Author: claimsbot

What is claimed is:

1. A printer in which a PDL controller and a printer engine made up in a predetermined recording scheme are connected with each other by using a parallel interface for DMA-transferring image data to be printed via said interface, comprising:
control means for writing draw data developed in said PDL controller once into a buffer memory, reading the 90 rotated data from said buffer memory and making a DMA transfer to a memory of said printer engine.
2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein draw data are divided into predetermined rectangular areas having the size of said buffer memory and for each of said rectangular areas, a top address of said rectangular area of a memory in the PDL controller, an effective print area width, the width of said rectangular area, the number of lines in said rectangular area or a transfer size as well as a top address of said rectangular area of a memory in said printer engine, an effective print area width, the width of said rectangular area, the number of lines in said rectangular area or a transfer size are set up to make a DMA transfer.
3. The printer according to claim 1, wherein said buffer memory has an NM bit size, N corresponds to a positive integer times the size of the data bus at the PDL controller side and M corresponds to a positive integer times the size of the data bus at the printer engine.
4. The printer according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of said buffer memories of NM bit size are provided to write draw data from a memory within the PDL controller into one buffer memory and at the same time, read data from another buffer memory and write the data into a memory of the printer engine.
5. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the draw data developed in said PDL controller are once written into an NM bit and single buffer memory, the 90 rotated data are read from said buffer memory and the next draw data are written into said buffer memory while the data to be transferred from said buffer memory to said printer engine memory are read in the DMA transfer to said printer engine memory.
6. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the draw data developed in said PDL controller are once written into a buffer memory and read out from said buffer memory and it is controlled corresponding to predetermined processing conditions whether 90 rotation of said data is executed or not in the DMA transfer to said printer engine memory.
7. The printer according to claim 6, wherein said predetermined processing conditions comprise the presence of respective like-sized sheets having different print directions and it is controlled corresponding to said predetermined processing conditions whether 90 rotation of said data is executed or not.
8. A printer according to claim 1, wherein the draw data developed in said PDL controller are transferred to said buffer memory via a dedicated bus different from a common bus for transferring other data than draw data between said PDL controller and the printer engine.
9. A method for controlling a printer, in which a PDL controller and a printer engine made up in a predetermined recording scheme are connected with each other by using a parallel interface for DMA-transferring image data to be printed via said interface, the method comprising the steps of: writing the draw data developed in said PDL controller once into a buffer memory; reading the 90 rotated data from said buffer memory; and making a DMA transfer to a memory of said printer engine.
10. A print control apparatus, comprising:
generator means for generating bit map data on the basis of print data;
storage means for storing the bit map data generated by said generator means; and
rotator means for rotating said image data in transferring the image data stored in said storage means to a printer engine.
11. The print control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said rotator means causes a rotation in the case where the direction of a sheet in the generation of bit map data by said generator means differs from that of an actually printed sheet.
12. A print control method, using:
generator means for generating bit map data on the basis of print data; and
storage means for storing the bit map data generated by said generator means,
wherein said bit map data are rotated in transferring the bit map data stored in said storage means to the printer engine.
13. The print control method according to claim 12, wherein said rotation is caused if the direction of a sheet in the generation of bit map data by said generator means differs from that of an actually printed sheet.
14. A printer, comprising:
generator means for generating bit map data on the basis of print data;
storage means for storing the bit map data generated by said generator means;
a printer engine for making a print on the basis of said bit map data; and
rotator means for rotating said bit map data in transferring the bit map data stored in said storage means to said printer engine.
15. The printer according to claim 14, wherein said rotation is caused if the direction of a sheet in the generation of bit map data by said generator means differs from that of an actually printed sheet.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A recording apparatus which can be equipped with recording means for performing recording on a conveyed recording medium by discharging liquid from discharge opening arrays, comprising:
conveyance means for conveying the recording medium; and
a recording medium floating prevention member for preventing floating of the recording medium,
wherein said recording medium floating prevention member includes a floating prevention area between the recording medium and said recording means, only on an upstream side, with respect to the conveyance direction of the recording medium, of a discharge opening array of said recording means used in non-margin recording, in which recording is performed throughout the width of the recording medium,
said recording means has a discharge opening array used in margin recording, in which recording is performed with margins remaining at side ends of the recording medium, on the upstream side, with respect to the conveyance direction, of the discharge opening array used in the non-margin recording, and
the floating prevention area is arranged outside a recording area of the discharge opening array used in the margin recording and at a position adjacent the recording area of the discharge opening array used in the margin recording in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction.
2. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discharge opening array used in the non-margin recording is included in the discharge opening array used in the margin recording.
3. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discharge opening array used in the margin recording includes a black-ink discharge opening array to discharge black ink.
4. A recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the discharge opening array used in the non-margin recording includes a color-ink discharge opening array to discharge color inks, and
the length of the black-ink discharge opening array used in the margin recording in the conveyance direction is equal to or longer than the length of the color-ink discharge opening array in the conveyance direction.
5. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a black-ink discharge opening array for discharging black ink and a color-ink discharge opening array for discharging color inks comprise discharge opening arrays used in the non-margin recording,
wherein the black-ink discharge opening array is arranged on the upstream side of the color-ink discharge opening array.
6. A recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the length of the black-ink discharge opening array used in the non-margin recording in the conveyance direction is equal to or longer than the length of the color-ink discharge opening array used in the non-margin recording in the conveyance direction.
7. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording apparatus can be selectively equipped with the plural recording means respectively having different arrangement patterns of discharge opening arrays.
8. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording medium floating prevention member is integrally formed on a platen supporting the recording medium.
9. A recording medium floating prevention member which prevents floating of a recording medium, comprising:
a floating prevention area between the conveyed recording medium and recording means for performing recording on the recording medium by discharging liquid from discharge opening arrays,
wherein said recording medium floating prevention member can be mounted on a recording apparatus so that said floating prevention area is positioned on an upstream side, with respect to the conveyance direction of the recording medium, of a discharge opening array of said recording means used in non-margin recording, in which recording is performed throughout the width of the recording medium,
said recording means has a discharge opening array used in margin recording, in which the recording is performed with margins remaining at side ends of the recording medium, on the upstream side, with respect to the conveyance direction, of the discharge opening array used in the non-margin recording, and
said floating prevention area is arranged outside a recording area of the discharge opening array used in the margin recording and at a position adjacent the recording area of the discharge opening array used in the margin recording in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction.
10. A recording apparatus which can be equipped with recording means for performing recording on a recording medium by discharging ink from a plurality of discharge openings, comprising:
conveyance means for conveying the recording medium;
holding means, provided downstream of said conveyance means with respect to a conveyance direction, for holding said recording means thereon;
a platen for guiding said recording means with a positional relation opposed to the recording means; and
a restraining member, disposed at a predetermined position and opposed to a side end of the recording medium guided by said platen, for restraining the recording medium from separating from said platen,
wherein the plurality of discharge openings comprises a group of non-margin recording discharge openings which can record on an area including a range extending to side ends of the recording medium, which area is downstream of said restraining member with respect to the conveyance direction and is not opposed to said restraining member, and
margin recording, in which margins remain at side ends of the recording medium on an area of the recording medium opposed to said restraining member, can be conducted using discharge openings, of the plurality of discharge openings, that are further upstream than the group of non-margin recording discharge openings.
11. A recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the further upstream discharge openings are employed only for the margin recording.
12. A recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the discharge openings employed for the margin recording include discharge openings for discharging black ink.
13. A recording apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the discharge openings employed for the non-margin recording include discharge openings for discharging color ink, and the discharge openings for discharging black ink are distributed over a range longer than that of the discharge openings for discharging color ink.
14. A recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the group of non-margin recording discharge openings are also used when the margin recording is conducted.
15. A recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the further upstream discharge openings are employed only for the margin recording.
16. A recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the discharge openings employed for the margin recording include discharge openings for discharging black ink.
17. A recording apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the discharge openings employed for the non-margin recording include discharge openings for discharging color ink, and the discharge openings for discharging black ink are distributed over a range longer than that of the discharge openings for discharging color ink.

1. A method performed by a physical computing system for determining a layout of graphic objects (802) according to a layout density map (300), the method comprising:
generating said layout density map (300) comprising low density regions (302) and high density regions (304);
providing a set of candidate locations (402) within said layout density map (300), a number of said candidate locations (402) being equal to a number of said graphic objects (802), said candidate locations (402) being arranged away from said low density regions (302) and from other said candidate locations (402); and
overlaying said layout density map (300) with said graphic objects (802), each said graphic object (802) being disposed at one of said candidate locations (402).
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
applying a halftone function to said layout density map (300) to create an initial set of candidate locations (402);
applying a dropping function to eliminate extra candidate locations (402) in response to there being more said candidate locations (402) than said graphic objects (802); and
adjusting said halftone function to increase said number of said initial set of candidate locations (402) in response to there being fewer said candidate locations (402) than said graphic objects (802).
3. The method of claim any of claims 1 and 2, in which providing said set of candidate locations (402) within said layout density map (300) comprises:
performing an adjustment process on said set of candidate locations (402) to move said candidate locations (402) away from said low density regions (302) and away from each other, said adjustment process comprising, for at least one of said candidate locations (402):
applying a moving process to move said candidate location (402) according to an initial step vector (602) based in part on a distance between said candidate location (402) and said low density regions (302);
iteratively reapplying said moving process until said step vector (602) is reduced to a predetermined size; and
in response to said candidate location (402) oscillating, reducing said step vector (602) and reapplying said moving process with said reduced step vector (602).
4. The method of claim 3, in which said step vector (602) is further based on at least one of a specific density of said low density regions (302) and a position of an alternate candidate location (402).
5. The method of any of claims 1-4, in which said high density regions (304) and said low density regions (302) of said layout density map (300) correspond to respective regions of a background image (200).
6. The method of claim any of claims 1-5, further comprising allocating an overlay area (702) to each said candidate location (402).
