Method and apparatus for implementing anti-counterfeiting measures in personal computer-based digital color printers

1. A system for rendering an electronic image representation associated with a software application program, the system comprising:

a host processor programmed to execute the software application program;

a temporary storage device associated with the host processor;

a printer interfaced to the host processor; and

software means operative on the host processor for determining whether the electronic image representation is of a predetermined document type by examining at least a portion of the electronic image representation that is stored in the temporary storage device during the course of printing the electronic image representation at the printer, said portion of the electronic image representation being in a printer control language format when examined.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the host processor is a personal computer.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the temporary storage device is a plurality of memory addresses allocated in a random access memory of the host processor.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the software means is a printer driver software program.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined document type is a counterfeit document type.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic image representation is stored and printed on a band-by-band basis.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the printer is an ink jet-type printer.

8. A system for detecting an image representation of a predetermined document type, the system comprising:

a host processor;

a temporary storage device associated with the host processor;

a printer interfaced to the host processor; and

software means operative on the host processor for:

a) buffering print data associated with a first portion of the image representation in the temporary storage device;

b) examining the buffered print data for a preselected feature of the predetermined document type;

c) rendering at least a portion of the buffered print data on the printer when the preselected feature is not found in the buffered print data; and

d) not rendering the buffered print data when the preselected feature is found in the buffered print data.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the host processor is a personal computer.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the temporary storage device is a plurality of memory addresses allocated in a random access memory of the host processor.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the software means is a printer driver software program.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the predetermined document type is a counterfeit document type.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the electronic image representation is buffered and rendered on a band-by-band basis.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the printer is an ink jet-type printer.

15. A method for detecting a preselected feature of an electronic image representation in a system including a host processor, a temporary storage device associated with the host processor, and a printer interfaced to the host processor, the method comprising:

a) buffering a first segment of the electronic image representation in the temporary storage device;

b) examining the first segment of the electronic image representation for the preselected feature;

c) rendering at least a portion of the first segment on the printer when the preselected feature is not found in the first segment; and

d) not rendering the first segment when the preselected feature is found in the first segment.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein a) includes buffering at least one band of the electronic image representation.

17. The method of claim 15 , further including:

e) prior to b), performing an image processing operation on the first segment.

18. The method of claim 15 , further including:

e) prior to c), performing an image processing operation on the portion of the first segment.

19. The method of claim 15 , further including:

e) prior to b), performing an image processing operation on the first segment; and

f) prior to c), performing an image processing operation on the portion of the first segment.

20. The method of claim 15 , further including:

e) repeating steps a)–d) for additional segments of the electronic image representation.