Patent ID: 7057758

Claim:
A controller for a printer module having a stationary pagewidth printhead that prints dots defining an image on printable media, said controller comprising: a central processing unit; program memory associated with said central processing unit, said program memory storing program steps for execution by said central processing unit to operate said printer module to print said image; one or more interface units communicating with components of said printer module; image storage memory storing a said image in L*a*b* format; a pagewidth printhead interface for loading the pagewidth printhead with print data representing the dots to be printed; and an image access unit in communication with said image storage memory, said central processing unit and the printhead interface, said image access unit accessing said image in said image storage memory, and transferring said image to said printhead interface on command from said central processing unit; wherein said printhead interface includes a print generator, which converts said image from L*a*b* format to a dithered CMY format, for printing by a printhead.