JPH05232928A - Character generator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To generate natural and well-balanced characters by controlling a character interval in a character array with respect to the expression of generat ed characters based on vector fonts. CONSTITUTION:A development body size calculating means 6 inputs the same signal as a signal to be sent to an expansion/contraction computing means 2 from a generation character size magnification table 5 finds out the valid segment size of a character pattern image to be developed to a development memory 3, which segments the character image data to be developed based on the information of the found size and transfers the segmented data to a page memory 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a character generator,
In particular, the present invention relates to a character generator based on a vector font method suitable for use in an information processing device that handles Chinese characters.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a character generator based on a vector font system has been widely used due to a demand for computer typesetting, an increase in printer density, and a demand for high quality characters.

Conventionally, as shown in the block diagram of FIG. 4, this type of character generator has a character font memory 1 in which contour lines of a character pattern are stored as vector font character data, and an output character signal from the character font memory 1. Generated by the signal of the character size magnification table 5
Alternatively, the enlargement / reduction calculation unit 2 for reducing, the expansion memory 3 for expanding the output signal of the expansion / reduction calculation unit 2 into an image, and the image data for one character expanded in the expansion memory 3 as a character string. And a page memory 4 arranged in line.

In the conventional character generator based on the vector font system, the character font data in the character font memory 1 is generally one character, for example:
The structure shown in FIG. 6 is used. The character pattern image is originally data for contour expression, but in FIG.
It is simply expressed by a single line.

In the conventional character generator based on the vector font system, the enlarging / reducing arithmetic means 2 uses the origin of the input character font data (for example, the lower left O point in the example of FIG. 6) as the arithmetic reference. In order to obtain the generated character size, the magnification signal from the generated character size multiplication table 5 is actuated to enlarge or reduce the character data from the character font memory 1. For example, when the coordinates of the point P in FIG. 6 are P (x ₀ , y ₀ ), when expanding to m times the character size, P (mx ₀ , my ₀ ) is calculated and the expansion memory 3 The coordinates of P (mx ₀ , my ₀ ) are expanded to. Similarly, the same calculation is performed for all the coordinate points of the contour line that form one character input from the character font memory 1, and the image data for one character is generated in the expansion memory 3. Here, it goes without saying that the expansion processing to the expansion memory 3 includes processing for filling the inside of the contour line.

On the other hand, the image data for one character expanded in the expansion memory 3 is controlled by the character transfer position signal to form a character string, so that the page memory 4 is constructed.
Transferred to. Here, the character string of the image data transferred to the page memory 4 is as shown in FIG. That is, by the character feed control, the image data for one character having the size of the generated character size is cut out from the expansion memory 3 and transferred to the page memory 4 so as to be a character string.

[0007]

In the above-mentioned conventional character generator, the size of the character feed control and the generated character size are the same, and the image data for one character is cut out from the expansion memory 3, Since the size transferred to the page memory 4 is the same as the generated character size, the space between the characters arranged in the page memory 4 as a character string, that is, when the space between the characters is reduced, As a result, if the magnification value of the generated character size multiplication table is slightly increased, the enlargement ratio of the character data in the character font memory 1 is increased, and since the character feed is the same, there is a space between the characters in the generated character string. That is, although the character gap is relatively small, if the value of the magnification value in the generated character size magnification table is further increased, the image of the generated character transferred to the page memory 4 is displayed. Phenomenon of the upper and right and partial cut of over data will be produced. This is because the size of the image data cut out from the expansion memory 3 and transferred to the page memory 4 is fixed to the generated character size.
Further, even if the character space is reduced to the maximum by this method, there is a drawback in that the width of the letter face on the left side of the generated character remains, and there is a limit in reducing the character space.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided a character font memory for storing vector font character data, a generated character size magnification table for outputting character size magnification data designated by a generated character size signal, and the character font. Enlargement / reduction calculation means for enlarging or reducing the character data from the memory, expansion memory for expanding the expanded or reduced character data into character pattern image data, and character pattern image data for one character on the expansion memory In a character generator having a page memory for arranging the characters in a character string. The character generator includes an expansion body size calculation means for determining an effective cut-out size from the image data expanded in the expansion memory and sending it to the page memory. It is characterized by.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a character font memory 1 storing character data, a preset generated character size magnification table 5, a signal from the character font memory 1,
That is, the vector font character data is expanded / reduced by the signal of the generated character size magnification table 5 to expand / reduce, and the expansion memory 3 for expanding the character pattern image expanded or reduced to the generated character size.
And a signal of the generated character size multiplying table 5, the expanded body size calculation means 6 for calculating the effective expanded character body size of the character pattern image expanded in the expanded memory 3, and the expanded character body size cut out from the expanded memory 3. The expanded character position image signal 10
3 and a page memory 4 arranged as a character string.

The vector font type character data stored in the character font memory 1 shown in FIG. 1 is assumed to have the character data shown in FIG.
It is needless to say that character data such as this example is generally used as a vector font, and character pattern images are generally expressed as vector fonts and contours are generally expressed as character data. .. Figure 6
In order to simplify the figure, it is omitted as a single line representation.

