# US 5,703,698 A · Apparatus and method for facsimile transmission of synthesized images > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,703,698 A - Document ID: US5703698A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/444,724 - Filed: 1995-05-19 - Granted: 1997-12-30 - Earliest claimed: 1991-03-04 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Takehiro Yoshida; Shin Tsuda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5703698A ## CPC - H04N 1/32133: {on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header} - H04N 1/3871: {the composed originals being of different kinds, e.g. low- and high-resolution originals} - H04N 2201/3273: Display - H04N 2201/3274: Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information - H04N 2201/3278: Transmission - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An image communication apparatus includes a reader for reading an original image, a memory circuit for storing image information read by the reader, a sending unit for sending the image information, and a controller for synthesizing image information read by the reader and the image information stored in the memory circuit, and causing the sending unit to send the synthesized image information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image communication apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an original image; memory means for storing a plurality of image information; selecting means for selecting image information from the plurality of image information stored in said memory means; synthesizing means for synthesizing the image information selected by said selecting means and other image information read by said reading means; and sending means for sending the image information synthesized by said synthesizing means, wherein said selecting means selects the image information in accordance with a time when said sending means starts sending. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selecting means selects the image information in accordance with a transmission month. ### Claim 3 An image communication method comprising: reading an original image using reading means; storing a plurality of image information; selecting stored image information; synthesizing the selected image information and other image information read by the reading means; and sending the synthesized image information, wherein said selecting step selects the image information in accordance with a time when said sending step starts sending. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method according to claim 3, wherein in said selecting step, the image information is selected in accordance with a transmission month. ### Claim 5 An image communication apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an original image; memory means for storing image information; synthesizing means for synthesizing the image information previously stored in said memory means and other image information read by said reading means; and sending means for sending image information; instructing means for instructing a start of sending by said sending means; control means for controlling said sending means to send image information synthesized by said synthesizing means when said instructing means instructs the start of sending within a predetermined time period, and to send image information representing the original image read by said reading means when said instructing means instructs the start of sending outside of the predetermined time period. ### Claim 6 An image communication apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an original image; memory means for storing image information; detection means for detecting a size of an original; synthesizing means for synthesizing the image information previously stored in said memory means and other image information read by said reading means, said synthesizing means synthesizing the stored image information at a position on the original image in accordance with a size of the original detected by said detection means; and sending means for sending image information synthesized by said synthesizing means. ### Claim 7 An image communication apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an original image, said reading means capable of reading the original image with various resolutions; memory means for storing a plurality of image information read by said reading means; selecting means for selecting image information from the plurality of image information stored in said memory means; synthesizing means for synthesizing the image information selected by said selecting means and other image information read by said reading means; and sending means for sending the image information synthesized by said synthesizing means, wherein said synthesizing means reads from said memory means image information with a resolution corresponding to a resolution with which said reading means reads the original image. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the image information is not stored in said memory means, said sending means sends the image information read by said reading means. ### Claim 9 An image communication method comprising the steps of: reading an original image; storing image information; synthesizing the image information previously stored in said storing step and other image information read by said reading step; and sending image information; instructing a start of sending by said sending step; controlling said sending step to send image information synthesized by said synthesizing step when in said instructing step the start of sending is instructed within a predetermined time period, and to send image information representing the original image read by said reading step when in said instructing step the start of sending is instructed outside of the predetermined time period. ### Claim 10 An image communication method comprising the steps of: reading an original image using reading means capable of reading the original image with various resolutions; storing a plurality of image information read by said reading step; selecting image information from the plurality of stored image information; synthesizing the selected image information and other image information read by the reading means; and sending the synthesized image information, wherein said synthesizing step reads stored image information with a resolution corresponding to a resolution with which the reading means reads the original image. ### Claim 11 An image communication method comprising the steps of: reading an original image; storing image information; detecting a size of an original; synthesizing the image information previously stored in said storing step and other image information read by said reading step, wherein in said synthesizing step, the stored image information is synthesized at a position on the original image in accordance with a size of the original detected by said detection step; and sending image information synthesized by said synthesizing step. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1, 5, 6, 7) An apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 5, 6 and 7, wherein said memory means stores image information read by said reading means. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3, 9, 10, 11) A method according to any one of claims 3, 9, 10 and 11, wherein in said storing step image information read by said reading step is stored. ### Claim 14 An image communication apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an original image; memory means for storing a plurality of image information; selecting means for selecting image information from the plurality of image information in said memory means; synthesizing means for synthesizing the image information selected by said selecting means and other image information read by said reading means; and outputting means for outputting the image information synthesized by said synthesizing means, wherein said selecting means selects the image information in accordance with a time when said outputting means starts outputting. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said selecting means selects the image information in accordance with a transmission month. ### Claim 16 An image communication apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an original image; memory means for storing image information; synthesizing means for synthesizing the image information previously stored in said memory means and other image information read by said reading means; outputting means for outputting image information; and control means for controlling said outputting means to output image information synthesized by said synthesizing means when said outputting means outputs the image information within a predetermined time period, and to output image information representing the original image read by said reading means when said outputting means outputs the image information outside of the predetermined time period. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14, 16) An apparatus according to claim 14 or 16, wherein said memory means stores image information read by said reading means. ### Claim 18 An image communication method comprising: reading an original image using reading means; storing a plurality of image information; selecting stored image information; synthesizing the selected image information and other image information read by the reading means; and outputting the synthesized image information, wherein said selecting step selects the image information in accordance with a time when said outputting step starts outputting. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A method according to claim 18, wherein in said selecting step, the image information is selected in accordance with a transmission month. ### Claim 20 An image communication method comprising the steps of: reading an original image; storing image information; synthesizing the image information previously stored in said storing step and other image information read by said reading step; outputting image information; and controlling said sending step to output image information synthesized by said synthesizing step when, in said outputting step, the image information is outputted within a predetermined time period, and to output image information representing the original image read by said reading step when, in said outputting step, the image information is outputted outside of the predetermined time period. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18, 20) A method according to claim 18 or 20, wherein, in said storing step, image information read by said reading step is stored. ### Claim 22 An image communication apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an original image; memory means for storing a plurality of image information; selecting means for selecting image information from the plurality of image information stored in said memory; synthesizing means for synthesizing the image information selected by said selecting means and other image information read by said reading means; and sending means for sending the image information synthesized by said synthesizing means, wherein said selecting means selects the image information in accordance with a time when said sending means starts sending, the time corresponding to one of a month, a season, a period and a date. ### Claim 23 An image communication method comprising: reading an original image using reading means; storing a plurality of image information; selecting stored image information; synthesizing the selected image information and other image information read by the reading means; and sending the synthesized image information, wherein said selecting step selects the image information in accordance with a time when said sending step starts sending, the time corresponding to one of a month, a season, a period and a date. ### Claim 24 An image communication apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an original image; memory means for storing a plurality of image information; selecting means for selecting image information from the plurality of image information stored in said memory means; synthesizing means for synthesizing the image information selected by said selection means and other image information read by said reading means; and outputting means for outputting the image information synthesized by said synthesizing means, wherein said selecting means selects the image information in accordance with a time when said outputting means starts outputting, the time corresponding to one of a month, a season, a period and a date. ### Claim 25 An image communication method comprising: reading an original image using reading means; storing a plurality of image information; selecting stored image information; synthesizing the selected image information and other image information read by the reading means; and outputting the synthesized image information, wherein said selecting step selects the image information in accordance with a time when said outputting step starts outputting, the time corresponding to one of a month, a season, a period and a date. ### Claim 26 An image communication apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an original image, said reading means capable of reading the original image with various resolutions; memory means for storing image information read by said reading means; selecting means for selecting image information from the image information stored in said memory; synthesizing means for synthesizing the image information selected by said selecting means and other image information read by said reading means; and outputting means for outputting the image information synthesized by said synthesizing means, wherein said synthesizing means reads from said memory means image information with a resolution corresponding to a resolution with which said reading means reads the original image. ### Claim 27 An image communication method comprising: reading an original image using reading means capable of reading the original image with various resolutions; storing image information read by said reading step; selecting image information from the stored image information; synthesizing the selected image information and other image information read by the reading means; and outputting means for outputting the synthesized image information, wherein said synthesizing step reads stored image information with a resolution corresponding to a resolution with which the reading means reads the original image.