Abstract: In an exemplary device implementation, the device includes: a scanner capable of scanning a scanning target to produce an electronic image of the scanning target; and a printer capable of printing an image of the scanning target on a media, the printer including a print engine; wherein the device is adapted to overlap the scanning of the scanning target with preparation of the print engine for printing.

Abstract: In an exemplary device implementation, the device includes: a scanner capable of scanning a scanning target to produce an electronic image of the scanning target; and a printer capable of printing an image of the scanning target on a media, the printer including a print engine; wherein the device is adapted to overlap the scanning of the scanning target with preparation of the print engine for printing.

Abstract: An exemplary device implementation includes: a manager that is capable of monitoring a process for preparing a page for printing; and a print engine that is capable of printing the page after the process for preparing the page for printing is complete; wherein the device is adapted to temporally overlap the process for preparing the page for printing with preparation of the print engine for printing. An exemplary method implementation includes actions of: beginning processing of a page of a printing job; providing at least one command to a print engine responsive to at least one time remaining estimate for the processing of the page of the printing job prior to completion of the processing of the page of the printing job; and changing a state of the print engine responsive to the providing of the at least one command to the print engine.

Abstract: Methods of providing page protection in digital printing systems having multiple output devices are described. In one embodiment, first and second output devices are provided and have different time constraints for processing predetermined amounts of data which will ultimately be printed on a print medium. One of the time constraints is selected to provide a selected time constraint, and at least one predetermined amount of data is tested against the selected time constraint to determine whether the selected time constraint is satisfied. If the selected time constraint is not satisfied, the predetermined amount of data is transformed into a state which is more likely to satisfy the selected time constraint. In another embodiment, a first processing time constraint of a first output device is determined. The first processing time constraint impacts the manner in which a predetermined amount of data is processed into a printed image. A second processing time constraint of a second output device is determined.

Abstract: An exemplary device implementation includes: a manager that is capable of monitoring a process for preparing a page for printing; and a print engine that is capable of printing the page after the process for preparing the page for printing is complete; wherein the device is adapted to temporally overlap the process for preparing the page for printing with preparation of the print engine for printing. An exemplary method implementation includes actions of: beginning processing of a page of a printing job; providing at least one command to a print engine responsive to at least one time remaining estimate for the processing of the page of the printing job prior to completion of the processing of the page of the printing job; and changing a state of the print engine responsive to the providing of the at least one command to the print engine.

Abstract: In an exemplary device implementation, the device includes: a scanner capable of scanning a scanning target to produce an electronic image of the scanning target; and a printer capable of printing an image of the scanning target on a media, the printer including a print engine; wherein the device is adapted to overlap the scanning of the scanning target with preparation of the print engine for printing.

Abstract: Memory management. A method embodiment includes receiving data separable into segments. For each segment, it is determined whether to save that segment to a first memory such as RAM or to a second memory such as a hard disk. Each segment is saved to a determined location. While saving each segment determined to be saved to the first memory, it is determined whether the first memory is depleted. When the first memory is determined to be depleted, a segment being saved to the first memory is instead saved to the second memory.

Abstract: Provided are various systems, methods, and programs embodied in a computer readable medium for estimating a guarantee time. In one embodiment, a method is provided that comprises the steps of estimating at least one strip guarantee component time, determining a bounding of the guarantee time from the at least one strip guarantee component time, and calculating an estimate of the guarantee time.

Abstract: A print unit prints pages of a print job in a different page order than the logical page order, but outputs the print job in a logical page order. A control system repetitively selects one or more portions of the print job from a memory device. Each of the one or more portions is selected out-of-logical page order for supply to the print unit to satisfy printing in the different page order. Each of the one or more portions when selected from the memory device, are temporarily stored in location(s) of a print-ready memory until no longer needed for supply to the print unit, at which time the control system releases the location(s) to be able to receive new data. “Memory out” conditions are also avoided by immediately releasing all objects associated with collated printing before completion of the collated print job, if memory is insufficient to complete the job.

