JPS62241063A - Sentence producing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform changes of format control information for each character by securing such a system where a format control part reads data out of a data buffer and also converts the character data into the image data to store it in an image data buffer. CONSTITUTION:A data buffer 12 stores data given from a host device 1 by an amount equal to one-data segment only. A format control part discriminates the data read out of the buffer 12 and updates the memory contents with the format control information when this information is confirmed. While the data is converted into the image data based on a character pattern and the format control information corresponding to a character code when this character code is confirmed. An image data buffer 5 stores the image data and also stores the image data read by the format control pat out of the buffer 12 for each data segment and converted from the character data. The buffer 5 sends these data to a display device.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] This invention relates to a text creation device that displays characters on a display device based on a character code input from a host device.
In particular, the present invention relates to a text creation device with a high degree of freedom in which the format can be set for each character.

[Prior Art] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a conventional document creation device described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 55-20562, in which a printer is connected as a display device. In the figure, (1) is a host device as a computer or CPt1, which has an input keyboard (not shown) as appropriate. (2) is a character code buffer that stores, for example, one line of character codes sent from the host device (1), and serves as an interface between the host device (1) and the format control unit (3) described later. It's working.

(3) is a format control unit that reads the character code in the character code buffer (2) and converts it into image data in response to a print start command from the host device (1). Format control information that determines various edits such as horizontal writing or Gothic text is stored in advance.

(4) is a character pattern memory that generates character patterns such as kanji patterns corresponding to character codes. (5)
is an image data buffer that stores, for example, one line of image data that has been converted into a character pattern by the format control unit (3) and edited in a predetermined format;
It may be set to any storage capacity (less than one line or for multiple lines) as needed. (6) is a print control unit for reading out the image data in the image data buffer (5) line by line or as appropriate, and (7) is a print control unit (6
), a print pixel RAM (8) stores the image data read out via the print pixel RAM (7), and a printer (not shown) according to the image data read out from the print pixel RAM (7) via the print control unit (6). This is a printer drive controller for driving.

The conventional text creation device is configured as described above, and when the number of character codes to be transferred to the character code buffer (2) reaches one line, the host device (1) transfers the character code to the format control unit (3).
The format control unit (3) outputs a print start command to the character code buffer (2) in response to this print start command.
A character code is read out from the character code, and a character pattern corresponding to this character code is read out from a character pattern memory (4), edited according to a predetermined format, and stored in an image data buffer (5).

Then, when all character codes in the character code buffer (2) have been converted into image data, the format control unit (3) activates the print control unit (6) and converts the image data buffer (5) into image data. One line of image data is stored in the print pixel RAM (7).

The print control unit (6) outputs the image data written to the print pixel RAM (7) to the printer drive controller (8) when writing the image data from the image data buffer (5) to the print pixel RAM (7). and prints according to the image data.

Generally, the printing operation is much slower than the writing operation of image data, so the image data in the print pixel RAM (7) is sequentially printed via the print control unit (6) and printer drive controller (8). While I was there,
The format control unit (3) processes character codes sent one after another and writes new image data into the image data buffer (5).

The character code transferred from the host device (1) may be the address of the corresponding character pattern on the character pattern memory (4), as long as it is associated with the character pattern.

Further, the format control information in the format control section (3) is either directly generated by the format control section (3) or obtained by being transferred line by line from the host device (1) together with the character code. In this case, the character code is 2 bytes of information per character, but the format control information is 4 bytes per 1 character, so the storage capacity of the character code buffer (2) must be extremely large in order to transfer it together with the character code. It needs to be bigger.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, the conventional text creation device stores, for example, one line of character code and format control information on the host device (1).
After being transferred to the character code buffer (2), the format control unit (3) bit-expanded it into image data, so if there is a change in format control information for each character, the storage in the character code buffer (2) The capacity must be extremely large, and the character code buffer (
There is a problem in 2) that it is necessary to limit changes in format control information within a range commensurate with the storage capacity.

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and allows character codes that involve changes in format control information such as print pitch and character attributes for each character to be freely changed without increasing the buffer capacity. The purpose is to obtain a text creation device that can convert into image data.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A text creation device according to the present invention includes a host device that generates data including character codes and format control information;
A data buffer that stores only one data section of data from the host device, reads data from the data buffer, determines whether this data is format control information or character code, and if format control information is used, the format control information is read. A format control unit that updates the stored content and converts the data into image data based on a character pattern and format control information corresponding to the character code when the data is a character code, and an image data buffer that stores the image data. It is something.

