JPH0553740A - Font data control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To evade the down load overhead by minimizing the down load frequency of the external character font to the peripheral devices. CONSTITUTION:The information on the precedent down load operations are stored in a down load control table 113 for each peripheral device. In regard of the down load operations, a down load operation is actually carried out only when a fact that the font data (an external data file 109) held in a system is later than the file that is precedently down loaded is decided. This decision is possible with the comparison carried out between the precedent down load date and the updating time stamp of the file 109. Furthermore it is possible to confirm whether the correct font data are down loaded or not through the collation of the device names.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a font data management system with improved efficiency in transferring font data to peripheral devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a character is output from a computer to a peripheral output device, an image, that is, font data associated with the code of the character to be output to the peripheral output device is usually stored. However, the characters for which the font data has already been stored are only standard characters, and the font data of characters uniquely defined by the user (hereinafter referred to as external characters) is not standard as a peripheral output device. Not remembered. In such a case, the computer must send necessary font data as image information to the peripheral output device that wants to output the external character.

Although such a technique has already been used, since the font data is image data and the amount of data per character is several tens to several hundred bytes, there is a problem that the transfer time becomes long. there were.

Also, the format of the font data required for each peripheral output device may differ, but it is difficult to know exactly what device is connected to the peripheral device, so it is for external characters to be transferred. There was a problem that the wrong font data type was used.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems of the prior art, to reduce the font data download overhead as much as possible, and to prevent the use of wrong font data. To do.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, minimizes the transfer of font data to reduce the time for this transfer, and ensures that the type of font data to be transferred is correct. The purpose is to be recognizable.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one embodiment of the present invention, a download management table is provided for each peripheral output device to store information regarding font data downloaded therein. At a predetermined point in time, the host computer tries to download font data to the peripheral output device for the purpose of registering external characters or the like. At this time, the host computer searches the download management table to check whether the font data currently stored in the peripheral output device is the same as the font data currently held by this system. As a result of this confirmation, the download is executed only when it is found that the outdated font data is stored therein.

Further, a device name / file registration table for storing a pair of a device name and a file name of font data to be downloaded to the device is provided, and the device name is also stored in the download management table. Can be configured to respond to queries with its device name. In this configuration, the device name is obtained from the peripheral device to be downloaded and collated with the device name in the download management table. If they do not match, it is determined that the wrong font data was selected in the previous download, and the font data is downloaded from the file having the file name read from the device name / file registration table.

[0009]

1 is a conceptual diagram of a computer system constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a host computer 101
A printer 103 and display terminals 105 and 107 are connected to the device as peripheral output devices, and logical device numbers 1, 2 and 3 are given to them. Also, an external character data file 109 in which font data for external characters used in these peripheral output devices is stored, and a directory 111 for these files are provided. Further, the host computer 101 is also provided with a download management table 113 that manages the download by holding information related to the download of font data to these peripheral output devices.

The download management table 113 has a record for each logical device. In each record, the logical unit number and name of the peripheral output device corresponding to the record, the date and time of the most recent download to the peripheral output device, and the external character data file name downloaded at that time are written. Has been.

For example, the printer 103 having the logical unit number 1
When determining whether or not to download to, the latest download date and the latest download time in the record 1 are the time stamps of the files corresponding to the external character data file names in the record 1 (directory 111
Inside)). If this timestamp in directory 111 is later than the latest download date and time in the record,
The corresponding file in the external character data file is printer 1
It has been updated after being downloaded to 03, and it is determined that the download is necessary. On the contrary, if the time stamp in the directory 111 is earlier than the latest download date and latest download time in the record 1, it is determined that the download is unnecessary.

The timing for determining the necessity of the download is, for example, each job (or a job using the peripheral output device) when the computer system is started.
, When the peripheral output device is first started, immediately before the output command is given to the peripheral output device, or when the operator instructs the download. Also down ρ
If it is determined that is necessary, the download may be performed immediately. Alternatively, this timing may be extended slightly before the output command is given to the peripheral output device.

When the download is completed, the update is immediately performed by setting the latest download date and latest download time of the corresponding record in the download management table to the current date and time.

In this way, since unnecessary downloading is not actually performed, the overhead for that is kept to the minimum necessary while maintaining the state where the correct font data is always loaded in each peripheral output device. Can be suppressed.

The determination as to whether or not the download is necessary can be made with respect to matters other than those described above.

For example, in the system of FIG. 1, similarly to the above-described example, it is determined whether or not the download to the peripheral output device should be performed at a predetermined timing. In this judgment, it is judged whether the external character font suitable for the type of peripheral output device has been downloaded.

