The present invention relates to universal data output and, in particular, to providing a new data output method and a new raster image process for information apparatuses and output devices.
As described herein, information apparatuses refer generally to computing devices, which include both stationary computers and mobile computing devices (pervasive devices). Examples of such information apparatuses include, without limitation, desktop computers, laptop computers, networked computers, palmtop computers (hand-held computers), personal digital assistants (PDAs), Internet enabled mobile phones, smart phones, pagers, digital capturing devices (e.g., digital cameras and video cameras), Internet appliances, e-books, information pads, and digital or web pads. Output devices may include, without limitation, fax machines, printers, copiers, image and/or video display devices (e.g., televisions, monitors and projectors), and audio output devices.
For simplicity and convenience, hereafter, the following descriptions may refer to an output device as a printer and an output process as printing. However, it should be understood that the term printer and printing used in the discussion of present invention refer to one embodiment used as a specific example to simplify the description of the invention. The references to printer and printing used here are intended to be applied or extended to the larger scope and definition of output devices and should not be construed as restricting the scope and practice of present invention.
Fueled by an ever-increasing bandwidth, processing power, wireless mobile devices, and wireless software applications, millions of users are or will be creating, downloading, and transmitting content and information using their pervasive or mobile computing devices. As a result, there is a need to allow users to conveniently output content and information from their pervasive computing devices to any output device. As an example, people need to directly and conveniently output from their pervasive information apparatus, without depending on synchronizing with a stationary computer (e.g., desktop personal computer) for printing.
To illustrate, a mobile worker at an airport receiving e-mail in his hand-held computer may want to walk up to a nearby printer or fax machine to have his e-mail printed. In addition, the mobile worker may also want to print a copy of his to-do list, appointment book, business card, and his flight schedule from his mobile device. As another example, a user visiting an e-commerce site using his mobile device may want to print out transaction confirmation. In still another example, a user who takes a picture with a digital camera may want to easily print it out to a nearby printer. In any of the above cases, the mobile user may want to simply walk up to a printer and conveniently print a file (word processing document, PDF, HTML etc) that is stored on the mobile device or downloaded from a network (e.g., Internet, corporate network).
Conventionally, an output device (e.g., a printer) is connected to an information apparatus via a wired connection such as a cable line. A wireless connection is also possible by using, for example, radio communication or infrared communication. Regardless of wired or wireless connection, a user must first install in the information apparatus an output device driver (e.g., printer driver in the case the output device is a printer) corresponding to a particular output device model and make. Using a device-dependent or specific driver, the information apparatus may process output content or digital document into a specific output device's input requirements (e.g., printer input requirements). The output device's input requirements correspond to the type of input that the output device (e.g., a printer) understands. For example, a printer's input requirement may include printer specific input format (e.g., one or more of an image, graphics or text format or language). Therefore, an output data (or print data in the case the output device is a printer) herein refers to data that is acceptable for input to an associated output device. Examples of input requirements may include, without limitation, audio format, video format, file format, data format, encoding, language (e.g., page description language, markup language etc), instructions, protocols or data that can be understood or used by a particular output device make and model.
Input requirements may be based on proprietary or published standards or a combination of the two. An output device's input requirements are, therefore, in general, device dependent. Different output device models may have their own input requirements specified, designed or adopted by the output device manufacturer (e.g., the printer manufacturer) according to a specification for optimal operation. Consequently, different output devices usually require use of specific output device drivers (e.g., printer drivers) for accurate output (e.g., printing). Sometimes, instead of using a device driver (e.g., printer driver), the device driving feature may be included as part of an application software.
Installation of a device driver (e.g., printer driver) or application may be accomplished by, for example, manual installation using a CD or floppy disk supplied by the printer manufacturer. Or alternatively, a user may be able to download a particular driver or application from a network. For a home or office user, this installation process may take anywhere from several minutes to several hours depending on the type of driver and user's sophistication level with computing devices and networks. Even with plug-and-play driver installation, the user is still required to execute a multi-step process for each printer or output device.
This installation and configuration process adds a degree of complexity and work to end-users who may otherwise spend their time doing other productive or enjoyable work. Moreover, many unsophisticated users may be discouraged from adding new peripherals (e.g., printers, scanners, etc.) to their home computers or networks to avoid the inconvenience of installation and configuration. It is therefore desirable that an information apparatus can output to more than one output device without the inconvenience of installing multiple dedicated device dependent drivers.
In addition, conventional output or printing methods may pose significantly higher challenges and difficulties for mobile device users than for home and office users. The requirement for pre-installation of a device-dependent driver diminishes the benefit and concept of mobile (pervasive) computing and output. For example, a mobile user may want to print or output e-mail, PowerPoint® presentation documents, web pages, or other documents at an airport, gas station, convenience store, kiosk, hotel, conference room, office, home, etc. It is highly unlikely that the user would find at any of these locations a printer of the same make and model as is at the user's base station. As a consequence, under the conventional printing method, the user would have to install and configure a printer driver each time at each such remote location before printing. It is usually not a viable option given the hundreds, or even thousands of printer models in use, and the limited storage, memory space, and processing power of the information apparatus.
Moreover, the user may not want to be bothered with looking for a driver or downloading it and installing it just to print out or display one page of email at the airport. This is certainly an undesirable and discouraging process to promote pervasive or mobile computing. Therefore, a more convenient printing method is needed in support of the pervasive computing paradigm where a user can simply walk up to an output device (e.g., printer or display device) and easily output a digital document without having to install or pre-install a particular output device driver (e.g., printer driver).
