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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a copier,
that reads the image on a document, for example, and forms an image
according to the read signal on a sheet of paper.
2. Description of the Related Art
With copiers, an automatic document feeder that feeds documents
automatically to a document table for copying is generally used for
reproduction of a desired number of copies of a desired size, because it
is hard work just to put documents one after another on the document table
when a lot of documents have to be copied.
When documents or material of two or more sizes are copied through the
automatic document feeder, if documents of large sizes could be copied on
a one-document one-output sheet basis and only documents of small sizes
copied on a single output sheet, the number of copying sheets used would
be decreased.
Once driven with the operation data set, however, conventional automatic
document feeders continue a series of processes regardless of document
size, so that such a process of scaling down two or more documents only in
the case that they are of small sizes so as to pack them into a single
copying sheet is not be carried out automatically. Therefore, the operator
stops the automatic mechanism, lays out as many sheets of material on the
document table as he wants to copy on a single copying sheet, reduces the
scale, and finally copies them. As a result, copying documents of two or
more sizes so as not to waste output sheets involves troublesome manual
operations and longer working hours.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a copier that, when
multiple documents can be copied on a single output sheet, lays out and
copies the multiple documents on a single output sheet in continuously
copying documents of different sizes at a specified reduction rate by
means of an automatic document feeder.
An image forming apparatus comprises: means for supplying a plurality of
documents consecutively, the documents having a fist document and a second
document; first detecting means for detecting a size of the document
supplied by the supplying means; means for reading an original image on
the document supplied by the supplying means; means for forming the image
in accordance with the original image read by the reading means on an
image bearing member so that the image is reduced at a predetermined
reduction rate; second detecting means for detecting that an area occupied
by a first image corresponding to the first document and a second image
corresponding to the second document is less than that of the image
bearing member, based on the document size detected by the first detecting
means, the reduction rate and a size of the image bearing member; and
means for combining the first image and the second image so that the first
image and the second image are formed on one image bearing member
corresponding to the detection of the second detecting means.
With this arrangement, it is possible to copy documents of different sizes
continuously in the form of a suitable composite image according to their
size and reduction rate. Specifically, with the invention, documents of
different sizes are automatically supplied and it is judged from the
reduction rate, the document size, and the size of the copying sheet
whether or not it is possible to combine multiple documents and copy the
resulting composite image. If it is possible, the composite reduced image
is stored in the storing means and copied on a copying sheet (an image
bearing material). If it is impossible, the image information on the
single document is reduced at the set reduction rate and the reduced image
is copied on a single copying sheet.
Therefore, even when it is impossible to determine how to combine and
output documents of different sizes at the start of continuous copying,
the document size detecting function and the combination possibility
detecting function of the apparatus enable a suitable image combining
process to be performed automatically.
An image forming method comprises: a step of supplying a plurality of
documents consecutively, the documents having a first document and a
second document; a first detecting step of detecting a size of the
document supplied by the supplying means; a step of reading an original
image on the document supplied by the supplying means; a step of forming
the image in accordance with the original image read by the reading means
on an image bearing member so that the image is reduced at a predetermined
reduction rate; a second detecting step of detecting that an area occupied
by a first image corresponding to the first document and a second image
corresponding to the second document is less than that of the image
bearing member, based on the document size detected by the first detecting
means, the reduction rate and a size of the image bearing member; and a
step of combining the first image and the second image so that the first
image and the second image are formed on one image bearing member
corresponding to the detection of the second detecting means.
Like the image forming apparatus, the image forming method is to detect
whether or not it is possible to combine documents of different sizes and
copy the composite image on a copying sheet, with respect to each
document. Specifically, the document size is detected for each document,
and it is detected from the reduction rate and the size of the copying
sheet whether or not it is possible to combine the documents. If it is
possible, the documents are combined to obtain a composite image. As a
result, even when it is impossible to determine how to combine and output
documents of different sizes at the start of continuous copying, an
optimum composite copying process can be executed.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the
description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the
description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects
and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of
the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the
appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part
of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the
invention, and together with the general description given above and the
detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to
explain the principles of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing an overall control system
of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is an outward view showing the entire construction of the image
forming apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the entire construction of the image
forming apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view schematically showing the construction of the
document-scanning section of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a view used for explaining the construction of the sheet size
sensing section of FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 shows a table used for explaining the relationship between the sheet
size for the supply cassette and the sensing switch of the sheet size
sensing section of FIG. 3;
FIG. 7 is a sectional view schematically showing the construction of the
automatic document feeder of FIG. 3;
FIGS. 8 and 9 are flowcharts used for explaining the operation of the image
forming apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram used to explain the relationship between
two document images and those printed on an output sheet;
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram used to explain the relationship between
document images of different sizes and those printed on output sheets;
FIG. 12 is a flowchart used to explain the operation of an image forming
apparatus of the present invention; and
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram used to explain the relationship between
document images of different sizes and those printed on output sheets.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the accompanying drawings, an embodiment of the present
invention will be explained.
