JPH02247690A - Color hard copying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To execute 16-color printing by using a 7-color printer by converting one dot of a display device for 16 colors according to a color conversion table to 4 dots in matrix and using two dots each on diagonal lines as the same printing color data. CONSTITUTION:Color codes of 4 bits are read out of 4 sheets of screen planes with one dot of display and the corresponding printing color data is read out in 2 bits X 2 bits by the color conversion table. Multicolor printing is executable by 3 times of printing operations with yellow, cyan and magenta in accordance with this printing color data. The color conversion table is set with the printing color data of the printer in correspond to the color codes of 16 colors, is constituted of 4 bits of 2 bits X 2 bits in matrix shape respectively and is set with the same printing color codes on the diagonal lines. The screen image is constituted of 4 sheets of memory planes (m1), (m2), (m3), (m4) to define the display color of one dot of the display. The printing of 16 colors without having unequal colors is thus executed by using the color printer for 7 colors.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to the realization of a color hard copy device that obtains a hard copy of a color CRT display device that supports 16 colors using a printer that supports 7 colors. It is.

<Conventional technology> Currently, the most inexpensive color printers are those that create seven colors by combining three colors (cyan, magenta, and yellow) and print these colors. .

On the other hand, color CRT display devices used as man-machine interfaces in operator consoles of computer systems installed in various processes, etc. are becoming more and more multicolored year by year, and recently, color CRT display devices that can display 16 colors have become available. 'I' display devices have become the most used.

<Problem to be Solved by the Invention> A user's request is to obtain a hard copy of the screen on a 16-color CFL'l' display device in colors that correspond one-to-one with this display screen information. Of course, color printers that support 16 colors have also appeared.

However, such a color printer capable of 16 colors is extremely expensive, which has been one of the factors that hinders the ability to reduce the cost of the entire computer system.

The present invention aims to realize 16-color printing without color unevenness using a normal 7-color compatible color printer, and aims to reduce the cost of the entire system.

Means for Solving the Problems> The present invention has the following configuration to provide color C that supports 16 colors.
A color printer compatible with 7 colors was connected to the RT display device to enable multicolor printing.

That is, the color hard copy device of the present invention is a color hard copy device that is connected to a color CRT display device and outputs a color hard copy, and the color hard copy device outputs a color hard copy from a screen plane in the color CRT display device. A reading means that reads out dots one by one, and yellow and cyan on the diagonal.

A color conversion table that stores matrix-shaped printer print color data in which the same print color code consisting of a combination of magenta is set, and printer print color data from the color conversion table from the color code specified by the read one display dot. A bit setting means is provided for setting bits in a yellow printer buffer, a cyan printer buffer, and a magenta printer buffer in correspondence with each other.

Function> The color hard copy device of the present invention is a color CRT.
Each display dot is read out from the screen plane of the display device, and the matrix-shaped printer print color data corresponding to the color code specified by each display dot is read out from the color conversion table.Subsequently, each print color from this color conversion table is read out. Set bits in the yellow printer buffer, cyan printer buffer, and magenta printer buffer according to the code to specify print output.

<Embodiment> FIG. 1 is an example of a system incorporating a color hard copy apparatus of the present invention.

In this figure, 1 is a color CRT display device capable of displaying 16 colors;
2 is a graphic driver that controls the CRTI, 3 is a hard copy processing device that is the core of the present invention, 4 is a printer driver, and 5 is a color printer that supports seven colors. CRTI, graphics driver 2, printer
The driver 4 is completely similar to the conventional one.

Next, the operation of the hard copy processing device 3 of the present invention will be explained in a second manner.
This will be explained in detail, focusing on the flowchart in the figure.

When the system starts, it starts reading bit information from four screen planes for each dot displayed. That is, normally, the screen planes are the memory planes ml, m2 . It is composed of m3 and m4, and this 4-bit information defines the display color of one display dot. In the example shown in this figure, the top display dot (print top dot) is "1010".

The hard copy processing device 3 of the present invention has this first driver 1.
"1010"("10" in decimal notation) is read into the printer, and the color conversion table set internally as the color code "10" is referred to.

Here, the details of this color conversion table are shown in FIG. 3 and explained.

In the color conversion table, printer printing color data is set corresponding to 16 color codes (0 to 15). Each printer print color data is composed of a total of 4 bits, 2 bits x 2 bits, arranged in a matrix, and the same print color code is set on the diagonal. If you set different print color data for each of these 4 bits, you can make the print result multicolored, but by setting the same print color on the diagonal line, you can get the print that looks closest to the color CR'T' display. You can get results. In this figure, C stands for cyan, M stands for magenta, Y stands for yellow, and the mouth stands for white (no printing).
Printer print color data is defined by a combination of these colors (two colors or three colors).

In addition, for one dot on the CRT display screen, vertically, 'M!
! Enlarging by 2 bits does not affect the printing result; rather, by enlarging each displayed dot by about 4 times, the printing quality is improved.

Now, returning to the flowchart in Fig. 2, the color code of the first driver l~ is "10", and when referring to the color conversion table, this color code "10" is "blue-green I" on the CRT display screen. The printer print color data is 9c ￥￥').

Therefore, it turns out that there are yellow bits at the top right and bottom left.

This yellow bit is set in the printer buffer. 5(a), 5(b), and 5(c) represent printer buffers, FIG. 5(a) is the printer buffer for yellow, and FIG. 5(b) is the printer buffer for cyan. , FIG. 5(C) is a printer buffer for magenta.

From this, the printer buffer for yellow (Figure 5 (a)
)) Set bit "1" at the top right and bottom left of the first 2 bits x 2 bits part. If there is no yellow bit in the printer print color data, set part of the corresponding bit 1 to “0”.
”.

Next, the next display dot (4-bit information) of the screen plane is read out, a bit is similarly set in the 4-dot portion of the printer buffer for yellow, and the same operation is performed across all screen planes.

Once the yellow bits have been set across all screen planes, yellow output is performed to the printer using the yellow printer buffer.

Next, the same operation is performed for cyan, and the printer buffer for cyan (Fig. 5(b)) is set to "0" or "1".
” is set, cyan output will be made to the printer.

In this example, for the first dot, the printer for cyan
All the first four bits of the buffer are set to "1".

Finally, perform the same operation for magenta, set the bit information in the magenta printer buffer (Figure 5 (C)), and output magenta to the printer.For the first dot, the first 4 bits are all 0. ”.

As a result, the first printing dot is the printer printing color data (h
¥) is set and the printer outputs in "blue-green". After that, 16-color printouts are realized by combining yellow, cyan, and magenta.

As described above, the color code for one display is read out, the corresponding print color data is read out as 2 bits x 2 bits from the color conversion table, and yellow, cyan, and magenta are printed three times according to this print color data. The printing operation enables multicolor printing.

<Effects of the Invention> According to the color hard copy apparatus of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

With a relatively inexpensive 7-color color printer,
One dot on a color CRT display device that supports 16 colors is converted into four dots in a matrix by referring to a color conversion table, and two dots on each diagonal are printed as the same print color data, so it is possible to print on a color CRT display device that supports 7 colors. It is possible to achieve 16-color printing without color unevenness using a color printer, and it is possible to reduce the cost of the entire system.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an example of a computer system having the color hard copy device of the present invention as its core, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the device of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a color conversion table in the device of the present invention, and FIG. 4 Figures 5 (a), (b), (c) are diagrams showing the relationship between display dots and screen planes.
are diagrams representing a yellow printer buffer, a cyan printer buffer, and a magenta printer buffer, respectively. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Color CR'I'' display device, 2... Graphic driver, 3... Hard copy processing device, 4
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Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A color hard copy device that is connected to a color CRT display device and outputs a color hard copy, a readout device that reads display dots one by one from a screen plane in the color CRT display device; A color conversion table that stores matrix-like printer print color data in which the same print color code consisting of a combination of yellow, cyan, and magenta is set diagonally; A color hard copy device is provided with a bit setting means for setting bits in a yellow printer buffer, a cyan printer buffer, and a magenta printer buffer by correlating printer print color data from a conversion table.