Image recording method and image recording apparatus

An image recording method of recording a two-dimensional image formed by a group of light sources disposed two-dimensionally on a recording medium wound around an outer surface of a drum rotating at a constant speed by exposing the recording medium by main scanning it with an optical system having a light deflector in a main scanning direction opposite to a rotating direction of the drum as well as moving the optical system in an auxiliary scanning direction approximately perpendicular to the main scanning direction, comprising the steps of:

• generating a drum start point detection signal each time the drum rotates once, synchronizing phase of the light deflector with rotation of the drum in response to the drum start point detection signal, and exposing the two-dimensional image of one frame formed by the group of light sources disposed two-dimensionally onto the recording medium while causing the image at rest on the recording medium relatively thereto;
• moving the optical system, after the one frame has been exposed, in the auxiliary scanning direction by an integral multiple of a pixel pitch forming the one frame as well as exposing a next frame by deflecting an angle of the light deflector in the main scanning direction by one frame;
• and
• correcting, when position at which the two-dimensional image of the one frame is to be recorded is dislocated in the auxiliary scanning direction at the time the recording medium is exposed in a subsequent one rotation of the drum after the recording medium has been exposed in one rotation of the drum, the position dislocated in the auxiliary scanning direction by electrically shifting image data to be supplied to the group of light sources disposed two-dimensionally for each pixel.

An image recording method of recording a two-dimensional image formed by a group of light sources disposed two-dimensionally on a recording medium wound around an outer surface of a drum rotating at a constant speed by exposing the recording medium by main scanning it with an optical system having a light deflector in a main scanning direction opposite to a rotating direction of the drum as well as moving the optical system in an auxiliary scanning direction approximately perpendicular to the main scanning direction, comprising the steps of:

• generating a drum start point detection signal each time the drum rotates once, synchronizing phase of the light deflector with rotation of the drum in response to the drum start point detection signal, and exposing the two-dimensional image of one frame formed by the group of light sources disposed two-dimensionally onto the recording medium while causing the image at rest on the recording medium relatively thereto;
• moving the optical system, after the one frame has been exposed, in the auxiliary scanning direction by an integral multiple of a pixel pitch forming the one frame as well as exposing a next frame by deflecting an angle of the light deflector in the main scanning direction by one frame;
• and
• correcting, when position at which the two-dimensional image of the one frame is to be recorded is dislocated in the auxiliary scanning direction at the time the recording medium is exposed in a subsequent one rotation of the drum after the recording medium has been exposed in one rotation of the drum, the position dislocated in the auxiliary scanning direction by electrically shifting image data to be supplied to the group of light sources disposed two-dimensionally for each pixel when dislocation of the position in the auxiliary scanning direction is an integral multiple of the pixel pitch of the one frame as well as correcting the position dislocated in the auxiliary scanning direction by changing an auxiliary scanning movement speed in a non-exposure time zone from completion of exposure of the recording medium in the one rotation of the drum to beginning of exposure of the recording medium in the subsequent one rotation of the drum when dislocation of the position in the auxiliary scanning direction is not an integral multiple of the pixel pitch of the one frame.

An image recording apparatus for recording a two-dimensional image formed by a group of light sources disposed two-dimensionally on a recording medium wound around an outer surface of a drum rotating at a constant speed by exposing the recording medium by main scanning it with an optical system having a light deflector in a main scanning direction opposite to a rotating direction of the drum as well as moving the optical system in an auxiliary scanning direction approximately perpendicular to the main scanning direction, comprising:

• a drum start point detector for generating a drum start point detection signal each time the drum rotates once;
• optical deflector angle control means for synchronizing phase of the light deflector with rotation of the drum in response to the drum start point detection signal to expose the two-dimensional image of one frame formed by the group of light sources disposed two-dimensionally onto the recording medium while causing the image at rest on the recording medium relatively thereto;
• auxiliary scanning transportation means for moving the optical system in the auxiliary scanning direction by an integral multiple of a pixel pitch forming the one frame after the one frame has been exposed;
• means for detecting dislocation of position at which the two-dimensional image of the one frame is to be exposed when the recording medium is exposed in a subsequent one rotation of the drum after the recording medium has been exposed in one rotation of the drum;
• and further
• at least one of image signal control means for electrically shifting image data to be supplied to the group of light sources disposed two-dimensionally for each pixel when the dislocation of the position is an integral multiple of the pixel pitch of the one frame and auxiliary scanning speed change means for controlling the auxiliary scanning transportation means so as to change a auxiliary scanning speed in a non-exposure time zone from completion of exposure of the recording medium in the one rotation of the drum to beginning of exposure of the recording medium in the subsequent one rotation of the drum to thereby correct the dislocation of the position in the auxiliary scanning direction.