Patent ID: 7684076

Claim:
A raster image processor comprising: means adapted for receiving image data, which image data is comprised of a linear bit stream representative of an associated image; segmenting means adapted for segmenting the image data into a plurality of chunks including M existing chunks and a remaining plurality of non-existing chunks, wherein each of the M existing chunks includes data corresponding to at least one pixel that has been used in connection with a prior rendering operation, wherein each of the plurality of existing chunks is comprised of N bits, and wherein M and N are integers greater than one; page map memory adapted for storing page map data, which page map data includes at least M entries, each entry corresponding to a single chunk from the plurality of existing chunks and non-existing chunks, each entry adapted for storing a first flag value representative of a first selected value of a chunk from the plurality of existing chunks and non-existing chunks corresponding thereto and at least a second flag value when the chunk corresponding thereto is other than the first selected value; means adapted for grouping the M existing chunks into a plurality of subsets thereof; and scan list memory adapted for storing scan list data, which scan list data is comprised of an indexed array wherein each element thereof functions as a pointer to an initial existing chunk in a subset thereof, and the initial existing chunk includes a pointer to a subsequent existing chunk in the subset.