JPH07132651A - Print processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To print at a high speed while holding a printing quality level by printing an enlarged character for obtaining an improvement in the quality level by an outline font, and printing a character of a normal size which cannot considerably obtain an improvement in the quality level by a bit map font. CONSTITUTION:The print processor comprises bit map font memory means 10, outline font memory means 12 and print data input means 16 for inputting a character code 2a and a control code (b) from a host apparatus 14. Font selecting means 18 selects a bit map font (e), etc., corresponding to a character code (a) based on the code (b) as to the input codes (a) and (b). Further, font reading means 70 reads the selected font (e), etc., from the means 10, etc. Image forming means 22 forms a character pattern image (f) from a read outline font (d). In addition, print data output means 26 outputs the formed image (f) to a printing mechanism 24.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print processing device used for a printer or the like having a kanji printing function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, many printers having a kanji printing function use outline fonts to improve the printing quality of enlarged characters. These conventional printers also have bitmap fonts in addition to outline fonts, and print by receiving an outline font or bitmap font designation from the CPU of the host device.

[0003]

However, in the conventional printer, since the expansion time of the outline font in the print buffer memory is longer than the expansion time of the bitmap font, the printing time is significantly delayed when the outline font is specified. There was a problem.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a print processing apparatus which enables high speed printing while maintaining the print quality.

[0005]

A print processing apparatus according to the present invention is made to achieve the above object.
Bitmap font storage means for storing a bitmap font corresponding to each character code, outline font storage means for storing an outline font corresponding to each character code, and print data input for inputting a character code and a control code from a higher-level device Means, a font selecting means for selecting one of a bitmap font and an outline font corresponding to the character code and the control code inputted by the print data inputting means, based on the control code, and the font. A font reading means for reading the bitmap font or the outline font selected by the selecting means from the bitmap font storing means or the outline font storing means, and an outline phone read by the font reading means. An image creating means for creating a character pattern image from the image forming means, and a print data output means for outputting the character pattern image created by the image creating means and the bitmap font read by the font reading means to a printing mechanism. It is a thing.

Further, the font selection means selects an outline font corresponding to the character code when the size of the character included in the control code is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, and the font included in the character included in the control code is selected. When the size is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, the bitmap font corresponding to the character code may be selected.

[0007]

The character code and the control code are input to the print data input means from the host device. Font selection means
Based on this control code, either the bitmap font or the outline font corresponding to the character code is selected. The bitmap font or outline font corresponding to the character code selected by the font selection means is read from the bitmap font storage means or outline font storage means by the font reading means. The outline font read by the font reading means is converted into a character pattern image by the image creating means and output to the printing mechanism through the print data output means. Further, since the bitmap font read by the font reading means is already a character pattern image, it is directly output to the printing mechanism via the print data output means.

[0008]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, description will be given with reference to this drawing.

The print processing apparatus according to the present invention stores a bitmap font storage means 10 for storing a bitmap font e corresponding to each character code a and an outline font storage for storing an outline font d corresponding to each character code a. Means 12 and print data input means 16 for inputting the character code a and the control code b from the host device 14.
And the character code a input by the print data input means 16.
For the control code b, the font selection means 18 for selecting either the bitmap font e or the outline font d corresponding to the character code a based on the control code b, and the bitmap font e selected by the font selection means 18 or A font reading means 20 for reading the outline font d from the bitmap font storage means 10 or the outline font storage means 12, and an image creating means 22 for creating a character pattern image f from the outline font d read by the font reading means 20. The print data output means 26 outputs the character pattern image f created by the image creating means 22 and the bitmap font e read by the font reading means 20 to the printing mechanism 24.

The font selecting means 18 selects the outline font d corresponding to the character code a when the size of the character included in the control code b is a predetermined value or more, and the character included in the control code b. If the size of is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the bitmap font e corresponding to the character code a is selected.

A more detailed description will be given.

The upper device 16 is a word processor, a computer or the like. The bitmap font storage means 10 and the outline font storage means 12 are composed of a ROM, a magnetic storage device, or the like. The print data input means 16 is a reception buffer memory such as a RAM. Print data output means 26
Is a print buffer memory such as a RAM. The font selecting means 18, the font reading means 20, the image creating means 22 and the like are composed of a CPU, a ROM, a RAM and the like, and operate as described later by a program. The printing mechanism 24
This mechanism prints on recording paper.

