Patent ID: 6819447
Filing Date: 2004-11-16
Classification: G06K,H04N

Abstract:
A print control apparatus for forming bit map data to be outputted to a plurality of printer engines corresponding to respective colors, comprising:analyzing means for dividing print data described by a page description language into a plurality of bands of respective different colors and forming a display list of an intermediate data format color by color into a memory band by band; development time calculating means for calculating a development prediction time which is required when developing into bit map data on the basis of said display list band by band and color by color; a plurality of developing means each for developing data of a respective color into bit map data band by band on the basis of said display list; and arbitrating means for, in a case where access requests to the memory in which said display lists have been stored are issued from at least two of said plurality of developing means, arbitrating the access requests in accordance with priorities for the access requests to the memory which are determined on the basis of the development prediction time calculated by said development time calculating means, wherein said plurality of developing means develop the data into bit map data color by color and band by band in any sequential order, the sequential order being determined on the basis of an arbitration result obtained by said arbitrating means.