JP3097818B2 - Font data memory device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a font data memory device storing font information for a plurality of fonts, and more particularly, to sharing a font data common to a plurality of fonts to reduce the storage capacity and to store the font data to be shared. The present invention relates to an apparatus in which a storage position is indicated by typeface instruction information or code instruction information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, generally, a large computer or personal computer is connected to various printing devices such as a laser printer, and print data such as characters and graphics is transmitted from these computers to the printing device, and characters and graphics are transmitted. Printing systems capable of printing such as on a printing medium at high speed have been put to practical use. Here, so that the transmitted print data can be printed in a desired font selected from a plurality of fonts,
A dot pattern data creation device is provided in the printing device, and font data such as outline font data and dot pattern data of multiple Mincho fonts and Gothic fonts are stored in the font data memory of the dot pattern data creation device for each font. Is stored separately. On the computer side, the type designation code is transmitted prior to the print data of the character string to be printed.

[0003] That is, a font data memory provided in the dot pattern data generating device is constituted by a non-volatile memory such as a ROM or a hard disk. In this font data memory, font information of a plurality of characters and symbols is stored in each font data memory. It consists of font data such as outline font data or dot pattern data representing characters and shapes, and index information including character and symbol codes and font data storage positions corresponding to each font data. Minutes. Here, for example, symbols such as “+”, “−”, “＄”,... Are often font data common in a plurality of Mincho fonts, and in a plurality of Gothic fonts. In many cases, the font data is common.

Therefore, as for these common font data, the font data of a specific font of a plurality of fonts of the Mincho or Gothic type is stored, and the font data of a font other than the specific font is stored as the font data. Only the head address of the font data stored in a specific typeface is stored, so that the memory capacity of the font data memory is reduced. Then, when the print data is received, when the font data corresponding to the character code of the typeface specified by the typeface instruction data is read based on the index information, when the head address is stored instead of the font data, Based on the start address, common font data can be read from a specific typeface.

On the other hand, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 4-217019 discloses that a group of characters to be printed includes a first group that is most frequently used, a "character group that differs for each typeface", and a second group, a "limited responsiveness". Character group "and the third group" general-purpose character group "which is the least frequently used, and are stored in different font data memories, respectively, so as to be common to a plurality of typefaces (fonts). For example, “+”, “−”, “＄”,.
A printer is described in which general-purpose symbols such as can be commonly stored as a “general-purpose character group” and the memory capacity of the font data memory is reduced.

[0006]

As described above, in the font data memory, for font data common to a plurality of fonts, font data of a specific font is stored, while font data of a font other than the specific font is stored. When storing only the head address of the font data stored in the specific typeface as the font data, the font data memory generally includes a non-volatile memory, and the address of the non-volatile memory in the control system corresponds to the printer model. Since there are many cases where the font address differs for each model, the head address to be stored as font data of a font other than the specific font is set individually for each model, and the work of storing this head address only becomes complicated. Every time you change the storage area of a specific typeface, you need to store the complicated start address There is a problem that becomes.

On the other hand, in the printer described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 4-217019, sharable characters and symbols include:
When there is a plurality of types and all sharable font data are to be shared, every time the combination of typefaces to be stored is changed, it is necessary to perform character group classification work. There is a problem of complexity. Furthermore, even if font data can be shared by a plurality of fonts, if the code data is different,
Since the code data cannot be changed, the sharable font data is stored in an overlapping manner, and the data amount of the font data cannot be reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to reduce the memory capacity of a font data memory by reliably sharing common font data among a plurality of fonts, and to cause a change in a storage area of a specific font storing common font data. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a font data memory device that can simplify font data management.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a font data memory device which stores a font data representing a shape of a character or a symbol.
Characters and symbols corresponding to the font data.
Font information comprising a Dodeta and storing position data Te is font data memory device odor <br/> stored plurality typefaces min, the common <br/> font data common to a plurality typeface of pre notated Ontodeta a plurality while stored as font data of JP Protocol bodies in typeface, the storage area to font data of another typeface is stored stores font instruction information for instructing the JP Protocol bodies, Ya input character Symbolic
The specific typeface based on the code and the predetermined instruction information
Font data stored as font data
Is configured to be searched .

