High volume color image printer system

Claim 2

A color printing system comprising: a source which outputs color video image data; a plurality of color print engines each of which forms a respective color image sequentially; and a parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnecting said source and said engines, said desynchronizer unit comprising plural transfer means, one such transfer means corresponding to each said print engine, each said transfer means for transferring said data between said source and a corresponding print engine, said video data being synchronously simultaneously transferred to each of said transfer means; wherein the transfer to each of said engines from each corresponding transfer means is substantially independent of the transfer to any other of said engines, and the transfer of respective frames of color image data to each print engine from each corresponding transfer means is initiated upon receipt of a frame synchronizing signal from each respective print engine.

Claim 3

A printing system comprising: a source which outputs video image data; a plurality of print engines; and a parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnecting said source and said engines, said desynchronizer unit comprising means for transferring said data between said source and each of said engines, wherein the transfer to each of said engines is substantially independent of the transfer to any other of said engines, and wherein said parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnects said source with the plurality of said engines and a further parallel printing desynchronizer unit, said further parallel printing desynchronizer unit outputting to a further plurality of said engines.

Claim 4

A printing system comprising: a source which outputs video image data; a plurality of print engines; and a parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnecting said source and said engines, said desynchronizer unit comprising means for transferring said data between said source and each of said engines, wherein the transfer to each of said engines is substantially independent of the transfer to any other of said engines, and wherein said parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnects said source with the plurality of said engines and a further parallel printing desynchronizer unit, said further parallel printing desynchronizer unit outputting to a further plurality of said engines.

Claim 5

A color printing system comprising: a source which outputs color video image data; a plurality of color print engines each of which forms a respective color image sequentially; and a parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnecting said source and said engines, said desynchronizer unit comprising means for transferring said data between said source and each of said engines, wherein said parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnects said source with a plurality of further parallel printing desynchronizer units, each said further unit interconnecting with a corresponding plurality of said engines; and wherein the transfer to each of said engines is substantially independent of the transfer to any other of said engines, and the transfer of respective color image data to each print engine is initiated upon receipt of a frame synchronizing signal from each respective print engine.

Claim 6

A color printing system comprising: a source which outputs color video image data; a plurality of color print engines each of which forms a respective color image sequentially; and a parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnecting said source and said engines, said desynchronizer unit comprising means for transferring said data between said source and each of said engines, wherein said parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnects said source with a plurality of further parallel printing desynchronizer units, each said further unit interconnecting with a corresponding plurality of said engines; and wherein the transfer to each of said engines is substantially independent of the transfer to any other of said engines, and the transfer of respective color image data to each print engine is initiated upon receipt of a frame synchronizing signal from each respective print engine.

Claim 7

A parallel printing desynchronizer unit comprising: a preliminary store to synchronously receive video image data from a video data source; a plurality of first-in-first-out secondary stores each corresponding to a corresponding one of a like plurality of print engines connectable to said unit, said video data being synchronously simultaneously transferred to each of said secondary stores, each said secondary store having a trigger input and a data output both connected to the corresponding engines and arranged to transfer said data to said engine on receipt by said secondary store of a trigger signal from the corresponding engine; and a plurality of color correctors each corresponding to one of said print engines for adjusting the color balance of the output of the corresponding one of said print engines to provide for substantial uniformity in the color balance of the output of said engines.

Claim 8

A parallel printing desynchronizer unit comprising: a preliminary store to synchronously receive video image data from a video data source; a plurality of first-in-first-out secondary stores each corresponding to a corresponding one of a like plurality of print engines connectable to said unit, said video data being synchronously simultaneously transferred to each of said secondary stores, each said secondary store having a trigger input and a data output both connected to the corresponding engines and arranged to transfer said data to said engine on receipt by said secondary store of a trigger signal from the corresponding engine; and a plurality of color correctors each corresponding to one of said print engines for adjusting the color balance of the output of the corresponding one of said print engines to provide for substantial uniformity in the color balance of the output of said engines.

