Image printing method and apparatus for printing an image based on stored and input image data, including elective printing in an overlapped data area
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKiyohisa Sugishima
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image printing method and apparatus for combining and printing image data that has already been stored with the image of a read original. The stored image data is printed at a prescribed density, and the image of the original is printed at a density conforming to the gray level thereof. At a portion of a recording medium on which the stored image data and the image of the original will overlap, the stored image data is printed preferentially. Further, the printing of the image and the scanning of the original image for reading the same are executed synchronously.
Claims14
An image printing apparatus for printing an image on a recording medium by driving a recording head in accordance with image data, comprising:
- storage means for storing first image data;
- input means for inputting second image data having multivalued pixel data;
- print control means for dividing a print timing for printing at least one pixel corresponding to the image data into a plurality of time intervals for each pixel, assigning a predetermined time interval of the plurality of time intervals for printing a pixel of the first image data, driving the recording head during at least one time interval to form one pixel on the recording medium, and determining a number of time intervals to be assigned for printing a pixel of the second image data in accordance with a tonality of the pixel of the second image data;
- and
- switching means for outputting to said recording head, when first and second image data are assigned to a single pixel to drive the recording head during at least one common time interval, the first image data at the predetermined time interval, and the second image data at time intervals other than the predetermined time interval.
An image printing apparatus for printing an image on a recording medium by driving a recording head in accordance with image data, said apparatus comprising:
- memory means for storing first image data;
- input means for inputting second image data;
- printing means for printing a pixel of a tonal image by driving the recording head during at least one of a plurality of divided time intervals;
- selecting means for selecting one of the first image data or the second image data to be printed in the pixel during a time interval in which print timings of the first image data and the second image data are assigned to the same time interval, in synchronism with each of the plurality of time intervals, based on priority information regarding which image data to print;
- and
- print control means for driving said printing means to form an image on the recording medium based on the first image data or the second image data selected by said selecting means to record the pixel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.