Typewriting machines – Control of print position along print-line by signal...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-14
2001-11-20
Hilten, John S. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Control of print position along print-line by signal...
C400S283000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318915
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for printing an image by scanning a print head in the main scanning direction, an information processing apparatus which is connected to the image forming apparatus to provide print information, an image forming system, and its control method.
Conventionally, a printer which forms an image by repeating a print scan of a print head in the main scanning direction, and feeding of a print medium in the sub-scanning direction is known. In printers of this type, those which limit the scan width and those which do not limit it upon print scan of the print head are known. When the scan width is not limited upon print scan, the print head is scanned from one end to the other of the uppermost line of a print sheet in the main scanning direction to print data. Then, the sheet is fed in the sub-scanning direction, and the same process is done for the next line. This process repeats itself until the head reaches the lowermost line of the print sheet, thus printing an image on the entire medium. On the other hand, when the scan width of the print head in the main scanning direction is limited, data is checked in the printer, and the scan width is determined on the basis of the print position to be actually printed in the main scanning direction.
However, in the prior art, when the scan width of the print head in the main scanning direction is not limited, the head must also scan a non-print range, resulting in a wasteful print process time.
On the other hand, when the scan width in the main scanning direction is limited, since data is checked in the printer and the scan width in the main scanning direction is determined on the basis of the data position to be actually printed in the main scanning direction, checking data in the printer requires a long time, and the print time cannot be shortened as expected.
Especially, when the print width in the sub-scanning direction per print scan is increased using a plurality of print heads, a longer check time is required for determining the print scan width.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to efficiently control the print scan range of a print head in the main scanning direction so as to shorten the print time.
It is another object of the present invention to detect the scan range of a print head by a host apparatus that provides print data to a printer, and inform the printer of the detected range so as to achieve high-speed printing as a whole system.
It is still another object of the present invention to inform the printer of the scan range using a value used for controlling a printer engine, so as to further reduce the load on the printer.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus connected to a printer which has a plurality of recording heads each capable of recording with a recording width, and performs printing by scanning the plurality of recording heads in a main scanning direction, comprising generation means for generating print data to be provided to the printer, acquisition means for acquiring range information indicating a print range in the main scanning direction, corresponding to each of the plurality of recording heads on the basis of the print data, informing means for informing the printer of the range information acquired by the acquisition means, and transmission means for transmitting the print data to the printer.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus connected to a printer which has a plurality of recording heads each capable of recording with a recording width, and performs printing by scanning the plurality of print heads in a main scanning direction, comprising generation means for generating print data to be provided to the printer, acquisition means for acquiring rightmost and leftmost end print positions in units of a recording width on the basis of the print data, informing means for informing the printer of the rightmost and leftmost end print positions acquired by the acquisition means, and transmission means for transmitting the print data to the printer.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising the following arrangement. That is, there is provided an image forming apparatus which has a plurality of recording heads each capable of recording with a recording width, and performs printing by scanning the plurality of recording heads in a main scanning direction, comprising reception means for receiving range information indicating a print region of print data from an external apparatus together with the print data corresponding to the plurality of recording heads, holding means for holding the range information received by the reception means in correspondence with an area to be recorded by one scanning operation of the plurality of recording heads, determination means for determining rightmost and leftmost end print positions in the main scanning direction for the print data based on the range information held in the holding means, and image forming means for printing an image by scanning the plurality of recording heads in the main scanning direction within a range defined by the rightmost and leftmost end print positions determined by the determination means.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming system comprising the following arrangement. That is, there is provided an image forming system which comprises a printer which has a plurality of recording heads each capable of recording with a recording width, and performs a printing by scanning the plurality of recording heads in a main scanning direction, and a host apparatus for transmitting print data to the printer, comprising generation means for generating print data to be provided to the printer, acquisition means for acquiring rightmost and leftmost end print positions in units of recording heads on the basis of the print data corresponding to the plurality of recording heads, determination means for determining a scan range of the plurality of recording heads on the basis of the rightmost and leftmost end print positions acquired by the acquisition means, and image forming means for forming an image on the basis of the print data by moving the plurality of recording heads within the scan range determined by the determination means.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.
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Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Hilten John S.
Nolan, Jr. Charles H.
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