Image recording apparatus

Claim 2

The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: comparing means for comparing an amount of memory usable for tone reproduction in a memory possessed by the apparatus itself, and an amount of memory needed for tone reproduction based upon received printing data; and control means for controlling said selecting means based upon results of comparison performed by said comparing means.

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the amount of memory usable for tone reproduction is decided by calculating memory capacity used as a working area in said memory and subtracting the calculated memory capacity from the total capacity of said memory.

Claim 4

The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the amount of memory usable for tone reproduction based upon received printing data is an image developing capacity decided by the size of a recording medium on which recording is to be performed, and the number of tones.

Claim 5

The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control means performs control so as to select said second recording means when it has been judged that the amount of memory needed for tone reproduction is greater than the usable amount of memory.

Claim 6

The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control means has calculating means for calculating a maximum tone value of said second recording means, within limits in which the usable amount of memory will not be exceeded, when it has been judged that the amount of memory needed for tone reproduction is greater than the usable amount of memory.

Claim 7

The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising informing means for presenting an external indication of the results of the comparison performed by said comparing means.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image recording apparatus is a color printer which records tones of a plurality of color components.

Claim 9

An image recording apparatus for recording a tone image, which is based upon externally entered n-tone printing data, on a prescribed recording medium, comprising: comparing means for comparing an amount of memory usable for tone reproduction in a memory possessed by the apparatus itself, and an amount of memory needed for tone reproduction based upon received printing data; and control means for performing recording of the image upon reducing the number of tones reproduced based upon the printing data when it is determined by said comparing means that the amount of memory needed for tone reproduction is greater than the usable amount of memory.

Claim 10

The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the amount of memory usable for tone reproduction is decided by calculating memory capacity used as a working area in said memory and subtracting the calculated memory capacity from the total capacity of said memory.

Claim 11

The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the amount of memory usable for tone reproduction based upon received printing data is an image developing capacity decided by the size of a recording medium on which recording is to be performed, and the number of tones.

Claim 12

The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said control means changes the number of bits, which constitutes one pixel in an output image based upon received printing data, from n bits to m bits (m < n).

Claim 13

The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said control means has calculating means for calculating a maximum integer m, within limits in which the usable amount of memory will not be exceeded, when it has been judged that the amount of memory needed for tone reproduction is greater than the usable amount of memory.

Claim 14

The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising informing means for presenting an external indication of the results of the comparison performed by said comparing means.

Claim 15

The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising designating means for designating whether said comparing means and said control means are to be activated.

Claim 16

The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said image recording apparatus is a color printer which records tones of a plurality of color components.

Claim 17

An image processing apparatus for processing externally transmitted image data having n tones (where n is a natural number), and outputting the processed image data to a recording unit, comprising: input means for inputting the externally transmitted image data; data processing means capable of processing the image data, inputted by said input means, in a first mode and a second mode, said processing means generating processed image data having n tones in the first mode and m tones (m < n) in the second mode; output means for outputting the processed image data generated by said data processing means to the recording unit; and selecting means for selecting either the first mode or the second mode.

Claim 18

The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said data processing means comprises memory means, and said selecting means selects either the first mode or the second mode on the basis of the capacity of the memory means available for processing the image data inputted by said input means.

Claim 19

An image data processing apparatus having first and second alternative image data processing routines which require different amounts of memory in the apparatus, the apparatus comprising selection means to select which image data processing routine to use on a particular occasion.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 19, in which the selection means takes account of the amount of memory available on the particular occasion.

Claim 21

Apparatus according to claim 19 or claim 20, in which the selection means takes account of the amount of memory required by one of the routines on the particular occasion.

Claim 22

Apparatus according to any one of claims 19 to 21, in which the selection means takes account of an input instruction from an operator.

Claim 23

An image data processing method comprising the step of selecting between a plurality of alternative image data processing routines which require different amounts of memory.