The print data is composed of a character code a and a control code b, and is stored in the print data input means 16 from the host device 16. The character code a is a control code b for specifying the size of the character by the font selection means 18.
Based on the above, whether to print with the outline font d or the bitmap font e is selected. That is, if the use of the outline font d such as the enlarged character can significantly improve the printing quality, the command group stored in the outline font storage unit 12 is read by the font reading unit 20 and the image creating unit 2 is read.
In step 2, the character pattern image f is converted and stored in the print data output means 26. Further, in the case of a small character for which the improvement of printing quality cannot be obtained, the bitmap font e as a character image is read from the bitmap font storage means 10 by the font reading means 20 and stored in the print data output means 26. The print data output means 26 is
It is composed of a memory having a limited capacity, and when the print data of the print data input means 16 reaches a certain amount by repeating the above processing, the stored image data is output to the printing mechanism 24. The printing mechanism 24 imprints image data such as the character pattern image f and the bit map font e on recording paper or the like by a mechanical printing function.

The operation of the print processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described based on a specific example.

FIG. 2 shows an example of print data. "A",
"B" is a control code b indicating the size of a character, "A" is an enlarged character, and "B" is a character of a normal size. "L /
“F” is a control code b indicating a line feed, and the character code a is included between the character size and the control code b indicating a line feed.

When the print data shown in FIG. 2 is input to the print data input means 16, when the font selection means 18 reads the character size "A" of the first line L1 and recognizes that it is an enlarged character, the font read means 20. Switches to a mode for accessing the outline font storage means 12. Then, the font selection means 18 causes the character code "high".
, The font reading means 20 reads the command of the outline font d corresponding to the character code from the outline font storage means 12, the image creating means 22 converts the outline font d into the character pattern image f, and the print data output means. 26. After that, the same processing is repeated from “fast” to “rank”. Next, "L / F" is transferred from the print data input means 16 to the print data output means 26 as it is.

In the next second line L2, the font selection means 1
When 8 reads the character size "B" and recognizes that it is a normal size character, the font reading means 20 switches to the mode for accessing the bitmap font storage means 10. Subsequently, when the font selection means 18 reads the character code “mark”, the font reading means 20 sets the bitmap font e as a character pattern image corresponding to the character code to the bitmap font storage means 1.
It is read from 0 and stored in the print data output means 26.
After that, the same processing is repeated from “letter” to “na”.

The third line L3 is processed in the same manner as the first line L1. The bitmap font e, the character pattern image f, etc. stored in the print data output means 26 are output to the printing mechanism 24 together with the L / F (line feed) control code b.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example in which the recording paper is printed based on the print data shown in FIG. Printing mechanism 24
Prints enlarged characters in outline font on the recording paper 30 (L11, L13) and prints characters of normal size in bitmap font (L12).

Although the font selecting means 18 selects the outline font d or the bitmap font e based on the size of the character included in the control code b in this embodiment, the font selecting means 18 is not limited to this. Not a thing. For example, the control code b may include information indicating high quality, and the outline font d may be selected based on this information.

[0021]

According to the present invention, enlarged characters are printed in an outline font, which can significantly improve the printing quality,
High-quality and high-speed printing can be realized by printing a normal-sized character, which does not improve the printing quality, in a bitmap font.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of print data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example printed on a recording paper according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Bitmap Font Storage Means 12 Outline Font Storage Means 14 Upper Device 16 Print Data Input Means 18 Font Selection Means 20 Font Read Means 22 Image Creating Means 24 Printing Mechanism 26 Print Data Output Means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A bitmap font storage means for storing a bitmap font corresponding to each character code, an outline font storage means for storing an outline font corresponding to each character code, and a character code and a control code from a host device. Print data input means for inputting,
With respect to the character code and control code input by the print data input means, a font selecting means for selecting either a bitmap font or an outline font corresponding to the character code based on the control code, and the font selecting means Font reading means for reading the selected bitmap font or outline font from the bitmap font storage means or outline font storage means, and image creating means for creating a character pattern image from the outline font read by the font reading means. A print data output means for outputting to the printing mechanism the character pattern image created by the image creating means and the bitmap font read by the font reading means. Apparatus. 2. The font selection means selects an outline font corresponding to the character code when the size of the character included in the control code is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, and the font included in the character included in the control code is selected. The bitmap font corresponding to the character code is selected when the size is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.
The print processing device described.