Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Masahiko Murata

Tetsuya Morita

Masahiko Sakai

Yukio Inagi, Isaka

Hiroshi Yamano

Tomoo Iizumi

Haruo Ishizuka

Tsutomu Kubota

Katsuhiko Yanagawa

Ken Onodera

Band rendering processing time in the case where the raster scanning direction of inputted output information and that of a print mechanism are different can be remarkably reduced, and rendering processing efficiency of each page is improved. To expect the further improvement of throughput, a display list to render objects into a band memory is formed on the basis of the inputted output information. A bit map image is rendered into the band memory in accordance with the display list. If it is determined that the raster scanning direction of the inputted output information and that of the print mechanism are different, a rotating process is executed to the bit map image rendered in a rendering step so as to be matched with the raster scanning direction of the print mechanism and the rotated data is transferred to the print mechanism.

Rendering processing apparatus, rendering processing method, computer-readable memory medium, and program

If Y, M, C, and K color component images are serially generated by one color component image generating device in four steps, it takes much time to perform image processing for printing a one-page full-color image. This makes it impossible to increase the printing speed. In addition, since conversion to Y, M, C, and K data is performed before rendering, rendering logic cannot be faithfully implemented, resulting in poor color reproducibility. In order to solve these problems, image generating devices () respectively render R, G, and B color component images in bitmap memoriesto, which are divided into areas in units of predetermined bands obtained by dividing a page, on the basis of a display list which is common to R, G, and B data and stored in a memory (). The rendered color component images on a band basis are converted into C, M, Y, and K color component images by a color space converter () in synchronism with the operation of a printer engine.

Image processing apparatus and method and computer program product

An image processing apparatus which is set to receive data in the RGB format cannot directly receive image data in the YMCK format although a print process is finally done in the YMCK format. In this embodiment, when RGB data is input from a host computer, renderers respectively render the R, G, and B data, the rendered R, G, and B data are converted into YMCK data by a color space converter, and the YMCK data is output to an engine. On the other hand, when YMCK data is input, renderers respectively render Y, M, C, and K image data, and directly output them to the engine.

Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium

A memory control apparatus which can effect memory high speed when performing a burst access from a CPU or the like to a memory is provided. When the access from the CPU is started, lower digits of the first address of the burst access are set into a counter. The CPU updates the data at a reading timing. By using the counter, the memory executes the access and the data obtained is stored into a latch. With this method, the data is read out from the memory earlier than conventionally, access can be executed at a high speed.

Memory control with burst-access capability

In a rendering apparatus for bitmapping object data into bitmap image data in accordance with a process list to generate rendering data, a plurality of addresses to the process list is designated. One of the plurality of designated addresses is selected. Object data is bitmapped into bitmap image data in accordance with the process list at the selected address to generate rendering data.

Rendering apparatus and method, printing apparatus, printing control apparatus, and control method therefor

A rendering apparatus has an image generation unit for generating a source image, an address generation unit for generating the read and write addresses of a bitmap memory, a DMA read unit for directly reading out data from the bitmap memory in accordance with the generated address, an input data holding unit for holding the data read from the bitmap memory, a logic operation unit for making a logic operation on the basis of the read data and data of the source image, an output data holding unit for holding the logically operated data, and a DMA write unit for writing the held data in the bitmap memory in accordance with the generated address, and synchronously processes a data input process for reading out data from the bitmap memory and holding that data in the input data holding unit, the logic operation, and an output process for writing the logic operation result at a predetermined address of the bitmap memory parallel to each other.

Rendering apparatus and method, and storage medium

A plurality of image processors each include an image generation unit which generates image data for respective drawing units based on input record data. An image memory stores the image data generated by the image generation unit, and a data transfer unit transfers the record data from the image memory to a recording mechanism in synchronism with an operation of the recording mechanism. Image data of different areas of an image are alternately generated by the plurality of image processors, and are recorded on a recording medium.

Recording apparatus

An image output apparatus generates image data in band units, and performs image-data generation and image-data output alternately using two band memories. Prior to image-data output, image data is preparatorily generated by each band, and it is determined whether or not there is a band requiring time for image-data generation longer than time for image-data output for one band. Regarding this band, the preparatorily-generated image data is stored. Upon printing, regarding a band, of which it has been determined that image data can be generated in realtime, image is generated in parallel to image output from its previous band, while regarding a band, of which it has been determined that image data cannot be generated in realtime, the stored image data is outputted after the completion of image output from its previous band.

Image output apparatus and control method therefor

An image generation method and an image generation apparatus can execute conversion from edge addresses into dot patterns at a high speed and a low cost. A comparator compares predetermined upper-digit bits of input edge-address information indicating the position of a word of a dot pattern to be output with the value of a word counter for counting the number of words of dot patterns which have been output, and determines if an edge position indicated by the input edge-address information is present within the word currently being processed. A decoder detects the edge position within the word based on predetermined lower-digit bits of the input edge-address information. The detected edge position within the word is held within a flip-flop circuit. A pattern generator generates the dot pattern of one word from edge positions within the word held by the flip-flop circuit in accordance with the logic of a dot at an end of the word of the dot pattern which has been output immediately before the word being processed.

Image generation method and apparatus

Disclosed is an address controller, for an external memory device, that neither performs bank switching nor uses the PIC and PID functions, and that operates normally, regardless of in which slot, among a plurality of slots, is loaded an external memory device wherein data that depends on an address is stored. An address controller for external memory devices according to the present invention has the following arrangement. An address controller, for external memory devices, that controls a plurality of slots, in each of which is loaded an external memory device, comprises address space for virtual slots that are equal to or greater than the number of the plurality of slots, means for storing specific address data for the virtual slots in the external memory device, wherein an address for a slot into which the external memory device is inserted is assigned according to the address data for the virtual slots that are stored in the external memory device.

Address controller for apparatus with plural external memory slots

An output apparatus includes a determination device for determining a control program for analyzing data input from an external apparatus from among a plurality of control programs, and a control device for adjusting connections with the external apparatus in accordance with the determination of the determination device. An output method includes the steps of determining a control program for analyzing data input from an external apparatus from among a plurality of control programs, and adjusting connections with the external apparatus in accordance with the determination.

Output apparatus and method for accomodating a plurality of signal

There is disclosed a data processing apparatus capable of providing a desired output print regardless of the size of print data by modifying the density of the print. For this purpose there is provided a processing unit for determining the print density based on data associated with the printing medium used in a printing unit.

Data processing apparatus

An output apparatus for receiving code information, developing it into a bit map and recording it, in which the code information is developed into image information of a bit pattern form the image information is recorded on a recording medium and an image which is formed on the recording medium can be recorded while a dot density of the image is changed, and a the dot density is changed for use by the recording means in correspondence to the code system designated by the code information. The printing dot density is automatically changed to the dot density corresponding to the print control program such as an emulation program or the like, so that characters of different fonts such as English and Japanese can be automatically printed at the optimum printing dot densities.

Output apparatus with dot density adjustments

Printing is performed with the higher one of the two resolutions designated for text data and image data if these resolutions are different from each other. If in this case the resolution designated for the text data is changed, character patterns based the an optimum number of constituent dots are selected for printing of characters of the designated size in accordance with the text data. If the resolution of the image data is changed, the image data is interpolated.

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Chofu, Japan

Masahiko Murata