JPH05232927A - Character pattern output device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To express a blurred part of any size with high quality without increasing shape data by arranging dots for expressing density decided by a density deciding means to fill the dots. CONSTITUTION:A storage means 1 in a character pattern storage device 0 stores shape data obtained by defining the shape of a character/code by its outline shape. A identifying means 2 identifies a blurred part of a line constituting the character/code from the shape data. The density deciding means 3 decides the area filling density of the blurred part discriminated by the means 2. Namely the blur of a part such as 'HARAI' and 'HANE' (sweeping in Japanese or Chinese character writing) is expressed by a density change in each character consisting of >=30 points. A gradation area-filling means 4 arranges dots to express the density judged by the means 3 to fill the area of the density with the dots.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a character pattern output device for an output device such as a display device or a printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a character pattern output device that fills and outputs the contour data of a character / symbol generally converts the contour shape data represented by straight lines and curves into an output size. Short vector data is created by linearly approximating the converted shape data, and the intersection point of the short vector data and the scanning line running at the center position of the output dot is calculated, and the non-zero winding rule etc. Dots were arranged by a known algorithm to create output data.

[0003]

By the way, in a typeface designed to leave the feel of a brush or brush such as a line typeface, a cursive typeface, a brush typeface, or an Edo typeface, it may appear in the middle of the line of character formation or at the end of the stroke. There is a faint part where the brush or brush comes off and ink or ink does not deposit.

However, in the prior art, in order to express this faint portion, it is necessary to store even the fine line of the faint portion as the shape data of the contour line, and it is inevitable that the shape data increases. .. In addition, when outputting a character pattern of a small size, the outline of the fine line of the faint part may be missing dots or extra dots appearing due to the error in quantization, and the output pattern The quality of the.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and does not increase the shape data, and
It is an object of the present invention to provide a character pattern output device capable of expressing a blurred portion with high quality in any size.

[0006]

In order to achieve this object, the character pattern output device 0 of the device of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, is shape data for defining the shape of a character / symbol by the shape of a contour line. A storage unit 1 for storing the above, an identification unit 2 for identifying a blurred portion of a line forming a character / symbol from the shape data, and a density determination unit 3 for determining a filled density of the blurred portion identified by the identification unit. And a gradation filling unit 4 that fills the inside of the contour defined by the shape data with dots arranged to express the density determined by the density determining unit.

[0007]

The storage means 1 of the character pattern output device 0 of the present invention having the above construction stores the shape data defining the shape of the character / symbol by the shape of the contour line, and the identification means 2 stores the shape data from the shape data. The shaded portion of the line forming the character / symbol is identified, the density determination means 3 determines the fill density of the shaded portion identified by the identification means, and the gradation fill means 4 is defined by the shape data. The inside of the contour line is filled with dots arranged so as to express the density determined by the density determination means.

[0008]

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

This embodiment shows an example in which the character pattern output device of the present invention is applied to a display device. The present display device expresses the blurring of a portion such as "Harai" or "Splash" for a character of 30 points or more by changing the density. That is, the density of the blurred portion is gradually lowered as it goes forward.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the microcomputer section of the display device of this embodiment.

The microcomputer unit 20 has a CPU 2
1, a character memory 22, a program memory 23, a working memory 24, and a dot memory 25, which are connected by a bus 26. An input unit 27 and a display unit 28 are connected to the bus 26.

The CPU 21 is used to control the entire display device. The control includes reading of character / symbol data, filling of character / symbol data by gradation expression, and the like.

The character memory 22 stores shape data in which the shape of a character / symbol is defined by the shape of its outline, and can be referred to by code data of each character / symbol (hereinafter referred to as a character code). is there. The outlines of characters and symbols are straight lines and Bezier curves (hereinafter,
It is simply referred to as a curve). Details of this shape data will be described later.

The program memory 23 stores a program for operating the CPU 21. It also includes a character pattern output processing procedure of the present invention.

The working memory 24 stores temporary information during processing of the microcomputer section 20.

The dot memory 25 stores the data of the dot image displayed on the display unit 28. Display unit 1
Data of a pixel (hereinafter referred to as a dot) is stored in 1 byte, and each dot represents a density of 0 to 255.

The bus 26 connects each device.

The input unit 27 inputs the character code and the character size to the microcomputer unit 20.

