JPH03234678A - Font structure for dot matrix type printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To overlap adjacent characters by incorporating a code bit in a lateral layout information unit for specifying the lateral layout of a character dot matrix pattern. CONSTITUTION:A character dot matrix pattern, for example, in a font structure of an H character is surrounded by X2 and Y2, and vertical and lateral layout information units of the pattern are indicated by X1, X2 and X3, and Y1, Y2 and Y3. In a state that a character font is stored in a character generator, one character has character dot matrix pattern unit and vertical, lateral layout information units. The top bits of the X1 and X3 of the lateral layout information unit mean right and left code bits. Thus, the top bits (b7) of the units X1, X3 are formed as left and right code bits to overlap adjacent characters.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a character font structure for a dot matrix printer, and more particularly to the structure of a character generator.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, the structure of a character font character generator for a dot matrix type serial printer stores only the character pattern for each character in a fixed area in a dot matrix. Further, there is a font configuration having a character pattern section corresponding to the character size and vertical and horizontal layout information sections of this character pattern section.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The character patterns read from the character font character generator with the conventional configuration described above are sequentially arranged in a fixed direction corresponding to the printing direction, so a composite pattern is realized in which the previous character pattern overlaps the next character pattern. The drawback is that it cannot be done.

[Means to solve the problem]

In the font structure of the present invention, each character has a character dot pattern section and a horizontal layout information section indicating where the dot pattern section is positioned relative to the preceding and following characters. The layout information field includes a sign bit indicating left and right.

〔Example〕

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

FIG. 1 shows the font structure of the H character as a bitmap. Character dot matrix pattern part is X2
and Y2, and the vertical and horizontal layout information parts of the H character dot pattern are
3 and Y, , Y2 and Y3. FIG. 2 shows a character font stored in a character generator, which has a character dot matrix pattern section and vertical and horizontal layout information sections for each character. Here, the top bits of xl and x3 in the horizontal layout information section are given meaning as left and right sign bits.

Figures 3 and 4 are vertical and horizontal layout information section X+
, X2, X3. Yl, Y2, Y3, the character W shown by the character dot matrix pattern W, and the vertical and horizontal layout information sections Xll, X2□X35. Y,,,Y2
2. This shows an example in which Y33 and a character A indicated by a character dot matrix pattern A are read out from a character generator and printed alternately. The example in Figure 3 is
°′1” where the left and right sign bits of X3 and X11 indicate negative
Figure 4 shows the case of XI, X3, Yll,
A case is shown in which the left and right sign bits of Y33 are "0", indicating positive.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention provides the horizontal layout information section
By configuring the top pit (b7>) of , , X as a left/right sign bit, it is possible to cause adjacent characters to overlap.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the font structure of the present invention by bit mapping, and the letter H is illustrated. FIG. 2 shows how the font structure of the present invention is stored in a character generator. Figures 3 and 4 show the results of printing the example characters "w" and "A" alternately according to the parameters of their respective font configurations. In particular, Figure 3 shows the case where the left and right sign bits are negative. This indicates that characters can overlap.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a dot matrix type font structure of a dot matrix type printer, each character has a character dot matrix pattern part and a horizontal layout information part that specifies the horizontal layout of the character dot matrix pattern, and the horizontal layout information part A font structure for dot matrix printers characterized by having a sign bit.