Adaptive rasterizer buffer

1. A method for printing, comprising the steps of:

communicating data between a processor, memory and an input/output interface of a host through a local interface;

determining, by a rasterizer, a storage capacity of the memory of the host that is available for use as a rasterizer buffer;

allocating, by the rasterizer, the rasterizer buffer from the memory, the rasterizer buffer having a storage capacity that is responsive to the storage capacity determined to be available for use as the rasterizer buffer;

buffering a next portion of bitmap data in the rasterizer buffer, the bitmap data associated with an image to be printed; and

providing the bitmap data from the rasterizer buffer in the memory of the host to a printer over the input/output interface,

wherein the determining and allocating steps are repeated by the rasterizer for each of a plurality of portions of bitmap data associated with the image to be printed.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing the bitmap data to a spooler.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing the bitmap data to a printer driver.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bitmap data encodes a plurality of pixel lines.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the storage capacity of the rasterizer buffer is less than the storage capacity determined to be available for use as the rasterizer buffer.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the storage capacity determined to be available for use by the rasterizer as the rasterizer buffer is inversely correlated to an amount of random access memory (RAM) that is currently being used.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bitmap data is generated based on at least one drawing operation that encodes content that is to be located at least in part within a portion of a printed page corresponding to the bitmap data.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rasterizer buffer is implemented in random access memory (RAM).

9. A method for printing, comprising the steps of:

communicating data between a processor, memory and an input/output interface of a host through a local interface;

determining, by a rasterizer, a storage capacity of the memory of the host that is available for use as a rasterizer buffer;

allocating, by the rasterizer, the rasterizer buffer from the memory;

rasterizing a next portion of content to be printed, the size of the next portion being responsive to the storage capacity determined to be available for use as the rasterizer buffer;

buffering the next portion of content to be printed in the rasterizer buffer, the portion of content to be printed associated with an image to be printed; and

providing the next portion of content from the rasterizer buffer in the memory of the host to a printer over the input/output interface,

wherein the determining and allocating steps are repeated by the rasterizer for each of a plurality of portions of content to be printed.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising: providing the next portion to a spooler.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

rasterizing a second portion of the content after the next portion of the content is provided to the spooler; and

buffering the second portion in the rasterizer buffer.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising: providing the next portion to a printer driver.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the next portion encodes a plurality of pixel lines.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein a storage capacity of the rasterizer buffer is less than the storage capacity determined to be available for use as the rasterizer buffer.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the storage capacity determined to be available by the rasterizer for use as the rasterizer buffer is inversely correlated to an amount of random access memory (RAM) that is currently being used.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the next portion is generated based on at least one drawing operation that encodes content that is to be located at least in part within the first portion.

17. The method of claim 9 , wherein the rasterizer buffer is implemented in random access memory (RAM).

18. A host comprising:

a local interface for communicating data between components of the host;

a memory;

an input/output interface communicatively coupled with the memory through the local interface, the input/output interface for communicating data to a printer; and

a processor that is communicatively coupled to the memory and the input/output interface through the local interface and that is programmed to:

determine, by a rasterizer module, a storage capacity of the memory of the host that is available for use as a rasterizer buffer;

allocate, by the rasterizer module, the rasterizer buffer from the memory of the host, the rasterizer buffer having a storage capacity that is responsive to the storage capacity of the memory determined to be available for use as the rasterizer buffer; and

provide bitmap data from the rasterizer buffer in the memory of the host to the printer that is coupled to the host over the input/output interface,

wherein the processor is further programmed to determine the storage capacity and to allocate the rasterizer buffer having a storage capacity that is responsive to the storage capacity of the memory determined to be available for use by the rasterizer module as the rasterizer buffer for each of a plurality of portions of bitmap data.

19. The host of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further programmed to:

buffer the bitmap data in the rasterizer buffer, wherein the bitmap data is configured to be printed on a page.

20. The host of claim 19 , wherein the bitmap data encodes a plurality of pixel lines.

21. The host of claim 18 , wherein the storage capacity of the rasterizer buffer is less than the storage capacity of the memory determined to be available for use as the rasterizer buffer.

22. The host of claim 18 , wherein the bitmap data is generated based on at least one drawing operation that encodes content that is to be located at least in part within a portion of a printed page corresponding to the bitmap data.

23. The host of claim 18 , wherein the memory comprises random access memory (RAM).

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the host is a television set-top terminal.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the local interface is a bus.

26. The method of claim 9 , wherein the host is a television set-top terminal.

27. The method of claim 9 , wherein the local interface is a bus.

28. The host of claim 18 , wherein the host is a television set-top terminal.

29. The host of claim 18 , wherein the local interface is a bus.