Print data control method

Details Print data control method Print data control method

1998-10-01

2001-04-03

Rogers, Scott (Department: 2724)

Facsimile and static presentation processing

Static presentation processing

Attribute control

C358S462000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06211969

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a printer and in particular to a control method for print data including binary image data and multilevel image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been proposed image forming apparatuses or printers that can combine binary image data such as text data with multilevel image data such as graphics data to form mixed text-and-graphics output. For example, in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 8-256255, combining control data is provided for each dot and according to the combining control data the binary image data and the multilevel image data are processed to form the mixed text-and-graphics output.
There are some conventional image forming apparatus or printer having an outline correction or smoothing function. For example, in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 5-227433, multilevel image data is converted into a dot pattern representing halftone and then each pixel is compared to surrounding pixels of the pixel. If a predetermined pattern is detected in the surrounding pixels, the outline of the dot pattern is corrected according to the predetermined pattern.
However, the conventional printer using combining control data needs an extra memory for storing the combining control data for each dot, resulting in increased memory capacity.
The other conventional printer having the outline correction function performs outline correction regardless of type of print data when the predetermined pattern is detected in the surrounding pixels. In other words, even in the case where print data is in no need of outline correction, the outline correction is performed if the predetermined pattern is detected, resulting in deteriorated image quality.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide print data control method and a printer that can achieve appropriate process of print data including both binary image data and multilevel image data to prevent deterioration of image quality.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a printer that can print mixed binary-and-multilevel image data with high quality and without increasing in memory capacity.
According to the present invention, in a control method for image data including binary image data and multilevel image data, line information is attached to line print data for each of lines forming the image data. The line information is used to determine whether a data block included in the line print data is one of a binary image data block and a multilevel image data block. The line information and the line print data are stored for each line in a memory. The binary image data block and the multilevel image data block for each line are processed according to the line information so as to produce a visible image of the image data.
A printer according to the present invention is provided with a memory storing line information attached to line print data for each of lines forming the image data, the line information is used to determine whether a data block included in the line print data is one of a binary image data block and a multilevel image data block. The printer further includes a discriminator for discriminating between the binary image data block and the multilevel image data block according to the line information, a data processor for processing the binary image data block and the multilevel image data block for each line to produce print image data, and an output device for outputting a visible image from the print image data.


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