Patent ID: 6084988
Filing Date: 2000-07-04
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
An image forming apparatus comprising:an original-document retainer on which an original document is placed;reading means for reading an image of the original document placed on the original-document retainer by optically scanning the image in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction, which is perpendicular to the main scanning direction;image forming means for forming an image on an image forming medium on the basis of the image of the original document read by the reading means, the image forming medium having first to fourth regions determined by dividing the image forming medium into four equal regions, wherein when the image forming medium is placed on the original-document retainer with one side of the image forming medium parallel to the main scanning direction, the first region is defined as one of the divided four regions, the second region is defined as a region adjacent in the main scanning direction to the first region, the third region is defined as a region adjacent in the sub-scanning direction to the first region, and the fourth region is defined as a region adjacent in the sub-scanning direction to the second region and also adjacent in the main scanning region to the third region;determining means for determining a structure of the image of the original document read by the reading means; andcombining means for combining the first to fourth original images sequentially read by the reading means into one composite image on the image forming medium, said combining means positioning the first to fourth original images on the image forming medium selectively in accordance with either one of a first configuration and a second configuration, on the basis of determining results obtained by the determining means, wherein in said first configuration, the first, second, third, and fourth original images are positioned in the first, second, third, and fourth regions, respectively, and, in said second configuration, the first, second, third and fourth original images are positioned in the third, first, fourth and second regions, respectively;wherein the image forming means forms the image on the image forming medium on the basis of the images combined by the combining means.