Here, a font data memory according to claim 2 is provided.
In the invention according to claim 1, the apparatus stores, as font data of the other typeface, code instruction information indicating a code of a character or a symbol in a specific typeface, in addition to typeface instruction information indicating a specific typeface. Things.

[0011]

The font data memory according to claim 1apparatusAt
Is,Point information,Fonts that represent the shape of characters and symbols
Data and characters and symbols corresponding to the font data.
It consists of code data and storage location data,font
Data memoryapparatusContains the font information for multiple fonts.
Is stored. Then, of the font data,
Common to several typefacesCommonFor font data,
TypefaceDuring ~FeaturesBookBody font dataAsOne to remember
, Font data of other typefaceStorage area where should be memorized
The areaSpecialBookTypeface information to indicate the bodyRemember
You.Entered Codes of characters and symbols and the prescribed instruction information
Information based on the font information
Search for common font data.

[0012] Thus, the font data of the common follower <br/> JP Protocol of the cement data in multiple typefaces that are common to typeface
And font data of other typefaces should be stored.
In the storage area, typeface designating information indicating the specific typeface is stored.
The codes of the stored and input characters and symbols and the predetermined finger
And the font data of the specific font based on the
Since the stored common font data is searched , the font information for a plurality of fonts can be reduced, and the memory capacity of the font data memory can be reduced. Furthermore, the font indication information indicating JP Protocol bodies, even when changing the storage area of the JP Protocol bodies, it is possible to simplify the font data management.

[0013] Claim 2 of the font data memory device to your <br/> information, but provides the same effect as that of claim 1, as the font data of the other typeface, font indication information indicating JP Protocol bodies in addition, since stores code instruction information that instructs the code characters and symbols in JP Protocol body, it is capable of sharing the font data, even if the code data is different, the different code data Is stored as code instruction information, redundant storage of font data can be avoided, and the data amount of the font data memory can be reliably reduced.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, print data such as text data is received from an external device, and dot pattern data is generated by converting the text data from outline data (font data) representing an outline of a character to dot data for each pixel for printing. In this case, the present invention is applied to a font data memory of a dot pattern data generating device provided in a laser printer. First, the laser printer LP will be briefly described. As shown in FIG.
0, a dot pattern data creation device 20, and a printing mechanism 40.

The control unit 10 of the laser printer LP includes a serial interface for receiving various data supplied from the external device 50, a video controller, a DC controller, and the like. The dot pattern data is converted into a laser diode as a light emitting element of a semiconductor laser provided in the printing mechanism 40, a polyhedral mirror,
This is for controlling the driving of the developing mechanism, the fixing mechanism, and the like to print on the printing paper. The control unit 10 is the same as that generally used and is not directly related to the present invention, so that the detailed description is omitted.

The dot pattern data creating device 20
As shown in FIG. 2, the CPU basically includes a CPU 21, ROMs 23 to 24 connected to the CPU 21 via a bus 25 such as a data bus, and a RAM 30. 10 are connected to the bus. In the font data memory 23 composed of the ROM, for each of the three fonts of the Mincho era, "font A", "font B", and "font C", for each of a plurality of characters such as alphabetic characters, numbers, and symbols,
Outline data defining an outline is stored in association with a character code. The font management memory 23a stores font index information including a font name and a font information storage area for each of the three fonts “font A”, “font B”, and “font C”.

