JP2806679B2 - Character generator - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a character generating apparatus, and more particularly to a character generating apparatus using a vector font system suitable for use in an information processing apparatus for handling Chinese characters.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various methods have been proposed as conventional character generators. In recent years, the vector font system has been used in accordance with the demands for computer typesetting, the improvement of printer density, and the demand for high quality characters. It is becoming widely used. As an example of this, a conventional character generator is shown in the block diagram of FIG.

The conventional character generator 20 includes a font memory 1 storing the outline of a character pattern as vector font character data, and an enlargement for enlarging and reducing an output character signal of the font memory 1 by a signal of a magnification value storage means 7. And expansion means 3 and an expansion memory 1 for expanding the output signal of the expansion and reduction means 3 into an image.

In this conventional character generator 20 using the vector font system, the character data in the font memory 1 usually has the configuration shown in FIGS. In FIG. 2, a letter face width is provided inside the body face for general kanji characters and the like, and character shape data expressed in vector is stored inside the letter face width. Although this character shape data is originally data of an outline expression, it is simply expressed by a single line here to simplify the drawing. FIG. 3 is an example of a ruled line character, in which vector-shaped character shape data is stored in a full body face without having a letter face width inside the body face.

In this conventional character generator 20 using the vector font system, when enlarging and reducing characters, the origin of character font data input to the enlarging and reducing means 3 (for example, in the example of FIG. ) Is used as the calculation reference, and the magnification value storage means 7 is used to set the generated character size.
, And the character data from the font memory 1 is enlarged or reduced to the generated character size. For example, assuming that the coordinates of the point P in FIG. 2 are P (x ₀ , y ₀ ), when enlarging the character size to m times, P (mx ₀ ,
my ₀ ), and P (mx ₀ ,
Expand the coordinates of my ₀ ). Similarly, font memory 1
The same operation is performed on all the coordinate points of the contour line constituting one character input from, and image data for one character is generated.

It is needless to say that the process of developing the image into the development memory 4 includes a process of painting the inside of the outline because the character data is composed of the outline.

[0007]

In this conventional character generator, the character data stored in the font memory 1 is composed of character data such as general kanji characters having a letter face width as shown in FIG. Both character data such as ruled lines having no letter face width shown in FIG. 3 are stored.

A state in which the character data in the font memory 1 is enlarged or reduced by the enlargement / reduction means 3 by the magnification signal of the magnification value storage means 7 and developed in the development memory 4 is arranged as a character string. Is shown in FIG. In the conventional character generator, character data having a letter face width and character data having no letter face width are enlarged or reduced at the same ratio. For this reason, if it is desired to enlarge the letter face after expansion of the character having the letter face width, that is, to expand the ratio of the letter face to the body face larger than the ratio of the letter face to the body face of the character data in the font memory 1. However, there is a problem that this conventional character generator cannot cope with the problem.

A first object of the present invention is to provide a character generator capable of changing the enlargement and reduction ratios according to the type of character data in the same document.

A second object of the present invention is to make it possible to change the ratio of a letter face to a body face after expansion for character data having a letter face width.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a character generator capable of obtaining a natural, well-balanced and easy-to-read character string.

[0011]

According to the present invention, there is provided a character generating apparatus comprising: a font memory for storing input vector font character data; a magnification value storing means for storing character size data for defining a character size to be generated; Enlargement and reduction means for receiving data from a font memory and the magnification value storage means and for enlarging and reducing the character data;
In a character generator including a development memory that receives the output of the enlargement / reduction means and develops the enlarged / reduced character data as an image, a plurality of the magnification value storage means are provided. And a magnification switching means for selecting one of the stored values and inputting the selected value to the enlargement / reduction means.

In the character generator according to the present invention, origin moving means for receiving the character data output from the font memory and moving the origin of the coordinate axis of the character data may be provided between the font memory and the enlargement / reduction means.

According to the character generation device of the present invention, the input vector font character data belongs to one of a plurality of types of letter faces having different sizes set in the same body face. A letter switching means for controlling at least one of the origin moving means and the magnification switching means for each type of the letter face to which the data belongs may be provided.

