JP3382444B2 - Character processing apparatus and method - 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 processing device and method, and more particularly, to a character processing device and method for varying generated character size.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an apparatus for processing characters such as a computer and a printer, in order to reduce the capacity of font data, a font pattern is made into a basic character constituent element whose minimum unit is a character constituent element (hereinafter stroke). A stroke synthesis font method has been used in which characters are divided and stored and combined to generate a character.

[0003]

In this method, when a small-sized character is output, if the widths (weights) of the basic character components constituting the stroke are different, the weights of the basic character components are different. However, there is a problem that the character quality deteriorates because the shape of the generated stroke becomes unnatural and the difference between the two becomes conspicuous.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and when a character is output in the stroke composite font system, a stroke composed of a plurality of basic character components is discriminated and the output character size is a predetermined size. If the weights of the basic character components that make up the stroke are the same, the unnaturalness of the character shape caused by the different weights of the basic character components is eliminated and the character quality is as follows: It is to provide a character processing device and method for improving the character.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the character processing device of the present invention has the following configuration.
That is, a character processing apparatus for generating a desired character pattern by combining the strokes, a plurality of basic character
A stroke discriminating means for discriminating a stroke composed of constituent elements, and a plurality of basic discriminated by the discriminating means.
Width adjustment means for adjusting the stroke of the stroke composed of the character components so as to make the width of the stroke substantially uniform.

Further, the character processing method of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, a character processing method for generating a desired character pattern by synthesizing strokes,
A stroke discrimination step of discriminating a stroke composed of a plurality of basic character constituent elements, and a stroke width made substantially uniform with respect to a stroke constituted of a plurality of basic character constituent elements judged by the discrimination step. And a width adjusting step for adjusting.

[0007]

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system may be a Japanese word processor, a workstation or a computer system.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a CPU, that is, a central processing unit, which performs control of the entire apparatus and arithmetic processing. Reference numeral 2 denotes a ROM, that is, a read-only memory, which is a storage area for a system boot program, character pattern data, and the like. Reference numeral 3 denotes a RAM, that is, a random access memory, which is a data storage area without use restrictions, and is an area in which each program and data are loaded and executed for each various processing. Reference numeral 4 denotes a KBC, that is, a keyboard control unit, which receives key input data from the KB of 5, ie, a keyboard, and transmits it to the CPU 1. 6 is CRTC
That is, a display control unit 7 is a CRT, that is, a display, which receives data from the CRTC 6 and displays it. Reference numeral 9 denotes an external storage device such as an FD, that is, a floppy disk or an HD, that is, a hard disk, which stores programs and data, and which is referred to or loaded into the RAM 3 at the time of execution as required. Reference numeral 8 is a DKC, that is, a disk controller, which controls data transmission, 10 is a PRTC, that is, a printer controller, and 11 is a PRT, which is a printer. Reference numeral 12 is a system bus, which should serve as a data path between the above-mentioned components.

As shown in FIG. 3, the stroke composite font method used in the system according to the present embodiment is a basic character component such as a horizontal bar or a vertical bar, which is the skeleton of the character, and its start point or end point, or those. A stroke is formed by combining local contours in both, and a character is formed by combining the strokes. Of course, it is also possible to compose a stroke using only basic character components. As shown in FIG. 4, the data that defines the shape of the stroke is of the “core + thickness” type in which the core line of the stroke is represented by a straight line and the contour is represented by the distance from the straight line. Information).

Also, each stroke has a stroke ID.
The stroke ID and stroke arrangement information for synthesizing the character are stored in the stroke combination information corresponding to the character code one to one, and the strokes are synthesized using the stroke ID.

CPU 1 of the present system having the above configuration
The operation of the character output process according to FIG. 2 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This flowchart is for RAM3 or R
Although it is realized by executing the program stored in the OM 2, it may be a program supplied from the external storage device 9 or a communication unit (not shown).

In FIG. 2, a step 2-1 is a stroke combination information registration step, in which a stroke combination information group corresponding to a typeface or the like is read from a plurality of font files installed in the present system and set on the RAM 3. The font file is stored in the external storage device 9 in a format according to the stroke synthesis font method.

Step S2-2 is a character information selection step, in which stroke combination information to be read is determined from the typeface, character code, character size, and weight information of the character to be generated.

Step S2-3 is a stroke combination information reading step, in which the combination information which matches the condition and is decided to be read is read from the stroke combination information group on the RAM 3.

Step S2-4 is a character generation step,
A character is generated by the read stroke combination information, and the generated character data is set in the output buffer on the RAM 3. This step will be described in detail in FIG.