Claim 9

A parallel printing desynchroniser unit as claimed in claim 4 wherein each said colour corrector includes a map of data adapted to constitute a transfer function on colour data output by said unit.

Claim 10

A parallel printing desynchroniser unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein said map is programmable either manually or by said source.

Claim 11

A color printing system comprising: a source which outputs color video image data; a plurality of color print engines each of which forms a respective color image sequentially; and a parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnecting said source and said engines, said desynchronizer unit comprising means for transferring said data between said source and each of said engines, said means for transferring said data comprising: a preliminary store to synchronously receive said video image data from said source; a plurality of first-in-first-out secondary stores each corresponding to a corresponding one of said plurality of print engines connectable to said unit, said video data being synchronously simultaneously transferred to each of said secondary stores, each said secondary store having a trigger input and a data output both connected to the corresponding engines and arranged to transfer said data to the corresponding engine through said data output on receipt by said secondary store of a frame synchronizing signal at said trigger input from the corresponding engine; and a plurality of color correctors each corresponding to one of said plurality of print engines for adjusting the color balance of the output of the corresponding one of said print engines to provide for substantial uniformity in the color balance of the output of said engines; wherein the transfer to each of said engines is substantially independent of the transfer to any other of said engines.

Claim 12

A color printing system comprising: a source which outputs color video image data; a plurality of color print engines each of which forms a respective color image sequentially; and a parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnecting said source and said engines, said desynchronizer unit comprising means for transferring said data between said source and each of said engines, said means for transferring said data comprising: a preliminary store to synchronously receive said video image data from said source; a plurality of first-in-first-out secondary stores each corresponding to a corresponding one of said plurality of print engines connectable to said unit, said video data being synchronously simultaneously transferred to each of said secondary stores, each said secondary store having a trigger input and a data output both connected to the corresponding engines and arranged to transfer said data to the corresponding engine through said data output on receipt by said secondary store of a frame synchronizing signal at said trigger input from the corresponding engine; and a plurality of color correctors each corresponding to one of said plurality of print engines for adjusting the color balance of the output of the corresponding one of said print engines to provide for substantial uniformity in the color balance of the output of said engines; wherein the transfer to each of said engines is substantially independent of the transfer to any other of said engines.

Claim 13

A printing system comprising: a source of color video image data; a plurality of color print engines; providing means for providing frames of the color video image data to each of said color print engines, in parallel, upon receipt of a frame synchronizing signal from the respective print engine, said providing means comprising plural transfer means, one such means corresponding to each said print engine, each said transfer means for transferring said data between said source and a corresponding print engine, said video data being synchronously simultaneously transferred to each of said transfer means; a plurality of color correctors each corresponding to one of said print engines for adjusting a color balance of an output of the corresponding one of said print engines to provide for substantial uniformity in the color balance of the output of said engines.

Claim 14

A printing system comprising: a source of color video image data; a plurality of color print engines; providing means for providing frames of the color video image data to each of said color print engines, in parallel, upon receipt of a frame synchronizing signal from the respective print engine, said providing means comprising plural transfer means, one such means corresponding to each said print engine, each said transfer means for transferring said data between said source and a corresponding print engine, said video data being synchronously simultaneously transferred to each of said transfer means; a plurality of color correctors each corresponding to one of said print engines for adjusting a color balance of an output of the corresponding one of said print engines to provide for substantial uniformity in the color balance of the output of said engines.

Claim 15

A printing system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said providing means comprises a printing desynchronizer unit allowing for the transfer of said data between said source and each of said engines without substantial synchronization between the operation of any of said engines.

Claim 16

A printing system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the source provides color data and the engines are color laser print engines so that said system is adapted to print color images.

Claim 17

A printing controller to provide color image data from a color image data source to a plurality of color print engines, comprising: means for receiving color image data from the color image data source; means for providing frames of the color image data to each of said color print engines in parallel, upon receipt of a frame synchronizing signal from the respective print engine, said means for providing including a plural transfer means, one such transfer means corresponding to each said print engine, each said transfer means for transferring the data between the source and a corresponding print engine, said video data being synchronously simultaneously transferred to each of said transfer means; and a plurality of color correctors each corresponding to one of said print engines for adjusting a color balance of an output of the corresponding one of said print engines to provide for substantial uniformity in the color balance of the output of said engines.