That is, in the font information memory 23b in which "font A" (which corresponds to a specific font) is stored,
As shown in FIG. 3, a font name “font A” and font information including index information and font data are stored. As index information, in addition to uppercase alphabetic characters “A, B, C,... Z”, lowercase alphabetic characters “a, b, c,. ","-"," / ", ...
Corresponds to the code data of a plurality of characters consisting of symbols such as characters, and offset data (corresponding to the font data storage position) indicating the address of the font data area where the font data of these characters, numbers and symbols are stored respectively. In addition, they are stored in a predetermined order. Further, outline data of the plurality of characters is stored as font data in a predetermined order.

As shown in FIG. 4, the font information memory 23c storing "font B" stores a font name "font B" and font information composed of index information and font data. Have been. As the index information, as in the case of the “font type A”, the code data of a plurality of characters is associated with offset data indicating the address of a font data area in which font data of these characters, numbers and symbols are stored. Are stored in a predetermined order. Furthermore, the outline data of these multiple characters is used as font data,
They are stored in a predetermined order. However, "+", "-", "/", ... which are common to the font data of "font A"
・ For font data of symbols such as
Type designation data (corresponding to type designation information)
Are stored respectively.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the font information memory 23d storing "font C" stores font name "font C" and font information composed of index information and font data. Have been. As the index information, as in the case of the “font type A”, the code data of a plurality of characters is associated with offset data indicating the address of a font data area in which font data of these characters, numbers and symbols are stored. Are stored in a predetermined order.

Further, outline data of these characters is stored in a predetermined order as font data. However, for font data of symbols such as “+”, “−”, “/”,... Which are common to the font data of “font A”, font designating data indicating “font A” is stored respectively. Have been. In particular, for the symbol "/", the code data is different from that of "/" in "font A", so that code instruction data (corresponding to code instruction information) indicating a code in "font A" is stored. . Here, these “font B” and “font C” correspond to other fonts.

The program memory 24 composed of a ROM stores various control programs for controlling the driving of the laser printer LP, including a dot pattern data creation control described later. The received data memory 31 of the RAM 30 stores a character code of a character received from the external device 50, size data for specifying a print size, and the like. The outline data memory 32 stores outline data read for each character. In the print data buffer 33, the created print dot pattern data is expanded and stored.

Next, the dot pattern data creating device 20
Will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
Note that reference numerals Si (i = 10, 11, 12,...) In the figure indicate each step. In this control, however, it is assumed that a font designating code designating a font and print data composed of a character string of characters and symbols are transmitted from the external device 50. When print data is transmitted from the external device 50,
When the data is stored in the reception data memory 31, this control is started.
The character code of the character or symbol is read (S1
0), the font index information in the font management memory 23a is searched for the font name specified by the font instruction data (S11).

When the designated typeface is stored in the font data memory 23 (S12: Yes)
), For the read character code, the index information of the designated typeface is searched, and when the character code is stored (S13: Yes)
), The font data is searched based on the offset data of the character code, and when the font data is stored (S14: Yes), the font data is read and stored in the outline data memory 32 (S19). . Next, the outline data memory 32
The dot pattern data is created on the basis of the outline data, and the dot pattern data is developed in the print data buffer 33 as the print dot pattern data (S20). The printing is performed on the printing paper by the mechanism 40.

By the way, when the font data of the read character code is searched, if the font data is not stored (S14: No), if the font designating data is stored instead of the font data,
The typeface instruction data is read (S15: Yes), and is replaced with the read typeface instruction data in place of the transmitted typeface instruction data (S16). Next, when the code instruction data is not stored in addition to the typeface instruction data (S17: No), the process returns to S11 without changing the character code. When S11 and subsequent steps are executed and the font data of the changed font is stored (S12 to S14: Yes), the created print dot pattern data is expanded in the print data buffer 33 in S19 to S20. Is done.

For example, when the transmitted font designating data is "font A" and the read character is a symbol "+", the font data of the symbol "+" is stored as shown in FIG. Then, the font data is read out and expanded into dot pattern data. However, when the transmitted font designating data is “font B” or “font C” and the read character is “+”, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. Is stored, so that the font data of the symbol “+” is read from “font A”.

