Image generation with dynamically consolidated list of image data

Claim 2

In a graphic imaging system, a method for storing data which describes an image in an intermediate form during processing of said data to generate the image, comprising the steps of: generating commands which describe objects in said image and appearance states for said objects; creating an intermediate data structure containing entries which correspond to said commands; accumulating commands which pertain to a given type of object; and storing the accumulated commands pertaining to the given type of object as a single entry in said data structure.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein said accumulated commands all pertain to objects having the same appearance state in the image.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 wherein said appearance state is the color of the objects in the image.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 further including the steps of dividing the image into a plurality of non-overlapping regions, and sorting the entries in said data structure according to said regions.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 further including the step of storing the entries in said data structure which correspond to a given region in the order in which they are generated.

Claim 7

The method of claim 4 wherein said accumulating step comprises the steps of: establishing temporary storage locations for each of said regions and for each type of object within each region; examining said commands as they are generated; determining whether a command is the first one to describe a given type of object within a given region; associating one of the storage locations for the given region with said given type of object and storing said command in said storage location if the command is the first one to describe the given type of object in that region; and appending a command to commands stored in a storage location that has been previously associated with the given type of object if said command is not the first one to describe the given type of object in a region.

Claim 8

The method of claim 6 further including the step of storing an entry in said data structure which refers to a storage location when the storage location is associated with an object type.

Claim 9

The method of claim 6 further including the steps of detecting a command which calls for a change in the appearance state of objects, and transferring commands sorted in said storage locations to said data structure upon detection of such a command.

Claim 10

In an image generating device, a method for storing data which describes an image in an intermediate form during processing of said data to generate the image, comprising the steps of: dividing an image into a plurality of non-overlapping regions; generating commands which describe objects in said image and appearance states for said objects; storing said commands in a plurality of lists wherein each list is associated with one of said regions and the entries in a list pertain to objects within the associated region of the image; and storing the commands within a list in the order in which they are generated.

Claim 11

In an image generating device, a method for storing data which describes an image in an intermediate form during processing of said data to generate the image, comprising the steps of: dividing an image into a plurality of non-overlapping regions; generating commands which describe objects in said image and appearance states for said objects; storing said commands in a plurality of lists wherein each list is associated with one of said regions and the entries in a list pertain to objects within the associated region of the image; and storing the commands within a list in the order in which they are generated.

Claim 12

The method of claim 9 wherein said regions comprise parallel bands which extend from one side of the image to the other.

Claim 13

The method of claim 9 wherein the step of storing the commands in the plurality of lists comprises the steps of establishing a temporary storage location for each region, detecting the region to which a command pertains as it is generated and storing the command in the storage location associated with the detected region, and creating an entry in the list which is associated with the detected region that refers to said storage location.

Claim 14

The method of claim 11 further including the step of transferring the commands stored in the temporary storage locations to the associated lists upon the detection of a predetermined command.

Claim 15

The method of claim 12 wherein said predetermined command is one which indicates the end of the image.

Claim 16

The method of claim 12 wherein said predetermined command is one which indicates a change of color for objects in the image.

Claim 17

In an image generating device, a method for storing data which describes an image in an intermediate form during processing of said data to generate the image, comprising the steps of: dividing an image into a plurality of non-overlapping regions; generating commands which describe objects in said image; establishing temporary storage locations for each of said regions and for different types of objects within each region; examining said commands as they are generated; determining whether a command is the first one to describe a given type of object within a given region; associating one of the storage locations for the given region with said given type of object and storing said command in said storage location if the command is the first one to describe the given type of object in that region; and appending a command to commands stored in a storage location that has been previously associated with the given type of object if said command is not the first one to describe the given type of object in a region.

Claim 18

In an image generating device, a method for storing data which describes an image in an intermediate form during processing of said data to generate the image, comprising the steps of: dividing an image into a plurality of non-overlapping regions; generating commands which describe objects in said image; establishing temporary storage locations for each of said regions and for different types of objects within each region; examining said commands as they are generated; determining whether a command is the first one to describe a given type of object within a given region; associating one of the storage locations for the given region with said given type of object and storing said command in said storage location if the command is the first one to describe the given type of object in that region; and appending a command to commands stored in a storage location that has been previously associated with the given type of object if said command is not the first one to describe the given type of object in a region.

Claim 19

The method of claim 15 further including the step of storing an entry in a data structure which refers to a storage location when the storage location is associated with an object type.

Claim 20

The method of claim 15 further including the steps of detecting a command which calls for a change in the appearance state of objects, and transferring commands sorted in said storage locations to said data structure upon detection of such a command.

Claim 23

The device of claim 18 wherein said predetermined command is one which indicates a change in the color of objects in said image.

Claim 24

The device of claim 18 wherein a plurality of storage locations are associated with at least one of said regions, and each of said plurality of storage locations associated with a region respectively corresponds to a different type of object.

Claim 25

The device of claim 20 wherein said determining means determines the type of object to which a command pertains and stores the command in the storage location that corresponds to the determined type of object, such that all objects of the same type which pertain to a given region of the image are stored in the same storage location.

Claim 28

The device of claim 22 wherein said predetermined command is one which indicates a change in the color of objects in said image.

Claim 29

The device of claim 22 wherein each entry in said list includes a header which identifies the entry and which refers to the next entry on the list.

Claim 30

In a graphic imaging system, a method for generating an image, comprising the steps of: generating object-based commands which describe objects in an image and appearance states for said objects; creating an intermediate data structure containing entries which correspond to said commands; accumulating commands which pertain to a given type of object; storing the accumulated commands pertaining to the given type of object as a single entry in said data structure; retrieving the entries from the data structure; converting the object-based commands into individual pixel display values; providing the individual pixel display values to an image generating engine; and generating the image in a tangible medium via said image generating engine, in accordance with said pixel display values.

Claim 31

In a graphic imaging system, a method for generating an image, comprising the steps of: generating object-based commands which describe objects in an image and appearance states for said objects; creating an intermediate data structure containing entries which correspond to said commands; accumulating commands which pertain to a given type of object; storing the accumulated commands pertaining to the given type of object as a single entry in said data structure; retrieving the entries from the data structure; converting the object-based commands into individual pixel display values; providing the individual pixel display values to an image generating engine; and generating the image in a tangible medium via said image generating engine, in accordance with said pixel display values.