JPH0262259A - Printer apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the legibleness of a character on the occasion of dot- patterning by providing a storage means for storing a dot-patterning area, a means for producing an expanded font pattern expanded by one dot from a character for pattern, and a means for a logic operation with said font pattern for a page memory. CONSTITUTION:A CPU element 2 once stores in RAM 1 a character code sent from a host. Besides, it decodes a control code instructing dot-patterning, computes a dot-patterning area and stores it in RAM 2. At the time point when necessary information for start of printing get ready, dots are recorded on an image memory 5 on the basis of the foregoing dot-patterning information. Based on the character code stored in the RAM 1, subsequently, font data in a bit map form are obtained from a font generator 4. In the case when a relevant character is in the dot-patterning area, the original font data from the font generator 4 are processed to produced a font expanded by one dot longitudinally, laterally and obliquely, the dots on the image memory 5 in the part of this expanded font are erased, and thereafter the original font data are disposed on the image memory.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printer device, and particularly to a printer device that receives print data and printer control commands from a host and executes printing.

[Conventional technology]

As shown in FIG. 4, a conventional printer device has a CPU section 42 composed of a microprocessor, working RAM, etc., and executes a basic control program and a printer control command interpretation program on a ROM 43. The basic control program performs basic control and management of the device, such as device initialization at power-on and reset, and fault diagnosis.

The printer control command interpretation program interprets print data and printer control commands received from the host interface 41, refers to font information on the font generator 44, develops a print image on the image memory 45, and sends the print image to the I10 processor section 46 as appropriate. A printing command is sent to print.

The image memory 45 requires a memory capacity equivalent to the number of dots in one recording unit of the printer, a memory capacity equivalent to one scan of the head in a serial printer, and one page per page in a page printer.

In devices where high speed is important, the I10 processor section 46 is realized by a plurality of slave microprocessors, but in devices where cost is important, it may be realized by a program on the ROM 43.

Data sent from the host is classified into two types: character code data that specifies characters to be printed, and control codes that specify additional functions such as shading and left margin.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the shading by conventional printer devices, there is a third mark on top of the characters.
When halftone dots are applied as shown in FIG. 3(a), the halftone dots and the dots constituting the characters are adjacent to each other, resulting in a disadvantage that the legibility of the characters is impaired as shown in FIG. 3(b).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a printer device that realizes a hatching function with excellent character legibility.

[Means to solve the problem]

The printer device of the present invention includes a storage means for storing a shaded area, an expanded font pattern generation means for generating a pattern expanded by one dot in eight directions, front, back, left, right, and diagonal than a character font pattern, and a page memory for storing the font in the page memory. It is equipped with a pattern and logic operation means.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the CPU unit 2 temporarily stores the character code sent from the host in the RAM 1.

It also interprets the control code that instructs shading, calculates the shading area, and stores it in the RAM 2. When the information necessary to start printing is obtained, halftone dots are recorded on the image memory 5 based on the information.

Next, based on the character codes already stored in the RAM 2, font data in bitmap format is obtained from the font generator 4. The font generator 4 is usually constructed of a ROM (Kanji ROM) that stores font data, but it can also generate bit map fonts using other methods, such as vector data.

If the corresponding character is outside the shaded area, the font data is simply stored in the image memory 5. The arrangement is performed by performing a logical OR operation on the image memory and the font data. If the shaded area is within the area, the original font data from the font generator 4 is processed and
After generating a font expanded by the amount of dots and erasing the halftone dots in the expanded font portion on the image memory 5, the original font data is placed in the image memory.

The expanded font is obtained by ORing the original font and eight patterns obtained by shifting the original font (a) by one dot in eight directions (up, down, left, right, and diagonally) as shown in FIG. Figure 2 (b), (c), (
d) The figure shows the original font shifted upward by one dot, shifted upward by one dot to the upper right, and the expanded font obtained by the logical sum of these figures.

Further, the halftone dot pattern on the image memory can be erased by performing an AND operation on the image memory using an inverted pattern of the expansion pattern. Figure 3 shows an example of this (a)
The figure shows the halftone dot pattern on the image memory, and the figure (b) shows the original font of FIG. 2(a) superimposed on this halftone dot pattern. FIG. 3(c) shows a pattern on the image memory improved by this embodiment.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, halftone dots are not placed adjacent to character patterns during hatching, so
Shading with excellent character legibility can realize a functional printer device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing expansion font generation, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the above embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a conventional printer device. FIG. 2... CPU section, 4... Font generator, 5
...Image memory, RAM1...Character code buffer, RAM2...Shaded areas are information storage areas. 1st Dot I-Schiff L Sword Drawing (α) Tora Fuoshik (b) Upper IP-No FL Futo Group (b) Almost J <C> Fig. Fig.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a printer device having a shading function that interprets print data and control commands received from a host and executes printing, there is a storage means for storing the shading area, and 1 dot in each direction from the front, back, left, right, and diagonal of the character font pattern. A printer apparatus comprising: an expanded font pattern generating means for generating an expanded pattern; and a logical operation means for performing a logical operation on a page memory with the font pattern.