JP2889052B2 - Character typeface processing method and apparatus - 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 / graphic creation system, a DTP (desktop publishing) system, a word processing system, and a CAD (computer-aided desig).
n) The present invention relates to a character type processing system for processing data including characters of a plurality of types, such as a system, and more particularly to a character type processing method and apparatus suitable for a character / graphics generating system used for generating a signboard or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a system similar to a DTP system or a CAD system, characters and figures are formed and arranged as desired to create figure data, and, for example, a color adhesive sheet (adhesive on the back side) There is a character / graphic creation system in which a character sheet is prepared by cutting a color sheet (with an adhesive) and used as characters such as signs and signs. This character graphic creation system handles simple graphics such as logo marks, but mainly handles characters. In such a character / graphics creation system, it is required that a desired character of a desired typeface can be handled. The main character data of the basic typeface is provided as a pre-defined typeface by the manufacturer of the system (hereinafter, the pre-defined typeface data provided by the maker is referred to as “maker typeface”).
Generally, this maker typeface is composed of several frequently used kanji (usually J
IS second-level kanji). For this reason, the required characters may not be included in the manufacturer font. In such a case, characters without typeface data are blank. In the conventional system, if the typeface data is not prepared, a typeface sample of the required character is prepared separately, read with a digitizer or scanner, converted to vector data, etc., and placed in the corresponding location I was trying to do it.

[0003]

As described above, in a character typeface processing system such as a conventional character / graphics creation system, if typeface data is not prepared, a typeface sample of a required character is separately prepared. Then, it is read by a digitizer or a scanner or the like, converted into vector data, and arranged at a corresponding location. However, such data is not formal typeface data but a type of graphic data, so it is difficult to match the position, size, etc. with typeface data of another manufacturer's typeface, and the balance with the characters before and after is difficult. In many cases, they were displaced or displaced.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a character font processing method and a character font processing method capable of handling a plurality of fonts in combination as desired and appropriately handling many character codes. It is intended to provide a device.

[0005]

A first character type processing method according to the present invention comprises a type storing step of storing type data for a plurality of character types, and a main type mainly used among the plurality of types. a main typeface registration step of registering, font de to the main typeface of the plurality of character font
A supplementary font registration step of registering a supplementary font to be used as a substitute when the data does not exist, a character designation step of designating a character to be processed, and A main font extracting step of extracting from the main font data and determining if the font data corresponding to the character code does not exist in the main font data, An auxiliary font extracting step of extracting the font data corresponding to the character code from the font data of the auxiliary font when it is determined that the font data corresponding to the character code does not exist in the font data of the main font; , statements that predetermined character processing using the font data extracted by the main typeface extraction step or auxiliary font extraction step It is characterized by having a process step.

A second character typeface processing method according to the present invention comprises:
A typeface storing step of storing typeface data for a plurality of typefaces, a typeface registration step of registering a predetermined number of typefaces of the plurality of typefaces and a priority selection order of the typefaces, and designating a character to be processed. In the character designation step, the font data corresponding to the character code of the designated character is replaced with the upper font data for character codes that do not exist in the upper font data in accordance with the priority selection order of the font from the font data. select lower typeface data as objects, the font extracting, using the font data extracted by the font extraction step is characterized by having a character processing step of performing a predetermined character processing.

A first character typeface processing device according to the present invention is:
Typeface storage means for storing typeface data for a plurality of character typefaces, main typeface registration means for registering a main typeface mainly used among the plurality of typefaces, and Typeface data exists in the typeface
Auxiliary font registration means for registering an auxiliary font to be used as an alternative when there is no character, character specification means for specifying a character to be processed, and font data corresponding to the character code of the specified character. Main font extracting means for extracting from the main font data and determining if the font data corresponding to the character code does not exist in the main font data, When it is determined that the typeface data corresponding to the character code does not exist in the typeface data of the main typeface, an auxiliary for extracting the typeface data corresponding to the character code from the typeface data of the auxiliary typeface. character processing means for performing predetermined character processing by using the typeface extracting means, the font data extracted by said main typeface extracting means or auxiliary font extracting means It is characterized by having a.