Abstract: A printing device stores data associated with a print job in a memory device. The print job or portions of the print job have an associated reference count(s) indicative of whether the print job or portions of the print job are write-protected. The reference count(s) is incremented and/or decremented responsive to printing of the print job. A control system is configured to permit the print job or portions of the print job to be overwritten with new data when the reference count(s) reach a particular value indicating to the control system that the print job or portions of the print job are no longer write-protected. As a result, memory capacity for print jobs (up to twice the memory capacity of conventional printing devices) and print speed performance improvements are realized over conventional printing devices.

Abstract: Methods of guard-banding, methods of dynamic guard-banding, and related apparatus for real time image-data processing are described. In one embodiment, at least one image-processing pipeline variance is measured. Responsive to measuring the image-processing pipeline variance, a guard band is imposed around a processing parameter of the image-processing pipeline. In another embodiment, a first parameter relating to processing time of a predetermined amount of data through an image-processing pipeline is determined. A second parameter relating to processing time of the predetermined amount of data through the image-processing pipeline is determined. The second parameter is related to the first parameter. The first and second parameters are compared, and responsive thereto, a guard band is imposed on at least a portion of the processing which takes place in the image-processing pipeline. In preferred embodiments, the guard bands are adjustable dynamically or on-the-fly.

Abstract: An imaging device and method enable the freeing of memory during a punt (print overrun) avoidance operation and during a duplexing operation for enhanced page throughput. Specifically, if a first race condition threshold is met, being indicative of an estimated need to pre-rasterize a band from a page of image data for punt avoidance, and if after pre-rasterization it is determined pre-rasterization is not actually needed for punt avoidance, then the pre-rasterized band is evaluated relative to its display list for memory savings purposes for improved page throughput performance. Similarly, if a duplex condition threshold is met, being indicative of a band being part of a first side of a duplex page being processed and of an estimated need to save memory for processing of the second side of the duplex page, then the band is pre-rasterized and evaluated relative to its display list for memory savings purposes for improved duplex page throughput performance.

Abstract: An imaging device and method enable the freeing of memory during a punt (print overrun) avoidance operation and during a duplexing operation for enhanced page throughput. Specifically, if a first race condition threshold is met, being indicative of an estimated need to pre-rasterize a band from a page of image data for punt avoidance, and if after pre-rasterization it is determined pre-rasterization is not actually needed for punt avoidance, then the pre-rasterized band is evaluated relative to its display list for memory savings purposes for improved page throughput performance. Similarly, if a duplex condition threshold is met, being indicative of a band being part of a first side of a duplex page being processed and of an estimated need to save memory for processing of the second side of the duplex page, then the band is pre-rasterized and evaluated relative to its display list for memory savings purposes for improved duplex page throughput performance.

Abstract: An imaging device and method enable the freeing of memory during a punt (print overrun) avoidance operation and during a duplexing operation for enhanced page throughput. Specifically, if a first race condition threshold is met, being indicative of an estimated need to pre-rasterize a band from a page of image data for punt avoidance, and if after pre-rasterization it is determined pre-rasterization is not actually needed for punt avoidance, then the pre-rasterized band is evaluated relative to its display list for memory savings purposes for improved page throughput performance. Similarly, if a duplex condition threshold is met, being indicative of a band being part of a first side of a duplex page being processed and of an estimated need to save memory for processing of the second side of the duplex page, then the band is pre-rasterized and evaluated relative to its display list for memory savings purposes for improved duplex page throughput performance.

Abstract: An imaging device and method optimize memory usage during a print overrun avoidance operation by employing selected compression schemes upon page bands while ensuring that required decompression times of the bands are met for subsequent rendering purposes. A preferred method includes compressing a band from a page of image data and, if an estimated decompression time for the compressed band does not satisfy a race-the-laser threshold for subsequent video imaging, then decompressing the band and measuring an actual decompression time. If the actual decompression time satisfies the race-the-laser threshold, then the method includes keeping the compressed band for subsequent video imaging.