporate programs for describing the operation of the CPU (not shown).

Therefore, the CPU (not shown) performs overall control (control such as activation of 21, 22, 6 shown by dotted lines) according to the program stored in the overall control procedure storage unit 20, and also stores the banding processing procedure. Part 2
1. According to the programs stored in the page description language expansion processing procedure storage unit 22, banding processing and page description language expansion processing are performed, respectively.

First, the data to be printed (hereinafter also simply referred to as “document data” as appropriate) stored in the document file 7 is sent to the page description language expansion processing procedure storage unit 22.

The page description language expansion processing procedure storage unit 22 also has a storage area for temporarily storing sequentially applied data.

The CPU operates according to the program stored in the overall control procedure storage unit 20. Specifically, the CPU performs image development processing of document data according to a program stored in the page description language development processing procedure storage unit 22.

The page description language is, for example, Addison-Wesley Publishing, as in the above-described embodiment.
A book published by Company, Inc., "PostScript
(R) Language Reference Manual "can be used (PostScript is the Adobe System
s company's registered trademark). Further, for example, outline data of character data is stored in the font ROM 4 in advance, and when the CPU develops an image, the font ROM 4 is stored.
Image expansion is performed with reference to the contents of 4.

The CPU executes the above-mentioned image expansion processing of the document data, and then stores the result in the expanded image storage file 80 composed of a hard disk, an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk or the like.

The CPU uses the banding processing procedure storage unit 2
According to the program stored in No. 1, the set color component (for example, Cyan) is set from the expanded image storage file 80 in which the document data expanded into the image is stored.
Data is extracted, and the extracted data is stored in the page memory 31.

After storing the extracted data in the page memory 31, the CPU gives an instruction to activate the engine controller 6 for controlling the driving of the movable portion of the printer according to the program stored in the overall control procedure storing portion 20. .

As a result, the engine controller 6
The expanded image data stored in the page memory 31 is drawn by the printer engine 5 using the set color (Cyan), printed on a print medium such as paper, and waits for the next start command.

Here, the drawing means, specifically, the process of irradiating a laser beam and attaching the toner corresponding to the set color to the charged photosensitive drum while rotating the photosensitive drum. . Then, the printer engine 5 is sequentially activated each time a color is set by the banding process.

Now, the expanded image stored in the expanded image storage file 80 is again subjected to banding processing. In FIG. 7, the expanded image data is illustrated as being sent to the banding processing procedure storage unit 21. CPU
According to the program stored in the banding process procedure storage unit 21, from the expanded image storage file 80 in which the document data expanded into the image is stored, the color component (for example, Magenta) set next is The data is extracted and the extracted data is stored in the page memory 31.

After storing in the page memory 31, C
The PU gives an instruction to activate the engine controller 6 that controls the drive of the movable portion of the printer according to the program stored in the overall control procedure storage unit 20. As a result, the engine controller 6 causes the page memory 31
The expanded image data stored in the
nta) is used to draw by the printer engine 5,
Printing is performed by superimposing it on the print medium printed in the set color (Cyan), and waits until the next start command comes.

Thereafter, the same processing as described above is performed on the yellow and black color components.

In this way, Cyan, Magent
With respect to the color components of a, yellow, and black, the separation and extraction from the developed image, the drawing, and the superimposed printing on the print medium are repeated, and the final print result 10 is discharged outside the printer as the print result of the color print data.

By such processing, Cyan, Ma
It is possible to print color print data without providing a page memory for each of the color components of genta, yellow, and black. By such processing, the page memory becomes 1/4 of the conventional one. Also,
The color components may be sequentially set to Red, Green, and Blue.

Thus, it can be said that the processing shown in FIG. 7 shows an example of banding processing by color components.

Next, FIG. 8 shows a hardware configuration diagram of the full-color printer according to the present invention.

The printer stores in the CPU 1, a memory 2 storing a program in which the operation of the CPU 1 is described, a memory 3 having a page memory, a font ROM 4 referred to when an image of coded color print data is developed, and a page memory. A printer engine 5 for printing the selected data, an engine controller 6 for controlling the printer engine 5, a document file 7 in which coded color print data to be printed is stored, and an image expansion result of the color print data is stored. Expanded image storage file 8
0 and a bus 8 for interconnecting these components
Is configured.