FIGS. 2 and 3 show a heat-transfer copier with an automatic document feeder
as an example of an image forming apparatus of the present invention;
Specifically, numeral 1 indicates a copier body, on the top of which an
automatic document feeder 40 that transports a document O automatically is
mounted.
On the top of the copier body 1, a document table (of transparent glass) 2
onto which the document O is fed from the automatic document feeder 40 is
provided.
In the copier body 1, there are a document scanning section 3 that scans
and reads the document O set on the document table 2 and, in the lower
part, an image forming section 4. The document table 2 is secured to the
body 1.
The document scanning section 3 is constructed as shown in FIG. 4, for
example. Specifically, it is composed of a first carriage 7 provided with
an exposure lamp 6 as a light source, a second carriage 8 that deflects an
optical path by means of mirrors, a zoom lens 16, a mirror section 10 that
directs the reflected light from the document O to a photoelectric
conversion section 11 and corrects the optical path length at the time of
varying the power of lens, a photoelectric conversion section 11 that
receives the reflected light from the document O, and a driving system
(not shown) that changes the position of each section.
The first carriage 7 is provided with the exposure lamp 6 projecting light
on the document O, a reflector 12 serving as a reflecting mirror that
collects rays of light from the exposure lamp 6 onto the document, and a
mirror 13 directing the reflected light from the document O to the second
carriage 8.
The second carriage 8 is provided with mirrors 8a and 8B directing the
light introduced by the mirror 13 to the zoom lens 16. The first and
second carriages 7 and 8 are coupled with each other by means of a timing
belt (not shown) so that the second carriage 8 may move in the same
direction at half the speed of the first carriage 7. This allows scanning
to be done so that the optical path length to the zoom lens 16 may be
constant.
The zoom lens 16, whose focal length is fixed, is designed to move along
the optical axis at the time of varying its power.
The mirror section 10 is composed of two mirrors 10a and 10b. The position
of the mirrors 10a and 10b is changed according to the change of the
optical path length according to the variable power selected. By
deflecting the optical path of the light from the zoom lens 16 by means of
the two mirrors 10a and 10b, the light is directed to the photoelectric
conversion section 11.
The photoelectric conversion section 11, which photoelectrically converts
the reflected light from the document O, is composed mainly of a CCD line
image sensor, for example. Here, a single pixel of the document O
corresponds to one element of a CCD sensor. The output of the
photoelectric conversion section 11 is supplied to a document scanning
section processing section 69, which will be explained later.
The movement of the first and second carriages 7 and 8 and mirrors 10a and
10b is controlled by a stepping motor (a scanning motor) 18.
The first and second carriages 7 and 8 are designed to move according to
the movement of a timing belt stretched between a drive pulley (not shown)
coupled with the rotating shaft of the stepping motor 18 and an idler
pulley (now shown).
The zoom lens 16 is designed to move along the optical axis by the movement
of a spiral shaft (not shown), which is rotated by a corresponding
stepping motor (not shown).
The image forming section 4 is constructed as shown in FIG. 3, for example.
Specifically, a platen drum 22 is provided in the near center of the image
forming section 4. The platen drum 22, whose periphery is formed of an
elastic material such as rubber, serves as a platen roller for a thermal
head 24. The platen drum 22 rotates clockwise to wind a sheet P around
itself to hold the sheet P in place in superposed printing. Around the
platen drum 22, pressure rollers 25 are provided at regular intervals
which prevent the sheet P from floating on the platen drum 22. The
circumference of the platen drum 22 is a little larger than the
longitudinal length of a sheet of the maximum size.
