Patent ID: 6359700
Filing Date: 2002-03-19
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
A page printer for storing a page processing procedure including code for converting display commands to a rasterized image and for further storing display commands allocated to plural page strips of a page, said page including N page strips, said page printer including a print engine adapted to print one page per X units of time, and further comprising:an auxiliary processor adapted to operate in conjunction with said page processing procedure; and a main processor operable in conjunction with said page processing procedure for (i) determining an amount of processing time required to process each page strip of a page into rasterized image data; (ii) for a page strip whose processing time exceeds X/N units of time, determining if sufficient time is available, once said print engine commences printing said page, to convert said page strip from display commands to a rasterized image before said rasterized image is to be rendered to said page by said print engine, and if yes, assigning said page strip to be processed by said auxiliary processor; and (ii) for a page strip whose processing time does not exceed X/N units of time, assigning said page strip to be processed by said main processor.