Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Controller
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-25
2004-07-06
Meier, Stephen D. (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Controller
C347S101000, C347S104000, C347S005000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06758545
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention belongs in the technical field of recording devices for recording an image on a record medium according to image data.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A network system of the type, in which two or more recording devices are connected to a network thereby to enable a user to use any one of these recording devices, has been known in the past (for example see Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. H11-316671). In such a networking environment, a user outputs image data to a certain one of the recording devices via the network and the recording device makes a record of images.
Recently, there has been a growing demand for high-speed image recording. However, the achievement of an image recording rate of satisfactory level with a single recording device is considerably costly. To cope with this problem, the following approach may be possibly taken. That is, the above-described networking environment enables a user to use two or more recording devices. For example, the image data is divided into image data portions and these divided image data portions are individually output to the respective recording devices. To sum up, the speed-up of image recording can be achieved by concurrent driving of two or more recording devices.
However, in the aforesaid networking environment, each recording device is usually installed at some distance away from another. This is troublesome because, when two or more recording devices are assigned respective recording jobs by a user, the user has to go the round of these recording devices to fetch the image-recorded record media. It is possible to provide high-speed image recording by concurrent driving of two or more recording devices in the way described above; however, it is not user-friendly.
In recent years, the frequency at which color documents are handled has increased in many cases. For the case of recording devices of the ink jet type that print by expelling ink on the record sheet, it is possible to optimize the recording of black-and-white images and the recording of color images by making changes in the form of using such recording devices (i.e., by making changes in the type of ink or record sheet) between the recording of a black-and-white image and the recording of a color image.
Therefore, there are two possible approaches of preparing a mixed document of black-and-white image pages and color image pages.
The first approach employs two or more recording devices. More specifically, pages containing black-and-white images are prepared by a recording device the form of use of which is optimized for the recording of black-and-white images. On the other hand, pages containing color images are prepared by another recording device the form of use of which is optimized for the recording of color images.
On the other hand, the second approach employs only one recording device. More specifically, the form of use of the recording device is optimized for the recording of black-and-white images, and pages containing black-and-white images are prepared. Thereafter, the form of use of the recording device is changed and optimized for the recording of color images, and pages containing color images are prepared.
However, the first approach employing two or more recording devices is very troublesome because the user is required to go the round of the respective recording devices to fetch their outputs (i.e., image-recorded record media), which is not user-friendly at all. Besides, the user has to reorder the fetched, image-recorded record sheets in their proper sequence.
The second approach employing only one recording device is also very troublesome because the user is required to change the form of use of the recording device whenever the need arises. In addition to such troublesomeness, the user has to collate the image-recorded record sheets.
Bearing in mind the above-described disadvantages with the prior art techniques, the present invention was made. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a user-friendly recording device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With a view to achieving the aforesaid object, the following inventions are provided. A first invention is directed to a recording device which is so configured as to record an image on a record medium according to image data. The recording device of the first invention comprises two or more recording parts for recording an image on a record medium, at least one feeding part for supplying record media to each recording part, and a delivering part for holding image-recorded record media delivered from each of the plural recording parts.
The recording device of the first invention is characterized in that the plural recording parts concurrently record images on different record media so that the processing of image data ranging over two or more record media can be shared between the plural recording parts.
Preferably, the delivering part is so configured as to hold record media, which have been image recorded in each of the plural recording parts, in such a way that the image-recorded record media are stacked on top of one another in a specific sequence. By “stacking image-recorded record media on top of one another in a specific sequence” here, what is meant is that the image-recorded record media are collated in a sequence designated by a user, when recording different images on two or more record media. Accordingly, when recording, on two or more record media, the same image, there is no limitation to the order in which these plural record media are arranged. Stated another way, the record media can be arranged in any random sequence.
In the way described above, two or more recording parts are driven concurrently with one another, whereby records of images on different record media can be made concurrently in the plural recording parts. This enables the plural recording parts to share the processing of image data ranging over two or more record media. Therefore, the time taken to make a record of images is shortened in proportion to the number of recording parts that are driven concurrently, as a result of which the speed-up of image recording can be achieved. Besides, in comparison with the case of achieving a certain recording rate with a recording device provided with only one recording part, the equal recording rate can be achieved at lower costs.
Further, the delivering part is configured to store record media, which have been image recorded in each of the plural recording parts, in such a way that the image-recorded record media are stacked on top of one another in a specific sequence. As a result of such arrangement, without having to go the round of two or more recording devices to fetch the record media, the user can conveniently fetch them (the record media in the form of a bunch) stored in the delivering part. That is, even when two or more recording parts are driven concurrently, it seems to the user that they function as a single recording device. This therefore considerably improves the convenience of the recording device at the time of use thereof. Further, each recording part may share the processing of image data in the following way. That is, the recording device automatically divides the image data into image data portions and each recording part is assigned a respective image data portion. Alternatively, the user himself may specify the allocation of such image data portions to each recording part.
Preferably, the delivering part includes a bin capable of moving between the plural recording parts to receive thereon record media delivered out of each recording part, and is configured such that record media, which have been image recorded in each of the plural recording parts, are stacked on top of one another in a specific sequence on the bin by causing the bin to move in association with the time of completion of the recording of an image in each recording part.
Two or more recording parts are driven concurrently with one another and, as a result, images are recorded on record media in
Ikeda Koji
Matsuo Hiroyuki
Sogami Atsushi
Takekawa Masaichiro
Harness & Dickey & Pierce P.L.C.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Meier Stephen D.
Shah Manish
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