JP2733347B2 - Output device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an output device that outputs a pattern using vector font data in accordance with data input from an external device such as a host computer.

[Prior Art] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional printing apparatus 1, wherein 2 is an external device such as a host computer, 3 is an input unit for receiving data, and 4 is for analyzing received data. The analyzing unit 5 is a storage unit for storing font data that is not configured by the bitmap referred to by the analyzing unit 4, and 6 is a work memory that is created by the analyzing unit 4 and configured by the RAM that the developing unit 7 refers to. The developing unit 7 creates a frame memory 8 as a bit image memory based on the analysis result of the analyzing unit 4 on the work memory 6, and outputs the contents of the created frame memory 8 to paper or the like. Recording is performed on the recording medium 10.

When character data, for example, data for printing the character “P”, is input to the analysis unit 4, the font information corresponding to “P” in the font data storage unit 5 is converted into a bitmap pattern of the size to be printed. Is developed on the work memory in the form shown in FIG.
Hereinafter, the bitmap pattern developed and stored on the work memory is called a cache font. The expansion unit 7 does not directly expand the information in the font data storage unit 5 onto the frame memory 8 but expands it on the frame memory 8 using a cache font in the work memory which is a bitmap pattern. This is because, when converting photo data that does not consist of a bitmap into a bitmap pattern, it generally takes a very long time. This is for speeding up by creating the.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the above conventional example, since the entire pattern of one character is stored in the work memory as a cache font, a case where a large number of character data is printed,
When printing large-size character data, there is a disadvantage that a large amount of work memory is required.

An object of the present invention is to provide an output device that generates and outputs a character pattern from vector font data by efficiently using a memory.

[Means for Solving the Problem (and Action)] In order to solve the above problem, an output device of the present invention includes a storage device for storing vector font data, and a storage device for storing vector font data based on the vector font data stored in the storage device. Generating means for generating a bitmap pattern; holding means for holding a part of the bitmap pattern generated by the generating means; and a character pattern using the partial bitmap pattern held by the holding means. And output means for outputting

According to the above configuration, by storing a part of the vector font data in a bitmap pattern, a memory pattern can be efficiently used to generate and output a character pattern from the vector font data.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printing apparatus 1 embodying the present invention. The difference from the conventional printing apparatus shown in FIG.
Are directly referring to the font data storage unit 5 which is not constituted by a bitmap.

FIG. 5 shows the structure of font data for a character 'P' having a pattern as shown in FIG. 4 when the present invention is implemented. When a pattern as shown in FIG. 4 is developed from a font data not composed of a bitmap into a bitmap pattern, generally, there are many curved portions,
The part A takes a long processing time and the part B has many linear parts.
The processing time is short in the part.

Therefore, the data of the pattern is stored separately for the parts A and B, and respectively attached to the identifiers '0' and '1'. '0' means the time-consuming part, '1'
Means that it takes less time.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing processing in the analysis unit 4 and the development unit 7 when print data of the character 'P' is input. S1
When the character 'P' is input in step S2, the analysis unit 4 determines in S2 that only the portion having the identifier '0' of the font data of the character 'P' is processed as a bitmap pattern as shown in FIG. It is expanded on the memory 6. The pattern developed at this time is called a partial cache font. Here, the partial cache font may be created before inputting characters.

Next, in the developing unit 7, first, in S3, the partial "P"
The cache font part is copied onto the frame memory 8 to create a part with the identifier "0". Then, in S4, the remaining part with the identifier "1" is directly converted from the pattern data in the font data storage unit 5 into the frame memory. 8, the entire pattern of the character 'P' can be formed on the frame memory.

[Other Embodiments] As another embodiment, the partial cache.
It is conceivable that a font is shared by a plurality of characters. For example, the letter 'R' with a pattern as shown in FIG.
8 corresponds to FIG. 4A of the character 'P'.
If a partial cache font corresponding to this is already present in the work memory as shown in FIG. 6, the analyzing unit 4 analyzes the print data of the character 'R'. No new partial cache font is created for the part of FIG. 8C. In addition, the developing unit 7
Then, the part C in FIG. 8 is the partial A of the letter 'P'.
The entire pattern of the character 'R' can be created on the frame memory by copying it from the cache font to the frame memory and developing it directly from the remaining pattern data of D in FIG. 8 into the frame memory. .

By doing so, the work memory can be used more efficiently and the processing time can be reduced.

Further, as another embodiment, only two values of '0' and '1' are used as identifiers in the above-described embodiment, but this may be used by dividing into multiple levels, for example, 10 stages from 0 to 9. Think. FIG. 10 shows the flowchart. This is because when the work memory capacity is large (S1), the partial cache fonts of the identifiers 0 to 7 are created, and the expansions 7 and 8 are directly expanded in the frame memory by the expansion unit 7. (S3) If the work memory capacity is small (S1), a partial cache font is created only for the part of identifier 0, and the remaining parts 1 to 9 are developed directly in the frame memory by the development unit (S3). ) To realize a more flexible and efficient use of the work memory.
It goes without saying that the partial cache font is expanded on the frame memory at the time of output (S
2).

As described above, according to the present embodiment, only a specific part of a character pattern is provided as a bitmap pattern on the work memory, and the remaining part is directly developed on the frame memory by the developing unit, thereby making it possible to obtain the work pattern. The memory can be used efficiently.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an output device that generates and outputs a character pattern from vector font data by efficiently using a memory.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printing apparatus embodying the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional printing apparatus. FIG. 3 is a pattern for a character "P". FIG. FIG. 4 shows the structure of font data when divided as shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 shows a partial cache font of the portion shown in FIG. 4A. FIG. 7 shows a pattern for character "R". FIG. 8 shows a character "R". FIG. 9 shows a partial cache font memory,
Output flow chart showing the relationship between frame memories FIG. 10 is an output flow chart when there are a plurality of levels 3 is an input unit 4 is an analysis unit 5 is a font data storage unit 6 is a work memory 7 is a development unit 8 is a frame memory

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A storage means for storing vector font data; a generation means for generating a bitmap pattern based on the vector font data stored in the storage means; An output apparatus comprising: a holding unit that holds a part; and an output unit that outputs a desired character pattern using the bitmap pattern held by the holding unit. 2. A frame memory for storing a bitmap pattern to be output, wherein said generating means copies the bitmap pattern held by said holding means onto said frame memory,
2. The output device according to claim 1, wherein a remaining bitmap pattern portion is generated on the frame memory based on the vector font data.