US5544290A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for processing data for a visual-output device with reduced buffer memory requirements
Assignee: Adobe Inc
•
Filing: 1995-06-06
•
Granted: 1996-08-06
•
Expires: 2015-06-06
Abstract
Abstract A two-dimensional page representation to be printed has a combination of text, graphic and image representation types. A data memory stores data representative of the page representation. A program memory stores program instructions including a plurality of different algorithms for compressing data associated with corresponding different representation types and their combinations. A processor is coupled to the data and program memories for (a) identifying separate data for each of a plurality of regions containing collectively the page representation, with the data for each region corresponding to the portion of the page representation contained in that region; (b) determining the types of representations and boundaries of each type of representation and the combinations of types contained in each region; (c) rasterizing and compressing the data associated with the determined types of representations for each region with algorithms based on selected compression factors; (d) storing sequentially the compressed data for each region; and (e) when needed for printing, sequentially for each region, reading the corresponding stored data, decompressing the read data, and transmitting the decompressed data to the print device for printing.
Inventors
- 👤 Ronald S. Gentile
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 09:33
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/41; G; G06; G06K; G06K15/00; G06K15/02; G06K15/18; G06K15/1801; G06K15/181; G06K15/1848; G06K15/1849; G06K15/1851; G06K15/1856; G06K15/1861; G06K15/1865; G06T; G06T11/00; G06T11/60; G06T9/00; G06T9/005; G06T9/007; H03; H03M; H03M7/00; H03M7/30; G06K2215/00; G06K2215/0002; G06K2215/0062; G06K2215/0065; G06K2215/0071
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
183 words
A method of generating data for producing a page representation on a page by a visual-output device, comprising the steps of: receiving data defining the page representation; defining a first compression factor to have a determinable value; providing a first compression algorithm associated with a first value of the first compression factor and a second compression algorithm associated with a second value of the first compression factor; dividing at least a portion of the page into a plurality of regions containing collectively at least a portion of the page representation; for each region, identifying separate data corresponding to the portion of the page representation contained in that region; determining the value of the at least one compression factor; selecting at least a first of the compression algorithms if the at least one compression factor has a value that has a predetermined relationship to a first value; compressing identified data for the at least one region with the selected algorithm; and storing the compressed data; and after storing the compressed data, decompressing the stored data, and transmitting the decompressed data to the visual-output device.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
183 words
A method of generating data for producing a page representation on a page by a visual-output device, comprising the steps of: receiving data defining the page representation; defining a first compression factor to have a determinable value; providing a first compression algorithm associated with a first value of the first compression factor and a second compression algorithm associated with a second value of the first compression factor; dividing at least a portion of the page into a plurality of regions containing collectively at least a portion of the page representation; for each region, identifying separate data corresponding to the portion of the page representation contained in that region; determining the value of the at least one compression factor; selecting at least a first of the compression algorithms if the at least one compression factor has a value that has a predetermined relationship to a first value; compressing identified data for the at least one region with the selected algorithm; and storing the compressed data; and after storing the compressed data, decompressing the stored data, and transmitting the decompressed data to the visual-output device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the compression factors is a target compression ratio.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the compression factors is a target visual quality of the page representation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the compression factors is a target computational complexity.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
85 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the page representation includes at least two representation types, and the method further comprises the step of determining at least one type of representation for the portion of the page representation defined by the data associated with the at least one region, and wherein at least one of the compression factors is the type of representation, and the step of selecting includes selecting at least the first compression algorithm if the determined representation type is a first type.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
91 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the portion of the page representation for at least the one region has one of two identifiable characteristics and at least one of the compression factors is the characteristic of the portion of the page representation in a region, and the method further comprises the step of determining the characteristic of the portion of the page representation for at least the one region, and the step of selecting includes selecting at least the first compression algorithm if the determined characteristic is the one characteristic.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
104 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the page representation includes a plurality of object representations and at least one of the compression factors is the proportion that an object representation occupies relative to the page representation, and the method further comprises the step of determining the proportion that an object representation occupies relative to the page representation, and the step of selecting includes selecting at least the first compression algorithm if the proportion that an object representation that forms at least a portion of the page representation in the one region, has a value that has a predetermined relationship to a first value.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of providing the at least one compression factor includes providing a plurality of compression factors; and the step of selecting includes selecting at least the first compression algorithm if the at least one of the compression factors has a value that has a predetermined relationship to a first value.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method according to claim 8 further comprising the step of prioritizing at least two of the compression factors, and wherein the step of selecting includes selecting a compression algorithm based upon the relative priority of the at least two of the compression factors.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
111 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one compression factor has a target value and the actual value is determinable based on the step of compressing, the method including, after the step of compressing identified data for the at least one region, determining the actual value of the at least one compression factor, and if the actual value has a predetermined relationship to the target value, decompressing the compressed data for the at least one region, selecting at least one compression algorithm based on the relationship of the actual value to the target value, and recompressing the previously compressed data using the selected at least one compression algorithm.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
121 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one compression factor has a target value and the actual value is determinable based on the step of compressing, the method including, after the step of compressing identified data for the at least one region, determining the actual value of the at least one compression factor, and if the actual value has a predetermined relationship to the target value, selecting at least a second compression algorithm different than the at least a first compression algorithm, based on the relationship of the actual value to the target value, and compressing at least a portion of the data identified for at least a second region with the at least a second compression algorithm.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5354135A
Cited
US5276780A
Cited
EP0320014A2
Cited
US5034804A
Cited
US5199803A
Cited
US5272768A
Cited
US5374943A
Cited
US5207517A
Cited
EP0475601A2
Cited
US5208676A
Cited
US5241397A
Cited
US5347368A
Cited
US5377312A
Cited
US5270728A
Cited
US5299292A
Cited
US5150454A
Cited
US5295233A
Cited
US5355441A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-08-06 | 2000-02-05 | 2000-08-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-08-06 | 2004-02-05 | 2004-08-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-08-06 | 2008-02-05 | 2008-08-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |