JPH04267165A - Printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the cost price and to enhance editing and drawing capacity. CONSTITUTION:A printing apparatus has a character pattern RAM 2-3 storing the necessary min. character patterns sent from a host apparatus 1, a character attribute RAM 2-4 storing the attribute data of the character pattern sent from the host apparatus 1, a bit map memory 2-5 subjecting the character pattern to dot development to store the same, a means performing dot development on the bit map memory 2-5 on reference to the character attribute stored in the character attribute RAM 2-4 and the character pattern stored in the character pattern RAM 2-3 and a control part 2-2 controlling the operation of the whole of the apparatus.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a character generation technique in a printing device for an information processing system, and more particularly to a printing device for realizing a storage method for character pattern data.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, character patterns in printing devices are stored as full dot patterns corresponding to the size of the characters. That is, it is composed of an effective pattern part that actually forms a character pattern and other blank spaces.

0003

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional full-dot character pattern described above, the margin part of each character is also a character, regardless of the type of character, the size of the character, the difference in character attributes such as full-width characters and half-width characters, etc. Since it is included as pattern data, the amount of data becomes enormous, which inevitably requires a large capacity memory to store it, resulting in an increase in cost. Another problem is that it takes a long time to edit and draw characters.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] A printing device of the present invention is a printing device for an information processing system, and includes a character pattern RAM that stores the minimum necessary character patterns sent from a host device, and a character pattern RAM that stores the minimum required character patterns sent from the host device. A character attribute RAM that stores pattern attribute information, a bitmap memory that stores dot expansion of character patterns, and the character attributes stored in the character attribute RAM and the character pattern R.
The apparatus includes means for referencing the character pattern stored in the AM and dot expansion in the bitmap memory, and a control section for controlling the operation of the entire apparatus.

[0005]

[Operation] In the present invention, the attribute information of the character pattern is stored in the character attribute RAM from the host device according to the character pattern of each character, and the starting position of one character is determined using the attribute information of the character pattern. By determining this, only effective patterns that actually form a character pattern are stored in the character pattern RAN from the host device.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a host device in which valid pattern data for actually forming a character pattern and attribute information corresponding to the character pattern for each character are stored. 2 is a printing device, and this printing device 2 includes an interface circuit 2-1 that enables connection with the host device 1, a control unit 2-2 that controls the entire printing device 2, and information sent from the host device 1. A character pattern RAM 2-3 that stores the minimum required character pattern, a character attribute RAM 2-4 that stores attribute information of the character pattern sent from the host device 1,
A bitmap memory 2-5 that develops and stores character patterns in dots, and a printing section 2-6 that actually outputs the printout to the outside.
It is made up of.

Here, the character pattern RAM 2-3 is a character pattern RAM for storing valid pattern data that actually forms a character pattern, and the character attribute RAM
2-4 is a character attribute RAM for storing attribute information corresponding to the character pattern of each character. Then, the control section 2
-2 and character pattern RAM2-3 and character attribute RAM
Also, the bitmap memory 2-5 is a character attribute RAM.
Character attributes and character patterns stored in 2-4 RAM2
-3 constitutes means for dot expansion into the bitmap memory 2-5 by referring to the character pattern stored in the bitmap memory 2-5.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of one character in a character pattern, and the character pattern 3 consists of an effective pattern portion 4 (this pattern portion 4) that actually forms the character pattern.
is stored in the host device 1) and other blank areas 5.
The size of the character pattern 3 and the position of the pattern part 4 in the character pattern 3, that is, the attribute parameters are A, B, C, D, E, and F, respectively. )
.

FIG. 3 shows the character pattern G of the embodiment shown in FIG.
', H', the start positions are represented by K and M, respectively, and the effective pattern part that actually forms the character pattern is I.
, J, and the positions are represented by L and N. 6 is a row reference line.

FIG. 4 shows two types of character patterns G shown in FIG.
′, H′ is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of each attribute of (
A) shows the attribute G, and (b) shows the attribute H. In this FIG. 4, A, B,
C, D, E, F and A', B', C', D', E',
F' indicates an attribute parameter.

Next, the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. First, when drawing a character pattern G' based on the line reference line 6 as shown in FIG. The attribute G of the pattern G' is the interface circuit 2 in the printing device 2.
-1, and the character attribute RAM 2-4 is stored by the control unit 2-2.
is memorized. Next, the effective pattern part I that actually forms characters stored in the host device 1 passes through the interface circuit 2-1 in the printing device 2, and is stored in the character pattern RAM 2-3 by the control section 2-2. Ru. Next, the control unit 2-2 detects the attribute G of the character pattern G' from the character attribute RAM 2-4, and sets the attribute parameter C dot in the X direction and the attribute parameter C dot in the Y direction with respect to the start position K shown in FIG. The print start position L is set to the position moved by the attribute parameter D dots, and the control unit 2-2 sets the character pattern RAM 2-
The pattern part I is detected from 3 and stored in bitmap memory 2.
Draw the pattern portion I on -5.

Next, the print position of the next character is determined by adding one character size to the start position K shown in FIG. Set the printing start position N to the position moved by the attribute parameter D' dots in the Y direction, and draw a series of character patterns by drawing the pattern part J. When the dot development of one page's worth of data is completed, , the control section 2-2 issues a printing command to the printing section 2-6, and this printing section 2-6 outputs a printout to the outside of the apparatus.

[0013]

As explained above, the printing device of the present invention stores the attribute information of the character pattern from the host device in the character attribute RAM according to the character pattern of each character, and stores the attribute information of the character pattern in the character attribute RAM. Since the start position of one character is determined by using this function, only the valid patterns that actually form the character pattern need to be stored in the character pattern RAM from the host device, which reduces the RAM capacity and reduces costs. This also has the effect of improving editing and drawing performance.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of one character in a character pattern.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a character pattern of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of attributes of two types of character patterns shown in FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

1. Upper device 2 Printing device 2-1 Interface circuit 2-2 Control section 2-3 Character pattern RAM 2-4 Character attribute RAM 2-5 Bitmap memory 2-6 Printing section

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A printing device for an information processing system, comprising: a character pattern RAM that stores a minimum required character pattern sent from a host device; a character attribute RAM that stores attribute information of the character pattern sent from the host device; , a bitmap memory for dot-expanding and storing a character pattern; and means for dot-expanding the character pattern in the bitmap memory by referring to character attributes stored in the character attribute RAM and character patterns stored in the character pattern RAM. 1. A printing device comprising: a control unit that controls the operation of the entire device.