JPH0344697A - Dot pattern generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable an attractive void character display by detecting the size of a character dot matrix by a size detecting means and counting the number of contour dots. CONSTITUTION:The size detecting means 14 detects the size of the contour of a character pattern read out of a pattern storage means 11. A contour dot determining means 15 calculates the number of dots of a contour line according to the detection result and a contour dot pattern means 13 is controlled through a control means 16 to display a void character image through an image buffer 12. The void character display of the contour line consisting of the best number of dots which varies according to the size of the character pattern becomes attractive and easy to see.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The invention relates to the generation 14ii1 of a dot pattern.

[Conventional technology]

In a dot pattern generator that expresses characters and figures using dot patterns, one method for emphasizing only specific words in a series of words is to create dot patterns of white characters (blanket characters) that leave only their outlines. It is widely known that means to generate this already exist.

However, in the conventional dot pattern generation device, the method of generating a closed character pattern is to check the surrounding dots for each dot in the basic dot pattern, and determine which dots should form the outline based on the presence of the surrounding dots. At the same time, a predetermined number of contour dots are added around the dots, and then the basic dots are deleted to obtain a blank character pattern.

Therefore, in the envelope character pattern obtained by such a method, the thickness of the outline line always becomes a constant dot pattern regardless of the size of the character.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, if an attempt is made to obtain a closed character pattern using dot patterns with different sizes of dot matrices constituting the characters, for example, when a closed character pattern is obtained using a dot pattern of 24 dots vertically and 24 dots horizontally, , vertical 48
When compared with the case where a dot pattern of 48 horizontal dots is used to obtain a double letter pattern, an aesthetic imbalance occurs in which the outline is too thick or too thin relative to the size of the letter. In other words, when the number of contour dots is fixed at one dot, the dot pattern generator in the prior art produces a double-sided character pattern using a dot pattern of 48 vertical dots and 48 horizontal dots. The contour lines will appear thinner, and a sufficient enhancement effect cannot be obtained.

Also, if the number of outline dots is fixed to 2 dots, then conversely, in a double letter pattern using a dot pattern of 24 vertical dots and 424 dots, the outline will be too large for the character size. This has the problem that the characters become difficult to distinguish.

The present invention is intended to solve these problems, and its purpose is to determine the size of the dot matrix that constitutes a character and change the thickness of the outline line according to the size of the character. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dot pattern generating device capable of generating an aesthetically well-balanced double-sided character pattern that provides a sufficient highlighting effect, makes characters easy to distinguish, and is aesthetically balanced.

[Means to solve the problem]

The dot pattern generating device of the present invention includes a pattern storage means for storing dot patterns, and an image buffer for sequentially storing the dot patterns taken out from the pattern storage means as images! In the apparatus, a contour dot generating means for generating contour dots of a basic dot pattern for obtaining a bag character pattern, a size detecting means for detecting the size of a dot matrix constituting a character, and the size detecting means The present invention is characterized by comprising a contour dot number determining means for determining the number of contour dots based on the detection result of the contour dots, and a control means for controlling the contour dot generating means so as to obtain a desired number of contour dots.

[Effect]

Since the present invention has the above configuration, the size detecting means detects the size of the dot matrix constituting the character, and based on the detection result, the contour dot number determining means determines the number of contour dots.

The contour dot generation means is controlled by the control means to generate a determined number of contour dots.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 11 is a pattern storage means for storing the dot pattern, 12 is an image buffer for sequentially storing the dot pattern as an image, 13 is an outline dot pattern generating means for generating an outline dot pattern of the basic dot pattern, and 14 is an outline dot pattern generating means for generating the outline dot pattern of the basic dot pattern. A size detecting means 15 detects the size of the dot matrix, a contour dot number determining means 15 determines an appropriate number of contour dots according to the size of the dot matrix, and a contour dot pattern 16 having a desired number of contour dots is obtained. This is a control means for controlling the contour dot pattern generating means so that the outline dot pattern generating means is controlled.

First, using the present invention, vertical 201 is 24 dots, horizontal 202
A case in which a dot pattern 22 is obtained from a dot pattern 21 of 24 dots will be explained with reference to FIG.

Now, it is assumed that the pattern storage means shown in FIG. 11 stores a dot pattern consisting of a dot matrix of 24 dots in the vertical direction 201 and 24 dots in the horizontal direction 202 shown in FIG. 2, as shown in FIG. Prior to this, the size detection means of FIG. 14 detects the number of vertical dots and the number of horizontal dots of the dot pattern (FIG. 2 21) retrieved from the pattern storage means of FIG. 11, and uses this detection result. The contour dot number determining means shown in FIG. 1 15 determines the optimum number of contour dots for the size of the character from the number of vertical dots and the number of horizontal dots of the dot pattern taken. Calculate. (Here, 24 vertical dots,
The discussion will proceed assuming that it has been determined that the optimal number of contour dots is one dot for a dot pattern of 24 horizontal dots. ) The control means shown in FIG. 16 receives the number of contour dots from the number of contour dots determining means shown in FIG.
The contour dot pattern generating means shown in FIG. 13 is controlled. The bag character pattern obtained in this way, FIG.
The images are sequentially stored in the image buffer of FIG. 12 as images.