As described with reference to FIG. 7, the document file 7 stores data to be color printed, which is created by an information processing device such as a word processor.
A code for expanding an image is attached to the data to be printed. The code is automatically generated and added by operating an information processing device such as a word processor.

The memory 2 comprises an overall control procedure storage section 20, a banding processing procedure storage section 21, and a page description language expansion processing procedure storage section 22.

Then, the CPU 1 carries out overall control (control of activation of 21, 22, 6, etc. indicated by dotted lines) according to the program stored in the overall control procedure storage unit 20,
Further, according to the programs stored in the banding process procedure storage unit 21 and the page description language expansion process procedure storage unit 22, the banding process and the page description language expansion process are performed, respectively.

The memory 3 is separated and extracted from the data stored in the expanded image storage file 80 by the CPU 1 according to the work area 30 used when the CPU 1 executes various processes and the procedure indicated by the banding processing procedure storage unit 21. A page memory 31 for storing the expanded image data is provided.

The printer engine 5 includes a toner container for each color component, a photosensitive drum, a step motor for rotating the photosensitive drum, and a laser for adhering toner of a predetermined color to the charged photosensitive drum. A semiconductor laser for irradiating light, an optical scanning unit for laser light, and a print medium supply / discharge mechanism are provided.

Under the control of the engine controller 6, the step motor is driven to rotate the photosensitive drum, and at the same time, the optical scanning means is driven to irradiate the desired position of the rotating drum with laser light. The toners for the respective colors are sequentially attached, and the attached toners are superimposed and printed on the print medium such as paper with each color, and finally the print medium is discharged by the print medium supply / discharge mechanism.

Although the document file 7 and the expanded image storage file 80 are directly connected to the bus 8 in the structure shown in FIG. 8, the document file 7 and the expanded image storage file 80 are connected to the bus 8. Personal computer (PC), workstation (W
It may be provided in the information processing apparatus such as S) and the data of the document file 7 may be sent to the banding processing procedure storage unit 21 when necessary.

FIG. 7 shows an example of processing performed by this device configuration.
Since it has been described with reference to, the detailed description is avoided, but the rough description is as follows. In addition,
The following processing is performed by the CPU 1.

When coded data is given from the document file to the page description language expansion processing procedure storage unit, the coded data is expanded into an image and the result is stored in the expanded image storage file 80. At the time of image development, the font R in which outline information of character data and the like is stored.
Refer to OM4.

Then, from the developed image data stored in the developed image storage file 80, only the developed data relating to the set color is extracted by the banding process and stored in the page memory 31.

Then, the data stored in the page memory 31 is drawn on the photosensitive drum of the printer engine 5 and printed on the print medium in the set color.
This control is performed by the engine controller 6.

Then, the CPU 1 sequentially changes the set color and performs drawing and printing. The printer engine 5 ejects the print medium when drawing and printing for all the set colors are completed.

As described above, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of page memories 31 corresponding to each set color, and full-color printing can be performed only with the configuration having the page memory 31 for one color. As a result, the required memory capacity is significantly reduced, and the LBP cost can also be significantly reduced.

FIG. 9 is a basic flowchart of the color printing process according to the present invention, which shows the processing contents of the CPU 1.

First, in step 1001, the counter i and the variable Num are initialized.

In this processing, the given color print data is converted into four color components (Cyan, Magenta,
Num = 4 is set because the banding process is based on the so-called color component by separating the image into yellow and black).

Of course, the three color components (Red, Gre
en, Bule), Num = 3
The same process can be performed by setting Num = separation number in other cases.

Next, in step 2001, the document data (color print data) from the document file 7 is loaded.

Next, in step 3001, the image of the document data is expanded and the result is expanded image storage file 80.
To be stored.

In particular, in this embodiment, the four color components (Cyan, M) are previously stored in the expanded image storage file 80.
It is assumed that the areas for storing (agenta, Yellow, Black) are defined and the color component data of the developed image corresponding to each area is stored.