When typeface instruction data and code instruction data are stored in place of the font data of the read character code (S17: Yes), an instruction is given by the code instruction data instead of the read character code. (S18)
It returns to S11. When S11 and subsequent steps are executed and the character code in the changed typeface is stored (S12 to S14: Yes), S19 to S20 are executed.
The created print dot pattern data is expanded in the print data buffer 33. For example, when the transmitted typeface instruction data is “typeface C” and the read character is the symbol “/”, as shown in FIG. 5, typeface instruction data indicating “typeface A” instead of font data, ,
Since the character code of the “type A” is stored, the font data of the symbol “/” is changed to “type A”.
Is read out as a character code.

As described above, the font information composed of the font data and the index information is “font A”,
When three fonts consisting of “font B” and “font C” are stored, symbols “+”, “−”,
Font data such as “/”,... Are stored only in a specific typeface A, and for the other typefaces B and C, typeface instruction information or code instruction data indicating a specific typeface is used instead of the font data. Since the font data is stored, the font data can be shared, and even when the code data is different, by storing the different code data as code instruction data, it is possible to avoid duplicate storage of the font data. (3) The font information for three fonts can be reduced, whereby the memory capacity of the font data memory 23 can be reliably reduced. Further, the specific typeface A is specified by the typeface designating data indicating the specific typeface A.
Font data management can be simplified even if the storage area in the control system changes.

The three fonts "font A,""fontB," and "font C" are managed by font numbers, and font instruction data and code instruction data are included in the index information of the font management memory 23a. For example, within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, various changes may be made based on existing technologies or technologies obvious to those skilled in the art. Incidentally, it is needless to say that the present invention may be applied to outline font data and dot pattern data of a plurality typeface stored various font data memory of.

[0029]

Effects of the Invention According to the font data memory according to claim 1, the font data and the code data and the storage position de
When the font information from the chromatography data ing is stored plurality typefaces min, the common common font data to multiple typefaces,
Stored as font data in JP Protocol bodies, other typeface off
In the storage area where the point data is to be stored,
Since the font designating information for designating the body is stored , font information for a plurality of fonts can be reduced.
The memory capacity of the font data memory can be reduced. Furthermore, the font indication information indicating JP Protocol bodies,
Even if changes in the storage area of the JP Protocol bodies, it is possible to simplify the font data management.

[0030] by the font data memory according to claim 2 <br/> lever, but the same effect as claim 1, as the font data of the other typeface, font instruction to JP Protocol bodies in addition to information, the code because it stores a code indication information indicating a character code in JP Protocol body, it is capable of sharing the font data, even if the code data is different, the different code data By storing as instruction information, redundant storage of font data can be avoided, and the data amount of the font data memory can be reliably reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a control system of a laser printer according to an embodiment of the present invention .

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the dot pattern data creating device of the laser printer.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a data structure of a typeface A;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of a typeface B;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a data structure of a typeface C;

FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart of a routine of dot pattern data creation control.

[Explanation of symbols]

 LP laser printer 20 dot pattern data creation device 23 font data memory (ROM)

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. Font data representing the shape of a character or symbol
And codes of characters and symbols corresponding to the font data
Font information consisting of data and the storage position data Te is font data memory device odor <br/> stored plurality typefaces min, the common follower <br/> cement data common to a plurality typeface of pre notated Ontodeta is while stored as font data of JP Protocol bodies in multiple typefaces, the storage area to font data of another typeface is stored stores font instruction information for instructing the JP Protocol body, input character And the code of the symbol and the predetermined instruction information
Based on the font data of the specific typeface.
A font data memory device configured to search for common font data . 2. As the font data of the other typeface,
In addition to the font instruction information for instructing the JP Protocol bodies, font according to claim 1, characterized in that the store code instruction information that instructs the code characters and symbols in JP Protocol <br/> body Data memory device.