[0014]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

The character generator 10 of the present invention includes a font memory 1 for storing vector font character data, origin moving means 2 for moving the origin of the character data, and an enlargement and reduction mechanism for enlarging and reducing the character data to the generated character size. Reduction means 3, expansion memory 4 for expanding enlarged and reduced character data into an image, and object for changing the ratio of letter face to body face when expanding this character data from input vector font character data to expansion memory 4. Letter switching means 5 for determining whether or not the character data is the character data, magnification switching means 6 for switching a magnification signal to be given to the enlargement / reduction means 3 by an output signal of the letter switching means 5, and an input to the magnification switching means 6. And a plurality of magnification value storage means 7 and 8.

Next, the operation will be described.

There are two input signals, a vector font character data signal and a character size data signal. Here, the character size data signal is a signal for defining the generated character size, and in this embodiment, two magnification value storage means 7 and 8 are used.
And each of the magnification value storage means 7 and 8 outputs a magnification signal corresponding to the input signal.
Input.

The vector font character data signal is input to the font memory 1, and character data corresponding to the input vector font character data signal is output from the font memory 1 and input to the origin moving means 2. On the other hand, the vector font character data signal is also input to the letter switching means 5. The letter switching means 5 provides information about each piece of character data in the font memory 1, that is, whether or not this character data is character data that changes the ratio of a letter face to a body face when being developed in the development memory 4. It has information and determines the input vector font character data, and outputs an operation signal to the origin moving means 2 and the magnification switching means 6. Origin moving means 2
Then, when there is an operation signal from the letter switching means 5, the character data input to the font memory 1 is
The area of the letter face shown in FIG. 2 is moved in the direction of the origin of the body face by a value determined by the letter face width so as to provide a ratio of the letter face to the body face when developed in the development memory 4. In detail using FIG. 2, to transform to the character data from the font memory _{1 P (x 0 -l x,} y 0 -l y) the coordinates of. This coordinate conversion is performed for all coordinate points of the outline of the character data. Here, l _x, l _y are each a value determined by the letter face width in the x-direction and y-direction, the possible range of values in the range of 0 to letters face width. This value can be preset in the origin moving means 2 to simplify the use. When there is an operation signal from the letter switching means 5, the origin moving means 2 performs the above-described origin movement on the character data from the font memory 1 and outputs the character data to the enlargement / reduction means 3.

The magnification switching means 6 selects the corresponding magnification value storage means 7 and 8 according to the signal from the letter switching means 5 and enlarges the magnification signal corresponding to the character data input to the enlargement / reduction means 3. And output to the reduction means 3. The enlargement / reduction means 3 enlarges or reduces the image data in the expansion memory 4 according to a magnification signal corresponding to each input character data.

As is apparent from the above description of the operation, according to the present invention, it is possible to generate a character in which the ratio of the letter face to the body face of the character data stored in the font memory 1 is changed.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of magnification value storage means are provided, and one of the plurality of magnification value storage means is selected and inputted to the enlargement / reduction means. By providing the magnification switching means, there is an effect that the enlargement and reduction rates can be changed according to the type of character data in the same document. Also, by providing an origin moving means for receiving the character data output from the font memory and moving the origin of the coordinate axis of the character data between the font memory and the enlargement / reduction means, the ratio of the letter face to the body face after the development is obtained. Has the effect of obtaining a natural, balanced, and easy-to-read character string.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of character data having a width of a letter face stored in a font memory.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of character data having no letter face width stored in a font memory.

FIG. 4 is a state diagram in which character images generated by the character generator of the present system are arranged.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a conventional character generator.

FIG. 6 is a state diagram in which character images generated by a conventional character generator are arranged.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 font memory 2 origin moving means 3 enlargement and reduction means 4 expansion memory 5 letter switching means 6 magnification switching means 7, 8 magnification value storage means 10 character generator

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A font memory for storing input vector font character data, magnification value storage means for storing character size data for defining a generated character size, and data from the font memory and the magnification value storage means. A character generating apparatus comprising: an enlarging / reducing means for enlarging and reducing the character data; and a developing memory for receiving the output of the enlarging / reducing means and expanding the enlarged / reduced character data as an image. And a magnification switching means for selecting one stored value from the plurality of magnification value storage means and inputting it to the enlargement / reduction means. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an origin moving means for receiving the character data output from the font memory and moving the origin of the coordinate axis of the character data is provided between the font memory and the enlargement / reduction means. Character generator. 3. The letter face to which input vector font character data belongs to one of a plurality of types of letter faces having different sizes set in the same body face, and to which the input vector font character data belongs. 3. The character generator according to claim 1, further comprising a letter switching means for controlling at least one of the origin moving means and the magnification switching means for each of the types.