| 摘要 |
An apparatus is provided that includes data compression logic that is configured to receive a data stream and selectively count consecutive alike n-bit long words of data therein. Then, for each grouping of consecutive alike n-bit long words, the logic substitutes a control word that identifies the value of the alike n-bit long words and the counted number of alike n-bit long words within the grouping. Hence, the number of repeated same valued words can be significantly reduced. In certain implementations, the data stream is associated with a scanned image and the alike n-bit long words are selected from a grouping of image pattern values associated with white regions, black regions, and repeating pattern regions on the scanned page. This application of the invention significantly reduces the amount of data that needs to be buffered, for example, in a printer. The compression can occur at other locations too, like an external scanner and/or computer, thereby reducing the amount of data that needs to be transferred to a printer or like device.
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