The thermal head 24, which is located at the lower left of the platen drum
22, is attached to a heat sink integrally formed on the rear end of the
holder. Between the platen drum 22 and the thermal head 24, an ink ribbon
26 intervenes as an image forming medium.
Reel hubs 30 and 31 of the ink ribbon 26, which are coupled with the
driving shaft of a motor (not shown) via a driving force transmission
mechanism (not shown), are rotated as required.
In the lower part of the body 1, a supply roller 32 is provided so as to
take out sheets of paper P as image bearing members one by one, which are
stored in a supply cassette 20. The sheet P taken out by the supply roller
32 is conveyed by a transport roller 33 to a resist roller 21 provided at
the upper left of the transport roller 33, which aligns the leading edge
of the sheet. Then, the resist roller 21 transports the sheet via a guide
34 toward the platen drum 22. The sheet is then wound around the platen
drum 22 by means of a gripper 23, a pressure roller 25, . . . , for
precise paper transport. Here, the supply cassette 20 is detachable from
the side of the body 1.
The supply cassette 20 allows a sheet size sensing section 35 to sense the
size of the sheet P. The sheet size sensing section 35 is composed of
multiple sensing switches (micro switches) that are turned on and off as a
cassette of sheets P of a different size is inserted.
For example, the sensing section is made up of four sensing switches S0,
S1, S2, and S3. As shown in FIG. 6, when only S0 is turned on, size A3 is
sensed; when S0 and S1 are on, size B4 is sensed; when only S3 is on, size
A4-R is sensed; when S1 and S3 are on, size B5-R is sensed; when S0, S1,
and S3 are on, size A4 is sensed; when S0, S2, and S3 are on, size B5 is
sensed; and when S1, S2, and S3 are on, size A5 is sensed.
FIG. 3 shows a manual paper supply unit 36 for manual supply of sheets P.
Sheets P supplied from the manual paper supply unit 36 are also wound
around the platen drum 22.
A sheet P whose leading edge is fixed in place by the gripper 23 is wound
around the platen drum 22 as the drum rotates clockwise. After the edge
has passed the printing area, the thermal head 24 is pressed against the
platen drum 22 for printing.
After the printing has completed, to discharge the printed sheet, the
platen drum 22 is rotated clockwise until the trailing edge of the paper
sheet P reaches an outlet guide 27. The instance that the outlet guide is
reached, the platen drum 22 is rotated counterclockwise to allow the
separating claw (not shown) to separate the trailing edge of the sheet P
from the platen drum 22 and the sheet is directed to the paper outlet
guide 27. Finally, the leading edge of the paper sheet P is released from
the gripper 23 and the copied sheet P transported over the outlet guide 27
is discharged onto an outlet tray 28.
As shown in FIG. 2, at the front of the body 1, an operator panel section
37 is provided. The operator panel 37 is provided with a copy key 38 used
to instruct a copy start, a reduction rate setting section 39 used to set
a reduction rate, a composite mode switch 39-2, and others.
The automatic document feeder 40 is composed of a take-in section 1 that
takes in a document O and a transport section 32 that transports a
document O.
The take-in section 41 contains a tray 43 on which a document O is placed,
a take-in roller 44 that takes in the document O on the tray 43, a pair of
feed rollers 45 and 46, and a sensor 47 that senses the placement of a
document O on the tray 43 and the passage of the document O and then
produces a sense signal corresponding to the length of the document O. The
sensor 47 is a known sensor that senses the placement of a document O on
the tray 43 and the passage of the document O. On the top of the tray 43,
a sensor 43 is provided which senses whether or not the tray is filled to
capacity with documents O to be inserted.
The transport section 42 contains an endless belt 51 serving as document
transport means, rollers 52, 52 over which the belt 51 is stretched,
rollers 53, 53, 53, 53 that press the belt 51 against the top surface of
the document table 2, a transport guide 54 that guides the document O
conveyed by the belt 51 upward, and a pair of outlet rollers 55 that
discharges the document O conveyed over the transport guide 54.
An paper outlet section 56 that accepts discharged documents 0 is provided
on the automatic document feeder 40.
With this arrangement, a document O put on the tray is taken in by the
take-in roller 44 into the take-in section 41, and then transported by the
feed rollers 45 and 46 to the transport section 42. The document O sent to
the transport section 42 is conveyed by the transport belt 51 and stopped
at the scanning start position on the document table 2. After the copying
is finished, the document O is conveyed by means of the transport belt 51,
guide 54, and the outlet roller pair 55 and discharged to the outlet
section 56.
