JPH0211351A - Document output apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To output a magnified character at a high speed while suppressing a lowering of grade by magnifying a read font pattern by a magnifying means and synthesizing the magnified pattern along with the dot pattern in the second memory means. CONSTITUTION:At the time of magnifying processing, a CPU 2 develops a font pattern simply magnified corresponding to magnification on a RAM 2b. For example, in the case of square multiplication a pattern 'A' of 16 dots X24 dots (= 48 bites) and a pattern of 32 dots X 48 dots (= 192 bites) are preliminarily developed. Thereafter, the position on the space of the left upper end of the magnified pattern is calculated and each bite of the magnified pattern is successively written on the frame memory 5 corresponding to each position. At this time, the synthesis with the dot pattern from a dot pattern memory part 4 is performed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a document output device, and particularly to a document output device that enlarges and outputs a font pattern.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in this type of device, font patterns are often stored in the on/off state of dots. If this dot pattern is simply enlarged, the character in (a) of FIG. 2 will be outputted as 4 times larger than that of (b) and 8 times larger than that of (C), resulting in an unsightly output. Therefore, in order to compensate for such drawbacks, there is a method of enlarging the dots by considering the on/off states of nearby dots, but this makes the processing complicated. There is also a method of expressing font pattern information using straight lines, curved lines, etc., and then developing the font pattern. Although the output does not become unsightly even when enlarged, it takes time to develop the font pattern.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The present invention provides a document output device that eliminates the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks and outputs enlarged characters at high speed and with little deterioration in quality.

[Means for solving the problem] In order to solve this problem, the document output device of the present invention has the following features:
A document output device that develops characters into font patterns and outputs documents in accordance with character codes and control codes, comprising a first storage means that stores font patterns in correspondence with character codes, and a halftone dot pattern. a second storage means for storing the font pattern; an enlargement means for enlarging the font pattern read from the first storage means in correspondence with the character code based on a predetermined control code; and compositing means for composing the halftone dot pattern in the second storage means.

[Operation] In this configuration, the font pattern read from the first storage means in correspondence with the character code is enlarged by the enlargement means based on a predetermined control code, and the font pattern read from the first storage means is enlarged by the compositing means.
and the halftone dot pattern in the storage means.

Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a document output device of this embodiment. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an output control device, which includes a ROM 2a in which a control program indicating control procedures is stored and a RAM 2b for storing control information, and a CPU 2 consisting of a microprocessor that controls the output control device. A character pattern generator 3 consisting of a ROM that stores font patterns, a halftone pattern storage section 4 consisting of a RAM that stores halftone dot patterns, and a frame that stores dot patterns for one page. A printer interface section 6 that converts the dot image in the frame memory 5 into a laser on/off signal for a laser beam printer, for example, connects the memory 5 and various computers.
For example, it consists of an interface circuit 8 such as R3-232C. 7 is a printer section connected to the output control device 1 via the printer interface section 6; 9 is a host computer connected to the output control device 1 via the interface circuit 8 and generates output data.

In this configuration, print data and control commands from the host computer 9 are taken into the CPU 2 via the interface circuit 8, and the CPU 2 stores the print data from the character pattern generator 3 on the frame memory 5 corresponding to the output position of the print data. Develops a font pattern corresponding to the read print data. The CPU 2 sequentially processes the output data and develops the pattern, and when the pattern development for one page is completed, instructs the printer interface section 6 to convert the data in the frame memory 5 into a video signal.

The printer interface unit 6 instructs the printer unit 7 to feed paper, and if the printer unit 6 is a laser beam printer, for example, it sequentially converts each dot data in the frame memory 5 into a serial signal for turning on/off the laser. and output.

When the CPU 2 receives a control command and data including an enlargement instruction as shown in FIG. 3, for example, from the host computer 9, it performs a character pattern enlargement process. In Figure 3, ``CSI'' is a code indicating that it is a control command, and ``400.400ΔB'' indicates that the following output data ``A B C'' will be expanded 4 times vertically and 4 times horizontally and output. (Here, "△" indicates a space.

