Method and apparatus for preventing print overruns by rasterizing complex page strips using an increased clock frequency

摘要

A page printer includes a variable frequency clock for producing at least two clock frequencies, one higher than the other. The page printer includes a first memory for storing a page processing procedure and a second memory for storing data comprising full page strips. A processor operates at the first clock frequency in conjunction with the page processing procedure and derives a rasterization execution time (RET) for display commands that define images to be printed in each page strip of a page. The processor compares the RET for each page strip with a threshold value and rasterizes in the standard manner any page strip whose RET is equal to or less than the threshold value (while operating under the influence of the first clock frequency). When a complex page strip is found (whose RET exceeds the threshold), the variable frequency clock is controlled to generate a second higher frequency clock signal and to cause the processor to operate at a rate determined by the higher clock frequency so that display commands in the complex page strip are rasterized at higher speed.