Another challenge for mobile users is that many mobile information apparatuses have limited memory space, processing capacity and power. These limitations are more apparent for small and low-cost mobile devices including, for example, PDAs, mobile phones, screen phones, pagers, e-books, Internet Pads, Internet appliances etc. Limited memory space poses difficulties in installing and running large or complex printer or device drivers, not to mention multiple drivers for a variety of printers and output devices. Slow processing speed and limited power supply create difficulties driving an output device. For example, processing or converting a digital document into output data by a small mobile information apparatus may be so slow that it is not suitable for productive output. Intensive processing may also drain or consume power or battery resources. Therefore, a method is needed so that a small mobile device, with limited processing capabilities, can still reasonably output content to various output devices.
To output or render content (e.g. digital document) to an output device, a raster image processing (RIP) operation on the content is usually required. RIP operation can be computationally intensive and may include (1) a rasterization operation, (2) a color space conversion, and (3) a halftoning operation. RIP may also include other operations such as scaling, segmentation, color matching, color correction, GCR (Grey component replacement), Black generation, image enhancement compression/decompression, encoding/decoding, encryption/decryption GCR, image enhancement among others.
Rasterization operation in RIP involves converting objects and descriptions (e.g. graphics, text etc) included in the content into an image form suitable for output. Rasterization may include additional operations such as scaling and interpolation operations for matching a specific output size and resolution. Color space conversion in RIP includes converting an input color space description into a suitable color space required for rendering at an output device (e.g. RGB to CMYK conversion). Digital halftoning is an imaging technique for rendering continuous tone images using fewer luminance and chrominance levels. Halftoning operations such as error diffusion can be computationally intensive and are included when the output device's bit depth (e.g. bits per pixel) is smaller than the input raster image bit depth.
Conventionally, RIP operations are included either in an information apparatus, or as part of an output device or output system (e.g. in a printer controller). FIG. 1A illustrates a flow diagram of a conventional data output method 102 in which RIP 110 is implemented in the information apparatus. Output devices that do not include a printer controller to perform complex RIP operations, such as a lower-cost, lower speed inkjet printer, normally employ data output method 102. In data output method 102, an information apparatus obtains content (e.g. a digital document) in step 100 for rendering or output at an output device. The information apparatus may includes an application (e.g. device driver), which implements RIP operation 110. The information apparatus generates an output data in step 120 and transmits the output data to the output device in step 130 for rendering. The output data relating to the content is in an acceptable form (e.g. in an appropriate output size and resolution) to the output engine (e.g. display engine, printer engine etc.) included in the output device. The output data in a conventional output method 102 is usually device dependent.
One drawback for the data output method 102 of FIG. 1A is that the information apparatus performs most if not the entire raster image processing operations 110 required for output. The RIP operations may require intensive computation. Many information apparatus such as mobile information device might have insufficient computing power and/or memory to carry out at an acceptable speed the RIP operations 110 required in an output process.
Another drawback for the conventional data output method 102 of FIG. 1A is that the generated output data is device dependent and therefore is typically not very portable to other output devices. As a result, the information apparatus may need to install multiple applications or device drivers for multiple output devices, which may further complicate its feasibility for use in information apparatuses with limited memory, storage and processing power.
FIG. 1B illustrates a flow diagram of another conventional data output method 104 in which the RIP is implemented in an output device. An example of an output device that implements process 104 is a high-speed laser printer which includes a printer controller for performing RIP operations and an output engine (e.g. printer engine) for rendering content. Printer controller may be internally installed or externally connected to an output device (printer in this example). In data output method 104, an information apparatus obtains content for output in step 100 and generates in step 160 an output data or print data for transmitting to the output device in step 170. Print data includes information related to the content and is usually encoded in a page description language (PDL) such as PostScript and PCL etc. In step 180, the printer receives the output data or print data (in a PDL). In step 190, a printer controller included in the printer interprets the PDL, performs RIP operations, and generates a printer-engine print data that is in a form acceptable to the printer engine (e.g. a raster image in an appropriate output size, bit depth, color space and resolution). In step 150 the printer engine renders the content with the printer-engine print data.
It will be understood that a reference to print data or output data including a language, such as PDL, should be interpreted as meaning that the print data or output data is encoded using that language. Correspondingly, a reference to a data output process generating a language, such as PDL, should be interpreted as meaning that the data output process encodes data using that language.
There are many drawbacks in the conventional data output method 104 shown in FIG. 1B. These drawbacks are especially apparent for mobile computing devices with limited processing power and memory. One such drawback is that the output data or print data, which include a page description language (PDL) such as PostScript or PCL, can be very complex. Generating complex PDL may increase memory and processing requirements for an information apparatus. Furthermore, interpreting, decoding and then raster image processing complex PDL can increase computation, decrease printing speed, and increase the cost of the output device or its printer controller.
Another drawback is that the output data that includes PDL can creates a very large file size that would increase memory and storage requirements for the information apparatus, the output device and/or the printer controller etc. Large file size may also increase the bandwidth required in the communication link between the information apparatus and the output device.
Finally, to rasterize text in an output device, a printer controller may need to include multiple fonts. When a special font or international characters is not included or missing in the printer controller, the rendering or output can potentially become inaccurate or inconsistent.