[0008] A second character typeface processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises:
Typeface storage means for storing typeface data for a plurality of typefaces, typeface registration means for registering a predetermined number of typefaces among the plurality of typefaces, and a priority selection order of the typefaces; character designating means for designating a character, the font data corresponding to the character code of the specified character, according to the priority selection order of the font from among the font data, the for character code which does not exist in the font data of the upper A lower-level typeface data is selected as an alternative to the upper-level typeface data, and a predetermined type process is performed using the typeface extraction means for extracting the typeface data and the typeface data extracted by the typeface extraction means. And a character processing means.

[0009]

In the character type processing method and apparatus according to the present invention, typeface data for a plurality of character typefaces is stored, and a main typeface mainly used among the plurality of character typefaces and when there is no typeface data in the main typeface. Instead of
Have created an auxiliary font to be used as shall extracts the font data corresponding to the character code of a specified character from among font data of the main typeface, font data corresponding to the character code is the main typeface If you do not want to exist in font data, the relevant since the character code into the corresponding font data extracted from the font data of the auxiliary typeface performs predetermined character processing, font data in the specified typeface
Prevents blanks even if they do not exist.
You can embed alternative typeface data. Especially
Specify the same or similar typeface as the main typeface as the auxiliary typeface.
If the balance with the characters before and after is lost,
It is possible to appropriately deal with many character codes without having to change the character codes.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a character / graphics creating system in which a character font processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is incorporated. In the character / graphics creation system of the present embodiment, if a main typeface and an auxiliary typeface are selected in selecting a typeface for character editing, a character code corresponding to the typeface data selected as the main typeface, for example, a JIS kanji breakpoint code If the typeface data of the character is not stored, the typeface data of the character with the corresponding delimiter code from the typeface data selected as the auxiliary typeface is used. As the typeface data, in addition to the maker typeface supplied by the maker, the user can register a user typeface, and this user typeface has the same typeface as the maker typeface and is not included in the maker typeface. Register data and typeface data of typefaces other than the manufacturer typeface.

The character / graphic creation system shown in FIG. 1 includes an input device 11, a user font creation processing unit 12, and a main font registration unit 1.
3, an auxiliary font registration unit 14, a main font extraction unit 15, an auxiliary font extraction unit 16, an edit processing unit 17, a display device 18, an output device 19, and a storage device 20. Storage device 20
Includes a maker type storage unit 21 and a user type storage unit 2 for respectively storing maker typeface data, user typeface data, graphic file data, and edit file data.
2. It has a graphic file storage unit 23 and an edit file storage unit 24. This character / graphic creation system uses CP
U (Central Processing Unit) (not shown), and performs character / graphics creation processing including character type processing.

The input device 11 includes an operation input device such as a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse, and an image input device such as a digitizer or an image scanner. Operation input information by an operator and other external information necessary for character / graphic processing are provided. Is used to enter the The user typeface creation processing unit 12 outputs typeface data other than the maker typeface provided by the manufacturer of the system, that is, the typeface data of the same code as the maker typeface and the character code not included in the maker typeface or the typeface not present in the maker typeface. The system user performs processing for registering typeface data (including typeface data of a character code not included in the maker typeface). The user typeface creation processing unit 12 generally reads a typeface sample of a required character using an image input device such as a digitizer or an image scanner of the input device 11, standardizes the position reference and size of the typeface, and performs raster-vector conversion or the like. The data is converted into vector data and stored in the user type storage unit 22 of the storage device 20 as user typeface data.

