Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for generating a production print stream from files optimized for viewing

US6538760B1 · kind B1 · utility

58Cited by
9References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 8, 1998
Grant dateMar 25, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 8, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F3/1285
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A conversion program selectively decomposes viewable files, such as PDF files, and generates a print-structured, bi-directional stream composed of print data objects, resource objects and command objects. The conversion program uses a mapping table to determine which resources have already been sent to the printer so that redundant resources are not re-sent to the printer. The resources and page data for each page are assembled in order and sent to the printer so that the resources necessary to render a page precede the page data. In this manner the printer always has the resources necessary to print each page. The print data, resource and command objects are sent from a print server which controls the print system to a printer by means of a containerized data stream which is bi-directional. A reply object is used to provide information concerning processing of the data from the print server to the printer.

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