The display unit 28 reads the dot image data stored in the dot memory 25 and displays it.
It should be noted that this display device expresses a density of 256 gradations per dot.

Details of the shape data stored in the character memory 22 will be described below.

The shape data is composed of an attribute flag, coordinate value data and a blur flag, and the shape of one character is stored in an array of this data group.

Table 1 shows the attribute flags.

[0023]

[Table 1]

The start point flag indicates the start point of the contour line, and this point is always stored at the beginning of the contour line. After this start point, the straight line flag and the curve flag are sequentially stored according to the direction of the contour line. The direction of the contour line is the contour line that defines the outside of the filled area.
The inner loop, which is a contour line that defines the inside of the area to be filled counterclockwise, is defined as clockwise. The start point, straight line, and curve flags are each accompanied by coordinate value data and blurring flags, while the contour end and one character end flags are not accompanied by coordinate value data and blurring flags.

The coordinate value data shows the coordinate values of the start point, the end point of the straight line, the end point of the curve, the first control point and the second control point in xy coordinates.

The fading flag is attached to the fading portions such as "Harai" and "Splash" of the character. The "fading starting point flag" is attached to the point where the line begins to fading, and the tip portion of the fading is attached. A "blurred end point flag" is attached.

For example, the shape data of a character having a shape as shown in FIG. 3 is stored as shown in FIG.

The process of outputting a character pattern of the display device having the above construction will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In step S51, the character shape data indicated by the character code obtained from the input unit 27 is read from the character memory 22.

In step S52, the shape data read out in step S51 is size-converted into the character size obtained from the input unit 27. In this conversion, the coordinate value data of the shape data is displayed on the display unit 28.
It corresponds to the dot unit of. Specifically, it is realized by multiplying all coordinate value data in the shape data by the following conversion matrices.

1) A conversion matrix for expressing a coordinate value of a character size of 1 point in units of points.

2) A conversion matrix from the coordinate value of the character size of 1 point to the character size of n points.

3) A conversion matrix from point units to dot units according to the resolution of the display.

1) is given as a constant in the program in this embodiment. The n point of 2) is the input unit 27.
It is the value of the character size obtained from. 3) is a conversion matrix in which the coordinate value 1 of the conversion result is directly equivalent to the size of one dot on the display.

In step S53, the curve of the shape data whose size has been converted in step S52 is developed into a short vector. This short vector data has the same format as the shape data, but with the ID of the short vector added.
That is, it is composed of an ID, an attribute flag, coordinate value data, and a blur flag. The ID of the short vector is uniquely numbered within the character and is used to correspond to the intersection data obtained in S54.
Moreover, the attribute flag regarding a curve is not used. If the blurring flag of the short vector data has a blurring start point flag or a blurring end point flag attached to the shape data at the same position, the blurring flag is taken over and stored. FIG. 6 shows a short vector obtained by linearly approximating the characters of FIG. 3 by size conversion, and the data thereof is shown in FIG.

In S54, when the short vector data of the contour line of S53 is superimposed on the pixel screen, the scanning line vector and the short vector data which are parallel to the x-axis passing through the center of the pixel and run from the smaller x-coordinate to the larger x-coordinate. The intersection point of is calculated for each scanning line vector, and the value after the decimal point is truncated is used as the coordinates of the position where the dot is placed on the pixel screen. This pixel screen is a calculation screen for converting contour line data into dot data. FIG. 8 shows how the short vector data is superimposed on the pixel screen.

The pixel screen 80 defines pixels by a plurality of defining lines which are parallel to the x axis and the y axis which are orthogonal to each other. Each one of the grids 81 of the pixel screen corresponds to one dot on the display. or,
The dotted line 82 is the centerline of the dot. A vector that is parallel to the x-axis, passes through the center of the dot, and runs from the smaller x-coordinate to the larger x-coordinate is the scanning line vector 83. An intersection between the short vector data 84 and each scanning line vector 83 is obtained. This intersection is used to determine the starting and ending points of the dots on the scan line vector. That is, the dot at the beginning or the end of the dot on the line is placed at a value (hereinafter, simply referred to as "intersection") rounded down after the decimal point of the intersection.

In the figure, a square mark indicates the center of the dot at this intersection. The data of this intersection is the coordinate value of the intersection, the direction of the intersecting short vector (upward or downward), the density level (0 to 255), and the ID of the intersecting short vector.
Memorize the information of. In addition, all the density levels are 25 here.
Set to 5. FIG. 9 shows the intersection data of FIG. 8 obtained here.

In S55, it is determined whether the character size obtained by the input unit 27 is 30 points or more. If it is 30 points or more, S56 is executed and then S57 is executed, and if it is less than 30 points, S57 is executed without executing S56.

In S56, the density level is calculated. When short-circuit vector data is tracked and a blur flag is detected, the density level in the vicinity thereof is adjusted. That is, the density level of the intersection data obtained in S55 is reset. The other points are the density level 2 given in S55.
It remains 55. Details of this processing will be described later.

In step S57, the filling process is performed according to the density level of the intersection data, and the obtained dot image data is stored in the dot memory 25. Details of this processing will be described later.

The processing of calculating the density level in S56 will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In S101, a read pointer for reading the short vector data is set at the head of the short vector data.

In step S102, one piece of short vector data is read from the position of the read pointer.

In step S103, it is determined whether the attribute flag of the short vector data is the end of one character data. If it is finished, this process is finished. If not finished, S104
Do the following.

In step S104, it is determined whether the attribute flag of the short vector data is the end of the contour line. If the contour line has ended, S105, that is, the read pointer is incremented, and the process returns to S102. If the contour line is not finished, S106 and the subsequent steps are executed.

In step S106, it is determined whether or not the blur flag of the short vector data is the blur end point. If the blurring has ended, the processing from S107 onward is executed. If the blurring has not ended, S105 is executed and the processing returns to S102.

In S107, the ID of the short vector data from the blur end point to the rear blur start point is stored.
That is, the short vector data is sequentially tracked from the blurring end point in the direction opposite to the direction of the contour line, and the ID is stored until the blurring start point is found. At this time, the IDs of the blurring end point and the blurring start point are also stored and stored. For example, in the example of FIG. 7, IDs 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 are stored.

In step S108, the density level is calculated. This will be described later.

In S109, contrary to S107, the ID of the short vector data from the blur end point to the front blur start point is stored. That is, the short vector data is sequentially tracked from the blurring end point to the contour line, and the ID is stored until the blurring start point is found. At this time, the IDs of the blurring end point and the blurring start point are also stored and stored. For example, in FIG.
In this case, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 are stored.

In step S1010, the same density level calculation as in step S108 is performed.

In S1011 the read pointer is set to S10.
The pointer of the next data of the data of the starting point found in 9 is set to the read pointer, and the process returns to S102.

Next, the processing of density level calculation in S108 and S1010 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In S111, the intersection point corresponding to the blurred portion is read from the ID of the short vector stored in S107 or S109, that is, the intersection data obtained in S54 is read by referring to the short vector data ID of the intersection data. The read intersection data are sequentially arranged along the contour line from the blurring end point to the blurring start point. ID illustrated in S107
In case of 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2, No. 7 of FIG.
6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 are the IDs exemplified in S109
In the case of 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, No. of FIG.
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 are read out.

S112 is 0 to 25 from the intersection data closest to the blur end point to the intersection data closest to the blur start point.
Allocate a concentration of 5. That is, the number of read intersection data is n, the intersection data closest to the faint end point is the 0th,
If the intersection data closest to the blurring start point is the (n-1) th intersection data, the density z of the arbitrary intersection data kth intersection data
_k is calculated by z _k = 255 × (k + 1) / (n + 1). The value obtained by this equation is set to the density levels of all the read intersection data.

The processing of the density level calculation of S56 is realized by the above processing. The intersection data of FIG. 8 obtained here is shown in FIG.
It becomes like 2.

Next, the painting process of S57 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In step S131, the intersection data is sorted in ascending order by the y coordinate. That is, the dots are sorted by the horizontal line. The intersection data on the same line is further x
Sort in ascending order by coordinates.

In S132, a read pointer for reading the sorted intersection data is set at the beginning of the intersection data.

In S133, a set of intersection data of the start point and the end point is read. This process is a process of reading out the starting point and the ending point of the filling when the filling is performed according to the non-zero winding rule. Details will be described later.