The main font registration unit 13 stores a desired font mainly to be used as a font of a character to be processed specified by character input and range specification, in this case, a maker font storage unit 21 of the storage device 20. Select and register from the manufacturer fonts stored in. The registration of the main font by the main font registration unit 13 is performed by the operator using the input device 11.
And an interactive operation via the display device 18. In this interactive operation, the main font registration unit 13 operates in association with the editing processing unit 17. Auxiliary font registration unit 14
The desired font to be used in accordance with the main font as the font of the character to be processed designated by character input and range designation is stored in the user font storage unit 22 of the storage device 20 in this case. Select and register from the user typefaces that exist. The registration of the auxiliary font by the auxiliary font registration unit 14 is also performed by the operator through an interactive operation via the input device 11 and the display device 18. At the time of this interactive operation, the auxiliary font registration unit 14 also sends the edit processing unit 1
It operates in conjunction with 7.

The main font extracting unit 15 is a character to be processed, that is, a character string input by the input device 11 or a character appropriately designated by a group designation or the like in the image data being edited by the editing processing unit 17. Typeface data corresponding to the character codes of the characters constituting the column is extracted from the typeface data of the main typeface registered by the main typeface registration unit 13 and provided to the editing processing unit 17. In this case, since the main typeface is selected from the maker typeface, the typeface data of the main typeface is read out and extracted from the maker typeface storage unit 21 of the storage device 20. The main font extracting unit 15 determines that the font data corresponding to the specified character code does not exist in the font data of the maker font registered as the main font.
The character code is provided to the auxiliary font extracting unit 16. The auxiliary font extracting unit 16 stores the character code given from the main font extracting unit 15, that is, the font data corresponding to the character code having no font data in the font data registered as the main font in the auxiliary font registering unit 14. It is extracted from the typeface data of the registered auxiliary typeface and is given to the editing processing unit 17. In this case, since the supplementary font is selected from the user font, the font data of the supplementary font is read out and extracted from the user font storage unit 22 of the storage device 20.

The editing processing unit 17 is a main system of the system such as an image data editing process through an interactive operation between the operator and the system via the input device 11 and the display device 18 and an image data output process to the output device 19. Perform processing.
Editing of the graphic data read via the input device 11 and the graphic data read from the graphic file storage unit 23 of the storage device 20 and writing of the graphic data to the graphic file storage unit 23 of the storage device 20 as a graphic file are also performed. This is performed by the editing processing unit 17. The display device 18 appropriately displays various display information such as image data related to processing by the editing processing unit 17 and information such as information related to input by the input device 11 as necessary. The output device 19 includes a plotter, a printer, and the like, and outputs edited and created character / graphic data. When cutting a color adhesive sheet or the like, a cutting plotter is used as the output device 19.

The maker typeface storage unit 21 in the storage device 20 stores maker typeface data supplied from the manufacturer of the system, and the user typeface storage unit 22 allows the user to use the user typeface creation processing unit 12. Stores the user typeface created by The graphic data stored in the graphic file storage unit 23 in the storage device 20, for example, read via the input device 11 and processed by the editing processing unit 17 is stored as needed. Edited file storage unit 2 in storage device 20
4 stores an edited file of character / graphic data edited and created by the editing processing unit 17 as necessary.

Next, the operation relating to the character type processing in the character / graphics creating system having such a configuration will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The processing shown in FIG. 2 shows the character type processing in the character / graphic creation system. The character type processing is the specification of a character to be processed, that is, the input of a character string by the input device 11 or the editing processing in the editing processing unit 17. Is activated each time a group of character strings in the image data is designated.
The designation of at least one of the main typeface and the auxiliary typeface is performed before the input device 11 inputs a character string. Also, each time a group of character strings in the image data being edited is specified by the editing processing unit 17, the designation state of the main font and the auxiliary font is displayed. Can be changed. Therefore, when a group designation of a character string in the image data being edited by the editing processing unit 17 is performed, the character type processing of FIG. 2 is performed after confirming the designation state of the main font and the auxiliary font.

