JPH0741725B2 - High-quality character pattern data generator for printing - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a character pattern data generator suitable for a high quality print printer.

(Prior Art) A dot-matrix serial printer is a character printer that selectively drives a dot generation mechanism at a character corresponding position while moving a print head in which dot generation mechanisms are arranged in a paper feeding direction in an axial direction of a platen. Is a device for printing.

Such a dot matrix type serial printer is
In order to improve the printing quality, a character pattern data generator that stores so-called dot pattern data with half has been provided. As shown in FIG. 6, this half-dotted dot pattern data sets the print timing Tp to the interval between adjacent dots, that is, the half pitch of the dot pitch Pd, while the line L- parallel to the head feeding direction is set.
Arrange the dots so that they are not adjacent on L,
Effectively activate the idle dot generation mechanism,
This is a dot pattern that enables high quality printing by smoothly expressing diagonal lines and the like.

By the way, European characters and Arabic numerals have relatively simple typefaces, and include many characters such as E, F, H, I ... .

On the other hand, since such a dot pattern with half is stored in the dot pattern memory in correspondence with the printing pitch, it is possible to change the character to a character that does not include diagonal lines such as the character “H” as shown in FIG. On the other hand, one-digit bit signals corresponding to the half sections Bh, Bh, ... Must be prepared, and there is a problem that a large storage capacity is required for the dot pattern data storage section.

(Object) In view of such a problem, the present invention preliminarily distinguishes a character that does not include a diagonal component, stores the dot pattern of this character without considering the half pitch, and, at the same time, stores a half pattern when reading to the line buffer memory. An object of the present invention is to provide a character pattern data generator capable of reducing a storage capacity by adding dot data corresponding to a copy without reducing print quality.

(Structure) Therefore, details of the present invention will be described below based on illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which reference numeral 1 is a character pattern data generator which is a characteristic part of the present invention. The read control circuit 3 outputs one digit of blank bit data every time one digit of data is read from the storage section. As shown in FIG. 2, the character generator 2 comprises a dot pattern data storage section 4 corresponding to a character code signal and an address section 5 for accommodating addresses 51, 52, 53 ... Has been done.

By the way, such a data structure of the address part has a part which is not used at all, that is, an empty bit because the data length is usually formed in units of 8 bits in order to simplify the access. In the above, at least one empty bit is generated without exception. Reference numerals 51a, 52a, 53c, ... Are half presence / absence identifying units provided in the empty bit portions, and are “1” when the dot pattern data stored in the dot pattern data storage unit 4 is the half dot pattern data. In addition, "0" is stored in the case of half-free dot pattern data. A dot pattern data storage unit 4 stores dot pattern data such as A having a dot signal in the half portion (FIG. 6) as it is, and dot pattern data such as H that does not require the half portion (the first portion). 5), as shown in FIG. 3, the digit Bh of the empty dot data,
Bh, Bh, ... are omitted and stored in a compressed state corresponding to each address. In the figure, reference numeral 6 indicates a buffer memory, and 7 indicates a line buffer memory.

Next, the operation of the apparatus thus configured will be described.

The character code signal output from the host device (not shown) is stored in the buffer memory 6 all over, and then input to the address section 5 of the character generator 2.

Since the input character code signal is "A" having a diagonal line as a constituent factor, the address unit 5 reads the identification data "1" from the half presence / absence identifying unit 51a of the address 51 corresponding to this character code signal. Output to the control circuit 3. The read control circuit 3 outputs the dot pattern data corresponding to the character "A" from the dot pattern data storage unit 4 to the line buffer memory 7 (I in FIG. 4). not to mention,
Since this character "A" was formed from the dot pattern data with half from the beginning, the line buffer memory 7
It will be housed in the form of a dot pattern with half.

Next, since the input character code signal is "H" which does not have a diagonal line as a constituent factor, the address unit 5 outputs the identification data "0" from the half presence / absence identifying unit 58a of the address 58 corresponding to this character code. Output to the read control circuit 3. In response to this signal, the read control circuit 3 directly outputs the first digit data P ₁ of the dot pattern data stored in the dot pattern data storage unit 4 to the line buffer memory 7, and the second character accommodating area It is stored in the first digit C ₁ of (Fig. 4
II). At the time when the storage of the dot pattern data of the first digit C ₁ is completed, the read control circuit 3 stops the data read from the dot pattern data storage unit 4 and outputs a dummy one-digit empty dot signal. Output to the line buffer memory 7. As a result, the second digit of the line buffer memory 7
C ₂ is replenished with empty dot data forming the half portion (FIG. 4, III). At the time when the replenishment of the empty dot data is completed, the read control circuit 3 outputs the data of the second digit P ₂ (FIG. 3) of the dot pattern data to the line buffer memory 7
The data is read out and stored in the third digit C ₃ (FIG. 4 IV), and after this reading is completed, empty dot data is replenished in the fourth digit C ₄ (FIG. 4 V).

Hereinafter, in this way, the dot pattern data for one digit is read from the dot pattern data storage unit 4 and the empty dot data for one digit is alternately repeated to construct the dot pattern data with half in the line buffer memory 7. (Fig. 4, VII).

In this way, the print command is output when the dot pattern data for one line is stored in the line buffer memory 7, and the dot pattern data in the line buffer memory 7 is printed by the print head.

(Effect) As described above, according to the present invention, the data for identifying the dot pattern with half dots and the dot pattern without half dots are stored in the address part corresponding to the character code signal, and the half part is not required. Since the blank area of the character dot pattern data is excluded and stored and the blank area is replenished at the time of reading, there is no need to store the data that forms the blank area, and the dot pattern data of high print quality can be stored in a small amount. It can be accommodated in a capacity memory. Further, by controlling the movement pitch of the carriage with a signal for identifying the presence / absence of half dots, it is possible not only to replenish the blank portion at the time of reading, but also to improve the printing speed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a memory structure showing an embodiment of a character generator in the same apparatus, FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a storage form of a dot pattern in the same apparatus, and FIG. 4 is an operation of the same apparatus. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a storage mode of a conventional half unnecessary dot pattern, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a dot pattern with half. 1 ... Character pattern data generator 2 ... Character generator 3 ... Read control circuit 4 ... Dot pattern data storage unit 5 ... Address unit 51, 52 to 58 ... Address 51a, 52a to 58a ... Half presence / absence identification Department

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A high-quality printing character pattern data generator for generating a dot pattern with half dots, comprising: an address portion indicating a storage location of dot pattern data corresponding to a character code; and a dot from an address designated by the address portion. A dot pattern data storage unit storing pattern data; and a character data storage unit comprising an identification unit storing information on whether or not the dot pattern data is a dot pattern with half dots, wherein the information of the identification unit is with half dots When the dot pattern is indicated, the print data is read from the dot data storage unit as it is, and when the dot pattern without half dots is indicated, blank data for one column is inserted every time the print data for one column is read. High-quality character pattern data generator for printing.