Image Forming Apparatus and Method for Improved Utilization of Video Memory

摘要

An image forming apparatus converts image data into a video signal, updates a value of a counter without loading the image data onto a video memory, if a print request is a single-sided print request and the image data corresponding to a page information included in the print request is stored on the video memory, and loads the image data corresponding to the page information in the print request onto the video memory, if the print request is a double-sided print request, or if the print request is the single-sided print request and the image data corresponding to the page information included in the print request is not stored on the video memory.

主权项

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a printing control unit including:
a first page information queue including records;a buffer memory;an image processing section; anda page control section; and an engine controller including:
a video memory configured to store page data;a second page information queue;a counter; anda video memory control section, wherein the image processing section is configured to:
i) expand print data into image data;ii) store the image data in the buffer memory; andiii) write page information to the first page information queue; wherein the page control section is configured to send a print request including the page information to the video memory control section in an order based on the records in the first page information queue; wherein the video memory control section is configured to:
i) load the image data corresponding to the page information in the buffer memory onto the video memory in response to receiving the print request;ii) send a completion response, including the page information, indicating that the loading of the image data onto the video memory is complete to the page control section; andiii) write the page information to the second page information queue; wherein the page control section is further configured to:
i) delete the image data corresponding to the page information from the buffer memory in response to receiving the completion response; andii) delete the page information from the first page information queue; and wherein the video memory control section is further configured to:
i) convert the image data into a video signal;ii) delete the image data from the video memory based on a value of the counter;iii) delete the page information corresponding to the image data from the second page information queue based on the value of the counter;iv) update the value of the counter without loading the image data onto the video memory, if the print request is a single-sided print request and the image data corresponding to the page information included in the print request is stored on the video memory; andv) load the image data corresponding to the page information in the print request onto the video memory, if the print request is a double-sided print request, or if the print request is the single-sided print request and the image data corresponding to the page information included in the print request is not stored on the video memory.