First, when the character to be processed is specified as described above, the processing of FIG.
Retrieves the font data file of the main font registered in advance from the manufacturer font storage unit 21 of the storage device 20 (step S11). It is checked whether or not the registered main typeface data file exists in the maker typeface storage unit 21 of the storage device 20 (step S12). If the main typeface type data file exists, the main typeface data file is determined. The file is opened (step S13). It is checked whether an error occurs when the font data file of the main font is opened (step S14). If no error occurs when the font data file is opened, the character code of the designated character, in this case JIS kanji character A code is searched (step S15). It is checked whether or not the font data corresponding to the Kuten code exists in the font data file of the opened main font (step S16). If the font data exists, the process proceeds to the next process, and the font data is edited. Embedded in the character / graphic data to be processed.

In step S12, when it is determined that the main typeface data file does not exist in the maker typeface storage unit 21 of the storage device 20, and in step S14, an error at the time of opening the main typeface data file is detected. In this case, it is determined whether or not an auxiliary font is registered in advance by the auxiliary font registration unit 14 (step S17). Also, in step S16, when it is determined that the typeface data corresponding to the designated kuten code does not exist in the opened main typeface data file , it is determined whether an auxiliary typeface is registered in advance. (Step S1
8). If it is determined in steps S17 and S18 that an auxiliary font is registered in advance, a font data file of the auxiliary font is searched from the user font storage unit 22 of the storage device 20 (step S19). It is checked whether or not a registered font data file of the auxiliary font exists in the user font storage unit 22 of the storage device 20 (step S20). If a font data file of the auxiliary font exists, the font data of the auxiliary font is determined. The file is opened (step S21). It is checked whether or not an error occurs when the font data file of the auxiliary font is opened (step S22). If no error occurs when the font data file is opened, the delimiter code of the specified character is searched (step S22). S23). It is checked whether or not the typeface data corresponding to the Kuten code exists in the typeface data file of the opened auxiliary typeface (step S24). If the typeface data exists, the process proceeds to the next process to edit the typeface data. Embedded in the character / graphic data to be processed.

If it is determined in step S18 that an auxiliary font is not registered, and if it is determined in step S24 that font data corresponding to the delimiter code does not exist, the delimiter code is set to "space". Is interpreted as a punctuation code (0101), and the punctuation code is replaced (step S25), and the process proceeds to the next process, and "space" is incorporated in the character / graphic data to be edited instead of the character. When it is determined in step S17 that the supplementary font is not registered in advance, when it is determined in step S20 that the font data file of the supplementary font does not exist, and when the font data file of the supplementary font is opened in step S22, If it is determined that an error has occurred, it is considered that an error that cannot be easily repaired has occurred, so perform appropriate error processing and specify the character / graphic data being edited, for example, by specifying the character to be processed. Return to the previous state.

Here, an example of a specific operation in such a character / graphics creating system will be described in detail. For example, a case will be described in which the editing processing unit 17 selects and changes a character typeface by specifying a group of character strings in image data being edited. First, during the editing operation of the character / graphics creation system, a command for group designation operation, "group designation", is selected and instructed from a menu for editing operation. The display device 1 is input to the input device 11 using, for example, a mouse.
By specifying the group specification range on the screen of 8,
Specify the character group whose font number you want to change. next,
A "font number" which is a command for selecting a main font number and an auxiliary font number is selected and instructed from a menu for an editing operation.

A main font number and an auxiliary font number corresponding to a font whose main font number and auxiliary font number are to be selected / changed are sequentially selected and instructed. The instruction to select the main font number and the supplementary font number is made by selecting the font name and the font number of the font that can be selected on the screen of the display device 18 (that is, in this case, the main font is the manufacturer font, and the auxiliary font is the user font). This is performed by displaying a list and operating a cursor on the screen with a mouse or the like of the input device 11 to indicate a desired typeface. In addition, the operator can select a typeface
Ask for confirmation or cancellation of the change, select the typeface
Changes result only if the operator has confirmed, to perform the selection and change process typeface for the group specified character group.

