JPH04182155A - Multifont server available for shared use by multiple units - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make the size of a system compact and to make all units in the system capable of outputting identical font patterns by providing a transmission mechanism which receives data necessary for read-out of font patterns and transmits the font patterns to multiple units, and by making identical font patterns available for shared use by the multiple units. CONSTITUTION:A transmission control section 202 controls receiving of character codes from an external input/output unit 201 and transmission of font pattern data to the external input/output unit 201. A main control section 205 reads out, from an external storage section 205, font patterns for character codes received by the transmission control section 202, and develops the read out font patterns into a main storage section 204. The developed font patterns are transmitted to the external input/out unit 201 by operation of the transmmission control section 202. The main storage section 204 is used for shunting of font patterns read out of the external storage section 205. Modules stored in the external storage section 205 are made exchangeable.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a font pattern sharing method in an information processing system.

[Conventional technology]

The method of generating characters in conventional information processing systems is to create character font patterns for each necessary device (for example, CR
(in each device such as T, printer, X-Y plotter, etc.)
Each character was generated and used in its own way.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In conventional character generation methods, when the number of types of characters to be generated is small, the device (character generator) that stores the necessary font patterns does not need to be very large. There were no problems either.

However, if multiple devices need to generate many types of characters, the character generator that stores the font pattern becomes large, so it is difficult to install a character generator in all devices as in the past. The drawback is that it becomes larger and the cost becomes higher.

Furthermore, since conventional character management systems manage only character codes, there is no management of font patterns themselves. Therefore, there is a drawback that when the same character is generated by different devices, the shape of the character may be different.

For example, if the character shapes generated by a CRT and a printer that are connected to the same computer are different, what you see on the screen and the result printed by the printer will be different, so you may not be able to check the print result on the screen many times. You must also try printing.

[Means to solve the problem]

In the conventional method, a character generation device is required for each device that requires character generation. In the present invention, the character generation device is separated from the device that requires character generation and is made into a separate device.

According to the present invention, there is provided a mechanism for storing a plurality of font patterns, a mechanism for reading out the stored font patterns, and a mechanism for receiving data (character codes, etc.) necessary for reading out the font patterns, and transmitting the fonts to a plurality of devices. A multi-font server is provided, which has a communication mechanism for transmitting patterns and is characterized in that the same font pattern can be shared by a plurality of devices.

〔Example〕

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

FIG. 1 shows a connection example when the present invention is used.

As shown in this figure, this device is connected not only to a computer but also to an external output device such as a printer or an X-Y plotter to share font patterns.

Conventionally, when characters input from a computer keyboard 103 are displayed on the CRT 102, a font pattern built into the computer body 101 is read and displayed, but when using this device, the following procedure is used.

■The computer main body 101 transfers the character code of the character input from the keyboard 103 to the font server 104.
Send to.

(2) The font server 104 sends the font pattern for the given character code to the computer main body 101.

■The computer main body displays the pattern returned from the font server on the CRT 102.

Also, when outputting to a printer or X-Y plotter,
In the past, printers and X-Y plotters automatically output the fonts they had internally by sending character codes from the computer itself.

When using this apparatus, the following procedure is followed (the case of a printer is taken as an example, but the case of an x-y block is exactly the same).

■The computer main body 101 transmits the character code to be output to the printer 105.

(2) The printer 105 sends the given character code t to the font server 104. -〇The font server 104 transmits the font pattern for the received character code to the printer 105.

■The printer prints using the font pattern sent from the font server.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the multi-font server of the present invention.

This device, as shown in this figure, Communication control unit 202. Main control section 203° Main storage unit 204. External storage unit 205 It consists of four modules.

The communication control unit 202 is a module for communicating with the external input/output device 201 connected to this device. ■Receives character codes (or additional information) from the external input/output device 201. ■External input/output. It is responsible for the above two processes of transmitting font pattern data to the device 201.

The main control unit 203 includes a communication control unit 202. Main storage unit 204゜External storage unit 205 Controls the above three modules. ■ Reads the font pattern of the character code received by the communication control unit 202 from the external storage unit 205, and
Expand to 4.

(2) The developed font pattern is transmitted to the external input/output device 201 by controlling the communication control unit 202.

It is in charge of the above two processes.

The main storage unit 204 is used to save font patterns read from the external storage unit 205.

External storage unit 205 is a module that stores actual font patterns. By making this module in a replaceable format (for example, a ROM card), the pattern can be easily changed.

Further, as an advanced form of this device, an intelligent font server may be considered in which a font pattern editing program is built into the font server and the font pattern is edited/processed within the font server.

The method of use is as follows: (1) Placing a font pattern processing program in a part of the main storage unit 204;

(2) The font pattern read from the external storage unit 205 and developed in the main storage unit 204 is processed in the main storage unit.

■Send the processed character pattern from the communication control unit.

At this time, the font pattern processing program is read from the external storage section 205, and the main control section 202 reads it from the main storage section 205.
Transfer to 03.

In this case as well, by exchanging the machining program, it is easy to increase the variation of patterns.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention has the following effects by incorporating it into a computer system.

・The system becomes cheaper ・The size of the system becomes smaller ・All devices in the system will output the same font pattern (for example, the same font pattern that is displayed on the screen will be output to the printer, etc.) ).

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a connection diagram when the multi-font server of the present invention is incorporated into a computer system (example), and FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the configuration of the multi-font server of the present invention. Representative Patent Attorney Yohei Yamashita

Claims (1)

[Claims] A mechanism that stores multiple font patterns, a mechanism that reads the stored font patterns, and a communication mechanism that receives data (character codes, etc.) necessary for reading the font patterns and sends the font patterns to multiple devices. A multi-font server characterized in that the same font pattern can be shared by multiple devices.