Next, in step 4001, step 3
Data of the set color component is separated and extracted from the expanded image data stored in the expanded image storage file 80 at 001, and the extraction result is stored in the page memory 31.

Further, in step 5001, the engine controller 6 is instructed to draw the data stored in the page memory 31 on the photosensitive drum of the printer engine 5 and print it on a printing medium such as paper.

After the drawing and printing are completed (step 6001), the threshold value of the counter is checked in step 7001. If i <Num, the counter i is incremented (step 8001) and step 4001 Return to.

In step 9001, the processing for discharging the full-color printed sheet is performed in a state where the superimposition of printing has been completed for all the color components.

FIG. 10 shows step 4001 in FIG.
5 is a flowchart showing details of the banding process of FIG.

First, when the value of the counter i is "0",
In steps 4010 and 4020, Cyan color component data is extracted from the expanded image storage file 80 and stored in the page memory 31.

When the value of the counter i is "1",
By steps 4030 and 4040, the Magenta color component data is extracted from the expanded image storage file 80,
Store in page memory 31.

Similarly, when the value of the counter i is “2”, the yellow color component data is extracted from the expanded image storage file 80 and stored in the page memory 31 in steps 4050 and 4060.

Further, when the value of the counter i is "3", the Black color component data is extracted from the expanded image storage file 80 by steps 4070 and 4080,
Store in page memory 31.

As described above, the separation and extraction for each color component is Cy.
It can be seen that banding processing by color components is performed in the order of an, Magenta, Yellow, and Black.

As described above, Cyan, Magent
All color components of a, Yellow and Black are temporarily stored at a lower price than the expanded image storage file 80, that is, a semiconductor storage device such as SIM constituting a page memory such as a hard disk, an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk. Stored in the device, separated and extracted only the set color component from the storage device, stored in the page memory,
By repeating the process of overlapping and drawing the same, the image development results for all color components are stored in the page memory 31 at the same time, and compared with the method in which they are collectively printed on paper or the like. 31 capacity, 1/4
Can be compressed into.

In the above description, the banding process using the color components has been described, but various banding methods can be considered.

As an example, a method of using color components and banding in the image area together will be described.

Also in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 used in the description of the above-mentioned embodiments, the document data 10 after image expansion is divided into n print areas in the raster direction and banded. can do.

Similar to the above-described embodiment, the banded areas are described below from the top in the 0th area 11 and the first area 1.
2, ..., (n-2) th area 13, (n-1) th area 14
Called. In addition, the color designation itself is Cyan, Magen
It is assumed that ta, Yellow, and Black are performed in this order.

As a result, the components of banding are
(Cyan, 0th area), (Cyan, 1st area),
..., (Cyan, (n-1) th area), ..., (Blac
k, the (n−2) th region), (Black, the (n−1) th region)
The total number of components is 4n (region).

Therefore, also in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the document data 10 after image development is separated into 4n (pieces) components by banding in the color components and the image area. Become.

Incidentally, as described above, in the example shown in FIG.
The document data is data in which a triangular figure is superimposed on a circular figure.

FIG. 11 is a processing flowchart of the banding processing 4001 when the color components and the banding of the image area are used together. The value of the counter i is 0 ≦ i ≦ n
If it is -1, the (Cyan, i-th area) component is extracted from the expanded image storage file 80 and stored in the page memory 31 by steps 4110 and 4120.

The value of the counter i is n≤i≤2n-
If it is 1, the steps 4130 and 4140 are performed to extract (Magenta,
The (i-th) area component is extracted and stored in the page memory 31.

Similarly, the value of the counter i is 2n.
If ≦ i ≦ 3n−1, steps 4150, 41
From the expanded image storage file 80 (Yel
The low (the (i−2n) th area) component is separated and extracted and stored in the page memory 31.

The value of the counter i is 3n ≦ i ≦ 4n.
−1, the (Black, (i-3n) th area) component is extracted from the expanded image storage file 80 and stored in the page memory 31 in steps 4170 and 4180.

