JP3108582B2 - Thicker text generator - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to apparatus for generating thick thin characters, and more particularly, to a character generation device of thickness having different outline font to be mounted on a word processor or a computer system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are the following ( 1) to (3) as character generation methods in a conventional thick and thin character generation apparatus.

(1) A character designer changes the thickness of a character by hand or by using a computer, one character at a time, and prepares and stores a plurality of data having different thicknesses.

(2) Thickness is achieved by overlapping characters while shifting them in a horizontal or oblique direction by several dots at the time of printing or displaying.

(3) An outline font is developed into a bitmap font, and a white pixel adjacent to a black pixel is converted into a black pixel based on information added in advance to generate a thick character ( For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei.
No. 97).

[0006]

As described above, in the conventional apparatus for generating thick and thin characters, (1) the method using the designer requires a large number of characters, which requires an enormous amount of time and labor to unify the entire characters. (2) In the method of overlapping characters while shifting them, the quality of the obtained characters is remarkably deteriorated, and printing or display takes time. (3) Outlines are generated to generate thick characters. Pho
In the method of converting into a time bitmap fonts cement,
Ri written labor conversions, because that must be added in advance information, Ri takes time and manpower, font data is large, there is a problem that.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a thick and thin character generating apparatus capable of easily obtaining thick and thin characters without enormous time and labor. It is intended to be.

[0008]

The present invention SUMMARY OF] has been made in order to achieve the above object, store data of the defined outline font in a sequence of points constituting the contour of the character
Storage means, and an outline font from the storage means.
Reading means for reading out the data of
Two-dimensional coordinates of each point of the found data and two points before and after the point
Moving direction determining means for determining the moving direction from the value;
Thick and thin amount input means for inputting the amount,
The amount of movement of each point in the moving direction based on the amount of thickening and thinning
Scaling processing means for determining
A movement processing unit for moving the, in the character generator of the outline font different thicknesses with, said movement
The direction determining means includes a data read by the reading means.
From the two-dimensional coordinate values of each point of the data and two points before and after the point,
Means for obtaining a coordinate value for each point,
Means to unitize relative coordinates
The moving direction is determined from each point and the unitized coordinates of the two points before and after the point.
Means for adjusting the magnification, wherein said scaling processing means comprises:
Magnification based on the thicker / smaller amount input from the amount input means
And a constant multiplying factor in the moving direction by the scaling factor.
Means for determining the amount of movement of each point .

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the relative direction of the point is determined from the two-dimensional coordinate values of each point of the data read from the storage means and the two points before and after the point by the moving direction determining means.
A standard value is obtained for each of the points, and the relative coordinates are unitized,
Units at each of these unitized points and two points before and after the points
Determine the moving direction from the converted coordinates, and use the scaling process
Based on the thickening amount input by the thinning amount input means,
Calculate the scaling ratio for the moving direction, and
Determine the amount of movement for each point by multiplying by a constant with the scaling factor, and
In the step, each point is moved based on the movement amount.

[0010] This ensures that, without putting an enormous amount of time and manpower, the character of thick thin can be easily obtained.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following is an explanation of an apparatus for generating thick and thin characters according to the present invention.
Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a thick and thin character generating apparatus according to this embodiment .
Ru configuration diagram der for explaining formation. In the figure, 1 is a font data storage unit, 2 is a font data reading unit, 3 linear calculator, 4 Thick narrowing amount input section, 5 translation unit, 6 intersection calculation unit, 7 is an output unit .

The font data storage unit 1 stores outline font data. Font data reading unit 2
Reads data from the font data storage unit 1. The straight line calculation unit 3 obtains a straight line passing through two consecutive points of each point of the data read from the font data reading unit 2. The thick / thin amount input unit 4 inputs the amount of parallel translation of the straight line. The translation unit 5 translates the straight line by the aforementioned amount. The intersection calculation unit 6 obtains the intersection of two consecutive straight lines that have been translated. The output unit 7 outputs the intersection as outline font data.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show FIG. 1 in this embodiment.
It is a flowchart for demonstrating the operation | movement of the generator of the thick and thin character shown .

