Image forming apparatus and printing method for creating a combined image

Claim 2

An image forming apparatus comprising: a receiving unit that receives print data including a first bitmap image including a first image area with a first blank space for a first page and a second bitmap image including a second image area with a second blank space for a second page, both of the first and the second image areas being divided from a single image on a display; and a control unit that: extracts the first image area without the first blank space from the first bitmap image and the second image area without the second blank space from the second bitmap image; judges if either the widths of the first and the second image areas or the heights of the first and the second image areas are the same; combines the first and the second image areas to be adjacent up and down if the widths are judged to be the same; and combines the first and the second image areas to be adjacent left and right if the heights are judged to be the same, without changing an aspect ratio of the first image area and an aspect ratio of the second image area.

Claim 3

An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit forms a combined image only when a new image having a square or rectangular image area can be formed by combining the first and the second image areas.

Claim 4

An image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a print processing unit that prints the combined image reduced in size on a sheet when a size of the combined image is larger than a sheet size, the control unit reduces reducing the size of the combined image to a size that fits in the sheet.

Claim 5

An image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising an operation unit with which a user sets a reduction ratio of the combined image.

Claim 6

An image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising an operation unit with which a user sets margins in a sheet on which the combined image is printed.

Claim 7

An image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising an operation unit with which a user sets arrangement of the bitmap images.

Claim 8

An image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising an operation unit with which a user sets, to form a combined image in which gaps of a fixed width are provided among the fist and second image areas, the width of the gaps.

Claim 9

An image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a network interface for connecting a client PC, wherein the bitmap images are obtained by subjecting print data transmitted from the client PC via the network interface to bitmap image conversion by the control unit.

Claim 10

An image printing method comprising: receiving print data including a first bitmap image including a first image area with a first blank space for a first page and a second bitmap image including a second image area with a second blank space for a second page, both of the first and the second images being divided from a single image on a display; extracting the first image area without the first blank space from the first bitmap image and the second image area without the second blank space from the second bitmap image; judging if either the widths of the first and the second image areas or the heights of the first and the second image areas are the same; combining the first and the second image areas to be adjacent up and down if the widths are judged to be the same, without changing an aspect ratio of the first image area and an aspect ratio of the second image area; and combining the first and the second image areas to be adjacent left and right if the heights are judged to be the same, without changing an aspect ratio of the first image area and an aspect ratio of the second image area.

Claim 11

An image printing method comprising: receiving print data including a first bitmap image including a first image area with a first blank space for a first page and a second bitmap image including a second image area with a second blank space for a second page, both of the first and the second images being divided from a single image on a display; extracting the first image area without the first blank space from the first bitmap image and the second image area without the second blank space from the second bitmap image; judging if either the widths of the first and the second image areas or the heights of the first and the second image areas are the same; combining the first and the second image areas to be adjacent up and down if the widths are judged to be the same, without changing an aspect ratio of the first image area and an aspect ratio of the second image area; and combining the first and the second image areas to be adjacent left and right if the heights are judged to be the same, without changing an aspect ratio of the first image area and an aspect ratio of the second image area.

Claim 12

An image printing method according to claim 9 , wherein a creation of a combined image is performed only when a new image having a square or rectangular image area can be formed by combining the first and the second image areas.

Claim 13

An image printing method according to claim 10 , further comprising reducing a size of the combined image to a size that fits in a sheet size, if a size of the combined image is larger than the sheet size; and printing the combined image reduced in size on a sheet.

Claim 14

An image printing method according to claim 9 , wherein the bitmap images are obtained by subjecting print data created by a computer to bitmap image conversion.

Claim 15

An image forming system comprising: a receiving unit that receives print data including a first bitmap image including a first image area with a first blank space for a first page and a second bitmap image including a second image area with a second blank space for a second page, both of the first and the second image areas being divided from a single image on a display; and a control unit that: extracts the first image area without the first blank space from the first bitmap image and the second image area without the second blank space from the second bitmap image; judges if either the widths of the first and the second image areas or the heights of the first and the second image areas are the same; combines the first and the second image areas to be adjacent up and down if the widths are judged to be the same; and combines the first and the second image areas to be adjacent left and right if the heights are judged to be the same without changing an aspect ratio of the first image area and an aspect ratio of the second image area.

Claim 16

An image forming system comprising: a receiving unit that receives print data including a first bitmap image including a first image area with a first blank space for a first page and a second bitmap image including a second image area with a second blank space for a second page, both of the first and the second image areas being divided from a single image on a display; and a control unit that: extracts the first image area without the first blank space from the first bitmap image and the second image area without the second blank space from the second bitmap image; judges if either the widths of the first and the second image areas or the heights of the first and the second image areas are the same; combines the first and the second image areas to be adjacent up and down if the widths are judged to be the same; and combines the first and the second image areas to be adjacent left and right if the heights are judged to be the same without changing an aspect ratio of the first image area and an aspect ratio of the second image area.

Claim 17

An image forming system according to claim 13 , wherein the control device forms a combined image only when a new image having a square or rectangular image area can be formed by combining the first and the second image areas.

Claim 18

An image forming system according to claim 14 , further comprising a print processing unit that prints the combined image reduced in size on a sheet when a size of the combined image is larger than a sheet size, the control unit reducing the size of the combined image to a size that fits in the sheet.

Claim 19

An image forming system according to claim 15 , further comprising an operation device with which a user sets a reduction ratio of the combined image.

Claim 20

An image forming system according to claim 14 , further comprising an operation device with which a user sets margins in a sheet on which the combined image is printed.

Claim 21

An image forming system according to claim 14 , further comprising an operation device with which a user sets arrangement of the bitmap images.

Claim 22

An image forming system according to claim 14 , further comprising an operation device with which a user sets, to form a combined image in which gaps of a fixed width are provided among the first and the second image areas, the width of the gaps.

Claim 23

An image forming system according to claim 14 , further comprising: a network interface for connecting a client PC, wherein the bitmap images are obtained by subjecting print data transmitted from the client PC via the network interface to bitmap image conversion by the image data processing device.