During the enlargement process, the CPU 2 develops the font pattern simply enlarged according to the enlargement in the RAM 2b. For example, in the case of 2 squares, the pattern "A" of 16 dots x 24 dots (=48 bytes) in Fig.
32 dots x 48 dots (=19
2 bytes). Thereafter, the position of the upper left end of the enlarged pattern on the paper is determined, and each byte of the enlarged pattern is sequentially written into the frame memory 5 corresponding to each position. At that time, combination with the halftone pattern from the halftone pattern storage section 4 (AND processing in this example)
I do. FIG. 4 shows the contents of the dot pattern storage section 4, which is composed of 8 bits x 8 bits (=8 bytes). In the case of a repeating pattern, only the minimum pattern may be stored.

FIGS. 6, 7A, and 7B schematically show the compositing process of this embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the steps of the enlargement process and compositing process of this embodiment. In FIG. 8, Ew represents the horizontal expansion rate, and Eh represents the vertical expansion rate.

First, in step S81, a predetermined enlarged pattern is stored in the RAMZ.
Form on b. In step S82, the position coordinates of the upper left corner (
x, y). In step S83, counter n=o
Then, in step S84, the Y coordinate is stored in register Y'. In step S85, the counter m=o, and in step S85,
At 86, the X coordinate is stored in register X'. Step S8
At step 7, one byte corresponding to the counters m and n of the enlarged pattern is ANDed with one byte corresponding to nmod 8 of the halftone dot pattern. In step 588, the 1-byte pattern subjected to the AND processing in step S87 is written to the position in the frame memory 5 corresponding to the coordinates (X', Y').

In step S89, 8 is added to register X', and in step S89, 8 is added to register
At 90, the counter m is incremented by one. In step S91, it is checked whether the counter m has reached Ew, and if it has not yet, the process returns to step S87, and from step 387 to
Repeat S91. When the counter m reaches Ew, the process advances to step S92, where the register Y' is incremented by 1, and the counter n is incremented by one in step S93. In step S94, it is checked whether the counter n=Eh×24 or not. If not, the process returns to step S85 and steps 385 to S94 are repeated. Counter n=
When EhX24 is achieved, the synthesis of the enlarged pattern and halftone dot pattern as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B is completed.

Note that rzood8 is the remainder of n modulo "8", and when n is "17°", nmod8 is 1". Also, since the halftone dot pattern is 1 byte wide (8 bits x 8 bits), it is difficult to calculate the position. For this purpose, nmod8 processing is sufficient.

Although this embodiment has been described as printing output using a video signal, the frame memory is not particularly limited to printing, and may be a video memory for screen output such as a display device. Further, in this embodiment, one page of dot images is generated on the frame memory and outputted, but the present invention can also be applied to a printer that sequentially outputs characters, such as a tweeter dot printer. Further, in this embodiment, the halftone dot pattern to be synthesized is a specific pattern, but since the pattern is stored in memory, the same effect can be obtained even if the halftone dot pattern to be synthesized is registered from the host computer. Alternatively, a plurality of halftone dot patterns to be synthesized may be prepared and selected according to an instruction from the host computer or an enlargement ratio.

Further, in the present embodiment, the synthesis (AND) process is performed after generating the - degree enlarged pattern, but the same effect can be obtained even if the enlargement process and the synthesis process are performed simultaneously.

As explained above, when performing enlarged output, by combining with a specific pattern, there is an effect that high-quality enlarged output can be performed at high speed.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a document output device that outputs enlarged characters at high speed and with little deterioration in quality.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the document output device of this embodiment, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a conventional example of enlarged output, Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an enlargement instruction, and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a conventional example of enlarged output. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a font pattern; FIGS. 6, 7A, and 7B are schematic diagrams of enlargement processing; and FIG. 8 is a flowchart of enlargement and composition processing. In the figure, 1... Output control device, 2... CPLI, 2a
ROM, 2b... RAM, 3... Character pattern generator, 4... Halftone pattern storage section, 5... Frame memory, 6... Printer interface section, 7.
...Printer section, 8...Interface circuit, 9...
- It is a host computer. (a) (b) (C) Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] In a document output device that develops characters into font patterns in correspondence with character codes and control codes and outputs documents, a first storage means stores font patterns in correspondence with character codes. a second storage means for storing halftone dot patterns; an enlargement means for enlarging the font pattern read from the first storage means in correspondence with the character code based on a predetermined control code; A document output device comprising: a composition means for composition of the enlarged font pattern and the halftone dot pattern in the second storage means.