Patent · US Expired

Embedded display list interpreter with distribution of rendering tasks, for multiprocessor-based printer

US6091506A · kind A · utility

9Cited by
4References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 24, 1997
Grant dateJul 18, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 24, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06K2215/0062
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A processing unit (11) for a printer system. The processing unit (11) is comprised of a master processor (21) and multiple parallel processors (22). The master processor (21) builds a display list and partitions it into sublists, which it distributes to the parallel processors (22). The parallel processors (22) interpret the sublists, thereby rendering the image as bitmapped data. Interpretation of a sublist is performed by reading its operation codes and calling rasterizing primitives represented by the operation codes. (FIG. 3). During execution of a rasterizing primitive, a parallel processor (22) determines whether the next operation code in the sublist will call the same primitive. If so, execution of the current primitive is repeated.

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