Image forming apparatus and system, information processing apparatus, and their control method
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorYasushi Matsuoka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printer having a plurality of recording heads each capable of recording with a recording width is connected to a host apparatus. The host apparatus develops an image to generate recording data corresponding to the plurality of recording heads and transmits the recording data to the printer. During the development of the image, the host computer obtains leftmost and rightmost end values for the recording data and transmits them to the printer. The printer determines a scan range of the plurality of recording heads based on the leftmost and rightmost end values, and performs printing the transmitted recording data.
Claims19
An information processing apparatus connected to a printer through a signal line, 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 said printer;
- obtaining means for determining a print range in the main scanning direction, which is required by the print data, and obtaining range information indicating the print range, the range information indicating a scanning end position of the plurality of recording heads and being available for said printer to control the main scanning of the plurality of recording heads;
- informing means for informing said printer of the range information obtained by said obtaining means, through said signal line;
- and
- transmission means for transmitting the print data to said printer, through said signal line.
An information processing apparatus connected to a printer through a signal line, 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 said printer;
- obtaining means for determining a print range in the main scanning direction, which is required by the print data, and obtaining rightmost and leftmost end print positions in units of a recording width on the basis of the print range, the rightmost and leftmost end print positions being available for said printer to control the main scanning of the plurality of recording heads;
- informing means for informing said printer of the rightmost and leftmost end print positions obtained by said obtaining means, through said signal line;
- and
- transmission means for transmitting the print data to said printer, through said signal line.
An image forming apparatus for recording an image based on print data supplied by an external apparatus, said image forming apparatus having a plurality of recording heads each capable of recording with a recording width, and performing printing by scanning the plurality of recording heads in a main scanning direction, comprising:
- reception means for receiving print data corresponding to the plurality of recording heads and range information indicating a print region in the main scanning direction when performing printing based on the print data;
- holding means for holding the range information received by said 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 said holding means;
- and
- image forming means for printing an image by scanning said plurality of recording heads in the main scanning direction within a range defined by the rightmost and leftmost end print positions determined by said determination means.
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 printing by scanning the plurality of recording heads in a main scanning direction, and a host apparatus for transmitting print data to said printer, said printer and said host apparatus being connected through a signal line, comprising:
- generation means, provided in said host apparatus, for generating print data to be provided to said printer;
- obtaining means, provided in said host apparatus, for obtaining 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, provided in said printer, for determining a scan range of said plurality of recording heads on the basis of the rightmost and leftmost end print positions obtained by said obtaining means;
- and
- image forming means, provided in said printer, for forming an image on the basis of the print data by moving said plurality of recording heads within the scan range determined by said determination means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.