JPH01190465A - Character output device by utilizing vector font reproduction - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To accomplish high-speed processing in the reproduction of a dot font by reading a dot font out of an auxiliary buffer so as to develop the same to an output buffer without reproducing the dot font pattern from a vector font in the event that a required output character code is a character code for high-frequency characters. CONSTITUTION:Pre-set frequently used high-frequency characters consisting of standard-sized HIRAGANA, KATAKANA numerics and abbreviations are reproduced in a dot font by means of a vector font reproducing device 12 so as to be stored in an auxiliary buffer 13B before printing, and when a character code generated when character output is required is one pre-set for high-frequency characters, a dot font pattern corresponding to the character code is obtained from the auxiliary buffer 13B so as to develop the same in a pagination buffer 13A, whereby the number of times of operations for reproducing characters from the vector font data to the dot font pattern, which requires long processing time, is remarkably reduced, thereby accomplishing high-speed creation of images to be printed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a character output device that reproduces vector fonts and improves processing speed when generating and developing dot font patterns from vector font data.

(Prior art) In a system that handles dot image data generated based on an original image (character font) created by a designer, if the image data is saved and transferred in its original form, the amount of data to be handled is reduced. The amount of data becomes enormous, which causes practical problems in various aspects such as storage capacity and transfer speed. Therefore, data compression means is needed to efficiently store, transfer, etc. the image data. One possible means to achieve this is to scan the original image of a character font, etc. created by a designer, extract its outline, and generate vector font data based on the extracted outline dot data. (Special application 1986-2100)
Publication No. 2, Japanese Patent Application No. 1982-21003, Japanese Patent Application No. 1983
(Refer to Publication No.-21004).

At this time, in vector font reproduction processing in which a dot font pattern is generated from the vector font data and is expanded onto a page buffer as print information, conventionally, for each character of document information to be printed,
Vector font data corresponding to the character code was obtained and a dot font pattern was generated based on the same data.

For this reason, in the past, it took a lot of processing time to reproduce dot fonts for document information consisting of character code groups, and when vector fonts were used to realize devices such as high-quality character output machines,
There was a problem that the processing speed became extremely slow.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, conventionally, when obtaining print image information etc. by reproducing a dot font based on vector font data, it takes a lot of processing time to reproduce the dot font. Therefore, there is a problem in that it is not possible to speed up processing in devices such as high-quality character output machines that use vector fonts.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and provides a character output device using vector font reproduction that can perform processing at high speed to reproduce document information in dot fonts by generating and developing dot font patterns from vector font data. The purpose is to

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides an apparatus that generates a dot font pattern from vector font data and performs development processing on an output buffer such as a print page buffer. Single board name,
Standard font size that is relatively frequently used, such as numbers and punctuation marks (
For example, for 10 point) characters (high-frequency characters), vector font data for each character type is reproduced in advance as a dot font before printing or other processing, and expanded into a specific dot expansion buffer (auxiliary buffer). When the output requested character code is a character 7 code of high-frequency characters, the reproduction process from vector font data to a dot font pattern is not performed, but the dot font pattern is read from the above auxiliary buffer and the above The configuration is such that the data is expanded to an output buffer.

That is, the present invention reads vector font data according to character code information generated at the time of a character output request from a vector font storage unit, and reads out vector font data based on the vector font data and attribution information attached to the character code. A vector font reproduction circuit that generates dot fonts, a page buffer for printing, for example, that stores the dot font patterns generated by the same circuit, and vectors for each of a plurality of predetermined high-frequency character types from the vector font storage section. means for reading font data and generating dot font patterns for each of the high frequency character types in the vector font reproduction circuit based on the data;
an auxiliary buffer for storing the dot font pattern generated by the means; a means for determining whether the generated character code information is code information of the high frequency character type; When the code information is the code information of the high frequency character type, the apparatus further comprises means for reading out the dot font pattern of the high frequency character type according to the code information from the auxiliary buffer and developing it in the print page buffer. .

(Function) In the system startup process, vector font data of each high-frequency character type consisting of predetermined, standard character size (10 point) flat name, number, and punctuation mark is added to the vector font. The dot font patterns are read from the storage section, reproduced by the respective vector font reproduction circuits, and stored in the auxiliary buffer. In the subsequent printing process, it is determined whether the character code generated at the time of a character output request is a predetermined high-frequency character type, and if it is a high-frequency character type, the vector font reproduction circuit reproduces it into a dot font pattern. Without performing any processing, the dot font pattern corresponding to the generated character code stored in the auxiliary buffer is expanded into the printing page buffer. Also, if the character code generated at the time of a character output request is not a predetermined high-frequency character type, vector font data according to the same character code is read from the vector font storage section, and the vector font reproduction circuit reproduces the dot font pattern and prints it. Expand dots into the page buffer for use.

