Eastman-kodak Company

William F Guy

Thomas A Mackin

Scott L Auer

Louis S Horvath

Chris W Goldsmith

A queue based technique for handling proof requests in a direct digital color proofing (DDCP) system in a manner which substantially increases the throughput of proof images provided by the system while reducing needed operator interaction with the system. Specifically, proof requests are constructed to contain only parameter values that are necessary for the DDCP system to generate each proof and filename(s) of the accompanying image data therefor, but not the image data itself. These requests are queued in a proof request queue within a raster image processor (RIP) in the DDCP system and sequentially processed thereby on generally a first-in first-out basis. By restricting the requests to parameter values and an accompanying filename(s), a substantial number of these requests can be queued and sequentially processed by the RIP and printed by a proofing engine in the DDCP system without substantial operator intervention. Through an edit facility, a DDCP operator can manipulate the queue to re-prioritize proof requests, change the order through which proof requests will be processed, and add or delete requests as well as change individual parameter values in each proof request, as desired, in order to appropriately change the conditions under which that proof image therefor will be generated. Furthermore, by simultaneously reading and writing image data for two successive proof images to and from two hard files that collectively function on a 'ping-pong' basis, pipelined operation occurs which advantageously increases the throughput of proof images for the DDCP system.

System for queueing request from remote stations for proof processing of

There is disclosed a method for providing precise color-to-color registration of color dots in a multicolor proof with a thermal printer comprising a CPU and Printer Controller, a Motion Controller, a writing drum, and a writing head coupled to a translation means. Using the disclosed method, a proof and a dye donor member with a predetermined dye color thereon are mounted on the writing drum. The writing head is then moved to a predetermined start position defined by a sensor at a predetermined position along the translation means which has its optical path blocked by the writing head. The writing head is then moved forward to a predetermined home position which is defined by a next subsequent pulse from a multi-pulse radial position-indicating encoder coupled to the translation means occurring after the writing head leaves the start position. In sequence, the writing drum and then the translation means are accelerated with a separate predetermined substantially constant acceleration until a separate predetermined velocity is obtained. After the predetermined velocity of the translation means is obtained, the printing of color dots on the proof is started upon the receipt of a next subsequent pulse from a multi-pulse radial position-indicating encoder coupled to the writing drum.

Technique for precise color-to-color registration in thermal printers

The present invention relates to thermal printers including a thermal print head mounting a plurality of N thermal heating devices such as lasers or resistive heating elements. In the thermal printer, a receiver member is mounted on a rotating drum with a dye carrier member engaging the outer surface of the receiver member in a dye frame image printing area. The thermal heating devices are aligned at a predetermined acute angle .THETA. to a line normal to the rotation of the drum. During the high speed rotation of the drum, the thermal heating devices are selectively energized by micropixel clock pulses which are synchronized to the rotational speed of the drum. During each rotation of the drum, N columns of micropixels are printed on the receiver member. Additionally, the energizing of each of the thermal heating elements is timed using the micropixel clock pulses so as to print corresponding micropixels of the N columns of micropixels in a line normal to the rotation of the drum. As the drum is rotating at a high speed, the print head is translated normal to the direction of rotation of the drum to print all of the (N.times.M) columns of the dye frame image next to each other with a 1/8 micropixel resolution.

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Rochester, NY, United States of America

William F Guy