Patent ID: 8149427
Filing Date: 2012-04-03
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: predicting a raster-imaging processing (RIP) time for each page of a plurality of pages to be printed in a printed-page number order; sorting the pages based on when RIP should be finished for each page so that the pages are able to be printed in the printed-page number order without having to wait for RIP of the pages, and based on the RIP times of the pages as have been predicted; dispatching the pages to a plurality of RIP components for RIP of the pages in an order in which the pages have been sorted, such that each page is dispatched to a next RIP component that is available, each RIP component having an output buffer, a next RIP component being available for a given page to be dispatched thereto where a total size of the output buffer of the next RIP component minus space within the output buffer of the next RIP component taken up by any pages ordered after the given page in the printed-page number order is greater than a needed space to store the given page; and, retrieving the pages, as have been raster-image processed, from the output buffers of the RIP components in the printed-page number order and transmitting the pages to a printing device for printing the pages in the printed-page number order.