For example, the peripheral output device of the logical unit number 1,
That is, let us consider a case where the printer 103 makes this determination as to whether the external character font loaded in the peripheral output device is an external character font for the printer. To make this determination, the peripheral device name field of the record (record 1) corresponding to this peripheral output device in the download management table 113 is read. Here, "printer" is read. Further, an external character data file name field containing the name of the external character data file currently loaded in this peripheral output device is read from this record. It is checked whether or not this external character data file name is a file containing font data for this peripheral output device "printer", and if not, the correct external character font data file for "printer" is downloaded.

In order to check the external character font data file containing the font data suitable for the peripheral output device designated by the peripheral output device name read from the download management table 113, for example, the peripheral output device name and external character font A table of data file name pairs may be provided. Also, instead of looking up the download management table to know the name of the peripheral output device, each peripheral output may answer an inquiry and reply with its own peripheral device name, as described below with respect to FIG. Good.

In the following, another configuration example for realizing the determination as to whether or not the font data suitable for the type of the peripheral output device is currently loaded while the number of downloads can be reduced is shown in FIG. Shown in. Figure 2
Has a configuration similar to that of the computer system shown in FIG. 1, and the corresponding components have the same reference numerals as in FIG.

In the system of FIG. 2, a device name / external character data registration table 220 is provided as a font data management table in addition to the download management table 113 of FIG. The registration records 1, 2, ... Of the device name / external character data registration table 220 are
It holds information on which external character font data file should be downloaded for each type of peripheral output device. Specifically, the peripheral device name (that is, "printer",
It is a pair of the type of peripheral output device such as "XX printer", "XX display terminal", or nickname) and the name of the external character font data file containing the external character font data matching it. Furthermore,
Printer 203, display terminals 205, 20
Peripheral output devices such as 7 connected to this system are
It has the function of returning its own peripheral device name in response to an inquiry.

By using the configuration shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to make a determination for minimizing the download of font data as described with reference to FIG. 1 and a modification thereof.

In the configuration of FIG. 2, in addition to this, font data can be definitely downloaded to each peripheral output device. In order to perform such a download, the host computer 101 first inquires the peripheral output device to be judged, for example, the device having the logical device number 1, for the peripheral device name. Where logical unit number 1
Returns the peripheral device name “printer” to the host computer 101. The host computer 101 also reads the peripheral device name field from the record corresponding to the logical device number 1 in the download management table,
Match with the peripheral device name in the response from the actual peripheral output device.

If the collation results do not match, it means that the types of external character data files downloaded previously are different. In this case, the device name / external character data registration table 220 is searched to obtain the external character data file name that is paired with the peripheral device name “printer” obtained from the peripheral device with logical device number 1. Host computer 10
1 downloads the file having the external character data file name thus obtained to the peripheral device having the logical device number 1. After that, the host computer 101 displays the peripheral device name “printer”, the corresponding external character data file name,
Further, the date and time when this download is performed are written in the record corresponding to the logical unit number in the download management table 113, and this download process is terminated.

The timing for determining the necessity of downloading and the timing for actually downloading can be the timing already described with reference to FIG.

[0026]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to ensure that the correct font data is loaded in the peripheral output device, and the overhead of font data transfer can be minimized. The effect is obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a computer system configured based on an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a computer system configured according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

101: Host computer 103, 203: Printer 105, 107, 205, 207: Display terminal 109: External character data file 111: Directory 113: Download management table 220: Device name / external character data registration table

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. In a computer system to which a peripheral output device capable of downloading font data is connected, a download management table storing information identifying font data downloaded for each peripheral output device is provided, In determining the necessity, it is checked whether or not the information for identifying the downloaded font data indicates the same font data as the one to be downloaded, and when it is determined that another information is indicated. A font data management method characterized by executing the download. 2. The font data management system according to claim 1, wherein the font data to be downloaded is the font data currently possessed by the computer system. 3. The font data management system according to claim 1, wherein the information for identifying the downloaded font data is information relating to the time when the previous download was performed. 4. The font data management system according to claim 1, wherein the information for identifying the downloaded font data is a name of a peripheral output device to which the previously downloaded font data is compatible. 5. A device name / device name in which the name of the peripheral device is recorded for each peripheral device in the download management table, and the name of the peripheral device and the file name containing the font data to be downloaded to the peripheral device are stored.
A file name registration table is provided, and each of the peripheral devices is configured to reply its own name in response to an inquiry, and whether or not the returned name matches the name recorded in the download management table. If it does not match, the file having the file name read from the device name / file name registration table is downloaded to the peripheral device, and the name returned from the peripheral device is stored in the download management table. The font data management system according to claim 1, characterized in that.