JP2521918B2 - Character generator - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention enables a partial area of a character pattern to be used, thereby increasing the number of character patterns without increasing the number of fonts. Regarding

[Conventional technology]

As a conventional character generation device, for example, a character pattern corresponding to a character code is generated from a font ROM, the character pattern is stored in an image memory, and when the storage of the character pattern in the image memory reaches a predetermined amount, a recording unit There is one that is designed to output as an image signal.

According to this character generator, for example, by connecting to an external host computer and receiving a character code from the host computer, a predetermined image record can be obtained, for example, in a terminal as a workstation.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, according to the conventional character generator, it is often required to change the size, pattern, etc. even for one character due to the variety of image recording modes. Since the number of fonts to be stored has to be increased, there is a disadvantage that the cost is increased.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and inputs a character code that represents an address of a character pattern memory that stores a character pattern and a control code that represents a recording mode of a character pattern to a recording medium to input the character pattern memory. The character spec creating means for creating the character spec representing the address of the character pattern, the type of processing of the character pattern, the used area, and the recording position on the recording medium, and the address corresponding to the address from the character pattern memory based on the address of the character spec. A processing unit for inputting a character pattern, processing the input character pattern based on the type of processing of character specifications and a used area to generate a processing character pattern, and a processing character pattern on a recording medium. Character generation with output storage means for storing at address according to recording position It is to provide a location.

 Hereinafter, the character generator of the present invention will be described in detail.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. An image signal generator 1 (a network may be configured by LAN) that inputs a character code from an external device such as a personal computer and outputs an image signal, A recording unit 2 that receives an image signal, a print command, etc. from the signal generator 1 and prints it on a recording paper 5, and gives a clock signal, a line synchronization signal, a status signal, etc. to the image signal generator 1, and an image signal generator 1 A power supply circuit 3 for supplying power to the recording unit 2 and the like, and a display panel 4 for operating the printer.

FIG. 2 shows the image signal generator 1, which includes an interface section 11 for receiving a character code from an external personal computer or the like according to the RS232C standard, a control section 12 for system control, a character pattern and a pixel pattern. A stored character pattern ROM 13, an image handler 14 that selects and uses a partial area of a character pattern or pixel pattern, and a bitmap that stores the character pattern or pixel pattern selected by the image handler 14 in page units. Memory 15, memory controller 16 for controlling access timing to bitmap memory 15, and recording unit 2
An interface unit 17 for outputting an image signal to the display panel and an output interface unit 18 for outputting a signal to the display panel are provided. The control unit 12, a CPU 12a for controlling various operations, a RAM 12b for temporarily storing data and calculation results in various operations, and storing character specifications described later,
In addition to various programs, ROM 12c that stores a program that creates character specifications as an intermediate language, and parallel input / output circuit 12 that inputs operation key signals in parallel and outputs signals in parallel to the display unit
d and a DMA controller 12e that controls access in data transfer between memories.

FIG. 3A shows a character specification as an intermediate language created by the control unit based on the character code and control code sent from an external personal computer or the like. In the control unit, the CPU 12a controls attributes such as enlargement, reduction, rotation, inversion, and emphasis, and X and Y indicating the size of the character turn, based on the program of the ROM 12c, the received character code, and the control code (may be operated by key operation). Spans and bitmap memory for character patterns
RAM 12b is created by creating a character spec having X and Y positions representing 15 positions and a font address representing an address where a font corresponding to a character code is stored.
To memorize.

The operation of the above configuration will be described below. When a character code or control code is input to the interface section 11 from an external personal computer or the like,
The CPU 12a judges it, creates the character spec of FIG. 3 (a) based on the program of the ROM 12c and stores it in the RAM 12b, and then generates the corresponding character pattern 31 from the character pattern ROM 13 based on the font address. (Fig. 3 (b)). The character pattern 31 is rotated 90 degrees based on the attribute information (Fig. 3 (C)),
Further, the size is set to X _S × Y _S based on the X span and the Y span, and the third size is obtained based on the information on the X position and the Y position.
FIG as shown in (b), a character pattern 31 is transferred from the reference point P of the bit map memory 15 to the position of the X _P and Y _P (FIG. 3 (b)). Next, when the character code and the control code are sent, the same operation is repeated. When the font prototype 41 is accessed corresponding to the character code (FIG. 4 (a)), span information of X and Y (X =
A character pattern (FIG. 4 (b)) using a partial region of the prototype 41 is formed based on X _S , Y _S = Y ₁ ). This processing is performed by the image handler 14. In this way, when an image for one page is formed in the bitmap memory 15,
An image signal is output to the recording unit 2 via the interface unit 17.

4 (c) is based on span information of X = X ₁ and Y = Y _S , and FIG. 4 (d) is based on span information of X = X ₂ and Y = Y _2. is there. When the character code is serially input to the interface unit 11, the control code receives a command for area selection, receives such processing, and receives other processing normally. When an image for one page is formed in the bitmap memory 15 by this, the interface unit
An image signal is output to the recording unit via 17.

FIG. 5 shows the recording unit 2, 20 is a laser light source for emitting a laser beam 22, 21 and 25 are polarizers, 23 is a modulator having an image signal input terminal 24, 26 is a rotary polygon mirror, and 27 is fθ.
A lens, 28 is a photosensitive drum, 29 is a developing device, and 30 is a transfer device.

In the recording unit 2 having the above configuration, the input terminal of the modulator 23
When the image signal is input to the 24 from the interface unit 17,
The laser beam 22 emitted from the laser light source 20 is modulated according to the image signal. The laser beam 22 is subjected to scanning control by the rotary polygon mirror 26, and the photosensitive drum 28 is exposed through the fθ lens 27. Photoreceptor drum 28 is charged before exposure, and this exposure causes bitmap memory
An electrostatic latent image corresponding to 15 images is formed on the photosensitive drum 28. This electrostatic latent image is developed with toner by the developing device 29 and transferred onto the recording paper 5 by the transfer device 30. Chart paper 5
The toner image of is fixed by a fixing device (not shown), and the recording of the image is completed.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the character generator of the present invention,
A character spec that represents the address of the character pattern memory, the type of processing of the character pattern, the area used, and the recording position on the recording medium is created based on the character code and control code. The character pattern corresponding to the address is input from the pattern memory, and the input character pattern is processed based on the type of character specification processing and the area used, increasing the number of character patterns while suppressing cost increase. can do.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 shows the first
Explanatory drawing which shows the image signal generator in a figure. 3 (A), (B), and (C) are explanatory diagrams showing a character pattern selection process. 4 (a), (b), (c), and (d) are explanatory views showing selective use of a part of the original pattern. Fifth
The figure is an explanatory view showing a laser recording unit. Explanation of code 1 …… Image signal generator 2 …… Recording unit 11 …… Interface unit 12 …… Control unit 13 …… Character pattern ROM 14 …… Image handler 15 …… Bitmap memory 16 …… Memory controller 17, 18 ...... Interface section

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A character code representing an address of a character pattern memory storing a character pattern and a control code representing a recording mode of the character pattern on a recording medium are input,
A character spec creating unit for creating a character spec that represents an address of the character pattern memory, a type of processing of the character pattern, a used area, and a recording position on the recording medium; and based on the address of the character spec, Processing for inputting a character pattern corresponding to the address from the character pattern memory and processing the input character pattern based on the type of the processing of the character spec and the used area to generate a processed character pattern. A character generating device comprising: a processing means; and an output storage means for storing the processed character pattern at an address corresponding to a recording position on the recording medium.