7. The method of any of claims 1-6, further comprising assigning a graphic object (802) to a candidate location (402) based on at least one of: a random assignment, a selection made by a user of said physical computing system, and an aspect ratio of said graphic object (802).
8. A computing system comprising:
a processor (104); and
a memory (102) having graphic layout software (106) stored thereon;
in which, said graphic layout software (106) is configured to cause said processor (104) to, upon execution of said graphic layout software (106):
generate a layout density map (300) comprising low density regions (302) and high density regions (304);
provide a set of candidate locations (402) within said layout density map (300), a number of said candidate locations (402) being equal to a number of said graphic objects (802), said candidate locations (402) being arranged away from said low density regions (302) and from other said candidate locations (402); and
overlay said layout density map (300) with said graphic objects (802), each said graphic object (802) being disposed at one of said candidate locations (402).
9. The computing system of claim 8, in which said processor (104) is further configured to:
apply a halftone function to said layout density map (300) to create an initial set of candidate locations (402);
apply a dropping function to eliminate extra candidate locations (402) in response to there being more said candidate locations (402) than said graphic objects (802); and
adjust said halftone function to increase said number of said initial set of candidate locations (402) in response to there being fewer said candidate locations (402) than said graphic objects (802).
10. The computing system of any of claims 8 and 9, in which to provide said set of candidate locations (402) within said layout density map (300), said processor (104) is further configured to:
perform an adjustment function on said set of candidate locations (402) to move said candidate locations (402) away from said low density regions (302) and away from each other, said adjustment process comprising, for at least one of said candidate locations (402):
apply a moving function to move said candidate location (402) by an initial step vector (602) based in part on a distance between said candidate location (402) and said low density regions (302);
iteratively reapply said moving function until said step vector (602) is reduced to a predetermined size; and
in response to said candidate location (402) oscillating, reduce said step vector (602) and reapplying said moving function with said reduced step vector (602).
11. The computing system of claim 10, in which said step vector (602) is further based on at least one of: a specific density of said low density regions (302) and a position of an alternate candidate location (402).
12. The computing system of any of claims 8-11, in which said high density regions (304) and said low density regions (302) in said layout density map (300) correspond to respective regions of a background image (200).
13. The computing system of any of claims 8-12, in which said processor (104) is further configured to allocate an overlay area (702) to each said candidate location (402).
14. The computing system of any of claims 8-13, in which said processor (104) is further configured to assign a graphic object (802) to a candidate location (402) based on at least one of: a random assignment, a selection made by a user of said computing system, and an aspect ratio of said graphic object (402).
15. A computer program product for managing providing a layout for graphic objects (402), said computer program product comprising:
a computer readable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therewith, said computer readable program code comprising:
computer readable program code configured to:
generate a layout density map (300) comprising low density regions (302) and high density regions (304);
provide a set of candidate locations (402) within said layout density map (300), a number of said candidate locations (402) being equal to a number of said graphic objects (802), said candidate locations (402) being arranged away from said low density regions (302) and from other said candidate locations (402); and
overlay said layout density map (300) with said graphic objects (802), each said graphic object (802) being disposed at one of said candidate locations (402).

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An image transfer article, comprising:
a melt transfer layer having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface positionable against a receptor element during a transfer process;
an image receiving layer having an image receiving surface configured to receive indicia or an image; and
at least one opaque layer disposed between the image receiving layer and the top surface of the melt transfer layer, the at least one opaque layer configured to provide an opaque background for at least a portion of the image and having sufficient thickness and rigidity so that the image transfer article can function independently of a support.
2. The article of claim 1, wherein the opaque background includes a substantially white opacity provided by a white pigment or a substantially colored opacity provided by a colored pigment.
3. The article of claim 2, wherein the white pigment comprises titanium oxide or the colored pigment comprises a pigmented resin.
4. The article of claim 1, wherein the at least one opaque layer comprises a first and a second opaque layer.
5. The article of claim 4, wherein the first opaque layer has a composition that is different from a composition of the second opaque layer.
6. The article of claim 1, wherein the at least one opaque layer as a thickness between about 0.5 mils and about 2.5 mils.
7. An image transfer article, comprising:
a transfer member comprising (i) a melt transfer layer, (ii) an image receiving layer having an image receiving surface configured to receive indicia or an image, and (iii) at least one opaque layer positioned between the melt transfer layer and the image receiving layer and configured to provide an opaque background to the image and having sufficient thickness and rigidity so that the image transfer article can function independently of a support,
wherein the image transfer article is configured to transfer the received indicia or image to a receptor element without inversion or reversal of the indicia or image.
8. The article of claim 7, wherein the opaque background includes a substantially white opacity provided by a white pigment or a substantially colored opacity provided by a colored pigment.
9. The article of claim 8, wherein the white pigment comprises titanium oxide or the colored pigment comprises a pigmented resin.
10. The article of claim 7, wherein the at least one opaque layer comprises a first and a second opaque layer.
11. The article of claim 10, wherein the first opaque layer has a composition that is different from a composition of the second opaque layer.
12. The article of claim 7, wherein the at least one opaque layer as a thickness between about 0.5 mils and about 2.5 mils.