Explaining the character pattern data of FIG. 6,
A letter face is provided in the body size that is the design frame of the character pattern data, and this letter face is used as an area where the character data can exist, that is, the design area, and the space between characters arranged as a character string is secured. There is. As shown in FIG. 6, the width of the difference between the body face and the letter face is defined here as the width of the letter face.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, there are three input signal lines, and the signal line 101 is a signal line for designating character pattern data in the character font memory 1 by a character code. The character pattern data is sent to the enlargement / reduction calculation means 2. The input signal line 102 specifies the width and height which are the matrix of the generated character pattern image. This signal is generated character size magnification table 5
Sent to. The input signal line 103 is a signal line that is sent to the page memory 4 and is a character expansion position on the page memory 4 when the image data of the character pattern sent from the expansion memory 3 is arranged as a character string, that is, a character advance control. is there. The generated character size magnification table 5 stores the magnification value corresponding to the generated character size that determines the generated character size of the character pattern data input to the enlargement / reduction calculation means 2, and the generated character input by the signal line 102. The value corresponding to the size signal is sent to the enlargement / reduction calculation means 2. The enlarging / reducing calculation means 2 enlarges or reduces the character pattern data according to the input magnification value,
The image data is expanded in the expansion memory 3 and becomes image data for one character.

The expansion body size calculation means 6 inputs the same signal as the signal sent to the enlargement / reduction calculation means 2 from the generated character size magnification table 5, and validates the character pattern image to be expanded in the expansion memory 3. The size is calculated and sent to the expansion memory 3. In the expansion memory 3, the character pattern information sent from the enlargement / reduction calculation means 2 is expanded into image data of a character pattern image. Further, based on the information of the effective size of the expanded character pattern image sent from the expanded body size calculation means 6, the expanded image data is cut out in the expanded effective size and sent to the page memory 4 as a character pattern image of one character. The character pattern images sent from the expansion memory 3 are arranged on the page memory 4 so as to form a character string by character transfer control based on character expansion position information input from the signal line 103.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described using mathematical expressions. The width and height of a character, which is a matrix of generated character sizes input through the signal line 102, are
X ₀ , Y ₀ , the corner at the upper right of the body face of the character pattern data input from the character font memory 1 (see FIG. 6).
The coordinates of point _{Q) (X b, Y b)} , if the generation character size magnification table 5 Nyori the outputted magnification value M _x, and M _y, the character pattern image to be expanded into an expanded memory 3 The size has a relation of width X ₁ = M _x * X _b height Y ₁ = M _y * Y _b . At this time, X ₁ > X ₀ , or Y ₁ >
If it is Y ₀ , the size of the image data transferred to the page memory 4 is always the size of X ₀ * Y _{0 in} the conventional art, and therefore the portion exceeding X ₀ * Y ₀ is not transferred. Although it is cut, the size of the image data to be transferred to the page memory 4 is output by the expansion body size calculating means 6, that is, X _{1 in this method.}
By setting * Y ₁ , there is no remaining untransferred portion during transfer to the page memory 4, and the transferred image data is not cut. Here, it goes without saying that the transfer (writing) to the page memory 4 is performed by an OR operation.

Therefore, in the character feed control for arranging the character strings in the page memory 4, the character expansion position signal 103 having the same size as the generated character size is input.
Conventionally, the magnification value shown in the solid line in FIG. 2 is the setting limit for the magnification value of the generated character size magnification table 5, but if the enlargement value is set as shown in the dotted line in FIG. 2, the generated character size becomes large. As shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to perform an operation of outputting a small character space. Therefore, with this operation, in the conventional method, there is a limit due to the width of the letter face when reducing the character spacing, but in this method, there is no limit due to the width of the letter face, and the character spacing that can be further reduced. Occurrence can occur.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, the space between characters when arranged as a character string, that is,
If the value of the magnification value of the generated character size magnification table is increased in order to reduce the space between characters, the value acts on the enlargement / reduction calculation means, the size of the generated character increases, and the character feed is the same. Because of this, the space between letters becomes relatively small, and moreover,
It is possible to reduce the character spacing without being limited by the width of the letter face of the character image, and it is possible to obtain a natural, well-balanced and easy-to-read character string when printed. ..

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a relationship between a generated character size and a generated character size magnification table value.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between a body face and a letter face of a character pattern image generated according to the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a conventional example.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between a body face and a letter face of a character pattern image generated in a conventional example.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a relationship between the body face and letter face of a vector font stored in the character font memory according to the embodiment of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Character font memory 2 Enlargement / reduction calculation means 3 Expansion memory 4 Page memory 5 Generated character size magnification table 6 Expansion body size calculation means

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A character font memory for storing vector font character data, a generated character size magnification table for outputting character size magnification data specified by a generated character size signal, and character data expanded from the character font memory. An expansion / reduction calculation means for expanding or reducing, expansion memory for expanding the expanded or reduced character data into character pattern image data, and a page memory for arranging the character pattern image data of one character on the expansion memory in a character string. In the character generating device, the character generating device is provided with a developing body size calculating means for determining an effective cutout size from the image data developed on the developing memory and sending it to the page memory. 2. The character pattern image which is expanded by the expansion body size calculation means into the expansion memory by inputting the same signal as the signal sent to the enlargement / reduction calculation means from the generated character size magnification table. 2. The character generation device according to claim 1, wherein the effective size of the character is calculated and sent to the expansion memory. 3. The expansion memory expands the character pattern information sent from the enlarging / reducing calculation means into image data of a character pattern image, and stores the effective size of the expanded character pattern image sent from the expansion body size calculating means. Based on the information, the developed image data is cut out in a developed effective size, sent to the page memory as a character pattern image of one character, and the character pattern image sent from the developed memory is input on the page memory. 2. The character generator according to claim 1, wherein the character generators are arranged so as to form a character string by character feed control based on information.