[Operation] In the present invention, the format control section reads data one data section at a time from the data buffer, converts character data into image data and stores it in the image data buffer, and further responds to instructions from the host device. and sends the image data in the image data buffer to the display device.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1st
The figure is a block diagram showing an embodiment of this invention, (1)
and (4) to (8) are similar to those of the conventional device described above. (12) is transferred from the host device (1)
This is a data buffer that stores character codes or format control information for data classifications, and has, for example, a storage capacity of 4 bytes corresponding to the amount of format control information. (3A) is a format control unit that discards one data section of data from the data buffer (12), and determines whether the data is format control information or character code, and if it is format control information, it The stored contents are updated to the mat control information, and in the case of a character code, the data is converted to image data based on the character pattern and format control information corresponding to the character code.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2 showing the processing operation of the format control section (3A). Here, an example will be explained in which a printer is used as the display device as described above.

If the character code input from the host device (1) to the data buffer (2) is 2 bytes, the upper byte information is first stored in the data buffer (2), then the lower byte information is stored in the data buffer (2). is stored in At this time, when the data is stored in the lowest byte in the data buffer (2), a startup command notifying that the data of l data division has been stored is automatically sent from the host device (1) to the format control unit ( 3A).

In this way, the format control unit (3^) is activated and reads out the data (character code) in the data buffer (2) (step St). The format control section (3A) is
When all the data in the data buffer (2) is read, it sends the next data sending permission signal or status to the host device (1), and also sends the data buffer (2) to the host device (1).
2) Clear the contents inside.

Next, the format control unit (3A) determines whether the read data is format control information (character code) (step S2). If the format control information is the format control information stored in the format control section (3A), the format control information stored in the format control section (3A) is updated (step 83).
), but since the data is a character code in this case, it is converted into image data (step 84) and stored in the image data buffer (5) (step S5). The operations in steps S4 and s5 are similar to those of the conventional device described above, in which the character pattern corresponding to the character code is read from the character pattern memory (4), and character attribute processing, etc., instructed in advance from the host device (1) is performed. Edited by
Write to image data buffer (5).

In step S5, the image data buffer (5)
If the data to be printed has already been written in this line, it is written in the print format previously instructed by the host device (1).

In this way, the image data to be printed is developed and written, but the format control unit (3A) stores, for example, one line of image data in the image data buffer (5), or When a printing command is manually issued from the device (1), the image data buffer (5)
All the contents are transferred to the print pixel RAM (7). The end of writing one line of image data is indicated by a line feed command, a page feed command, etc., which are types of format control information.

It should be noted that the storage capacity of the image data buffer (5) is not limited to one line, as described above, but it is clear that the image data buffer (5) may have a capacity of less than one line or more than one line.

When the above transfer is completed, the format control section (3^) notifies the print control section (6) to that effect and moves on to processing the next line. At the same time, the image data in the print pixel RAM (7) is sequentially sent to the printer drive controller (8) via the print control section (6), and printing is executed in a desired format.

In the above embodiment, each timing in data transmission and reception between the host device (1) and the format control unit (3^) is controlled by the activation command and the data transmission permission signal, etc., but the data transmission and reception interface is These signals do not necessarily have to be used; for example, a method may be used in which the contents of the data buffer (2) are periodically checked to determine whether one side has received or received data.

Furthermore, although the storage capacity of the data buffer (12) is set to 4 bytes, if the format control information is kept within 2 bytes, there will be no problem even if the storage capacity of the data bytes (12) is 2 bytes.

In addition, the contents of the image data buffer (5) are read out to the format control unit (3A) so that character patterns and graphics can be synthesized, and the image data is read out from the host device (1). may be written into the image data buffer (5).

Furthermore, the data generated from the host device (1) may be not only character codes but also image data itself. Alternatively, a function may be added to the print pixel RAM (7) to provide a plurality of print pixel RAMs (7) in parallel and selectively connect them to the format control unit (3A) and printer drive controller (8). good.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the invention according to the above case. In the figure, (10) is a DMA transfer channel that directly connects the host device (1) and the image data buffer (5), and sends image data such as graphs and figures created in advance in the host device (1). When there is a large amount of data to be transmitted, such as, data can be transferred at high speed to the image data buffer (5). In this high-speed transfer, a high-speed transfer request is sent from the host device (1) to the format control unit (3A) via the data buffer (2).
It is executed by being sent to .

