Scanning recording type printing method and apparatus for realizing the same

Claim 2

A scanning recording type printing method, in which an image is printed by area-modulating the interior of each of pixels, which is the smallest unit region of an image, by means of ink of at least one color, comprising: a step of bringing the ends of the pixel in preder- termined directions (x, y) and the ends of a dot formed by said ink recorded within said pixel in accordance with each other; and a step of bringing the front end of the pixel succeeding said pixel in said directions (x, y) and the front end of a dot formed by said ink recorded within said succeeding pixel in accordance with each other.

Claim 3

A scanning recording type printing method according to Claim 1, in which one of said predetermined directions is the main scanning direction (x).

Claim 4

A scanning recording type printing method according to Claim 1, in which the other of said predetermined directions is the auxiliary scanning direction (y), which is substantially perpendicular to said main scanning direction (x).

Claim 5

In a pixel recording pulse signal generation method, by which depth data (DA) of each of pixels in an image signal are transformed into an image recording pulse signal (S) having a time width proportional to the depth for each of the pixels and production of recording energy is controlled so as to be interrupted by said image recording pulse signal is so produced that the rear end of the recording pulse signal of the preceding recording side pixel in a pair of pixels adjacent to an arbitrarily selected pixel in the recording scanning direction (x, y) is in accordance with the rear end of said arbitrarily selected pixel and the front end of the recording pulse signal of the succeeding recording side pixel is in accordance with the front end of said arbitrarily selected pixel.

Claim 6

In a pixel recording pulse signal generation method, by which depth data (DA) of each of pixels in an image signal are transformed into an image recording pulse signal (S) having a time width proportional to the depth for each of the pixels and production of recording energy is controlled so as to be interrupted by said image recording pulse signal is so produced that the rear end of the recording pulse signal of the preceding recording side pixel in a pair of pixels adjacent to an arbitrarily selected pixel in the recording scanning direction (x, y) is in accordance with the rear end of said arbitrarily selected pixel and the front end of the recording pulse signal of the succeeding recording side pixel is in accordance with the front end of said arbitrarily selected pixel.

Claim 7

A pixel recording pulse signal generation method, by which an intermediate chrominance is printed by effecting area-modulation by means of colored inks of at least one color (C, M, Y) within a pixel, which is the smallest unit region of spatially quantized image data, comprising at least the following steps: effecting an area-modulation by arranging a first colored ink of at least one color (C, M, Y) at a first position within a pertinent pixel, and effecting another area-modulation by arranging a second-colored ink of at least one color (C, M, Y) at a second position within said pixel.

Claim 8

A pixel recording pulse signal generation method, by which an intermediate chrominance is printed by effecting area-modulation by means of colored inks of at least one color (C, M, Y) within a pixel, which is the smallest unit region of spatially quantized image data, comprising at least the following steps: effecting an area-modulation by arranging a first colored ink of at least one color (C, M, Y) at a first position within a pertinent pixel, and effecting another area-modulation by arranging a second-colored ink of at least one color (C, M, Y) at a second position within said pixel.

Claim 9

A pixel recording pulse signal generation method, according to Claim 5, wherein said first colored ink is arranged from one end within the pixel towards the center of the pixel and said second colored ink is arranged from another end within the pixel towards the center of the pixel.

Claim 10

A pixel recording pulse signal generation method, according to Claim 4, wherein said one end and said another end are one end and the other end in the main scanning direction within the pixel.

Claim 11

A pixel recording pulse signal generation method acording to Claim 5, wherein said first colored ink is constituted by a multi-layer structure consisting of yellow ink, magenta ink and cyan ink and said second colored ink is constituted by black ink.

Claim 12

A pixel recording pulse signal generation method, according to Claim 6, wherein in an arbitrarily selected pixel, said first colored ink is arranged from one end within the pixel towards the centre of the pixel and said second colored ink is arranged from another end within the pixel towards the center of the pixel, and further said second colored ink is arranged from said another end within the pixel towards the center of the pixel and said first colored ink is arranged from said one end within the pixel towards the center of the pixel.

Claim 13

A scanning recording type printing device comprising: a memory means (1) memorizing depth data signals (DA) for one scanning line; a means (10, 12, 13, 14, 15) including a clock generator (10) and a counter (13) and producing a comparison data signal (DB) formed by repeating an up counting operation and a down counting operation for every pixel, which is the smallest unit region of an image; a means (5, 9) generating a pixel recording pulse signal (S), comparing said depth data (DA) with said comparison data signal (DB); a semiconductor laser circuit (6) producing laser light, based on said inputted pixel recording signal (S); a means (7, 8) recording an image corresponding to said pixel recording pulse signal (S) on a recording medium by sweeping said laser light; and a timing treatment means (4) controlling the operation of said memory means (1), said comparison data production means (10, 12, 13, 14, 15), said pixel recording pulse signal production means (5, 9) and said image recording means (7, 8).

Claim 14

A scanning recording type printing device comprising: a memory means (1) memorizing depth data signals (DA) for one scanning line; a means (10, 12, 13, 14, 15) including a clock generator (10) and a counter (13) and producing a comparison data signal (DB) formed by repeating an up counting operation and a down counting operation for every pixel, which is the smallest unit region of an image; a means (5, 9) generating a pixel recording pulse signal (S), comparing said depth data (DA) with said comparison data signal (DB); a semiconductor laser circuit (6) producing laser light, based on said inputted pixel recording signal (S); a means (7, 8) recording an image corresponding to said pixel recording pulse signal (S) on a recording medium by sweeping said laser light; and a timing treatment means (4) controlling the operation of said memory means (1), said comparison data production means (10, 12, 13, 14, 15), said pixel recording pulse signal production means (5, 9) and said image recording means (7, 8).

Claim 15

A scanning recording type printing device according to Claim 10, having a counter (11) and a monostable multivibrator (16); further comprising a means (11, 16) controlling the screen angle, by controlling said means (10, 12, 13, 14, 15) producing a comparison data signal (DB).