The result of this typeface selection / change processing is based on the contents of the character / graphic data of the edit file stored in the edit file storage unit 24 of the storage device 20 and the character / graphic data being edited displayed on the display unit 18. Reflected in the content.
Of course, not only during the editing of the character / graphic data, but also at the start of the creation of the character / graphic data, the same typeface selection processing as described above is performed to change the main typeface and the auxiliary typeface of the characters to be input / edited thereafter. Select and set in advance. The above operation is performed when partially changing the main font and the auxiliary font selected and set in this way. In addition, as described above, when the main font is selected from the maker font and the auxiliary font is selected from the user font, the user font selected as the auxiliary font for the maker font selected as the main font is usually the aforementioned font. It should be a user typeface consisting of typeface data of characters that are the same typeface as the maker typeface or a typeface similar to it, and are not included in the maker typeface.
Generally, a user font selected as an auxiliary font for a maker font selected as a main font is uniquely determined. Therefore, the combination of the main font and the auxiliary font once selected is stored in a learning manner in, for example, the auxiliary font registration unit 14 or the like, and when selecting the auxiliary font, the auxiliary font combined with the main font selected at that time is selected. Auxiliary fonts selected in the past as fonts may be preferentially presented.

Of course, the selection range of the main font is not limited to the maker font, and the selection range of the auxiliary font is not limited to the user font. Font data is prepared for both the main font and the auxiliary font regardless of the maker font and the user font. Any typeface group may be arbitrarily selected.
In this case, too, it is considered that the combination of the main typeface and the auxiliary typeface has a certain relationship, so it is very effective to memorize the combination of the main typeface and the auxiliary typeface in a learning manner and to present it preferentially. It is. Even in a system that does not have a user typeface that can be registered as a user, it is effective to use a character that is not included in a certain typeface group from another typeface group. The user typeface is not limited to the character code in which the typeface data is not included in the maker typeface, and typeface data different from any of the maker typefaces may be registered.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be implemented with various modifications. For example, priorities are set not only for the main font and the supplementary fonts, but also for two or more font data groups among the selectable font data groups, and for character codes that do not exist in the upper font group, The typeface data of the subsequent lower-level typeface group may be used.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, typeface data for a plurality of character typefaces is stored, and a main typeface mainly used among the plurality of typefaces and used in accordance with the main typeface. Auxiliary fonts are registered, and font data corresponding to the character code of the designated character is extracted from the font data of the main font, and the font data corresponding to the character code is included in the font data of the main font. If it does not exist, the typeface data corresponding to the character code is extracted from the typeface data of the auxiliary typeface, and a predetermined character processing is performed. It is possible to provide a character font processing method and apparatus capable of appropriately handling many character codes.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a character / graphics creation system in which a character font processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is incorporated.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a schematic operation of a character type processing of the character / graphic creation system of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

11: input device, 12: user typeface creation processing unit, 13:
Main font registration unit, 14: auxiliary font registration unit, 15: main font extraction unit, 16: auxiliary font extraction unit, 17: editing processing unit, 18
... Display device, 19 ... Output device, 20 ... Storage device, 21 ...
Maker font storage unit, 22 user font storage unit, 23 graphic file storage unit, 24 edited file storage unit

Claims (14)

