摘要:
A method of page expansion and printing of image data received by a printer from a computer includes the steps of receiving the image data from the computer, the data having a bi-level black layer compressed in an EDRL (Edge Delta and Runlength) format and a continuous tone (“contone”) layer, and decompressing the respective layers in parallel. The method also includes the steps of halftoning contone layer data to a bi-level data and compositing the bi-level black layer over the bi-level data to form an image, and transmitting the image to the printhead having staggered nozzles designed to match a flow of paper through the printer. The method further includes the step of operating the printhead according to one of a low-speed nozzle firing mode and a high-speed firing mode to print the image on the paper, the low-speed firing mode having a firing rate half that of the high-speed firing mode.
摘要:
Disclosed is a method and an apparatus for dithering a pixel value in a image. The method includes checking a difference in chrominance signals between a particular pixel and a pixel adjacent to the particular pixel, in an input image, designating the particular pixel as being in a flat or a non-flat area in consideration of the difference in chrominance signals and dithering the particular pixel when the pixel is designated as being in the non-flat area.
摘要:
An image reading apparatus has a document reader for reading an image from a document and generating image data. A determining section determines whether the read document is color or monochromatic. An area separator separates a character area in the image data generated by the document reader and generates area information indicating the separated character area. A character document determining portion determines whether the document is a character document in accordance with the area information. A compressing portion compresses the image data generated by the document reader into a first compression format if the document is determined to be a monochromatic character document, or into a second compression format if the document is determined to be a monochromatic document that is not a character document. A storage section stores the image data compressed by the compressing portion.
摘要:
Dual printhead controller architecture includes a master central processor capable of being interfaced with a first printhead. A slave central processor is capable of being interfaced with a second printhead. Data transfer means is operatively connected between the master central processor and the slave central processor to permit communication between the master and slave central processors. A host link is operatively connected to the master central processor to permit the master central processor to receive page data from a host processor. Ink cartridge quality assurance integrated circuitry is connected to the master central processor.
摘要:
An image reading apparatus has an image sensor in which a plurality of sensor arrays for reading a document image are connected into a line, and parallel-output image data. In the image reading apparatus, of image data output from each sensor array, image data of a pixel at one end and image data of the remaining pixels are compressed by different compression methods. The compressed data of one line are decompressed by a set method at the timing when the number of pixels reaches a preset number of pixels.
摘要:
A printer includes a hollow body. The body houses an ink ejection printhead coupled to circuitry. In addition, the body bears a user interface. A foldable cover is pivotally mounted to the body to protectively cover the user interface. A print media feed mechanism includes a single motor driving rollers. The feed mechanism is configured to both grip an endmost sheet of print media from a print media stack and feed print media past the ink ejection printhead during printing. The operation of the feed mechanism is conditional upon the driven direction of the motor.
摘要:
An image processing apparatus comprises: an image transformation section which generates, from print data, image data of character or line drawing of gradation value n1 and image data of a photographic image of gradation value n2 (n2>n1); an encoding section which encodes the image data of the character or the line drawing of the gradation value n1, and generates the encoded image data of the character or the line drawing of the gradation value n2; an attribute adding section which generates attribute data indicating an attribute of each of images with respect to the encoded image data of the character or the line drawing of the gradation value n2 and the generated image data of the photographic image of the gradation value n2, and adds the attribute data to each of the encoded image data of the character or the line drawing and the generated image data of the photographic image; and a synthesizing section which synthesizes the encoded image data of the character or the line drawing to which the attribute data is added and the generated image data of the photographic image to which the attribute data is added, and outputs the synthesized data.
摘要:
A method of printing includes the steps of rendering continuous tone (“contone”) data to a pixel level and subsequently compressing the contone data in a personal computer. The bi-level data is rendered to a dot level and subsequently compressed in said personal computer. The method also includes the steps of transmitting the contone and bi-level data and decompressing the contone data and foreground bi-level data in parallel in a printer controller. The contone data is halftoned to bi-level color data. The foreground bi-level data is composited over the bi-level color data to create composited bi-level color image data. The steps of halftoning and compositing are performed in parallel. The method further includes the step of printing the composited bi-level color image data.
摘要:
The invention provides for a printer controller for a pagewidth printer having a printhead configured to print ink supplied from an ink cartridge with print quality information. The controller includes a processor having an address, data and control bus, an expander unit and a decoder unit each coupled to the bus and configured to respectively decompress a bi-level black layer and a continuous tone (contone) layer of a page to be printed. The controller also includes a replaceable ink cartridge comprising a first integrated circuit (IC) containing the print quality information and which is configured to be interfaced to the processor. The controller further includes a second IC interfaced to the processor which is configured to count a number of drops of ink printed by the printhead, to update a remaining drop count of the ink cartridge using the counted drops printed and then write an updated remaining drop count to the second IC each time a page has been printed.
摘要:
A printer controller for an inkjet printer comprises a purpose-specific microprocessor; connections for linking the microprocessor to an external USB module, a printhead, a paper transport mechanism and a print media sensor; a memory module; a power source connection and an authentication chip. The microprocessor represents an integrated circuit fabricated on a single substrate. The integrated circuit includes a data bus and purpose-specific functional units connected to the data bus. The functional units include a JPEG decoder, a compressed bi-level expander, a halftoner, and a printhead interface. A general-purpose processor may also be connected to the data bus for controlling the functional units. The processor may be connected to run software that coordinates the functional units to receive, expand and print pages.