COMPLEXITY EXTENSIONS FOR BAND MANAGEMENT IN A PRINTER PAGE PIPE

摘要

An imaging device and method provide a binding of complexity indicia to bands of a page being composed for video imaging. The indicia enable memory management tasks to be performed on the bands while the page is waiting in the page pipe to be imaged. Advantageously, the memory management tasks are performed without waiting for any already composed page to finish imaging. Accordingly, page throughput of a multi-page print job is improved. In one embodiment, the indicia includes at least one data element that is indicative of the band being safe for being acted upon by the memory management tasks. In an alternate embodiment, the indicia includes a data element that is indicative of a complexity of the band for being video imaged, and a further data element that is indicative of an incremental complexity of the band relative to a given memory management task that may be performed. In yet another embodiment, the indicia includes a third data element that is indicative of how much free time exists for video imaging the band. The free time element enables a quick determination as to whether sufficient video imaging time exists for accomplishing the memory management associated with the incremental cost element. Additionally, the free time element enables bands to reference each other and “borrow” video imaging time if appropriate.