In this way, frequently used predetermined character types, such as standard character size (10 point) hiragana, 1 ba kana, numbers, and punctuation characters, are reproduced in dot fonts in advance before printing. If the character code generated at the time of a character output request is a predetermined high-frequency character type, the dot font pattern corresponding to that character code is obtained from the auxiliary buffer and stored in the printing page buffer. By developing the font into a dot font pattern, the number of times the characters are reproduced from vector font data to a dot font pattern, which requires a lot of processing time, can be significantly reduced, and the print image generation process can be executed at high speed.

(Example) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

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

In the figure, 1G is a host machine that controls the entire system, and here, as shown in FIG. It has a dot font reproduction processing function as shown in FIG. 4(b). Reference numeral 11 denotes a hard disk device (HD
D), upon receiving the character code requested to be printed out from the host machine IO, the vector font data corresponding to the code is read out. 12 is a vector font reproducing device which generates a dot font pattern based on the vector font data read from the node disk device 11 and attribution information including character size specification received from the host machine IO. 12,
The mechanical unit that generates dot font patterns from vector font data in this device was developed in patent application No. 62-210.
Since it is disclosed in Publication No. 02 "Vector Font Reproduction Device", its explanation will be omitted here. Reference numeral 18 denotes a pagination buffer 13A in which the dot font pattern generated by the vector font reproduction device 12 is developed and held as a print image on a page-by-page basis, and a pagination buffer 13A in which the dot font pattern generated by the vector font reproduction device 12 is developed and held on a page-by-page basis as a print image, and a pagination buffer 13A in which the dot font pattern generated by the vector font reproduction device 12 is developed and held on a page-by-page basis as a print image. Auxiliary buffer 1 where font patterns are developed and held
The print buffer 13 consists of 3B.

FIG. 2 shows the flow of processing executed under the control of the host machine 10 in the above embodiment.
) is a processing flow for storing a dot font pattern of a high-frequency character type in the auxiliary buffer 13B, and FIG.

Here, the operation according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

First, following a predetermined initialization process upon power-on of the system, a predetermined dot font pattern of high-frequency character types is stored in the auxiliary buffer 13B in the print buffer 13 under the control of the host machine IO. (Figure 2(a)
) Step SL, S2).

That is, in this case, the standard character size (10 points) two-piece flat name, numbers, and punctuation marks are considered high-frequency character types, and the host machine 10 stores each character in the hard disk drive in accordance with each character code of each high-frequency character type. 11 to read vector font data of high-frequency character types according to the above character code from the hard disk device 11. The vector font data read from the hard disk device 11 is supplied to the vector font reproducing device 12.

Furthermore, at this time, attribute information specifying a standard character size (10 points) is supplied from the host machine IO to the vector font reproduction device 12 in conjunction with reading out the vector font data for one character.

The vector font reproducing device 12 generates a dot font pattern according to the vector font data read from the hard disk device 1 and the attribution information sent from the host machine IO.

The dot font pattern generated by this vector font reproduction device 12 is developed and held in the auxiliary buffer 13B within the print buffer 13 under the control of the host machine IO.

In this way, the dot font pattern of high frequency character types consisting of hiragana, katakana, numbers, and punctuation in a predetermined standard character size (10 points) is created in the auxiliary buffer 13.
It is stored in B. The data processing path at this time is shown by a broken line in FIG.

Next, when printing starts, the host machine 10
First, the character code and attribution information for one character to be printed out are extracted, and it is determined whether the character code is a preset high-frequency character type code (
FIG. 2(b) Step S11. S12).

Here, if the above character code is not a high frequency character type,
Read access is made to the hard disk drive 11 according to the same character code, the vector font data according to the above character code is read from the hard disk drive 11, the vector font data and the above attribution information are supplied to the vector font reproduction device 12, and the dot font is Pattern generation processing control is executed (step S15 in FIG. 2(b)). At this time, the vector font reproducing device 12
modifies the vector font data according to the contents of the attribution information (character size, inversion, rotation, etc.) and generates a dot font pattern based on the vector font data modified by the modification.

Further, when the character code is a high-frequency character type, it is determined whether a specific character size other than the standard character size or other character modification is specified according to the attribution information.

