Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Emulation or plural modes
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-13
2004-03-23
Garcia, Gabriel (Department: 2624)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Emulation or plural modes
C358S452000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06710892
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing method and printer system, and more particularly, to a printing method and printer system, adapted to print an image on a recording medium in a reduced time.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, to print an image data represented by a natural image, any of the following two typical printing methods is used frequently:
In a first one of such printing methods, various input devices each for input of an image data are connected to a general-purpose computer to which a printer is connected, the image data is supplied from the input devices to the computer where they are subjected to various edition processes to provide a data to be printed (will be referred to as “print data” hereinunder) which is supplied to the printer which will print it. The input devices include a removable medium drive being a recording/reproducing apparatus for removable media, an NTSC (National Television System Committee) video signal input board, a silver film scanner, a digital still camera, etc.
In a second printing method, various input devices such as a digital still camera and original scanner are connected directly to a printer, not via a computer, and print data is supplied from the input devices to the printer which will print out the data.
The first method will further be described below:
Referring now to
FIG. 1
, there is schematically illustrated the first example of conventional image data printing method. As shown, the printer system carrying out this first method of image data printing comprises mainly a host computer (will be referred to simply as “computer” hereinunder)
1001
, a printer
1002
and an input device
1003
.
The input device
1003
may be any one of the aforementioned removable media (read-only optical disc such as a so-called CD-ROM and rewritable magneto-optical disc such as a so-called MD-DATA, etc.) drives, video signal (NTSC, PAL (=Phase Alternation by Line), RGB, S-terminal signal, etc.) input devices, digital still camera, silver film (35 mm film, so-called APS film carrying also information associated with an image, etc.) scanners, manuscript scanners, etc.
As shown, the printer
1002
may be any one comprising a print head
1004
which actually prints and a head drive circuit
1005
which drives the print head
1004
.
As shown, the computer
1001
may be a one comprising an interface
1006
for input of an image data from the input device
1003
to the computer
1001
, a data processor
1007
for processing the image data to provide a print data, and a two-way printer interface
1008
for output of the print data from the data processor
1007
to the printer
1002
. The data processor
1007
is provided with a device driver compatible with the input devices
1003
of various types to control the latter, a printer driver compatible with the printer
1002
to control the latter, and also an application software for control of input, processing and printout of an image data. The application software uses the data processor
1007
to process the data.
The computer
1001
is further provided with a display device
1009
as a man-machine interface, and a pointing device
1010
as a mouse, keyboard or the like by which an external instruction is supplied to the computer
1001
. Moreover, the computer
1001
is provided with an image memory
1011
such as a hard disc to store image data supplied from the input device
1003
.
The input device
1003
is connected to the interface
1006
in the computer
1001
, and the two-way printer interface
1008
in the computer
1001
is connected to the printer
1002
. Thus the input device
1003
is indirectly connected to the printer
1002
.
For actual printing, the following operations are effected:
That is, when the application software in the computer
1001
and the device driver corresponding to the image data input device
1003
is put into run, the input device
1003
is driven via the image data input interface
1006
to read image data under the control of the computer
1001
. The image data is supplied to the computer
1001
via the interface
1006
.
Next, according to an external instruction supplied from the pointing device
1010
, the application software in the data processor
1007
edits and processes the image data supplied to the computer
1001
, as desired by the user. If the image data processing is also done at this time, the data is processed as necessary through calculation by the data processor
1007
in the computer
1001
.
Thus the image data is subjected to an edition process designated by the user. When an image to be printed is thus determined, the printing operation is started. More particularly, when the user determines an image to be printed or selects a printing operation to given an instruction for starting the printing operation, the application software will control the printer driver and each data processing for printing in the data processor
1007
, and convert the image data to a print data which can be delivered as an output to the printer
1002
. At this time, the computer
1001
detects the status of the printer
1002
via the two-way printer interface
1008
.
The print data thus generated through the conversion is configured as a printer control instruction and it is sent to the printer
1002
via the two-way printer interface
1008
. Next, based on the print data included in the received printer control instruction, the head drive circuit
1005
in the printer
1002
drives the print head
1004
which will thus print out an image on a recording medium.
More specifically, an image data is processed as will be described below with reference to a circuit diagram in
FIG. 2
showing a data flow in the conventional image data printing method in FIG.
1
. Note that a slash marked on a line indicative of a data flow in
FIG. 2
means that the data transmitted over the line is an 8-bit/color data. An RGB image data supplied to an image data input
1012
in the computer
1001
is sent to an image data processor
1013
where it will be processed as necessary. At this time, the data is held as an image file
1011
a
in the image memory
1011
as necessary. The RGB image data is sent from the image data processor
1013
to a printer driver
1014
which controls the printer
1002
.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, main components of the printer driver
1014
are an RGB-CMY converter
1015
to convert the RGB image data to a CMY print data, a color correction circuit
1016
to correct the color as necessary, a black extraction/background color removal circuit
1017
to extract black in addition to CMY, an output gamma correction/gradation correction circuit
1018
to correct a characteristic peculiar to the printer, and a sharpness correction circuit
1019
which effects an edge enhancement, etc.
More particularly, RGB image data sent from the image data processor
1013
to the printer driver
1014
is first converted to CMY print data. After corrected in color, the CMY print data is converted to a print data including black as well (the black print data is indicated with a reference K in FIG.
2
), corrected concerning a characteristic peculiar to the printer
1002
, edge-enhanced and then sent to the printer
1002
. At this time, in case a binary printer to reproduce an image based on whether a print dot exists or not, such as an ink jet printer, is used as the printer
1002
, a binary coder has to be additionally provided downstream of the sharpness correction circuit
1019
of the printer driver
1014
. However, in case a sublimation type printer to represent a gradation within print dots, or the like is used as the printer
1002
, the binary coder is not necessary.
The printer
1002
incorporates an output characteristic converter
1020
which corrects output characteristic according to the status of the printer
1002
and suppresses a printer-caused nonuniformity, and also the head rive circuit
1005
and print head
1004
.
Therefore, the CMYK print data sent from the printer driver
1014
to the p
Frommer William S.
Frommer & Lawrence & Haug LLP
Garcia Gabriel
Smid Dennis M.
Sony Corporation
LandOfFree
System and method for printing image data in a reduced time does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with System and method for printing image data in a reduced time, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and System and method for printing image data in a reduced time will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3287001