JPH0264877A - Picture processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To accelerate the speed of drawing by switching plural approximating methods according to enlargement/reduction at the time of the output of a character, a graphic form, etc. CONSTITUTION:After a picture processor 2 converts outline font data supplied from an outline font memory 3 storing the contour information of the graphic form into character dot font data, it transmits it to a printer 4. At the time of conversion, both the approximating method using a short straight line and the approximating method using a Betzer curve can be used as the method to approximate the curve part of the character and the graphic form, etc., and in addition, a device is constituted so that each of the methods can be selected according to an output condition. Thus, processing speed is made fast, and on the other hand, the character and the graphic form of high quality can be outputted at the time of the enlargement.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that converts vector character information into dots and outputs the dots.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, as a method for outputting character 0 figures, etc., outline fonts that have the outline of character 0 figures as vector information have been used.Generally called stroke fonts, vector fonts, outline fonts, etc. Here, they are all synonymous.For outline fonts, there are two known methods for approximating the contour line of a curved part of a character 1 figure, etc. One method is approximation using short straight lines. This method is faster in processing time, but when outputting enlarged characters,
There is a drawback that jaggedness is noticeable in the contour curved portion. Another known method is to approximate a curved section using a Betzuere curve. Although this method can output high-quality characters even when enlarging a character 9 figure, it has the major drawback that it takes a considerable amount of time to output the character 9 figure because it uses a complicated calculation formula. ing.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] In conventional devices, generally, either a short straight line approximation method or an approximation method using a Betzuere curve is used as a method for approximating a curved part of a character 1 figure, etc. It will be done. Therefore, in an apparatus using only the short straight line approximation method, although the processing time is fast, there is a drawback that it is impossible to output a high-quality single figure of character during enlargement.

In addition, while a device that uses only the Betsuere curve can always output nine high-quality characters, it uses complex calculation formulas for approximation, so it is difficult to output two complex characters. The major drawback was that it took a lot of time.

(Purpose) In view of the above points, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for approximating a curved part of a character 1 figure, etc. by using both an approximation method using a short straight line and an approximation method using a Betzuere curve. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing device that can be selected according to output conditions.

In view of the above points, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing device that has a plurality of methods for approximating one figure of a character and is capable of selecting an approximation method depending on the size of an output character. .

In view of the above points, an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing device that can select an approximation method depending on the output color.

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a host computer, and 2 is an image processing device, which includes a ROM that stores the programs shown in FIGS. 7, 8, and 8. 4 is a printer. Generally, the image processing device includes a host computer 1,
Or it is built into the printer 4. The host computer 1 outputs character code information to the image processing device 2. 3 is an outline font memory which stores outline information of characters and figures. Outline font memory 3 is
Outline font data such as characters 9 graphics requested by the image processing device 2 is provided. The image processing device 2 converts the outline font data supplied from the outline font memory 3 into character dot font data, and then transmits the data to the printer 4.

FIG. 2 shows the code system of character code information from the host computer. In FIG. 2, the starting point command is:
Starting point (X+13'2
), and takes OIH as data. The straight line command is (X2, y+) from the coordinates given immediately before the command (in this example, the starting point (x+, y+)).
This is a command to draw a straight line up to z), and the data is 0.
Take 2H.

The Bethuere curve command is a command that draws a Bethuere curve from the coordinates (X2, yz) given immediately before the command to (xs, ys).
In addition to z, yz) and (Xs + ys), the coordinate values of two points (Xs, ys) and (X4, y4) are required. The data is 03H. The closed curve command is a command that draws a straight line from the current coordinate point to the point where the start point command was given, and takes 04H as data. A specific example of the trajectory of the above coordinate points is shown in FIG. Further, in FIG. 6, an example of data retention of the outline font stored in the outline font memory 3 of FIG. 1 will be shown and explained in detail.

In FIG. 6, this figure is an example of data retention, and the coordinate points and the like are shown with specific numbers, but it should be noted that they may be completely variable.

Area A is the part corresponding to the header of the data, the figure size (width, height) which is figure information, and area B which indicates the output figure area is the outline information part and the unit is the closed curve of the figure. Let it be a collection of data.

■ indicates the width and height of the figure size, width = 1000
Consists of an area of points, height - toooo points.

■ and ■ indicate the area of the square itself, where the lower left coordinates are (59,147) ■ and the upper right coordinates are (936,870)
It shows that the output figure fits into the area ①.

(789, 867) is determined as the starting point by the starting point command which is the command data OIH.

(2) draws a straight line from (789,867) to (784°861) according to the straight line command which is command data 02H.

(2) also draws a straight line from (784, 861) to (743°792) using the straight line command which is command data 02H.

■ is from (743,792) to (410,79) by the Bethuel curve command which is command data 03H.
0) using (666,792) and (666,795) as reference points to draw a Betzuere curve.

(2) forms one closed curve for contour line information using a closed curve command, which is command data 04H.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the inside of the image processing device 2. As shown in FIG. 7 and 8 are flowcharts explaining the operation of the image processing device 2 shown in FIG. 3. Below, Figure 7,
The control operation of the image processing device 2 will be explained with reference to FIG. 5 is an arithmetic processing unit, and 6 is a page memory. The arithmetic processing unit 5 decodes the character code information sent from the host computer 1 (S1) and reads out outline font data corresponding to the character 1 graphic code from the outline font memory 3 (S2).

