Image processing apparatus and electronic equipment and their control method

An image processing method of receiving, in an image processing apparatus, an image signal output from a host computer having binarizing means for binarizing a multivalue image signal by a software process, comprising:

• a receiving step of selectively receiving, in the image processing apparatus, the multivalue image signal or a binary image signal output from said host computer;
• a binarizing step of binarizing the multivalue image signal received in said receiving step by using a binarizing means in said image processing apparatus, and outputting a binary version of this image signal;
• and
• an output step of outputting the binary image signal received from said host computer in said receiving step or a binary image signal output in said binarizing step to a predetermined printing means,
• wherein in said receiving step the multivalue image signal is received when a binarizing method by said binarizing means of said host computer and a binarizing method by said binarizing means of said image processing apparatus are the same.

A host computer for transmitting an image signal to an external predetermined printing apparatus having binarizing means for binarizing by a hardware process, comprising:

• generating means for generating a multivalue image signal;
• selecting means for selecting a mode to transmit a binary image signal obtained by binarizing said multivalue image signal in said host computer to said predetermined printing apparatus or a mode to transmit said multivalue image signal to said predetermined printing apparatus;
• binarizing means for binarizing said multivalue image signal by a software process and outputting a binary image signal;
• transmitting means for transmitting said multivalue image signal or the binary image signal output by said binarizing means from said host computer to said predetermined printing apparatus in accordance with a result selected by said selecting means;
• and
• control means for controlling so that the binarization by the binarizing means of said host computer is not executed when a binarizing method of said binarizing means of said predetermined printing apparatus and a binarizing method of the binarizing means of said host computer are the same.

A method of transmitting an image signal from a host computer to an external predetermined printing apparatus having binarizing means for binarizing by a hardware process, comprising:

• a generating step of generating a multivalue image signal;
• a selecting step of selecting a mode to transmit a binary image signal obtained by binarizing said multivalue image signal in said host computer to said predetermined printing apparatus or a mode to transmit said multivalue image signal to said predetermined printing apparatus;
• a binarizing step of binarizing said multivalue image signal by a software process and outputting a binary image signal;
• a transmitting step of transmitting said multivalue image signal or the binary image signal output by said binarizing step from said host computer to said predetermined printing apparatus in accordance with a result selected by said selecting step;
• and
• a controlling step of controlling so that said binarizing step is not executed when a binarizing method of said binarizing means of said predetermined printing apparatus and a binarizing method of said binarizing step are the same.