(57) [Claims] A typeface storing step of storing typeface data for a plurality of character typefaces; a main typeface registration step of registering a main typeface mainly used among the plurality of character typefaces; Typeface data exists in main typeface
An auxiliary typeface registration step of registering an auxiliary typeface to be used as a substitute when it is not present, a character specifying step of specifying a character to be processed, and a typeface data corresponding to the character code of the specified character in the main typeface A main font extracting step of extracting from the font data and determining if the font data corresponding to the character code does not exist in the font data of the main font, and the character code in the main font extracting step An auxiliary font extracting step of extracting font data corresponding to the character code from the font data of the auxiliary font when it is determined that font data corresponding to the main font does not exist in the font data of the main font; Character processing for performing predetermined character processing using the font data extracted in the font type extraction step or auxiliary font type extraction step And a character typeface processing method. 2. The character type processing method according to claim 1, wherein the typeface storing step includes a step of creating and storing a user typeface arbitrarily created by a user. 3. The character font processing method according to claim 2, wherein the main font registration step is a step of registering one of the prepared font data prepared in advance. 4. An auxiliary font type registration step, wherein the established font type data of the user type font data arbitrarily created by the user.
4. The character font processing method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of registering the same or similar data as the data . 5. The character font processing method according to claim 4, wherein the user font data is font data arbitrarily created by a user for a character code in which the font data is not included in the existing font data. 6. The auxiliary font registration step includes a step of storing a combination of auxiliary fonts with respect to a main font registered in the past and, when registering the auxiliary font, temporarily temporarily selecting an auxiliary font according to the combination. The character font processing method according to claim 1, wherein: 7. A typeface storing step of storing typeface data for a plurality of character typefaces, and a typeface registration step of registering a predetermined number of typefaces of the plurality of typefaces and a priority selection order of the typefaces. Character designating step for designating a character to be formed, and typeface data corresponding to the character code of the designated character,
According to a priority selection order of the typefaces from the typeface data, for a character code that does not exist in the upper-level typeface data, a lower-level typeface data is selected as a substitute for the higher-level typeface data, and a typeface extraction step of extracting the typeface, A character processing step of performing predetermined character processing using the typeface data extracted in the typeface extracting step. 8. A typeface storage unit for storing typeface data for a plurality of character typefaces, a main typeface registration unit for registering a main typeface mainly used among the plurality of character typefaces, and the plurality of characters Among the fonts , font data exists in the main font.
Auxiliary font registration means for registering an auxiliary font to be used as a substitute when it does not exist, character designation means for specifying the character to be processed, and font data corresponding to the character code of the specified character. Main font extracting means for extracting from the font data of the main font and determining if the font data corresponding to the character code does not exist in the font data of the main font, Means for extracting the font data corresponding to the character code from the font data of the auxiliary font when it is determined that the font data corresponding to the character code does not exist in the font data of the main font. Auxiliary font extracting means; and a character processor for performing predetermined character processing using the font data extracted by the main font extracting means or the auxiliary font extracting means. A character typeface processing device comprising: 9. The character typeface processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a user typeface creating means for creating a user typeface arbitrarily created by a user and storing the created user typeface in a typeface storage means. 10. The character according to claim 9, wherein the user typeface creating means is means for the user to arbitrarily create typeface data for a character code in which the typeface data does not include the typeface data. Typeface processing device. 11. The character typeface processing device according to claim 9, wherein the main typeface registration means includes means for registering one of the prepared typeface data prepared in advance. 12. An auxiliary typeface registration unit, wherein said predefined typeface data of user typeface data arbitrarily created by a user.
12. The character typeface processing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for registering the same or similar item. 13. A supplementary font registration means stores a combination of supplementary fonts for a main font registered in the past, and, when registering the supplementary fonts, provisionally selects an auxiliary font according to the combination preferentially to the operator. character font processing apparatus according to any one of claims 8-12, characterized in that it includes means for presenting. 14. A typeface storage means for storing typeface data for a plurality of character typefaces, and a typeface registration means for registering a predetermined number of typefaces of the plurality of typefaces and a priority selection order of the typefaces. Character designating means for designating a character to be processed, and typeface data corresponding to the character code of the designated character,
A typeface extracting means for selecting and extracting lower-level typeface data as a substitute for the higher-level typeface data for a character code not present in the higher-level typeface data in accordance with the priority selection order of the typeface from the typeface data; and And a character processing means for performing predetermined character processing using the typeface data extracted by the typeface extracting means.