Hereinafter, the steps will be sequentially described. step1: First, a thickening / thinning amount W (thickening: W> 0, thinning: W <0) is input. This is done only once at the beginning of the process. step 2: Next, outline font data for one character is read. In the read data, for example, a dot sequence forming the outline of the character is arranged in order, such as the cross mark of the character “B” in FIG. Here, the number of character outlines is outside 1
In this and the two inner and the outer contour point P _{1, 1} ~P _{1, 13} aligned in clockwise as, the point P ₂ inside the outline, ₁ to P _{2, 7,} the point P _{3, 1} It is assumed that they are arranged in a counterclockwise direction as shown by P ₃ , ₇ .
Also, of the points constituting the contour, the point currently being processed is referred to as a processing target point. step 3: Next, the number of contour lines is set to N, and i (1 <i ≦
The number of points constituting the (N) th contour is set as Q [i]. For example, in the case of FIG. 4 , N = 3, Q [1]
= 13, Q [2] = 7, and Q [3] = 7. step 4: Next, the initial value 0 is substituted into a variable i for distinguishing the contour and a variable j for distinguishing the points constituting the i-th contour. step5: Next, the variable i is advanced by one. step 6: Next, the variable j is advanced by one. step7: Next, the target point P _{i, j} and the previous point that P _i,
A straight line L connecting _j-1 is translated by W to obtain a straight line L '. The direction of the parallel movement is a direction obtained by rotating the vector from the point P _i , _j-1 toward P _i , _j by 90 degrees counterclockwise. For example, assuming that the points to be processed are points P ₁ and ₃ in FIG. 5, a straight line L ′ is obtained by translating a straight line L connecting the points P ₁ and ₃ and P ₁ and ₂ by W. At this time, the direction of the parallel movement is from P ₁ , ₂ to P ₁ , ₃
Is a direction obtained by rotating the vector toward by 90 degrees counterclockwise. step8: Then, in the same manner as above Symbol step7, the target point P
A straight line M connecting _i , _j and its next point P _i , _{j + 1} is translated by W to obtain a straight line M ′. The translation direction is P _i ,
_This is a direction in which a vector from _j to P _i , _{j + 1} is rotated counterclockwise by 90 degrees. For example, in FIG.
If _{1, 3,} straight M 'is obtained when the straight line M connecting points P _{1, 3} and P _{1, 4} W only translate. At this time, the direction of translation is a direction rotated 90 degrees vector from P _{1, 3} to P _{1, 4} counterclockwise. step 9: Next, an intersection P ′ _i , _j of the straight line L ′ and M ′ is obtained. For example, the intersection point in Fig. 5 is a point P _{'1, 3.} Step 10: Next, the points P ′ ₁ , ₃ are output as points after the points P _i , _j are made thicker and thinner. step11: Next, it is checked whether or not all the points on the i-th contour line have been processed.
The processing from step 6 is repeated. step12: Next, whether or not all contour lines in the character have been processed
Or the examined, if there is a contour line that has not yet been processed, the
The processing from step 5 is repeated. step 13: Then, it is determined whether still or is present characters,
Until processing all the characters return Ri <br/> Repetitive a process from step2.

As described above, if the processing is not performed for each of the points P ₁ , _{1 to} P ₁ , ₁₃ , the points P ₂ , _{1 to} P ₂ , ₇ , P ₃ , _{1 to} P ₃ , ₇ , FIG. The one shown in the above is the result of thickening,
The one shown in FIG. 7 has been subjected to a narrowing process . Note that the broken line is a character having the original thickness.

[0016] In this example, if the point be processed is a first point of the contour line (in the case of j = 1), the straight line L is the last point in the point processing target and its contour (P _{i, Q [i} straight line and I _connecting])
You . For example, in the case of FIG. 4 , when the processing target point is j = 1 when the contour line is i = 1, the straight line L is obtained with the previous point being the point of j = 13.

