Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.P.

Hewlett-packard Company

James A Hewitt

Shell Sterling Simpson

Ernest F Covelli

A method and apparatus which dynamically determines if the raster image processing (RIP) for a print job data file is more efficiently performed by the host computer or by the printer in a printing system. The entire printing process is monitored and, based on a model for estimating the time required for various component print processes, a determination is made where the raster processing of the print data for the next print job should be performed to balance the processing load across the printing system to best utilize the maximum printing speed of the printer print engine.

Load balancing for raster image processing across a printing system

In response to print job communications from an application submitting a print job, a driver arrangement provides a driver type response appropriate for any pass-through data contained in the print job. Driver receives the data making up the print job and creates an intermediate representation of the print job comprising translated nonpass-through data and untranslated data comprising buffers of pass-through data. A data handler is associated with the pass-through data, and is responsible for directing the printing of the pass-through data at the designated printer.

Print job capture subsystem with pass-through support

A dynamically loadable file, such as a dynamically loadable device driver or library, is delayed from being unloaded from memory for improved memory management and processing operations including reduced unload/load cycles. Prior to terminating execution of select functions, a dynamically loadable driver spawns a delay process that loads the driver and keeps it loaded for a period of time beyond that which it would normally be loaded. Thus, even after a calling process unloads the driver, it remains loaded for a period of time longer because of the spawned delay process and allows the operating system or an application/process to use the driver again within the delay time without requiring the driver to be re-copied into memory or re-initialized. The delay process safely increments the operating system reference count for the driver to keep the driver loaded and then monitors a delay time to subsequently unload the driver.

Delayed unloading of a dynamically loadable file

A dynamically loadable file, such as a dynamically loadable device driver or library, is delayed from being unloaded from memory for improved memory management and processing operations including reduced unload/load cycles. Prior to terminating execution of select functions, a dynamically loadable driver spawns a delay process that loads the driver and keeps it loaded for a period of time beyond that which it would normally be loaded. Thus, even after a calling process unloads the driver, it remains loaded for a period of time longer because of the spawned delay process and allows the operating system or an application/process to use the driver again within the delay time without requiring the driver to be re-copied into memory or reinitialized. The delay process safely increments the operating system reference count for the driver to keep the driver loaded and then monitors a delay time to subsequently unload the driver.

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Meridian, ID, United States of America

James A Hewitt