JPH04269798A - Character data generation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a dot pattern of high quality with high resolution by an outline font system which reduce a dot pattern of enlarged size without directly expanding a dot pattern of target size. CONSTITUTION:A conversion matrix generation part 3 generates a conversion matrix corresponding to the enlargement magnification of the size of a character. A coordinate calculation part 4 performs a coordinate converting process for font data by using the conversion matrix. According to the coordinate conversion result, an outline drawing part 5 expands dot pattern data enlarged with the specified magnification corresponding to the outline of the character. A dot data reduction part 7 reduce the dot pattern data from the outline drawing part 5 at the specified reduction rate.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an outline font type character data generation device used, for example, in a document creation device.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, when printing or displaying characters in document creation devices, personal computers, etc., an outline font system has been used in which character data is held as vector data. This method allows easy transformation processing such as enlargement, reduction, and rotation.

In this method, vector data (font data) for each character stored as an outline font is read out, and the size, direction, and direction of the character to be generated are determined.
Coordinate transformation processing according to the position is executed. Outline data corresponding to the outline of the character is generated from the coordinates after this conversion, and by performing a filling process on this outline, a dot pattern is developed in the bitmap memory.

By the way, when converting an outline font to a dot pattern, if a small-sized character pattern with a small number of dots is developed, the required resolution cannot be obtained due to the resolution of the bitmap memory, and the entire character is It will be in a collapsed state.

[0005]

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional outline font method, when developing an outline font into a dot pattern, the required resolution cannot be obtained for small-sized character patterns with a small number of dots, and the entire character is It will be in a collapsed state. Therefore, when printing is performed based on the developed dot pattern, there is a problem that the printing quality deteriorates.

An object of the present invention is to obtain a high-quality dot pattern with high resolution in an outline font method by reducing a dot pattern of an enlarged size without directly developing a dot pattern of a target size. An object of the present invention is to provide a character data generation device.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a character data generation device using an outline font method, which includes a font memory means storing font data corresponding to characters;
A transformation matrix generation means that generates a transformation matrix according to the enlargement factor of the character size, a coordinate calculation means that executes coordinate transformation processing on font data using the transformation matrix from the transformation matrix generation means, and a character outline based on the coordinate transformation result. The apparatus includes outline drawing means for developing dot pattern data corresponding to the dot pattern data, and dot data reduction means for reducing the dot pattern data at a specified reduction ratio.

[0008]

[Operation] In the present invention, the conversion matrix generation means generates a conversion matrix according to the enlargement factor of the character size. Using this transformation matrix, the coordinate calculation means executes coordinate transformation processing on the font data. Based on this coordinate conversion result, the outline drawing means develops dot pattern data that corresponds to the outline of the character and is enlarged at a specified magnification. The dot data reduction means reduces the dot pattern data from the outline drawing means using a designated reduction ratio.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a character data generation device according to the same embodiment. This device includes a control unit (CPU) 1 that controls the entire device, and a font memory 2.
, a transformation matrix generation section 3 and a coordinate calculation section 4.

The font memory 2 stores font data which is vector data (coordinate data) corresponding to characters. The transformation matrix generation unit 3 generates a transformation matrix necessary for coordinate transformation processing, and also generates a transformation matrix according to a specified enlargement factor. The coordinate calculation section 4 executes coordinate transformation processing on the font data using the transformation matrix from the transformation matrix generation section 3.

Furthermore, the present device includes an outline drawing section 5.
, a dot pattern memory 6, a dot data reduction section 7, a printer 8, and a print control section 9. The outline drawing section 5 develops dot pattern data corresponding to the outline of the character in the dot pattern memory 6 based on the coordinate conversion result of the coordinate calculation section 4. The dot data reduction unit 7 reduces the dot pattern data from the outline drawing unit 5 using a specified reduction ratio. The print control section 9 controls the printer 8 based on the dot pattern data developed in the dot pattern memory 6 to print a character pattern.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

First, when an instruction to print a character is given, for example, the control section 1 reads out font data corresponding to the character code from the font memory 2 (step S1 in FIG. 2).
). Further, the conversion matrix generation section 3 generates a conversion matrix according to the font data and its character size under the control of the control section 1. At this time, in accordance with the designation from the control unit 1, a conversion matrix corresponding to a character with an enlarged size n times the size to be printed (target size) is generated (step S2
YES, S3).

The coordinate calculation section 4 executes coordinate transformation processing on the font data using the transformation matrix (n times) generated by the transformation matrix generation section 3 (step S4). The outline drawing unit 5 stores dot pattern data corresponding to the outline of the character in a dot pattern memory (bitmap memory) based on the coordinate conversion result of the coordinate calculation unit 4.
6 (step S5). That is, the outline drawing unit 5 regards the 1 unit distance indicated by the coordinate-converted font data (coordinate values) as a coordinate system corresponding to the distance between 1 pixel of the bitmap memory 6, which is the development destination, and uses this coordinate system. Develops into a dot pattern font that fills the inside of the corresponding outline.

By this dot pattern development process, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, a dot pattern enlarged to, for example, four times the target size is developed in the memory 6. Under the control of the control unit 1, the dot data reduction unit 7 reduces the dot pattern data developed in the memory 6 to a specified reduction ratio (1/1).
The reduction process is performed by (n) (step S7). As shown in FIG. 4A, the dot data reduction unit 7 reduces, for example, a four-fold enlarged dot pattern to 1/4 in the vertical direction. Similarly, it is also reduced in the horizontal direction to generate a dot pattern of the target size reduced to, for example, 1/4 (see (B) in FIG. 4).

In this manner, when font data is developed into a dot pattern, a dot pattern that is enlarged to n times the target size is generated. This n-times dot pattern is reduced to 1/n to generate a dot pattern of the target size. Therefore, unlike the conventional method, the font data is not directly developed into a dot pattern of the target size, but is developed through enlargement and reduction processing, so that a dot pattern with high resolution can be obtained. As a result, when generating a small-sized character font, (B
), it is possible to obtain a relatively high-quality character pattern without the entire character being crushed. When the printer 8 prints based on such a dot pattern (step S8), a character font with high print quality is printed.

[0018]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, in the outline font method, a dot pattern of an enlarged size is reduced and developed without directly developing a dot pattern of a target size. Therefore, even in the case of a small-sized character font, a high-quality dot pattern with high resolution can be obtained. When printing is performed using this dot pattern, a high-quality printing result can be obtained without deteriorating the printing quality such that the entire character is crushed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a character data generation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an enlarged character font according to the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a reduced character font according to the same embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Control unit, 2... Font memory, 3... Transformation matrix generation unit, 4... Coordinate calculation unit, 5... Outline drawing unit, 6... Dot pattern memory, 7... Dot data reduction unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Font memory means storing font data consisting of vector data corresponding to characters, and a transformation matrix for performing coordinate transformation processing on the font data from the font memory means, the transformation matrix comprising: transformation matrix generation means for generating a transformation matrix according to a size enlargement factor; and coordinate calculation means for executing coordinate transformation processing on the font data from the font memory means using the transformation matrix from the transformation matrix generation means. , an outline drawing means for developing dot pattern data corresponding to the outline of a character based on the coordinate conversion result from the coordinate calculation means, and reducing the dot pattern data from the outline drawing means by a specified reduction ratio. A character data generation device comprising: dot data reduction means.