FIG. 1 schematically shows the entire control system.
In the figure, a main control section 61 is provided which controls the
entire image forming apparatus. Connected to the main control section 61
are a first and a second sub-control section 62 and 63 that control each
section.
Also connected to the main section 61 are the operator panel section 37, an
automatic document feeder driving section 64, a document size sensing
section 65, an image processing section 66, and an image memory section
67.
The automatic document feeder driving section 64 drives each roller in the
automatic document feeder 40.
The document size sensing section 65, according to the sense signal from
the sensor 47, determines the length of a document and, based on this
length, senses the size of the document.
The image processing section 66 is a circuit that performs processes,
including shading correction, on the image signal supplied from a document
scanning section processing section 69 later explained. It supplies the
processed image signal to an image forming section processing section 71
and the image memory section 67 under the control of the main control
section 61.
The image memory section 67 stores the image signal from the image
processing section 66 under the control of the main control section 61.
The image signal stored in the image memory section 67 is read and
supplied to the image processing section 66. For example, the image memory
section 67 is designed to store reduced images of two or more documents.
A document scanning section driving section 68 and a document scanning
section processing section 69 are connected to the first sub-control
section 62. The document scanning section driving section 68 actuates the
illuminating lamp 6 and the scanning motor in the document scanning
section 3. The document scanning section processing section 69 performs
A/D conversion of an electric signal from the photoelectric conversion
section 11 and supplies the resulting signal to the image processing
section 66.
An image forming section driving section 70, an image forming section
processing section 71, and the sheet size sensing section 35 are connected
to the second sub-control section 63.
The image forming section driving section 70 drives the motor and the
solenoid in the image forming section 4, depending on the sense result
from the sheet size sensing section 35.
The image forming section processing section 71 controls the thermal head
24 according to the image signal supplied from the image processing
section 66 to print an image on a sheet P.
With this configuration, explanation will be given as to a case where two
documents are scaled down to copy them onto a single sheet.
The reduction rate is first set equal to or less than 70% with the
reduction rate setting section 39 of the operator panel section 37. A
plurality of documents O are put on the tray 43 and the copy key 38 is
pressed. The zoom lens 16 is moved according to the reduction rate at the
reduction rate setting section 39.
The size of sheets P in the supply cassette 20 is sensed by the sheet size
sensing section 35, and the sense result is supplied to the main control
section 61. For instance, the sheet size sensing section 35 supplies size
A4-R to the main control section 61.
In this situation, when the copy key 38 is pressed, the main control
section 61 checks to see if a document O is placed on the tray 43 and, if
it is placed, drives the automatic document feeder driving section 64.
This driving allows the document O on the tray 43 to be taken in by the
take-in section 41, conveyed by the transport section 42, and placed on
the document table 2. In this case, the length of the document is
determined from the sense signal from the sensor 47 and, based on the
length, the size of the document is sensed, and the sense result is
supplied to the main control section 61. For instance, the sense result
that the size of the document is size A4 or less is output.
Then, the main control section 61 drives the document scanning section
driving section 68 to actuate the illuminating lamp 6 and the scanning
motor 18 in the document scanning section 3. This allows the document
scanning section processing section 68 to convert a reduced image obtained
at the photoelectric conversion section 11 into an electric signal,
further perform A/D conversion, and then supplies the resulting signal to
the image processing section 66.
The image processing section 66 performs processes, including shading
correction, on the image signal supplied from the document scanning
section processing section 69, and stores the resulting signal in the
image memory section 67.
Next, the main control section 61 actuates the automatic document feeder
driving section 64. This driving allows a second document O to be taken in
by the take-in section 41, conveyed by the transport section 42, and
placed on the document table 2. In this case, the length of the second
document is determined from the sense signal from the sensor 47 and, based
on this length, the size of the document is sensed, and the sense result
is supplied to the main control section 61. For instance, the sense result
that the size of the second document is size A4 or less is output.
Then, the main control section 61 drives the document scanning section
driving section 68 to actuate the illuminating lamp 6 and the scanning
motor 18 in the document scanning section 3. This allows the document
scanning section processing section 68 to convert a reduced image obtained
at the photoelectric conversion section 11 into an electric signal,
further perform A/D conversion, and then supplies the resulting signal to
the image processing section 66.