Also, the processing target point is the last point (j
If = is the case of Q [i]), the straight line M is a line connecting the first point point processed with the contour (P _{i, 1).}
For example, in the case of FIG. 4 , when the contour is i = 1 and the processing target point is j = 13, the next point is set to j = 1 to obtain a straight line M.

In this example, the straight lines L and M are moved in parallel by the same value W. However, the movement amounts of L and M may be determined separately, or may be determined for each point.

Further, in this example, the outer contour line is arranged clockwise, and the inner contour line is arranged counterclockwise. However, if they are reversed, the direction of parallel movement is reversed. Then, the direction may be rotated clockwise by 90 degrees. (Second Embodiment) FIG. 8 is a configuration of the apparatus for generating thick thin characters in this embodiment
Ru configuration diagram der for explaining formation. In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes a central processing unit (hereinafter, CPU). Reference numeral 12 denotes a read-only memory (hereinafter referred to as a ROM), which stores the outline font, various auxiliary information, and a control program. 13 is a random access memory (hereinafter RA)
M) and includes a working memory. Reference numeral 14 denotes a moving direction determining unit that determines the moving direction of the outline font processing target point. Reference numeral 15 denotes a scaling processing unit, which determines and changes the magnification in the moving direction obtained by the moving direction determining unit 14. Reference numeral 16 denotes a movement processing unit that moves a processing target point. An output unit 17 outputs the processed outline font to a printing unit or the like. Reference numeral 18 denotes a CPU bus through which various data and the like are exchanged.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show the structure of FIG.
3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the thick and thin character generating device shown in FIG. S21 to S26 are processes for reading each data from the ROM 2, S27 to 32 are processes for determining the moving direction, S33 to 35 are processes for calculating the magnification and the amount of movement, S36 are processes for moving points, and S37 to 39 are processes. This is the process of migrating the target.

One character is composed of Count points, and each point sequence is represented by “P _k (x _k , y _k ): k = 0,..., C
ount-1 ". (x _k , y _k ) is 2 of the processing target point P _k
It is a dimensional coordinate. w is a bold and thin amount, and the value may be given in each typeface, each character, or each point unit.

Hereinafter, the steps will be sequentially described.

[0023] k = 0, in other words, from the point P _0, to start the processing of one character (S21). First, the processing target point P _k , the immediately preceding point P _k−1, and the immediately subsequent point P _{k + 1} are read (S2).
6). Here, in S22 and S23, when k = 0, k-1 = C
ount, and S24 and S25 are k
When = Count-1, k + 1 = 0.

In the above processing, the font data P _K ,
When P _K−1 and P _{K + 1} are read, the movement direction determination unit 14 enters a process of unitizing relative coordinates between the points P _k−1 and P _k (S27). First, to calculate the point P _k-1 P _k relative coordinate point as an origin _{(x k -x k-1,} y k -y k-1) (S
28). Next, unitized coordinates (ex _k−1 , ey _k−1 ) _obtained by unitizing the relative coordinates are calculated (S29). here,
The unitization is a process of setting the distance from the origin to one unit while maintaining the direction of the coordinates from the origin. Next, the processing shifts to a process of unitizing relative coordinates between the points P _{k + 1} and P _k (S
30 → S31) Similarly, unitized coordinates (ex _{k + 1} , e)
y _{k + 1} ) is obtained (S28 → S29). Then the direction of movement _{(m x, m y) =} (ex k-1 + ex k + 1, ey k-1 + e
y _{k + 1} ) (S32).

In the scaling section 15, first, a thickening / thinning amount w is input (S33). Next, the magnification α _k is determined (S34). Here, α _k is given by the formula ｛w / (ex _k−1 × ey
_{k + 1} −ex _{k + 1} × ey _k−1 )｝, the point Q _k
Is a straight line AB parallel to the straight lines P _k-1 P _k and P _k P _{k + 1} in FIG.
And CD. Next, the moving amount determined by the moving direction determined by the moving direction determining unit 14 is multiplied by a constant with a scaling factor α _k (△
x, △ y) = (α k × m x, α k × m y) obtaining (S35).

