Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphic processing system – Interface
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-28
2001-09-18
Chauhan, Ulka J. (Department: 2671)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphic processing system
Interface
C345S501000, C358S001150, C358S448000, C358S530000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292202
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an image processing method and apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to an image processing method and apparatus for applying image processing to image data transferred from an external device such as a computer.
FIG. 19
is a block diagram illustrating the construction of an image forming apparatus such as a printer for receiving image data possessed by an external device such as a computer and forming an image on a recording medium such as recording paper.
In a printer having a construction of the kind illustrated, image data sent from an external device is received by an interface controller
401
and stored in a frame memory
402
under the control of a memory controller
403
. The image data that has been stored in the frame memory
402
is converted to print data by an image generator
404
, after which the print data is stored in an output buffer
406
. The print data is transferred from the output buffer
406
to a printing unit
407
in synchronism with the operation of the printing unit
407
by control exercised by a printer controller
405
, and the printing unit
407
executes printing.
FIG. 20
is a diagram showing the printing operation performed by the printing unit
407
. As shown in
FIG. 20
, the print data is partitioned into units conforming to the recording width (band width) of the recording (printing) head in the printing unit
407
. A single image is formed by successively printing the data in these band-width units.
The conventional technique has the following shortcomings:
(1) Applying geometric conversion processing such as enlargement, reduction and rotation to the image transferred from the external device is possible on the side of the image forming apparatus. Processing such as outputting the layout of a plurality of images, pixel operations among a plurality of images and image processing based upon use of a spatial filter may be executed beforehand on the side of the external device, such as a host computer, whereupon it is necessary that the processed data be transferred to the image forming apparatus. However, in a case where an image having a large quantity of data, such as a color image, is processed, a large-capacity external storage device and a high processing speed are required. External devices capable of realizing such processing are limited.
(2) Formats available for the image data include multivalued formats in RGB and CYMK, palette and bitmap formats, etc. In addition, a plurality of formats exist for each category of image. In the prior art described above, image data capable of being transferred between the external device and the image forming apparatus at the time of image formation is of one category only and has only a single format.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing method and apparatus through which not only pixel operations involving plural items of image data, image synthesizing and layout processing but also image-data format conversion are realized at a high performance image processing with a minimum necessary amount of memory capacity.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing an image processing method for processing image data in prescribed units, comprising a first receiving step of receiving control information, which relates to at least one image, from an external device, a requesting step of requesting the external device for image data of the image in the prescribed units, a second receiving step of receiving this image data from the external device, a storing step of storing the image data, which has been received at the second receiving step, in a prescribed area of memory means, and a processing step of processing the image data, which has been stored in the prescribed area of the memory means, based upon the control information, and storing the processed results in another prescribed area of the memory means.
Further, the present invention provides an image processing apparatus for processing image data in prescribed units, comprising communication means for receiving control information, which relates to at least one image, from an external device, subsequently requesting the external device for image data of the image in the prescribed units, and receiving this image data from the external device, memory means for storing the image data, which has been received by the communication means, in a prescribed area, and processing means for processing the image data, which has been stored in the prescribed area of the memory means, based upon the control information, and storing the processed results in another prescribed area of the memory means.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image processing method and apparatus which realize high performance image processing with a simple structure.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.
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Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Chauhan Ulka J.
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
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