JPH0511736A - Character pattern output device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the quality of printed characters in printing by executing a line width compensation processing for the coordinate obtained by a coordinate transformation processing to give an equal line width of a character pattern, in a outline font system. CONSTITUTION:Vector data corresponding to the amount of one character from a font memory 1 is read out, and coordinate transformation processing at a magnification/minification rate set from the external side is executed by a coordinate transforming part 2. A line width compensation part 5 makes compensation processing for the coordinate obtained by the coordinate transformation processing part 2 according to the proper width of characters determined according to the magnification/minification rate. A character pattern development part 7 develops a character pattern according to the coordinate compensated by a line width compensation part 5.

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 pattern output device used in, for example, a document preparation device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an outline font method has been used in a document creating apparatus, a personal computer, or the like to hold character data as vector data when printing or displaying characters. This method has an advantage that deformation processing such as enlargement, reduction, and rotation is easy and print quality does not deteriorate. Further, even if the resolution is high, the amount of character data is constant.

In this method, vector data (coordinates) for each character stored as an outline font is read out, and coordinate conversion processing is executed according to the size (enlargement / reduction), direction, and position of the character to be generated. To be done. Outline data corresponding to the outline of the character is generated from the coordinates after the conversion, and the character pattern (dot pattern) is expanded in the bitmap memory by the filling process for the outline.

By the way, in the coordinate conversion process, for example, when the coordinates are expanded in a bit map memory of a laser printer or the like, all coordinates are expressed by integers. For this reason,
It is necessary to perform real number integer processing. This integer conversion is performed by a simple rounding process.

For example, the real value immediately before being converted into an integer is 10,
The combination of 4, 11 and 5 becomes 10, 12 when it is converted into an integer by rounding processing. Also, for example, 8, 5,
The combination of 9,6 is converted into an integer of 9,10. In both combinations, the difference between the two numbers in the real value is 1,1. However, due to the rounding processing, there are cases where the difference becomes 1 and 2 occurs. When this happens, there is a problem in that the line widths of the generated character patterns become uneven.

[0006]

In the conventional outline font method, when the character pattern is constructed based on the coordinate values obtained by the coordinate conversion process, the line widths of the character pattern become uneven. Therefore, when printing is performed based on the generated character pattern, there is a problem that print quality is degraded.

An object of the present invention is to make the line width of a character pattern uniform by executing line width correction processing on the coordinate values obtained by the coordinate conversion processing in the outline font system, resulting in printing. An object of the present invention is to provide a character pattern output device capable of improving the print quality of the.

[0008]

According to the present invention, in an outline font type character pattern output device, a font memory means for storing an outline font consisting of vector data corresponding to each character, and an enlargement / reduction ratio set from the outside. The apparatus is provided with a coordinate conversion processing means for executing the coordinate conversion processing by the above, a line width correction means for correcting the coordinates obtained by the coordinate conversion processing means, and a character pattern expansion means for expanding the character pattern.

[0009]

In the present invention, the vector data corresponding to one character is read from the font memory means, and the coordinate conversion processing is executed by the enlargement / reduction ratio set from the outside. The line width correction means performs correction processing on the coordinates obtained by the coordinate conversion processing means in accordance with the appropriate line width of the character determined based on the enlargement / reduction ratio. The character pattern expanding means expands the character pattern based on the coordinates corrected by the line width correcting means.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of an outline font generation unit which is a character pattern output device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main part of a document creation apparatus including the outline font generation unit 10 of the same embodiment.

First, as shown in FIG. 2, the present apparatus includes a control unit (CPU) 11 for executing control of the entire apparatus, document creation processing and editing processing, a bitmap memory 12, a printer 13, and a print control unit 14. , A display 15, a display control unit 16 and a document memory 17.

The bit map memory 12 is a memory for storing the character pattern (dot pattern) developed by the outline font generator 10. The document memory 17 is a buffer memory that stores the document data created by the control unit 11 in a character code state. The print control unit 14 causes the printer 13 to execute the printing operation of the character font based on the character pattern developed in the bitmap memory 12. The display control unit 16 causes the screen of the display 15 to display a character font based on the dot pattern.

The outline font generator 10 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the font memory 1, the coordinate conversion unit 2, the enlargement / reduction ratio setting unit 3, the correction preprocessing unit 4, the line width correction unit 5, the line width determination unit 6, and the character expansion unit 7 are included.

The font memory 1 is a memory in which vector data (outline data) corresponding to each character code is stored in advance. The coordinate conversion unit 2 executes a coordinate conversion process (including the enlargement / reduction process) using the enlargement / reduction ratio set by the enlargement / reduction ratio setting unit 3. The enlargement / reduction ratio setting unit 3 sets the conversion ratio for enlarging / reducing the size of the character pattern based on the data from the control unit 11.

The correction preprocessing unit 4 performs a process of detecting a portion in which the coordinate value needs to be corrected from the vector data converted by the coordinate conversion unit 2. The line width correction unit 5 applies the line width determination unit 6 to the portion detected by the correction preprocessing unit 4.
The correction processing of the coordinate value is executed so as to obtain the appropriate line width obtained by The line width determination unit 6 includes an enlargement / reduction ratio setting unit 3
An appropriate line width is determined based on the enlargement / reduction ratio set by. The character expansion unit 7 expands the character pattern in the bitmap memory 12 based on the finally determined coordinate value. Next, the operation of the embodiment will be described.

First, in the document creation mode, the control section 11 stores the created document data in the document memory 17. The document memory 17 stores document data composed of character codes. When an instruction to print this document data is issued, the control unit 11 causes the outline font generation unit 10
To start. The outline font generation unit 10 generates a character pattern corresponding to each character code in the document memory 17.

In the outline font generation unit 10, as shown in FIG. 3, the font memory 1 to the document memory 6
Vector data corresponding to the character code stored in is read (step S1). The font memory 1 has n
Vector data according to the on-zero-winding rule is stored.

Here, the enlargement / reduction ratio setting unit 3 sets the enlargement / reduction ratio for enlarging / reducing the size of the character pattern based on the data from the control unit 11. The coordinate conversion unit 2 uses the enlargement / reduction ratio set by the enlargement / reduction ratio setting unit 3 to execute coordinate conversion processing (including enlargement / reduction processing) on the vector data from the font memory 1 ( Step S2).

The correction preprocessing unit 4 performs a process of detecting a portion in which the coordinate value needs to be corrected from the vector data converted by the coordinate conversion unit 2. Specifically, the precorrection processing unit 4 extracts straight line data in a fixed direction (for example, a vector that is horizontal to the X axis and faces left) and temporarily stores it in the internal buffer memory (YES in step S3, S4).

The coordinate conversion unit 2 continues until the coordinate conversion processing is completed for all vector data for one character from the font memory 1. When completed (YE in step S5)
S), the pre-correction processing unit 4 executes the detection process for the same vector data again, and extracts straight line data (for example, a vector pointing to the right in parallel with the X axis) in the direction opposite to the vector stored in the internal buffer memory. (Step S6).

The line width correction unit 5 determines the proper value obtained by the line width determination unit 6 for the coordinate value of the vector data forming a pair in the straight line data in each direction extracted by the correction preprocessing unit 4. A correction process is performed to obtain a line width (YES in step S7, S8). At this time, non-zero
Since it follows the -winding rule, a pair of a vector stored in the internal buffer memory of the correction preprocessing unit 4 and a downward vector is assumed.

When the correction process by the line width correction unit 5 is completed for all vector data for one character (YES in step S9), the character expansion unit 7 determines the character based on the finally determined coordinate values. The pattern (outline data corresponding to the outline of the character) is developed in the bitmap memory 12 (step S10). The print control unit 14 causes the printer 13 to execute a character font printing operation based on the character pattern stored in the bitmap memory 12 (step S11).

In this way, the line width correction process is executed so that the coordinate value obtained by the coordinate conversion process has an appropriate line width determined based on the enlargement / reduction ratio. As a result, a character pattern having a uniform line width can be expanded in the bitmap memory 12. By performing print processing using this character pattern, it is possible to print characters with high print quality.

[0025]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, in the outline font method, the line width correction processing is executed on the coordinate values obtained by the coordinate conversion processing to make the line width of the character pattern uniform. The unevenness can be eliminated. Therefore, when printing is performed based on the generated character pattern, it is possible to print characters with high print quality.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a document creation device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Font memory, 2 ... Coordinate conversion unit, 4 ... Pre-correction processing unit, 5 ... Line width correction unit, 7 ... Character expansion unit.

Claims (1)

Claim: What is claimed is: 1. A font memory means for storing an outline font consisting of vector data corresponding to each character, and one character of the vector data from the font memory means is set from outside. The coordinate conversion processing means for executing the coordinate conversion processing using the enlargement / reduction ratio, and the coordinate conversion processing means according to the appropriate line width of the character determined based on the enlargement / reduction ratio. A character pattern output device comprising: a line width correcting means for performing a correction process for coordinates; and a character pattern expanding means for expanding a character pattern based on the coordinates corrected by the line width correcting means.