After the banding processing as described above, when drawing on the photosensitive drum, when the printer engine is started (step 5001), a predetermined raster (a predetermined number of lines in the raster direction) is skipped, and a laser exposure is performed. If the initial drawing position on the drum is set, the processing speed is improved.

As described above, Cyan, Magent
All the color components of a, Yellow, Black are temporarily stored in the expanded image storage file 80, that is, a low-cost storage device such as a hard disk, an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, and from the stored contents of the storage device, Separate and extract only the set color component and image area,
By repeating the process of storing in the page memory and superimposing and drawing the same, the image development results for all color components are simultaneously stored in the page memory 31, and further printed on paper or the like all at once. Compared with the method, the capacity of the page memory 31 can be compressed to 1 / (4n).

In the banding method described so far, an optimum method may be selected (for example, the above banding number n is set) according to the capacity of the page memory 31.

In addition to the above method, Cyan and Mag
A banding method of color components consisting of two elements, that is, a set of enta and a set of Yellow and Black is also conceivable.

Further, a method of using only the banding process by the image area without considering the banding process by the color component can be considered.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the image area is divided into n image areas, but the print processing is performed for each divided image area, and the superimposed print result is finally obtained. It should be ejected as a print result. Even in this case, the required capacity of the page memory 31 is 1 / n as compared with the case where the division of the image area is not considered.

Further, if a hard disk capable of performing read / write at a sufficiently high speed, a driver capable of mounting an optical disk or a magnetic disk, etc. is adopted as the storage device, for example, the required page memory capacity is equivalent to several lines of print data. As described above, the division number n of the image area is set to a sufficiently large value so that the capacity becomes very small, and as a result, the expanded image data is directly extracted from the hard disk, optical disk, magnetic disk, magneto-optical disk, or the like. However, it is also possible to realize a printing method of drawing and printing with a printer engine.

In the two embodiments described above, the case where the document data is coded in the page description language has been described, but the data to be printed is the uncoded raw image data, It goes without saying that even compressed image data compressed by a method such as JPEG can be processed in the same manner.

In the two embodiments described above,
In particular, the color laser printer has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to other types of printers such as a sublimation printer and an inkjet printer.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a color data printing means capable of full-color printing, which can reduce the capacity of the page memory even if the printing speed is sacrificed.

[0203]

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the capacity of the page memory necessary for printing out a full-color document or the like with a color laser printer, and it is possible to reduce the product cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a basic concept of a color data printing method according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration example of a device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processing executed by a CPU.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing banding processing using color components.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of banding processing on an image area.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing details of banding processing when color components and banding on an image area are used together.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a basic concept of a color data printing method according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram showing a device configuration of another embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating another processing example executed by the CPU.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing another example of banding processing using color components.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing details of another banding process when color components and banding on an image area are used together.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... CPU, 2 ... Program storage memory, 3 ... Process data storage memory, 4 ... Font ROM, 5 ... Printing printer engine, 6 ... Printer engine controller, 7
... document file, 8 ... bus, 80 ... expanded image storage file