Here, if a specific character size other than the standard character size or other character modification is specified by attribution information, a dot font pattern is generated based on the vector font data modified by the attribution information. (Step S15 in FIG. 2(b)).

In addition, if a specific character size other than the standard character size and other character decorations are not specified by the attribution information, the above character code is selected from the dot font pattern group of high frequency character types stored in the auxiliary buffer 13B. The corresponding dot font pattern is read out and the same dot font pattern is expanded into dots on the pagination buffer 13A (FIG. 2(b) step S14.81).
6). In this case, it is sufficient to simply transfer the data from the auxiliary node (rough 713B area) in the print buffer 13 to the pagination buffer 13A area, and therefore, the development process reproduces the dot font pattern from the vector font data. This is significantly faster than the expansion process when doing so.

Such processing is repeatedly executed for each character, and the print image for one page is developed into dots in the pagination buffer 13A. When the image data is printed out, the pagination buffer in the print buffer 13 is 71
Although the area 3A is cleared with print output, the dot font patterns of high-frequency character types stored in the auxiliary buffer 13B are retained as they are until all print processing is completed.

In this way, hiragana and hiragana and hiragana and hiragana in standard character size (10 points) are preset and frequently used.

Prior to printing, high-frequency character types consisting of numbers and punctuation marks are reproduced into dot fonts by the vector font reproducing device 12 and stored in the auxiliary buffer 13B, and the character codes generated at the time of character output request are predetermined. When the character type is a high-frequency character type, the dot font pattern corresponding to the character code is obtained from the auxiliary buffer 13B and expanded to the pagination buffer 13A. The number of times of character reproduction processing for font patterns can be significantly reduced, and therefore print image generation processing can be executed at high speed. That is, in a normal Japanese document, at most about half of the characters in the entire document are kanji, and the remaining characters are one board name, one board name, numbers, and punctuation marks.
By omitting the process of generating dot font patterns for these characters other than kanji, the process of generating print images can be executed extremely quickly.

In the above embodiment, the high-frequency character type stored in the auxiliary buffer 13B prior to print image generation processing is hiragana of standard character size (10 points).

Katakana, numbers, and punctuation marks have been taken as examples, but in addition to the above character types, frequently used specific kanji, foreign characters, and even characters with limited specific sizes are stored in the auxiliary buffer 13B. may be included in Further, the auxiliary buffer 13B may not be configured as a memory independent of the pagination buffer 13^, but may be configured using the remaining area after securing the area of the pagination buffer 13A.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, the character output device by vector font reproduction of the present invention includes means for generating character code information and attribution information of the character type to be reproduced;
A vector font storage section in which vector font data is stored, a means for reading vector font data according to the generated character code information from the storage section, and the read vector font data and the attribution information. A vector font reproduction circuit that generates a dot font pattern, a buffer that stores the dot font pattern generated by the same circuit, and the vector font data storage means that generates each of a plurality of predetermined high-frequency character types. means for reading vector font data and generating dot font patterns for each of the high frequency character types in the vector font reproduction circuit based on the data; and an auxiliary buffer for storing the dot font patterns generated by the means; means for determining whether or not the generated character code information is of the high frequency character type; and when the generated character code information is of the high frequency character type, a dot font pattern corresponding to the character code information; By adopting a configuration including means for reading data from the auxiliary buffer and developing it in the buffer, the number of processing times for character reproduction from vector font data to dot font patterns, which requires a lot of processing time, can be significantly reduced. , print image generation processing can be executed at high speed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the above embodiment. 1O...Host machine, 11...Hard disk device (HDD), 12...Vector font playback device, 13...Print buffer, 13A...Pagination buffer, 13B...Auxiliary buffer. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue

Claims (1)

[Claims] A means for generating character code information and attribution information of the character type to be reproduced, a vector font storage section storing vector font data, and reading vector font data according to the generated character code information from the storage section. a vector font reproduction circuit that generates a dot font pattern based on the read vector font data and the attribution information; a buffer that stores the dot font pattern generated by the circuit; Vector font data for each of a plurality of preset high-frequency character types is read from the font data storage means, and based on the same data, the vector font reproduction circuit generates dot font patterns for each of the high-frequency character types. means, an auxiliary buffer for storing the dot font pattern generated by the means, means for determining whether or not the generated character code information is of the high frequency character type; A vector font reproducing device characterized in that it comprises means for reading a dot font pattern corresponding to the same character code information from the auxiliary buffer and developing it in the buffer when the character type is the high frequency character type.