Next, a case will be described with reference to FIG. 3, in which a dot pattern 32 is obtained from a dot pattern 31 with 48 dots in the vertical direction and 48 dots in the horizontal direction 302.

It is assumed that the pattern storage means i in FIG. 1 stores a dot pattern consisting of a dot matrix of 48 dots vertically and 48 dots horizontally as shown in FIG. 31. In the same way as the above-mentioned case of obtaining a square letter from a dot pattern of 24 vertical dots and 24 horizontal dots, the size detecting means of FIG. The contour dot number determining means in FIG. 1, which detects the number of vertical dots and the number of horizontal dots in FIG. 31) and passes this detection result to the contour dot number determining means in FIG. The optimal number of outline dots for the character size is calculated from the number of vertical and horizontal dots in the pattern.

(Here, it is assumed that for a dot pattern of 48 dots vertically and 48 dots horizontally, it has been determined that the optimal number of contour dots is 2 dots.) The control means in FIG.
The number of contour dots is received from the number of contour dots determining means of FIG. 15, and the contour dot pattern generating means of FIG. 13 is controlled based on this number of dots, that is, so that the number of contour dots becomes two dots. The envelope character patterns obtained in this manner (FIG. 3, 32) are sequentially stored as images in the image buffer of FIG. 1, FIG. 12.

Comparing the two closed letter patterns obtained in the above example, the closed letter pattern using a dot pattern of M124 dots and 24 horizontal dots has a contour dot count of 1.
By using dots, characters can be easily distinguished and a sufficient emphasizing effect can be achieved. On the other hand, 48 dots vertically and 48 dots horizontally
By setting the number of outline dots to two dots in the envelope character pattern using a dot pattern, the outline can be clearly seen, a sufficient emphasizing effect can be obtained, and the characters can be easily distinguished.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of the above operation. First, the basic dot pattern is read out from the pattern storage means (41
), Next, the number of vertical and horizontal dots of the basic dot pattern is detected (42), Next, the optimal number of contour dots is calculated (43), Next, 1 is added to the dot pattern.
A dot outline dot pattern is added (44).

Next, it is determined whether the optimum number of contour dots has been reached, and if it has not been reached, the process returns to step 44 (45).

If the dot pattern has been reached, the basic dot pattern is deleted from the obtained dot pattern (46), and the dot pattern is then stored as an image in the image buffer (47).
).

As an embodiment of the present invention, a method for generating a blank letter pattern has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to a blank letter pattern, but can also be applied to a blank pattern in which only the outline dot pattern on the right side and lower side of a basic dot pattern is left. It can also be applied to the generation of dot patterns such as <shadow character patterns>.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to automatically detect the size of the dot matrix constituting a character, determine the optimal number of outline dots, and generate a closed character pattern. It is possible to obtain a good-looking cover letter pattern that is well-balanced with the size of the letter, that is, a cover letter pattern in which the characters are easy to distinguish and have a sufficient emphasis effect.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the present invention. 11...Pattern storage means for storing dot patterns 12...Image buffer 13 for sequentially storing dot patterns as images...Outline dot pattern generating means 14 for generating outline dot patterns of the basic dot pattern...Dots Size detection means 15 for detecting the size of the matrix... Contour dot number determining means 16 for determining the optimal number of contour dots for the character size... A contour dot pattern with a desired number of contour dots is obtained. 2(a) and 2(b) are schematic diagrams each showing a dot pattern consisting of a dot matrix of 24 vertical dots and 24 horizontal dots in an embodiment of the present invention. . 21...Scheme 22 showing the basic dot pattern
...Schematic diagrams illustrating the envelope character pattern obtained from the basic dot pattern. Figures 3(a) and 3(b) each show a dot pattern consisting of a dot matrix of 48 vertical dots and 48 horizontal dots in an embodiment of the present invention. Pattern diagram. 31...Scheme 32 showing the basic dot pattern
. . . A schematic diagram showing a cover letter pattern obtained from a basic dot pattern. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present invention. that's all

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim] In an apparatus comprising a pattern storage means for storing dot patterns and an image buffer for sequentially storing the dot patterns taken out from the pattern storage means as images, In order to obtain outline dots (hereinafter referred to as "blanket characters"), there are provided a contour dot generating means for generating outline dots of a basic dot pattern, a size detecting means for detecting the size of a dot matrix constituting the character, and a size detecting means for detecting the size of the dot matrix constituting the character. The invention is characterized by comprising a contour dot number determining means for determining the number of contour dots based on the detection result of the means, and a control means for controlling the contour dot generating means so as to obtain a desired number of contour dots. Dot pattern generator.