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. When a coded color print data is decoded and an image is developed, the developed image is n
Assuming that each element is composed of n (n is a natural number) constituent elements, first, the i-th constituent element (1 ≦ i ≦ n: i is a natural number)
Only the extracted i-th component is printed out as print data, and then the j-th component (1 ≦ j ≦
n: j is a natural number of j ≠ i) and only the extracted j-th constituent element is printed as print data by superimposing it on the print output of the i-th constituent element. A color data printing method, characterized in that at least one of i and j is changed, and color printing data is printed until a possible value of i or j is a natural number of 1 to n. . 2. The color data printing method according to claim 1, wherein each of the constituent elements has a different color component to form a developed image. 3. The color component according to claim 2, wherein the different color components are
A color data printing method, wherein the color data printing method is cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. 4. The color data printing method according to claim 1, wherein each of the constituent elements has a different print area to form a developed image. 5. N-color (N is a natural number) toner is prepared, a photosensitive drum is irradiated with a laser beam, and the toner of a desired color is adhered to the charged photosensitive drum to form a print medium. Is a method of printing the color data by discharging the adhered toner. First, from the print data to be color printed, the N
Data of one color among the colors is extracted, toner corresponding to the extracted data is irradiated with a laser beam to adhere to the photosensitive drum, and the adhered toner is discharged onto the print medium. To extract data other than the one color,
A toner corresponding to the extracted data is irradiated with a laser beam to adhere to the photosensitive drum,
The process of superposing and discharging the adhered toner is sequentially performed by N
A method for printing color data, characterized in that it is performed for color data. 6. A plurality of color toners are prepared, a photosensitive drum is irradiated with a laser beam, toners of a desired color are attached to a charged photosensitive drum, and the toners are attached to a print medium. To print color data by dividing the print data to be color-printed into a plurality of divided data, and first to perform color printing for one of the divided data.
The color data existing in the divided data is extracted, and the toner corresponding to the plurality of extracted color data is sequentially applied to the photosensitive drum by irradiating the laser beam, and the attached toner of each color is superimposed on the print medium. Then, in order to perform color printing for the next divided data, the color data existing in the divided data is extracted, and the toner corresponding to the plurality of extracted color data is irradiated onto the photosensitive drum sequentially by irradiating the laser beam. A color data printing method, wherein the process of adhering and superposing and ejecting the adhered toner of each color on the print medium is sequentially performed for all divided data. 7. An input unit for inputting coded color print data, and when the color print data input via the input unit is decoded and an image is developed, n developed images are displayed. Assuming that n is a natural number), the image expansion / separation means for separating the expanded image into the constituent elements and the i-th constituent element (1 ≦ i ≦ n: i is a natural number) are extracted and extracted. The i-th constituent element is printed out as print data, and then the j-th (1 ≦ j ≦ n: j
Is a natural number j ≠ i), and the extracted j-th component is used as print data for the i-th component.
The print processing means for performing the print output by superimposing the print output of the th component and the processing performed by the print processing means by changing at least one of i and j, and a possible value of i or j. Until each natural number from 1 to n,
A color data printing apparatus including a control unit for printing color print data. 8. When decoding coded color print data and expanding an image, the expanded image expanded is stored in a storage means, and the expanded image is n (where n is a natural number). ), First, only the i-th component (1 ≦ i ≦ n: i is a natural number) of the developed image stored in the storage means is extracted and extracted. The i-th constituent element is printed out as print data, and the j-th constituent element (1 ≦ j ≦ n: j is a natural number j ≠ i) of the developed image stored in the storage means. Is extracted, and the extracted j-th component is used as print data to be superimposed on the print output of the i-th component and printed out. At least one of i and j is changed. , I or j can be any natural number from 1 to n. Up, color data printing method, which comprises printing the color print data. 9. The color data printing method according to claim 8, wherein each of the constituent elements has a different color component to form a developed image. 10. The color component according to claim 9, wherein the different color components are cyan (Cyan) and magenta (Magent).
a), a yellow (Yellow), and a black (Black), the color data printing method. 11. The structure according to claim 8, wherein each of the constituent elements is
A color data printing method, characterized in that a developed image is constructed with different printing areas. 12. The color data printing method according to claim 8, wherein the storage means is any one of storage devices including a hard disk, an optical disk, a magnetic disk, and a magneto-optical disk. 13. Input means for inputting coded color print data, storage means for storing a developed image obtained by decoding color print data input via the input means and developing the image, and image developing. There are n (n
Is a natural number), and an i-th constituent element (1 ≦ i ≦ n: i is a natural number) for extracting any constituent element of the developed image stored in the storage means. Only the extracted i-th component is printed out as print data, and then the j-th (1 ≦ j ≦ n: j
Is a natural number j ≠ i), and the extracted j-th component is used as print data for the i-th component.
The print processing means for performing the print output by superimposing the print output of the th component and the processing performed by the print processing means by changing at least one of i and j, and a possible value of i or j. Until each natural number from 1 to n,
A color data printing apparatus including a control unit for printing color print data.