IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

Abstract

According to the claimed invention, an image forming apparatus comprises an image forming unit which forms an image represented by data of a specific format; a reception unit which receives print data of each page containing object data representing each of a plurality of types of objects; a data rasterization unit which has object conversion units which convert the object data into data of the specific format; a composition unit which composites data of the specific format corresponding to the object data converted to page data of the specific format containing the object data; and a control unit which inputs the page data to a subsequent processing unit for each page to use the page data for image formation by the image forming unit, wherein the data rasterization unit converts object data into data of the specific format regardless of a break of each page containing the object data.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view showing an overall system in an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an overall image forming apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the NIC/print-image generation unit of the image forming apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the PDL unit (print-image generation unit) of the image forming apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the core unit/CMYK-IP unit of the image forming apparatus;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the printer unit of a monochrome image forming apparatus;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a network environment;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of data transfer via the network;

FIG. 9 is a view showing an example of print data;

FIG. 10 is a view showing the display window of a driver;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an outline of an operation by a printer driver in the first embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an outline of an operation by the printer driver in the first embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an outline of an operation by a PDL unit in the first embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an outline of an operation by a composition unit in the first embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a table showing the structure of a progress information table;

FIGS. 16A and 16B are views showing the structures of an object and page bitmap data;

FIGS. 17A and 17B are charts of object rasterization according to the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an outline of an operation by a host computer in the second embodiment; and

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an outline of an operation by a printing apparatus in the second embodiment.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit, adapted to form an image represented by data of a specific format on a medium on the basis of the data;a reception unit, adapted to receive, from an external apparatus, print data of each page containing object data representing each of a plurality of types of objects;a data rasterization unit having, for the respective types of objects, object conversion units, adapted to convert the object data into data of the specific format;a composition unit, adapted to composite data of the specific format corresponding to the object data converted by the plurality of object conversion units, to page data of the specific format containing the object data; anda control unit, adapted to input the page data composited by said composition unit to a subsequent processing unit for each page to use the page data for image formation by said image forming unit,wherein said data rasterization unit converts object data received by said reception unit into data of the specific format regardless of a break of each page containing the object data.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit changes the type of object to be converted by at least one of the object conversion units, and the plurality of object conversion units parallel-convert object data of one type into the data.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control unit executes the change in accordance with a data amount of object data to be converted by each of the object conversion units.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an acquisition unit, adapted to acquire an operational state of said data rasterization unit; anda transmission unit, adapted to transmit the operational state acquired by said acquisition unit to the external apparatus.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the type of object includes at least one of an image object, a text object, and a graphic object.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when print data to be processed belong to a plurality of print jobs, each of the plurality of object conversion units of said data rasterization unit starts rasterizing object data contained in a second print job immediately after a first print job after an end of rasterizing object data contained in the first print job in converting object data of a type corresponding to each object conversion unit.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data rasterization unit stores data of the specific format in a storage unit,when said composition unit composites data of the specific format to the page data, said composition unit frees an area of the storage unit that is occupied by the composited data of the specific format, andwhen said control unit inputs the page data to a subsequent processing unit, said control unit frees an area of the storage unit that is occupied by the page data.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reception unit also receives frame structure data representing objects contained in each page, andsaid control unit refers to the frame structure data to determine whether conversion of all objects represented by the frame structure data into data of the specific format and composition to page data are complete.

9. A method of controlling an image forming apparatus having an image forming unit which forms an image represented by data of a specific format on a medium on the basis of the data, comprising: a reception step of causing a reception unit to receive, from an external apparatus, print data of each page containing object data representing each of a plurality of types of objects;a data rasterization step of causing object conversion units for the respective types of objects to convert the object data into data of the specific format;a composition step of causing a composition unit to composite data of the specific format corresponding to the object data converted by the plurality of object conversion units, to page data of the specific format containing the object data; anda control step of inputting the page data composited in the composition step to a subsequent processing unit for each page to use the page data for image formation by the image forming unit,wherein in the data rasterization step, object data received in the reception step is converted into data of the specific format regardless of a break of each page containing the object data.

10. A program which is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and causes a computer to control an image forming apparatus having an image forming unit that forms an image represented by data of a specific format on a medium on the basis of the data, causing the computer to execute a reception step of causing a reception unit to receive, from an external apparatus, print data of each page containing object data representing each of a plurality of types of objects,a data rasterization step of causing object conversion units for the respective types of objects to convert the object data into data of the specific format,a composition step of causing a composition unit to composite data of the specific format corresponding to the object data converted by the plurality of object conversion units, to page data of the specific format containing the object data, anda control step of inputting the page data composited in the composition step to a subsequent processing unit for each page to use the page data for image formation by the image forming unit,wherein in the data rasterization step, object data received in the reception step is converted into data of the specific format regardless of a break of each page containing the object data.

11. An image forming system comprising: an image forming apparatus defined in claim 1; andan information processing apparatus connected as an external apparatus to the image forming apparatus.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said information processing apparatus converts a type of object so as to make process times of objects contained in print data to be transmitted to the image forming apparatus coincide with each other for each page.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said information processing apparatus transmits a command to said image forming apparatus to change a type of object targeted by an object conversion unit so as to make process times of objects contained in print data to be transmitted to the image forming apparatus coincide with each other for each page.