Method and apparatus for improved printing in a selected orientation

Claim 1

A method of transferring a data set, representing a portion of an image, from a first storage device to a second storage device to provide for production of an image with a selected rotation as said second storage device is read, said method comprising the steps of: (a) arranging the data set in a predetermined order at said first storage device, (b) providing a representation of a desired rotation and a representation of a desired home location in said second storage device at which location said data set is to be retrieved from, (c) providing a pair of counters for addressing said second storage device, (d) initializing said counters in dependence on said home location and rotation representations, (e) reading said data set in multi-bit groups from said first storage device, (f) writing said data in said multi-bit groups to said second storage device and reordering said multi-bit groups in a fashion dependent on said rotation, (g) as said data set is being written, modifying said counters in content, in an order and direction dependent on said rotation representation.

Claim 2

A method of transferring a data set, representing a portion of an image, from a first storage device to a second storage device to provide for production of an image with a selected rotation as said second storage device is read, said method comprising the steps of: (a) arranging the data set in a predetermined order at said first storage device, (b) providing a representation of a desired rotation and a representation of a desired home location in said second storage device at which location said data set is to be retrieved from, (c) providing a pair of counters for addressing said second storage device, (d) initializing said counters in dependence on said home location and rotation representations, (e) reading said data set in multi-bit groups from said first storage device, (f) writing said data in said multi-bit groups to said second storage device and reordering said multi-bit groups in a fashion dependent on said rotation, (g) as said data set is being written, modifying said counters in content, in an order and direction dependent on said rotation representation.

Claim 11

An apparatus for transferring image data, representing a portion of an image, from a first storage device, in which said image data is stored in a predetermined order, to a second storage device to provide for production of an image with a selected rotation as said second storage device is read, said apparatus comprising: (a) means for providing a representation of a desired rotation and a representation of a desired home location in said second storage device, at which location said image data is to be retrieved from, (b) first and second counter means for addressing said second storage device, (c) means for initializing said counter means in dependence on said home location and rotation representations, (d) means for reading said image data from said first storage device in a serial order of data sets and in multi-bit groups, (e) means for writing said data set in said multi-bit groups to said second storage device and reordering bits within a multi-bit group in dependent on said desired rotation, (f) modifying means for changing said counter means in content, as said image data is being written in an order and direction dependent on said rotation representation.

Claim 12

An apparatus for transferring image data, representing a portion of an image, from a first storage device, in which said image data is stored in a predetermined order, to a second storage device to provide for production of an image with a selected rotation as said second storage device is read, said apparatus comprising: (a) means for providing a representation of a desired rotation and a representation of a desired home location in said second storage device, at which location said image data is to be retrieved from, (b) first and second counter means for addressing said second storage device, (c) means for initializing said counter means in dependence on said home location and rotation representations, (d) means for reading said image data from said first storage device in a serial order of data sets and in multi-bit groups, (e) means for writing said data set in said multi-bit groups to said second storage device and reordering bits within a multi-bit group in dependent on said desired rotation, (f) modifying means for changing said counter means in content, as said image data is being written in an order and direction dependent on said rotation representation.

Claim 21

A method of rotating an image to allow printing said image in any of a plurality of relative rotations comprising the steps of: storing a representation of said image in a first memory device, partitioning said representation of said image into plural, multi-bit image representing data sets, each such data set representing an orthogonally scanned image portion, selecting a desired relative rotation and providing a representation of such selected rotation, said rotation measured between an orientation of said image in said said first memory device and a desired image orientation, transferring said data sets to a second memory device from which a printing mechanism will be controlled to reproduce said image at a selected rotation from a region of said second memory device identified by a home position, said transferring step comprising: (i) selecting an offset, from said home position, to determine a writing location in said second memory device, said offset based on said selected rotation, (ii) addressing said second memory device at said writing location, (iii) reading a data set from said first memory device reordering said data set based on said selected rotation and writing said reordered data set into said second memory device at said writing location, (iv) modifying said writing location by a dimension of said data set, and (v) repeating steps (ii)-(iv) until all said data sets are transferred to said second memory device.

Claim 22

A method of rotating an image to allow printing said image in any of a plurality of relative rotations comprising the steps of: storing a representation of said image in a first memory device, partitioning said representation of said image into plural, multi-bit image representing data sets, each such data set representing an orthogonally scanned image portion, selecting a desired relative rotation and providing a representation of such selected rotation, said rotation measured between an orientation of said image in said said first memory device and a desired image orientation, transferring said data sets to a second memory device from which a printing mechanism will be controlled to reproduce said image at a selected rotation from a region of said second memory device identified by a home position, said transferring step comprising: (i) selecting an offset, from said home position, to determine a writing location in said second memory device, said offset based on said selected rotation, (ii) addressing said second memory device at said writing location, (iii) reading a data set from said first memory device reordering said data set based on said selected rotation and writing said reordered data set into said second memory device at said writing location, (iv) modifying said writing location by a dimension of said data set, and (v) repeating steps (ii)-(iv) until all said data sets are transferred to said second memory device.

Claim 23

A method of printing information in a selected one of a plurality of orientations with respect to a record medium, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a first memory storing a first representation of components of said information, said first memory arranged to be read to produce a signal stream, each such signal stream representative of an associated component oriented in one particular orientation, (b) providing a second memory for driving a printer with a signal stream representing said information to be printed oriented in said selected one of said orientations, (c) providing a register for storing an indication of the components stored in said first memory making up said information and said selected orientation, (d) addressing each of said first representations in an order determined by said register to produce said signal stream, (e) rotating each first representation in turn as it is read from the first memory in accordance with said command register, (f) addressing said second memory and writing the first representation rotated by step (e), so as to write the first representation in the rotated order.

Claim 24

A method of printing information in a selected one of a plurality of orientations with respect to a record medium, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a first memory storing a first representation of components of said information, said first memory arranged to be read to produce a signal stream, each such signal stream representative of an associated component oriented in one particular orientation, (b) providing a second memory for driving a printer with a signal stream representing said information to be printed oriented in said selected one of said orientations, (c) providing a register for storing an indication of the components stored in said first memory making up said information and said selected orientation, (d) addressing each of said first representations in an order determined by said register to produce said signal stream, (e) rotating each first representation in turn as it is read from the first memory in accordance with said command register, (f) addressing said second memory and writing the first representation rotated by step (e), so as to write the first representation in the rotated order.