Claim 18

A printing controller to provide color image data from a color image data source to a plurality of color print engines, comprising: means for receiving color image data from the color image data source; means for providing frames of the color image data to each of said color print engines in parallel, upon receipt of a frame synchronizing signal from the respective print engine, said means for providing including a plural transfer means, one such transfer means corresponding to each said print engine, each said transfer means for transferring the data between the source and a corresponding print engine, said video data being synchronously simultaneously transferred to each of said transfer means; and a plurality of color correctors each corresponding to one of said print engines for adjusting a color balance of an output of the corresponding one of said print engines to provide for substantial uniformity in the color balance of the output of said engines.

Claim 19

A printing controller as claimed in claim 11, wherein said providing means comprises a parallel printing desynchronizer unit allowing for the transfer of the data between said source and each said engine without substantial synchronization between the operation of any of said engines.

Claim 20

A printing controller as claimed in claim 11, wherein each said color corrector comprises a map of data adapted to constitute a transfer function on color data output by said unit.

Claim 21

A printing controller as claimed in claim 13, wherein said map is programmable manually.

Claim 22

A printing controller as claimed in claim 13, wherein said map is programmable by said source.

Claim 23

A printing controller to provide color image data from a color image data source to a plurality of color print engines, comprising: means for receiving color image data from said color image data source; means for providing the color image data to each of said color print engines in parallel; and a parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnecting said source and said engines, said desynchronizer unit comprising plural transfer means, one such transfer means corresponding to each said print engine, each said transfer means for transferring said data between said source and a corresponding print engine, said video data being synchronously simultaneously transferred to each of said transfer means; wherein the transfer to each of said engines from each corresponding transfer means is substantially independent of the transfer to any other of said engines, and the transfer of respective frames of color image data to each of said print engines from each corresponding transfer means is initiated upon receipt of a frame synchronizing signal from each respective print engine.

Claim 24

A printing controller to provide color image data from a color image data source to a plurality of color print engines, comprising: means for receiving color image data from said color image data source; means for providing the color image data to each of said color print engines in parallel; and a parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnecting said source and said engines, said desynchronizer unit comprising plural transfer means, one such transfer means corresponding to each said print engine, each said transfer means for transferring said data between said source and a corresponding print engine, said video data being synchronously simultaneously transferred to each of said transfer means; wherein the transfer to each of said engines from each corresponding transfer means is substantially independent of the transfer to any other of said engines, and the transfer of respective frames of color image data to each of said print engines from each corresponding transfer means is initiated upon receipt of a frame synchronizing signal from each respective print engine.

Claim 25

A printing controller to provide color image data from a color data source to a plurality of color print engines, comprising: means for receiving color image data from said color image data source; means for providing the color image data to each of said color print engines in parallel; and a parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnecting said source and said engines, said desynchronizer unit comprising means for transferring said data between said source and each of said engines, wherein the transfer to each of said engines is substantially independent of the transfer to any other of said engines, and wherein said parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnects said source with the plurality of said engines and a further parallel printing desynchronizer unit, said further parallel printing desynchronizer unit outputting to a further plurality of said engines.

Claim 26

A printing controller to provide color image data from a color data source to a plurality of color print engines, comprising: means for receiving color image data from said color image data source; means for providing the color image data to each of said color print engines in parallel; and a parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnecting said source and said engines, said desynchronizer unit comprising means for transferring said data between said source and each of said engines, wherein the transfer to each of said engines is substantially independent of the transfer to any other of said engines, and wherein said parallel printing desynchronizer unit interconnects said source with the plurality of said engines and a further parallel printing desynchronizer unit, said further parallel printing desynchronizer unit outputting to a further plurality of said engines.