JPH03129392A - Pattern information generator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To generate pattern information which provides display and output images of the same size even if resolution is altered by providing a means which converts pattern information in response to resolution information and the resolution of pattern information stored in a pattern information storing means. CONSTITUTION:A pattern memory 29 stores pattern information of prescribed resolution in response to its code information. When resolution information is input from a host computer 10, pattern conversion corresponding to the resolution is carried out based on the pattern information stored in the pattern memory 29, and is stored in a line pattern part 25. Thus, pattern information that provides display and output images of the same size even if resolution is altered can be generated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a pattern information generating device that can change the pattern information generated as the resolution changes.

[Prior Art] Some conventional display devices, printing devices, etc. that display and output pattern information can change the resolution of the output pattern information. In this case, if the resolution of the pattern information to be output is changed, even if the pattern information is the same, the lines will be longer and thicker, or thinner and shorter, and different patterns will be output.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention 1] In order to prevent this, if pattern information corresponding to various resolutions is stored, a very large amount of pattern information must be stored, and a large capacity memory is required. Become,
There is a problem that the cost of the device increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional example, and is capable of generating pattern information corresponding to changes in resolution.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pattern information generating device capable of generating pattern information that provides a display/output image of the same size even if the resolution is changed.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the pattern information generating device of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, it is a pattern information generating device that inputs code information, develops a pattern, and displays/outputs the pattern information, and includes a pattern storage means that stores pattern information corresponding to the code information at a predetermined resolution, and resolution information of the pattern information to be output. It has a resolution storage means for storing, and a conversion means for converting the pattern information in correspondence with the resolution information and the resolution of the pattern information stored in the pattern information storage means.

[Operation] In the above configuration, pattern information at a predetermined resolution is stored in the pattern storage means in correspondence with code information. Then, the resolution information of the pattern information to be output is stored, and the pattern information stored in the pattern information storage means is converted and outputted in accordance with the resolution information and the resolution stored in the pattern storage means. It works like this.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Description of Printer (Figure 1)] In this embodiment, a printer will be used as an example of an output device for pattern information, but other devices such as a CRT etc. Possible examples include a display device such as a fax machine and a communication device such as a facsimile machine. In addition, in this embodiment, four examples of pattern curvatures that are changed depending on the resolution will be explained in the case of a line pattern.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printer 11 according to an embodiment.

In the figure, 10 is a host computer that transfers print data to the printer 11 of the embodiment and instructs the print operation. This data from the host computer 10 is input to the control section 21, and the control section 21 analyzes these received data and outputs an instruction to start recording processing to the dot printer engine section 28 according to the data. In the control unit 21, a CPU 21a controls the entire apparatus according to a control program (stored in the ROM 2lb). 21c is a RAM used as a data area of CPLJ21a, and temporarily stores various data.

Reference numeral 22 denotes a resolution storage section for recording the resolution output by the engine section 28, in which resolution information instructed by the host computer 10 is stored. :3 is a line number storage unit which stores the type of line pattern such as solid line, 6 lines, chain line, etc. in number 1. Reference numeral 24 denotes a line information storage section, which stores the dot width, length, and line pattern of the line pattern in the line pattern section 2ξ.
address is memorized. 24a is an address memory that stores the address of the line information storage section 24 that stores the line pattern at the current resolution.

25 is a line pattern section that stores line pattern information changed according to the resolution; 26 is a page buffer;
The character code, print position information, line code, and the address of the line information storage section 24 of the line code received from the host computer 10 are stored in units of pages. 27 is a frame buffer, and page buffer 26
Pattern information obtained by developing the code information into a pattern is stored. The pattern information in the frame buffer 27 is sequentially transferred to the printer engine section 28, and recorded and reproduced on a recording medium such as recording paper.

29 is a pattern memory which stores pattern information for a predetermined resolution in correspondence with the code information;
As will be described later, when resolution information and the like are input from the host computer 10.

Based on the pattern information stored in the pattern memory 29, pattern conversion corresponding to the resolution is performed.
It is stored in the line pattern section 25.

[Relationship between Resolution and Line Pattern 1] Next, the data structure of each storage unit in the printer 11 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the default state of this printer 11, and FIG. 2(A) shows "240d" in the resolution storage section 22.
pi" is set, and "1" is stored in the line number storage section 23.
(dashed line pattern) is stored. FIG. 2(B) is a diagram showing the data structure of the line information storage unit 24, and the line information set with the default value of FIG. 2(A) is stored as the address (ADI) of the table as shown. There is.

From now on, the line width is 1", the length is "8", and the address of the line pattern section 25 where the pattern data is stored is "adr 1". Figure 2 (C) shows the line pattern. 2(D) shows the structure of the pattern data stored in the address "adr l" of the section 25.
shows a line pattern recorded with this default pattern.

On the other hand, FIG. 3 shows a case where the line numbers are the same and the resolution of the engine section 28 is changed from 240 dpi'' to 480 dpi''.

In FIG. 3(A), the data in the resolution storage unit 22 is "480".
(dpi)" and expanded in accordance with the change in resolution as shown in FIG. 3(B) is stored at the address (A D
2) is stored.

