Patent · US Expired

Vector generator scan converter

US4918624A · kind A · utility

31Cited by
10References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 5, 1988
Grant dateApr 17, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 5, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06K2215/0082
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

High printing speeds for graphics data are achieved with a laser printer by transmitting compressed graphics data from a main processor over an I/O (input/output) channel to a vector generator scan converter which reconstructs a full graphics image for input to the laser printer through a raster data input port. The vector generator scan converter includes a microprocessor with associated microcode memory containing a microcode instruction set, a working memory for storing compressed data, vector generator hardward for drawing a full graphic image from vector parameters calculated by the microprocessor, image buffer memory for storing the reconstructed graphics image and an output scanner for reading the graphics image data and inputting the data to the printer. The vector generator scan converter eliminates the bottleneck created by the I/O channel for transmitting graphics data from the main processor to the laser printer, and increases printer speed up to thirty fold.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.