Next, the movement processing section 16 moves the processing target point P _k to a point Q _k (x _k + △ x, y _k + △ y) according to the movement amount (S36). The processing target is shifted to the next point P _{k + 1} , and the processing is repeated until the processing for _one character is completed (S37 to S38).

[0027] As shown in FIG. 11, the moving direction (m _X, m _Y) is the resultant vector of the unit vector P _{K +} 1 P _K and the unit vector P _K-1 P _K.

[0028]

As apparent from the above description, according to the present onset bright, for each of the points composing the contour of the outline font, two points before and after each point and the point of the read data
The relative coordinate value of the point is calculated for each point from the two-dimensional coordinate value of
The relative coordinates are unitized, and each unitized point is
And the moving direction is determined from the unitized coordinates at two points before and after the point
Change in the direction of movement based on the
Calculate the magnification and multiply it by a constant in this moving direction with the magnification.
By determining the moving amount of the point and moving each point based on the moving amount , thick and thin characters can be generated at high speed.

With this, a huge amount of time and labor is required
Thick and thin characters can be easily obtained without any problem .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an apparatus for generating thick and thin characters according to a first embodiment .
It is a configuration diagram for explaining a configuration.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the thick and thin character generating apparatus of FIG . 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a continuation of the flowchart for explaining the operation of the thick / thin character generating apparatus of FIG . 1 ;

4 is a diagram illustrating a typical example of Out line font.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a character thickening process performed by the thick and thin character generating device of FIG . 1;
It is a figure for explaining an example at the time of performing narrowing processing .

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a character thickening process is performed.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example in which character thinning processing is performed.

FIG. 8 is an apparatus for generating thick and thin characters according to the second embodiment;
It is a configuration diagram for explaining a configuration.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the thick and thin character generating apparatus of FIG . 8 ;

FIG. 10 is a continuation of the flowchart for explaining the operation of the thick / thin character generating apparatus in FIG . 8 ;

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a character generation process performed by the thick and thin character generation device of FIG . 8;
It is a figure for explaining an example at the time of performing thickening processing .

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 font data storage unit 2 font data readout unit 3 straight line calculation unit 4 thick and thin amount input unit 5 parallel movement unit 6 intersection calculation unit 7 output unit 11 CPU 12 ROM 13 RAM 14 movement direction determination unit 15 scaling processing unit 16 movement processing Unit 17 Output unit 18 CPU bus

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Minehiro Konya 22-22 Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Inside Sharp Corporation (56) References JP-A-62-82484 (JP, A) 4-174897 (JP, A) JP-A-5-313629 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G09G 5/24 G06T 11/20

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A storage means for storing outline font data defined by a sequence of points constituting a character outline, and reading the outline font data from said storage means.
Reading means for outputting, and each point of the data read by the reading means,
A moving method that determines the moving direction from the two-dimensional coordinate values of two points before and after
Direction determining means, thickening amount input means for inputting the thickening amount, and the moving direction based on the input thickening amount.
Scaling processing means for determining the moving amount of each point to be moved, moving processing means for moving each point based on the moving amount,
In the character generating apparatus for outline fonts having different thicknesses, the moving direction determining means is read by the reading means.
From the two-dimensional coordinate values of each point of the data and the two points before and after the point
Means for determining the relative coordinate value of the point for each point;
Means for unitizing the calculated relative coordinates, and unitizing these
Move from the unitized coordinates of each point and two points before and after the point
Means for determining a direction, wherein the scaling processing means receives an input from the thick and thin amount input means.
Means for calculating a scaling factor based on the determined thicker and thinner amount;
In the moving direction, multiply the constant by the above scaling factor to determine the moving amount of each point.
Means for generating thick and thin characters.