FIG. 3(C) shows the structure of the pattern data of the line pattern section 25 at this time, and since the resolution has doubled,
The amount of data has also been expanded by a factor of (2X2). FIG. 3(D) shows lines recorded and reproduced based on the pattern data of FIG. 3(C). This recorded image is
Since the dot diameter is smaller due to the doubling of resolution compared to FIG. 2(D), the dots are recorded with the same size and thickness as the lines in FIG. 2(D).

[Explanation of print processing (Figs. 1 to 5)] Fig. 4 is a flowchart of a control program that processes data from the host computer 10, which is stored in the ROM 21b of the control unit 21. host computer 1
It starts by receiving data from 0.

When the data from the host computer 10 is received, the process proceeds to step Sl, where the received data is identified and the process proceeds to step S1.
Step 2 checks whether the data is resolution information. If it is resolution information, the process advances to step S3, and it is checked whether the resolution is the same as the current resolution stored in the resolution storage section 22. If they are the same, the process returns to step Sl and proceeds to the next data discrimination process. If it does not match the current resolution information stored in the resolution storage unit 22 in step S3, step S3
4, the received resolution information is set in the resolution storage section 22.

Next, the process proceeds to step S5, and it is checked whether line data at the current resolution already exists in the line pattern section 25. If there is, the process proceeds to step S8, but if not, the process proceeds to step S6, and the line number and resolution are determined. Line information is created based on the information, and is set in the line information storage section 24, for example, as shown in FIG. 3(B). At the same time, a corresponding line pattern is created in step S7,
For example, as shown in FIG. 3(C), the line pattern portion 2
Store in 5. At this time, the line pattern section 25 in which the created line pattern is stored is stored in the table specified by the address (AD2) of the line information storage section 24.
address (ad "2)" is stored.

In step S8, the updated address of the line information storage section 24 is set in the address memory 24a. The value of this address memory 24a is set as a reference address when a line code is stored in the page buffer 26, as will be described later.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2 that it is not resolution information, the process advances to step S9 to check whether it is line number information that specifies the type of line. If it is a line number, the process proceeds to step SIO, where it is checked whether it matches the line number currently stored in the line number storage section 24, and if it matches, step S1
However, if the line number does not match, the process advances to step Sll, and the line number is set in the line number storage section 23.

Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S5, and as described above, it is checked whether the line pattern at the current resolution already exists in the line pattern section 25. Here, if it exists, the process advances to step S8, and the line information storage section 24
The corresponding table address (ADn) is set in the address memory 24a, but if no line data exists, the process advances to step S6, and line information and line patterns are created as described above.

If the information from the host computer 10 is neither resolution information nor line number, the process advances to step S12, and the code information input from the host computer 10 is stored in the page buffer 26.

This process will be explained in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the process of storing the code in the page buffer 26 shown in step S12 of FIG. is stored in the corresponding position of the page buffer 26.

If it is a line code in step S21, step S23
, and store the line code in address memory 2.
The address data stored in 4a is stored in the page buffer 26.

As a result, when reading code information from the page buffer 26 and developing a pattern in the frame buffer 27, the character code must be expanded into a pattern using a character generator or the like, and the line information must be expanded into the line code and the corresponding pattern. Stored line information storage unit 2
Based on the address stored in the table, for example (adr2, etc.), the corresponding line pattern of the line pattern section 25 is successively read out, and the pattern is developed in the frame buffer 27.
In this embodiment, when a resolution switching command or pattern number is input, line information and line patterns corresponding to the resolution are created and each is stored in the corresponding memory. is not limited to this, but when the resolution or line number is changed, only the switching information is memorized, and when the pattern is developed from the page buffer to the frame buffer, it corresponds to the resolution and line number at that time. If the pattern is developed in this manner, the capacity of the line information storage section and the line pattern storage section can be reduced.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, by changing the resolution, a line pattern is created unconditionally if there is no line pattern at that resolution, but it is possible to select whether or not to create such a line pattern. For example, it is possible to select between a resolution-dependent line pattern output and a resolution-independent line pattern output.

As explained above, according to this embodiment, even if the resolution is changed, a line pattern of the same size can be displayed and output.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to generate pattern information that corresponds to a change in resolution, and pattern information that allows a display/output image of the same size to be obtained even if the resolution is changed. It has the effect of generating

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the printer of the embodiment, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing default values in the printer of the embodiment, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example in which the resolution has been changed, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing input data processing in the printer of the embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing storage processing in the page buffer. In the figure, 10... host computer, 11... printer, 21... control unit, 21a... CPU, 21b
... ROM, 21cm RAM, 22--Resolution storage section, 23... Line number storage section, 24... Line information storage section, 24a... Address memory, 25... Line pattern section, 26. ...Page buffer, 27...
- Frame buffer, 28... Dot printer engine section, 29... Pattern memory.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A pattern information generating device that inputs code information, develops a pattern, and displays/outputs the pattern information, which includes a pattern storage means that stores pattern information corresponding to the code information at a predetermined resolution, and resolution information of the pattern information to be output. a resolution storage means for storing the pattern information; and a conversion means for converting the pattern information in correspondence with the resolution information and the resolution of the pattern information stored in the pattern information storage means. Generator. (2) A storage device for storing a conversion pattern converted by the conversion device; and a storage device for storing an address of the conversion pattern in the storage device in association with the resolution information. The pattern information generating device according to item 1.