The image processing section 66 performs processes, including shading
correction, on the image signal supplied from the document scanning
section processing section 69 to obtain an image of the second document.
Then, the main control section 61 combines the image of the first document
stored in the image memory section 67 and the image of the second document
obtained at the image processing section 66 and supplies the resulting
composite image to the image forming section processing section 71.
The image forming section processing section 71 prints on a sheet P the
composite image of two documents supplied from the image processing
section 66.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the image of two documents of size A4
transported by the automatic document feeder 40 is printed on a single
sheet of size A4.
When no document O is placed on the tray 43 in the automatic document
feeder 40, or when the size of a document O placed on the document table 2
by the automatic document feeder 40 is equal to or larger than size A4,
the main control section 61 judges that a copying process should be
performed on the single document O on the document table 2, and drives the
document scanning section driving section 68 to actuate the illuminating
lamp 6 and the scanning motor 18 in the document scanning section 3. This
allows the document scanning section processing section 68 to convert a
reduced image obtained at the photoelectric conversion section 11 into an
electric signal, further perform A/D conversion, and then supplies the
resulting signal to the image processing section 66.
The image processing section 66 performs processes, including shading
correction, on the image signal supplied from the document scanning
section processing section 69, and supplies the resulting signal to the
image forming section processing section 71.
The image forming section processing section 71 prints the image supplied
from the image processing section 66 onto a sheet P.
When the second document is not conveyed by the automatic document feeder
40 but manually placed on the document table 2, or when the size of the
document O placed on the document table 2 by the automatic document feeder
40 is size A4 or more, the main control section 61 supplies the image of
the first document stored in the image memory section 67 as it is to the
image forming section processing section 71.
The image forming section processing section 71 then prints the image
supplied from the image processing section 66 onto a sheet P.
Then, the main control section 61 drives the document scanning section
driving section 68 to actuate the illuminating lamp 6 and the scanning
motor 18 in the document scanning section 3. This allows the document
scanning section processing section 68 to convert a reduced image obtained
at the photoelectric conversion section 11 into an electric signal,
further perform A/D conversion, and then supply the resulting signal to
the image processing section 66.
The image processing section 66 performs processes, including shading
correction, on the image signal supplied from the document scanning
section processing section 69, and supplies the resulting signal to the
image forming section processing section 71.
The image forming section processing section 71 then prints the image
supplied from the image processing section 66 onto a sheet P.
As explained above, when copying is done in the reduction mode using the
automatic document feeder 40, the reduction rate of the first document O
is equal to or less than half the size of the output sheet P and when the
reduction rate of the next document O is also equal to or less than half
the size of the output sheet P, the images of those two documents O are
scaled down to print them on a single output sheet P.
FIGS. 8 and 9 are flowcharts for the above-described processing, centering
on the processing at the main control section 61. First, it is confirmed
that the reduction mode is on (S1). Then, check is made to see if it is
the A3 to A4 reduction mode (S2). If it is not, control returns to step
S1. Next, check is made to see if automatic document feeding is used (S3).
If it is not, an ordinary reduction process is performed (S12). Then,
check is made to see if the document sheet is of size A4 or less (S4). If
it is not, control proceeds to the aforesaid reduction process (S12). If
it is, an image reduction process is performed on the image information on
the document (S5). The image information is then stored in the image
memory 67 (S6). Next, check is made to see if a subsequent document is to
be transported automatically (S7). If it is not, the image data in the
image memory 67 is output on an A4-size sheet (S13), and the next document
is scaled down (S14). This reduced document is output on a subsequent
A4-size sheet (S15). In this case, of course, the combining of the image
information is not done. If a subsequent document is to be transported
automatically and is of size A4 or less (S7, S8), the subsequent document
is subjected to a reduction process (S9). The resulting reduced image is
combined with the preceding reduced image information stored in the image
memory 67 (S10). Then, this composite image is output on an A4-size
copying sheet (S11). After this operation is completed, control returns to
step S1, and a series of the operations described above is repeated (S16).
