Printed page tag encoder
View Patent ↗A printed page tag encoder has an input at which to receive a tag structure template, an input at which to receive fixed data bits, an input at which to receive variable data bit records, and a tag dot generator outputting single bits depending on position in the tag defined by the tag structure template and said fixed and said variable data. The encoder additionally has a redundancy encoder for optionally encoding said fixed and/or said variable data. The redundancy encoder utilizes Reed-Solomon encoding. Tags are placed regularly on a page and ideally in a triangular grid.
1. A printed page tag encoder comprising:
an input at which to receive a tag structure template;
an input at which to receive fixed data bits;
an input at which to receive variable data bit records; and
a tag dot generator outputting single bits depending on position in the tag defined by the tag structure template and said fixed and said variable data.
2. A printed page tag encoder as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising a redundancy encoder for optionally encoding said fixed and/or said variable data.
3. A printed page tag encoder as claimed in claim 2 wherein the redundancy encoder utilises Reed-Solomon encoding.
4. A printed page tag encoder as claimed in claim 1 wherein tags are placed regularly on a page.
5. A printed page tag encoder as claimed in claim 4 wherein tags are placed in a triangular grid.
6. A method of establishing printed page tags comprising:
formatting fixed data for the page being printed together with specific tag data values according to a defined tag structure format; and
regularly locating tags on a page.
7. A method of printing a printed page tag as claimed in claim 6 further comprising redundancy encoding the fixed and/or specific tag data.
8. A print engine/controller to drive an ink drop printhead comprising:
a contone image decoder to decode any compressed continuous tone image planes in the received compressed page data;
a bi-level decoder to decode any compressed bi-level image plane in the received compressed page data;
a tag encoder to produce a tag image plane; and
a halftoner/compositor including a dot merger unit controlled by a color mask to effect integration of the image planes and tag data plane.
9. A print engine/controller as claimed in claim 8 wherein tags are placed in the tag image plane on a triangular grid.
10. A print engine/controller as claimed in claim 8 wherein the tag image plane is connected to an infrared ink channel by which to place infrared ink printed tags into a printed page.
11. A print engine/controller as claimed in claim 8 wherein the tag encoder redundancy encodes the tag data destined for said tag image plane.
12. A print engine/controller as claimed in claim 11 wherein redundancy encoding uses Reed-Solomon encoding.
13. A print engine/controller as claimed in claim 11 wherein the print engine/controller encodes both the fixed and variable parts of the tag data.
14. A print engine/controller chip to interface with an ink drop printhead by which to generate tagged printed page comprising:
an interface at which to receive compressed page data;
a tag encoder to output a tag image plane;
a contone image decoder to decode any continuous tone image planes in the received compressed page data;
a bi-level decoder to decode any bi-level image planes in the received compressed page data;
a half-toner/compositer to composite any bi-level image plane over any continuous tone image plane or tag image plane; and
a printhead driver to output the composite to a printhead.
15. An inkdrop printer to generate tagged pages driven by a print engine/controller comprising:
an interface at which to receive compressed page data;
a tag encoder to generate a tag image plane;
a contone image decoder to decode any continuous tone image planes in the received compressed page data;
a bi-level decoder to decode any bi-level image planes in the received compressed page data;
a half-toner/compositer to composite any bi-level image plane over any continuous tone image plane or tag image plane;
a printhead driver to output the composite to a printhead; and
a printhead.