In step S134, the dot data having the gradation is used to fill the space between the start point and the end point obtained in step S133. Details will be described later.

In step S135, it is determined whether or not all the intersection data have been completed. If it is finished, finish this process,
If not, the process returns to S133.

The process of reading a set of start point / end point data in S133 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In step S141, a winding counter (hereinafter abbreviated as w counter) is set to 0.

In step S142, the intersection data is read from the position of the read pointer.

In S143, it is determined whether or not the w counter is 0. If it is 0, the intersection data is stored as the intersection data of the start point in S144. If not 0, S14
The processing after 5 is executed.

In step S145, it is determined whether the direction of the intersecting short vector of the intersection data is upward. If it is determined to be upward, the w counter is incremented in S146, and if it is determined not to be upward (downward), the w counter is decremented in S147.

In S148, it is determined whether or not the w counter is 0. When it is determined to be 0, the intersection is stored as the intersection data of the end point in S149, and this processing ends. If it is determined that the value is not 0, the read pointer is incremented in S1410, and the process returns to S142.

The dot data setting process of S134 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In step S151, the number of dots set in the dot start point and end point intersection data obtained in step S133 is calculated. This number of dots is represented by n.

In S152, the position for storing the starting dot on the dot memory 25 is set in the write pointer.

In S153, the counter is set to 0.
This counter is a counter of dots set between the start point and the end point. The value of this counter is represented by k.

In S154, the density level of the intersection point data at the start point and the density level of the intersection point data at the end point are calculated from the start point,
The density of the kth dot is calculated, and that value is set at the position of the write pointer. As for the density z _k of the k-th dot, the density level at the starting point is z ₀ and the density level at the ending point is z ₀ .
_{If n−1} , then z _k = (z _n−1 −z ₀ ) × k / (n−1) +
Calculate with z ₀ . The display unit 28 reads this data and displays the gradation of that value. In S155, it is determined whether or not the processing has been completed up to the dot end point. When finished,
If this process is completed and if not completed, the write pointer is incremented in S156, the counter k is incremented in S157, and the process returns to S154.

The above processing realizes the filling processing in S57. The dot image of the character of FIG. 3 obtained by this processing is as shown in FIG. The circles in the figure indicate dots,
The number in it indicates the density of that dot.

In the present embodiment, an example of an output device capable of gradation display is shown, but in the case of a binary output device, it may be changed so as to perform gradation expression by another method such as dither processing. it can.

Further, in the present embodiment, the example in which the present invention is applied to the display device is shown, but it can be applied to a printing device such as a printer.

Further, in the present embodiment, the fading portion is identified by the information included in the shape data, but the fading portion can be identified by recognizing the geometrical feature without the information.

Further, in the present embodiment, the blurred portion is applied to the character of 30 points or more, but it can be applied to other character size.

Further, in the present embodiment, the density of the blurred portion is set to 0
Although it is assigned in 255, it may be assigned between different values such as 100 to 255. Further, the data of this density may be included in the shape data.

Although not illustrated, other various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0081]

As is apparent from the above description, the character pattern output device of the present invention does not increase the shape data and outputs a character pattern capable of expressing a blurred portion with high quality in any size. A device can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of claim 1.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a microcomputer unit of the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of contour line data.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the shape data of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a character pattern output process of this embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a short vector of the data of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the short vector data of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a diagram in which the short vector of FIG. 6 is superimposed on a pixel screen.

9 is a diagram showing the intersection data of FIG. 8. FIG.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a density level calculation process.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of intersection density level calculation processing.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the intersection data after the intersection concentration calculation processing.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a filling process.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a start point / end point data reading process.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of a dot data setting process.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing dot image data obtained by the processing of this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Storage Means 2 Identification Means 3 Density Determining Means 4 Gradation Filling Means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A storage unit for storing shape data for defining a shape of a character / symbol by a shape of a contour line, and dot image data in which dots are arranged and filled inside the contour line defined by the shape data. In a character pattern output device provided with a filling means for outputting, an identification means for identifying a part of a line forming a character / symbol from the shape data or a faint portion such as a brush of a final stroke part, and the identification And a density determination unit that determines the filling density of the faint portion identified by the means, wherein the filling unit is composed of a gradation filling unit that fills with the density determined by the density determination unit. Character pattern output device.