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram used to explain the relationship between
document images of different sizes and images printed on output sheets. It
can be seen from the figure that the automatic judging function of the
present invention realized by the main control section 61 and others,
enables consecutive documents A through E of size A3 and size A4 to be
suitably combined and copied. Specifically, on a first copying sheet 101,
the reduced image of document A of size A3 is output directly; on a second
copying sheet 102, the reduced images of documents B and C of size A4 are
combined and the resulting composite image is output; and on a copying
sheet 103, only the single reduced image of document D of size A4 is
output. Here, it can be understood that the control section 61 has judged
that the next document E could not fit in the output paper sheet 103 even
if combination were done, since document E is of size A3. Then, on the
copying sheet 104, only the single reduced image document E of size A3 is
output.
With reduced copying by conventional ordinary automatic document feeding,
the first copying sheet 101 cannot have a composite image of multiple
documents on it as seen on the copying sheet 102. Even with such a type as
allows the settings for a composite image, it is impossible to obtain a
suitable composite image as shown in the embodiment of the present
invention, because the documents are of different sizes including size A3
and size A4.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart used to explain the operation of a more general
image forming apparatus of the present invention. Another embodiment of
the present invention allows the copying of a composite image in various
modes, not limited to the automatic composite mode based on the A3 to A4
reduction mode at the time of automatic document feeding. Specifically,
with the composite mode specified at the composite mode switch 39-2 of
FIG. 1, judgment on each document enables the copying of a suitable
composite image on copying sheets of a constant size at a set constant
reduction rate, even if documents are of different sizes.
In this flowchart, when the reduction composite mode is selected (S21), it
is asked whether the document is to be transported automatically or not
(S22). If it is not, the document sheet is subjected to an ordinary image
reduction process (S30) and then output on a copying sheet (S28). If it
is, an image reduction process is performed on the document (S23), and the
reduced image is stored in the image memory section 67 (S24). Next, based
on the size of a subsequent document, the reduction rate, the size of a
copying sheet, and the size of the reduced image stored in the image
memory section 67, it is judge mainly by the main control section 61
whether or not it is possible to combine the reduced image with the image
containing the image information on the subsequent document (S25). If it
is impossible, the reduced image stored is output on a copying sheet
(S28), If it is possible, the image of the subsequent document is scaled
down (S26), and the reduced image is also stored in the image memory 67
for formation of a composite image (S27). Then, it is judged again whether
or not it is possible to combine the image of a subsequent document with
the stored reduced image. The combination is repeated as long as it is
possible. When the capacity for the copying sheet of the image memory 67
is full and it is judged that further combination is impossible, the
resulting composite image is output on the copying sheet (S28). This
action is repeated until the document sheets run out (S29). The present
invention is not restricted to the above embodiments, but may be applied
to various modifications as long as they provides the effect of the
invention. For instance, while in the above flowchart, the automatic
document feeding is a requirement for combining images, manual selection
of the composite mode may allow documents to be combined until the
capacity for the copying sheet of the image memory gets full.
In addition to an automatic start of the composite mode in the A3 to A4
reduction in the automatic document feeding, the automatic composite mode
may be achieved in other reductions, including A3 to A4, B4 to B5, A4 to
B5, and B4 to A4. In the embodiments, reduction is a requirement for the
automatic composite mode. Even if reduction is not required, however, it
may be possible to judge whether or not the composite copying of documents
of different sizes can be done on a copying sheet and copy the composite
image on the sheet as long as the copying sheet has enough space to accept
the composite image.
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for the relationship between images of
documents of different sizes and images printed on the output sheet. In
the figure, based on the size of copying sheets 105 through 109, a
specified reduction rate, and the size of each document, it is judged that
composite copying of documents F through O of different sizes is possible,
and a process is carried out. On a copying sheet 105, three documents F,
G, and H are combined and copied; on a copying sheet 106, documents I and
J are combined and copied. Since the next document K cannot be combined
with the images on the copying sheet 106, it is combined with document L
on a subsequent copying sheet 107. The composite image of documents M and
N is copied on a copying sheet 108. Document O is copied on a copying
sheet 109.
As described in detail, with a copying apparatus and method of the present
invention, documents can be copied in the form of a suitable composite
image by judging a possibility of a composite image for each of documents
of different sizes, taking into account the reduction rate, the size of
copying sheet, and the size of each document. This allows a saving of
copying sheets with a simple operation by automatic document feeding. In
addition to this, copying can be done on a copying sheet with less
wasteful space.
Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled
in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited
to the specific details, representative devices, and illustrated examples
shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made
without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive
concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
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