The character data thus generated is output from the CRT 7 or PRT 11 in step S2-5.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the structure of the stroke combination information by taking the character "three" of FIG. 5 (A) as an example. In the stroke combination information shown in FIG. 5B, STROKE_COUNT indicates the number of strokes forming a font, and STROKE_ST, STR.
OKE_END indicates the arrangement coordinates based on the end points of the core line of the stroke in the font design coordinate system (800 × 800 in FIG. 5A), and STR.
OKE_Weight indicates stroke width information, and S
TROKE_CROSS_TBL is the I of strokes that have a relationship where stroke ends intersect in a font.
Indicates D information. From FIG. 5 (B), the characters in FIG.
It can be seen that the stroke ID is composed of three strokes of 1, 2, and 3, for example, the stroke 1 has its position defined by STROKE_ST1 and STROKE_END1, its width is 50, and each stroke does not intersect.

The size of each stroke in the stroke design coordinate system is obtained by searching the stroke data defining each stroke shown in FIG. 5C from the stroke ID of the stroke combination information described in this way. D_STROKE_SIZE, weight information D
_STROKE_Weight, control point data D_STROKE_POINT [] for controlling curvature and the like, and an adjustment flag indicating whether or not to perform weight adjustment are read.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the character generation process in step 2-4 of FIG.

Step 6-1 is a character expansion end judgment step, in which the number of strokes for which expansion has been completed and STROKE_
The comparison with COUNT is performed, and if the development of all strokes is not completed, the process proceeds to step 6-2, and if it is completed, the process proceeds to step 2-5.

Step 6-2 is an arrangement coordinate calculation step, which is the stroke arrangement coordinate O_STR in the character output coordinate system.
OK_ST, O_STROKE_EN = O_STROKE_ST =
Calculated by STROKE_ST x (OUT_SIZE / 800).

Step 6-3 is a control point data scale conversion step, where Scale = abs (O_STROKE_ST-O_STROKE_EN) / abs (D_STROKE_ST
-D_STROKE_EN) to find the scale, and Scale x D_STROKE
The stroke scale is converted by _POINT [], and is set to O_STROKE_POINT [].

In step 6-4, the character output size and W
In the stroke data change application stroke ID determination step, if it is determined that the character size and the stroke ID are the target for the change in weight, the process proceeds to step 6-5.
Otherwise, go to step 6-7. However, the applicable size can be changed depending on the output device and the typeface.

Step 6-5 is a Weight data changing step, in which, for a stroke composed of three or more basic character constituent elements, each basic character constituent in the character output coordinate system as shown in FIG. When the Weight data of the element is W1, W2, W3, the stroke ID is W
The process of 1 = W2 = W3 = W1 is performed to change the Weight data of each basic character constituent element. FIG. 8 shows the effect. Note that W1 = W2 = W3 = W
You can set it to 3.

Step 6-6 is a stroke weight information adjusting step, in which the weight in the character output coordinate system is set to 0_.
Assuming Weight, a weight conversion scale is obtained from Weight_Scale = O_Weight / D_STROKE_Weight, and stroke weight adjustment is performed on O_STROKE_POINT [].

Steps 6-7 are stroke generation steps, in which the strokes are generated by connecting the local contours to the control point sequences forming the basic character components adjusted by the above steps.

Steps 6-8 are the steps of setting the stroke in the output buffer. Of course, all the strokes may be expanded and then set as character data in the output buffer.

The basic operation of the system is to carry out step 2-5 through the above-mentioned processing, that is, to set the generated bitmap data and output a predetermined character to the CRT 106 or PRT 110.

As described above, according to this embodiment,
In the stroke composite font method, when outputting a small-sized character, a stroke composed of a plurality of basic character constituents is discriminated by its stroke ID, and the weights of the basic character constituents constituting the stroke are set to the same weight. By doing so, the unnaturalness of the stroke shape can be eliminated, and the character quality can be greatly improved.

The determination of the stroke ID is also effective when applied to the number of basic character constituent elements that make up the stroke. That is, the judgment is not based on the stroke ID, but based on the number of basic character constituent elements forming the stroke. For example, for strokes composed of a plurality of basic character components, weight adjustment is performed if the character size meets the conditions.

The weight change is effective even if the minimum value or the maximum value of the basic character constituent elements constituting the target stroke, or the value of the vertical basic character constituent element or the horizontal basic character constituent element is applied. is there.

[0034]

Other Embodiments Even when the present invention is applied to a system including a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.), an apparatus including one device (for example, a copying machine). Machine, facsimile machine, etc.).

Further, an object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium having a program code of software for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or apparatus, and to supply a computer (or CPU) of the system or apparatus.
It is needless to say that it can be achieved by reading and executing the program code stored in the storage medium.

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the function of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD
-R, magnetic tape, non-volatile memory card, ROM, etc. can be used.

Moreover, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by executing the program code read by the computer, but also the OS (operating system) running on the computer based on the instructions of the program code. It is needless to say that this also includes a case where the above) performs a part or all of the actual processing and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written in the memory provided in the function expansion board inserted into the computer or the function expansion unit connected to the computer, based on the instruction of the program code, It goes without saying that a case where the CPU or the like included in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs some or all of the actual processing and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is also included.