The read data is enlarged or reduced according to the specifications of the host computer 1 (S3), and then converted into character dot font data (S4). FIG. 8 shows the flow of processing the .33 font data. At the time of reduction, the approximation method selection means 8 shown in FIG. conduct. Note that the threshold value is set in the approximation method selection means 8, for example, by software. As shown in Figure 4, the coordinate point (X2,
yx ) to (Xs + ys), the contour is approximated by a Betzuere curve, but if a certain threshold is exceeded at the stage of reducing this figure, as shown in Figure 5, ((x2, y2) From (Xs + ys),
(Xs * ys) + (X4+y4) is used as a relay point, and each coordinate point is approximated by a straight line. That is, 03Xs ys X43'4 XS in FIG.
ya is 02xs ys 02Xa Va 02xa y
Replaced by s. If the reduction is not performed beyond the threshold in S5 of FIG. 8, Betsuere curve approximation is performed (S7
). After processing by the approximation method selection means 8, the data is converted into character dot font data (FIG. 7, 34) and written to a predetermined address in the page memory 6. After repeating the above steps and writing one page worth of images,
The I/F control unit 7 outputs image data from the page memory 6 in accordance with the I/F system of the printer 4.

(Other examples) Next, a second embodiment will be described.

The first embodiment converts the approximation of the outline of a curved portion from an approximation method using a Betsuere curve to an approximation method using a short straight line when reducing a character 0 figure, etc., but the second embodiment In this example, the approximation method is converted depending on the color of the requested character sent from the host computer. Therefore, the code system of the block diagram shown in FIG. 1 and the character code information shown in FIG. 2 are the same, and the same numbers are given to the same parts. Each is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 11 shows a block diagram in which the approximation method selection means 8 is replaced in the block diagram of FIG. 3. In FIG. 11, the image processing device 2 stores the program shown in FIG. Needless to say, each function in FIG. 11 is the same as that in FIG. 3, so a description thereof will be omitted. The operation shown in FIG. 11 is similar to the flow shown in FIG. 7, and the details will be omitted. FIG. 12 shows processing different from FIG. 8 related to the approximation method selection means 9 of FIG. 11.

In FIG. 11, the approximation method selection means 9 converts the approximation method for the color information of the requested character transmitted from the host computer 1 (FIG. 12, 31), that is, the approximation method selection means 9 This embodiment is implemented by setting, for example, software, color information for colors that require conversion of the approximation method. For example, a filled black circle or a red circle forms a clear outline on a white paper, so the curved part of the outline is the Bethuere curve (the coordinate point (X2 +
3'2) to (Xi * ys), which is approximated by ) (Fig. 12, 33). However, since the filled-in circles and yellow-green circles do not form sharp outlines on white paper, the approximation method selection means 9 performs the same processing as in the first embodiment, and as shown in FIG. From the coordinate point (X2, yz), (xs, 3/s
), the approximation method using short straight lines is used (S2 in Figure 12).

(Third Embodiment) Note that the first embodiment and the second embodiment may be combined, and the approximation method may be converted by taking into account the scaling factor and color information. For example, if you have data such as a table based on one of them, that is, if you consider color as the reference (and vice versa), black will be linearly approximated up to the magnification Xnl, and pink will be linearly approximated up to Xn2 (X
, ,<Xn2, that is, Xnl≠Xn2), is stored in the image processing device, and magnification 1-color information is taken into account, allowing higher quality character pattern output to be obtained. Although it is not made into a drawing, the process involves transmitting color information and output size along with the character code from the host, reading the outline data based on the character code, and referring to the related table of output specified size and output color information. , short straight line approximation.

The Betsuere curve approximation is selected.

Note that the approximation method and the number of selection targets described above are not limited to these, and it goes without saying that any number of types, such as a spline curve, may be used.

〔effect〕

As described above, when outputting a character, figure, etc., the drawing speed can be increased by switching between multiple types of approximation methods according to enlargement/reduction.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image processing device that can switch the approximation method for patterning a character, figure, etc., depending on color information.

According to the present invention, it has become possible to provide an image processing device that can switch approximation methods depending on output conditions.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image processing device that can switch the approximation method depending on the output size and color information.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a blocked system diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of data retention for an outline font. 7 and 8 are control flowcharts of the image processing device 2. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 10 is a character code system diagram in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of font data processing in the second embodiment. Figure 13 describes a second embodiment of the invention...
・・・・・・・・・Image processing device・・・・・・・・・・
...Outline font memory...
・・・・・・Calculation control unit・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
Approximation method selection means...Approximation method selection means (7, Lj,)

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) An input means for inputting vector information representing image data; a conversion means for converting the vector information from the input means into dots; an output means for outputting a pattern using the dots converted by the conversion means; and the conversion means. An image processing apparatus characterized in that the means includes a plurality of approximation processing units, and means for switching the approximation processing units according to output conditions by the output unit. (2) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output condition is magnification information of a dot pattern to be output. (3) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output condition is color information of a dot pattern to be output. (4) The image processing apparatus is characterized in that the output conditions are a magnification ratio and color information of a dot pattern to be output. (5) Claim 1, wherein the switching means switches between short straight line approximation and Betsuere curve approximation.
The image processing device described in Section 1.