(61) is a print control unit with a switching function, and (71) and (72) are first and second units connected to the format control unit (3A) or printer drive controller (8), respectively, by the print control unit (61). 2 print pixel RAM.

(91) is a channel switch for selectively connecting the format control unit (3Δ) to one of the first and second print pixels RAM (71) and (72); 2
This is a channel switch for selectively connecting one of the print pixel RAMs (71) and (72) to the printer drive controller (8), and both are electronically switched and controlled by the print control unit (61). It has become.

According to the configuration of FIG. 3, for example, as shown, each channel switch (91) and (92) is selected, and the image data in the first print pixel RAM (71) is transferred to the printer drive controller (8). While the image data of the next line is being output to the printer via the second printing pixel R
Can be written to AM (72).

Therefore, the next line of image data can be printed by simply switching the channel switchers (91) and (92), improving the responsiveness of the entire system.

Each printing pixel 1 at this time? The switching operation of AM (71) and (72) is based on instructions from the format control unit (3A) and printer drive controller (8).
The print control unit (61) controls each channel switch (91) and (
92).

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, there is a data buffer that stores only one data section of data from a host device, a data buffer that reads data from the data buffer, determines whether it is the data, and stores format control information. a format control unit that updates the stored content in the t-mat control information, and in the case of a character code, converts the data into image data based on the character pattern and format control information corresponding to the character code; The format control unit reads out data segment by data segment from the data buffer, stores the image data converted from character data in the image data buffer, and sends it to the display device. Even if the amount of information sent and received between the host device and the format control unit increases, the effect of providing a text creation device is that it can freely change format control information for each character without increasing the data buffer capacity. be.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the format control section in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the invention. Block Diagram FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a conventional text creation device. (1)...Host device (3A)...Format control unit (4)...Character pattern memory (5)...Image data buffer (6), (61)...Print control unit (7)... ), (71), (72)...Print pixel RAM (8
)...Printer drive controller (10)...
DMA transfer channel (12)...Data buffers (91), (92)...Channel switch S2...Step S3 for determining data...Step S for updating format control information
4... Step of converting to image data In addition, in the figure,
The same reference numerals indicate the same or equivalent parts. Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (12)

[Claims] (1) A host device that generates data including a character code and format control information, a data buffer that stores the data for one data segment, a character pattern memory that generates a character pattern corresponding to the character code, and the data While reading the data from the buffer, it is determined whether this data is the format control information or the character code, and if the data is format control information, the stored contents are updated to the format control information, and if it is a character code, the stored content is updated to the character pattern. and a format control unit that converts the data into image data based on the format control information, and an image data buffer that stores the image data, and the format control unit is configured to convert the data into image data in response to an instruction from the host device. A text creation device characterized in that the image data in the image data buffer is sent to a display device. (2) The image data buffer stores image data in one
2. The text creation device according to claim 1, wherein the text creation device stores data by line. (3) The format control unit clears the contents of the data buffer when reading data from the data buffer is completed.
2. The text creation device described in paragraph 2 or paragraph 2. (4) The text creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the data buffer has a storage capacity of 4 bytes. (5) The text creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the data buffer has a storage capacity of 2 bytes. (6) The data generated by the host device includes image data and is sent directly to the image data buffer via a high-speed transfer channel. The writing device described. (7) The text creation device according to claim 6, wherein the image data consists of graphs, figures, or the like. (8) The text creation device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the high-speed transfer channel is a DMA transfer channel. (9) The text creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the display device is a printer. (10) A print control unit connected to the format control unit, a print pixel RAM for storing image data in an image data buffer sent via the print control unit and the format control unit, and the print pixel R.A.
10. The document creation device according to claim 9, further comprising a printer drive controller to which image data in M is sequentially inputted via the print control section. (11) The text creation device according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of print pixel RAMs are provided in parallel. (12) A first channel switch for selectively connecting the plurality of print pixel RAMs to the format control unit, and a second channel for selectively connecting the plurality of print pixel RAMs to the printer drive controller. 12. The text creation device according to claim 11, further comprising a switch, and each channel switch is controlled by a print control section.