When the present invention is applied to the above-mentioned storage medium, the storage medium stores the program code corresponding to the above-mentioned flow chart. Briefly, in the memory map example of FIG. Each module shown will be stored in the storage medium.

That is, at least with respect to the stroke discriminating step code for discriminating a stroke to be combined to generate a desired character pattern and the stroke discriminated in the discriminating step, the width of the stroke is made substantially uniform. It suffices to store the program code of each module together with the code of the width adjustment process for adjusting the above in the storage medium.

[0042]

As described above, in the stroke composite font method, when outputting a small size character,
By making the weights of the basic character constituents the same for strokes composed of a plurality of basic character constituents and eliminating the unnaturalness of the stroke shape, the character quality can be greatly improved.

[0043]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a basic operation in the system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram defining basic character components and local contour data.

FIG. 4 is a diagram defining stroke data.

FIG. 5 is a diagram defining stroke arrangement data.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a character generation operation.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing weight data change of basic character components.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an effect of changing a weight for a character.

FIG. 9 is a memory map of a program that realizes the character processing method of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

101 CPU 102 ROM 103 RAM 104 KBC 105 keyboard 106 CRTC 107 CRT 108 DKC 109 external storage device 110 PRTC 111 PRT 112 system bus

Claims (18)

(57) [Claims] 1. A character processing device for generating a desired character pattern by synthesizing strokes, comprising: a stroke judgment means for judging a stroke composed of a plurality of basic character constituent elements; Multiple basic character components
And a width adjusting unit that adjusts the stroke of the stroke so that the width of the stroke is substantially uniform. 2. The stroke is composed of basic character constituent elements, and the width adjusting means adjusts the width of the stroke by uniformly adjusting the width of the basic character constituent elements constituting the stroke. Claim 1
The character processing device described in. 3. A determination means for determining the size of a character pattern to be generated is further provided, and the determination by the determination means and the stroke width adjustment by the width adjustment means are determined by the determination means to be smaller than a predetermined size. The character processing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the character processing device is applied in the case of being processed. 4. The character processing device according to claim 3 , wherein the predetermined size can be changed by an output device that outputs the character pattern and a typeface of the character pattern. 5. The character processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stroke is discriminated by the discriminating means on the basis of the number of basic character constituent elements forming the stroke. 6. The stroke width changed by the width adjusting means is weight data of the minimum value or the maximum value of the basic character constituent elements forming the stroke. Character processing device described. 7. The stroke width changed by the width adjusting means is weight data of a vertical basic character constituent element or a horizontal basic character constituent element of a basic character constituent element constituting the stroke. 6. The character processing device according to any one of 5 to 5. 8. The character processing device according to claim 1, wherein the data defining the shape of the stroke is stored in a "core + thickness" type . 9. A character processing method for generating a desired character pattern by synthesizing strokes, comprising a stroke judgment step of judging a stroke composed of a plurality of basic character constituent elements, and a judgment step of the judgment step. Multiple basic character components
And a width adjusting step of adjusting the stroke of the stroke so that the width of the stroke is substantially uniform. 10. The stroke is composed of basic character components, and the width adjusting step adjusts the width of the stroke by uniformly adjusting the widths of the basic character components constituting the stroke. The character processing method according to claim 9. 11. further comprising a determination step of determining the size of a character pattern to be generate, adjust the stroke width by the discrimination and the width adjustment process by the determining step,
10. The method is applied when it is determined by the determination step that the size is smaller than a predetermined size.
The character processing method described in 0. 12. The character processing method according to claim 11 , wherein the predetermined size can be changed by an output device that outputs the character pattern and a font of the character pattern. 13. The character processing method according to claim 9, wherein the stroke determination in the determination step is performed based on the number of basic character constituent elements forming the stroke. 14. The stroke width change in the width adjusting step is performed by using weight data of a minimum value or a maximum value of basic character constituent elements constituting the stroke. Character processing method described. 15. The stroke width change in the width adjusting step is performed by using weight data of a vertical basic character constituent element or a horizontal basic character constituent element of a basic character constituent element constituting the stroke. 14. The character processing method according to any one of 1 to 13. 16. A data defining the shape of the stroke.
Data, the character processing method according to any one of claims 9 to 15, characterized in that it is stored in a type "core + Thickness". 17. The stroke discriminating means is a deformation target.
By determining the ID of the stroke
It is possible to distinguish strokes composed of basic character components.
The character processing device according to claim 1, wherein: 18. The stroke determination step is a transformation target.
By determining the ID of the stroke
It is possible to distinguish strokes composed of basic character components.
10. The character processing method according to claim 9, wherein: