JPH07181950A - Generating method for character data - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the need to develop reduced character data of KANJI (Chinese character) which are low in frequency of use and to eliminate the need to add an extra expensive ROM by generating the reduced character data from basic character data. CONSTITUTION:A CPU 1 when generating character data, supplies necessary instruction and information to a character data generating means 2 as a drawing mechanism. A character data generating means 2 reads the basic character data out of a CG(character generator) 3 and develops and processes the data on a character data memory 4 to generate various reduced character data. For example, when the reduction direction is only longitudinal or lateral, 1st reduced character data based upon a basic point bit as a start point are generated, 2nd reduced character data based upon a point, shifted from the basic point bit by specific bits in the specific direction, as a start point are generated, and the 1st and 2nd reduced character data are ORed to generate longitudinally or laterally reduced character data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a character data generating method for generating reduced character data which is reduced at a predetermined ratio from basic character data composed of bit patterns.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, printers and displays are
Character data (bitmap font) composed of bit patterns is read from a character generator (hereinafter referred to as CG) to print or display characters. CG
For simple characters such as alphanumeric characters, hiragana and katakana, in addition to full-width character data, reduced character data of different formats (size) such as half-width and quarter-width are available. As for, is usually provided only with character data (basic character data) corresponding to full-width size.

[0003]

Therefore, for example,
If reduced kanji character data is needed, a ROM that stores reduced kanji character data for different sizes must be added. For this purpose, not only is it expensive to develop a large number of reduced character data of Chinese characters, but also an expensive ROM for storing a large amount of reduced character data is required. On the other hand, the reduced characters of Chinese characters are usually used infrequently, and therefore it is not preferable that the cost of the entire device increases due to the above reasons. The present invention has been made based on such a situation, and its purpose is to eliminate the need for developing reduced character data such as Kanji characters which are rarely used and which is expensive.
It is to provide a method of generating character data that does not require additional OM.

[0004]

[Means and Actions for Solving the Problems]

(1) When the reduction direction is only one of the vertical direction or the horizontal direction, the first reduced character data is generated with the base point bit as the start point, and the point shifted from the base point bit by the predetermined amount in the predetermined direction is started. Generate the second reduced character data as points,
Reduced character data in the vertical or horizontal direction is generated from the logical sum of the first and second reduced character data. (2) When the reduction direction is both the vertical and horizontal directions, the first reduced character data is generated with the base point bit as a start point, and the second shifted character is generated with a point vertically displaced from the base point bit by a predetermined bit as the start point. The reduced character data is generated, the third reduced character data is generated with a point laterally displaced from the base point bit by a predetermined number of bits as a start point, and vertical and horizontal directions are obtained from the logical sum of the first to third reduced character data. Generate reduced character data. In the steps (1) and (2) above, since the logical sum of the reduced character data generated from the basic character data and the reduced character data generated by shifting the basic character data in the reduction direction is calculated, a vertical line or Reduced character data can be obtained from basic character data having thin horizontal lines without losing vertical lines or horizontal lines.

[0005]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part showing a configuration when a character data generation method of the present invention is applied to a printer.

When generating character data, the CPU 1 gives necessary commands and information to the character data generating means 2 which is a drawing mechanism. The character data generating means 2 is CG
The basic character data is read from the (character generator) 3 and is expanded and operated on the character data memory 4 according to a method described later to generate reduced character data of each type. Character data memory 4
Is composed of, for example, an image memory such as a frame memory. The printing unit 5 reads the reduced character data stored in the character data memory 4 and executes a predetermined printing operation.

From the CPU 1 to the character data generating means 2,
Code of basic character data (for example, JIS code), expansion position (address) of character data in the character data memory 4, expansion format (size), vertical and horizontal magnification, and other character rotation direction (vertical writing, A command for specifying horizontal writing, etc.) is given. Character data generation means 2
Based on this command, reads the basic character data from the CG 3 based on the address corresponding to the specified code, expands the character data on the character data memory 4, and performs the reduction operation.

As another general function, the character data generating means 2 performs a predetermined process on the basic character data and expands it on the character data memory 4 to expand in the vertical and horizontal directions. It has a function to change, a function to transform into bold characters and thin characters, and a function to perform well-known modification such as bag characters and three-dimensional characters, but this is done by a well-known method. Is omitted.

Reduction of character data composed of bit patterns is usually performed as follows. That is, when the basic character data P1 as shown in FIG. 2 is reduced by 1/2 in the vertical direction (column direction) and the horizontal direction (row direction),
Starting from the base point bit Q, which is the first row and first column of the basic character data P1, the bit data is thinned out from the basic character data 1 at a rate of 1 bit per 2 bits in both vertical and horizontal directions. It is possible to generate vertically and horizontally reduced character data P2 reduced to 1/2 and horizontally 1/2. As shown in FIG. 1, such processing is performed by the character data generation means 2 by the CG 3 according to an instruction given from the CPU 1.
This is performed by reading out the character data from, thinning out, and expanding the result at the specified address in the character data memory 4 in the specified size.

Further, FIG. 4 shows one row R1 of basic character data composed of 32 bits in the horizontal direction.
By thinning out bit data at a rate of 3 bits per 4 bits only in the horizontal (row) direction, one column R2 of reduced character data reduced to 1/4 in the horizontal direction can be generated. If such an operation is sequentially performed for each row, horizontally reduced character data in which the horizontal direction is reduced to 1/4 can be generated. If the thinning operation similar to the above is performed only in the vertical (column) direction, vertical reduced character data reduced to ¼ only in the vertical direction can be generated. That is, by extracting bit data in a predetermined direction from the basic character data in a predetermined direction starting from a base point bit of the basic character data composed of a bit pattern, a reduced character reduced in a predetermined ratio with respect to the basic character data. Data can be generated.

As shown in FIG. 2, there is no problem when the vertical and horizontal lines have the same thickness (for example, 2 bits) like the Gothic typeface. However, FIG.
In a typeface such as Mincho type as shown in, the character data P
3, the vertical line is thick (for example, 2 bits) and the horizontal line is thin (for example, 1 bit). Therefore, when thinning out the bit data in the vertical and horizontal directions from such character data P3, the horizontal lines having a width of 1 bit may be thinned out. For example, when data is thinned out in the vertical and horizontal directions from the character data P3 shown in FIG. 5 at a rate of 1/2 respectively, as shown in FIG. 6, vertical lines remain, but horizontal lines disappear. Character data P4
May be generated.

As described above, when the vertical lines or the horizontal lines forming a character disappear, the quality of the character deteriorates and it becomes difficult to read the character. In order to eliminate such an inconvenience, the following processing is performed on the basic character data, and the vertical line or the horizontal line, or both the vertical line and the horizontal line, which may be lost by the reduction, is thickened. It is necessary to generate the reduced character data from the secondary basic character data once the generated character data (hereinafter referred to as the secondary basic character data) is generated.

The flowchart of FIG. 7 shows a procedure for generating secondary basic character data from basic character data and further generating reduced character data therefrom. As an example, a case will be described in which vertical and horizontal reduced character data reduced in both vertical and horizontal directions is generated. First, the reduction direction (both vertical and horizontal)
And a reduction ratio (both vertical and horizontal) are specified (S
1). Then, the basic character data is read from CG3 to generate basic character data P3 shown in FIG. 5 (S2), CG3
To generate basic sub character data (not shown) by shifting the basic character data by 1 bit in each of the vertical and horizontal directions (S3). Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the logical sum of the basic character data P3 and the sub basic character data is taken,
The secondary basic character data P5 in which the vertical line and the horizontal line are thickened by 1 bit each is generated (S4). Then, the secondary basic character data P5 is reduced at a predetermined ratio to obtain vertical and horizontal reduced character data P6 in which horizontal lines do not disappear as shown in FIG. 9 (S5).

According to this procedure, the basic character data P3 is shifted in the predetermined direction by a predetermined bit (1 bit) to generate sub-basic character data, and the logical sum of the basic character data P3 and the sub-basic character data is used in the predetermined direction ( Since the secondary basic character data P5 having a thicker line in both the vertical and horizontal directions is generated, and the reduced character data P6 is generated based on the secondary basic character data P5, the vertical line and the horizontal line of Mincho type etc. Even if the character data having different thicknesses are reduced, it is possible to obtain the reduced character data that maintains the quality of the character data without losing vertical lines or horizontal lines from the basic character data. The above-described processing is performed by the character data generation means 2 in FIG. 1 by expanding the character data on the character data memory 3 and operating it.

However, in this method, when the vertical direction and the horizontal direction are required as the reduction directions in addition to the above-described vertical and horizontal directions, the reduction directions are corresponding to the respective reduction directions.
It is necessary to generate different sub-basic character data, that is, sub-basic character data shifted by 1 bit only in the thinning direction. The reason for this is that if, based on only the secondary basic character data generated based on the sub-basic character data that is shifted by 1 bit in both the vertical and horizontal directions, and if the reduced character data in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction is obtained, respectively. This is because each horizontal line or vertical line becomes too thick and the quality of the reduced character data deteriorates.

Therefore, corresponding to each of the above three types of reduction directions, (a) sub-basic character data generated by shifting by 1 bit in both vertical and horizontal directions, and (b) generated by shifting by 1 bit only in the vertical direction. Sub-basic character data, (c)
It is not preferable because the sub-basic character data generated by shifting only one bit in the horizontal direction must be generated, which increases the number of processing steps. Therefore, a method of simplifying the procedure by making the processing process common will be described below.

(1) Method for Generating Vertically and Horizontally Reduced Character Data The procedure for generating vertically and horizontally reduced character data obtained by reducing the basic character data P3 shown in FIG. 5 by 1/2 in both vertical and horizontal directions is as follows. As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10, first, the reduction direction (both vertical and horizontal) is designated (S1).
0). Next, the reduction ratio (both vertical and horizontal) is designated (S11). Next, the basic character data P3 is read (S12), the bit data is thinned out in the vertical and horizontal directions at a predetermined ratio (1/2) with the base point S as a start point, and the first vertical and horizontal reduced character data P7 (FIG. 11) is generated ( S13). Similarly, the second vertical / horizontal reduced character data P8 (FIG. 12) is generated with the bit Q1 shifted from the base point S by one bit in the vertical direction (downward) as a starting point (S14). Similarly, the third vertical / horizontal reduced character data P9 (FIG. 13) is generated using the bit Q2, which is shifted from the base point S by one bit in the horizontal direction (right direction), as a start point (S15). Next, the logical sum of these three character data is taken to generate vertical and horizontal reduced character data P10 (FIG. 14) (S16). The reduction ratio can be set to be different in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

(2) Method of generating vertically reduced character data Only 1/2 in the vertical direction from the basic character data P3 shown in FIG.
The procedure for generating the reduced vertically reduced character data is as follows. As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 15, first, the reduction direction (vertical direction) is designated (S20). next,
The reduction ratio (1/2) is designated (S21). Next, the basic character data P3 is read (S22), and the first vertical reduced character data P11 (FIG. 16) is generated by thinning out the bit data in the vertical direction at a predetermined ratio (1/2) with the base point S as the starting point. S23). Similarly, the second vertically reduced character data P12 (FIG. 17) is generated with the bit shifted vertically by one bit (downward) from the base point S as the starting point (S24). Next, the logical reduction of these two character data is taken to generate vertically reduced character data P13 (FIG. 18) (S25).

(3) Horizontally reduced character data generation method From the basic character data P3 shown in FIG.
The procedure for generating the reduced horizontally reduced character data is as follows. As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 19, first, the reduction direction (vertical direction) is designated (S30). next,
The reduction ratio (1/2) is designated (S31). Next, the basic character data P3 is read (S32), and the first horizontal reduced character data P14 (FIG. 20) is generated by thinning out the bit data at a predetermined ratio (1/2) in the horizontal direction with the base point S as a starting point. S33). Similarly, the second horizontally reduced character data P15 (FIG. 21) is generated with the bit shifted from the base point S by one bit in the horizontal direction (to the right) as the starting point (S34). Next, the logical sum of these two character data is taken to generate the horizontally reduced character data P16 (FIG. 22) (S35).

According to the above methods (1) to (3), if the reduction direction, the reduction ratio, and the start point when thinning out the bit data are designated, the common processing will be performed thereafter, and then 2
The reduced character data may be generated by taking the logical sum of three or three reduced character data. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the processing according to the reduction direction of each character data, and the processing is simplified.

In the case where character data such as Mincho typeface whose vertical and horizontal lines have different thicknesses is reduced by the steps (1) to (3), reduced character data generated from basic character data, Since the logical sum is obtained with the reduced character data generated by shifting the basic character data in the reduction direction, it is possible to obtain the reduced character data which maintains the quality of the character data without losing the vertical line or the horizontal line.

The reduced character data obtained by this embodiment described above is slightly inferior in quality to the case where the reduced character data is designed for each character, but there is no loss of vertical and horizontal lines, and it is practical. Can be obtained with necessary and sufficient readability.

The above-mentioned FIG. 7 and the above (1) to
In the method (3), it is possible to generate character data by arbitrarily reducing or expanding by reducing one of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction and enlarging the other by a known method. is there. Furthermore, by combining the method for generating character data described above with a well-known generation procedure for deformed character data such as bold characters, thin characters, and modified characters,
Any modified character data can be generated.

In the present embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a printer has been described as an example, but the present invention may also be applied when generating character data to be displayed on a screen in a display device or the like. it can.

[0025]

As described above in detail, according to the character data generating method of the present invention, the procedure is common regardless of the type of the reduction direction as described below, so that the processing can be simplified. . (1) When the reduction direction is only one of the vertical or horizontal direction, the first reduced character data is generated with the base point bit as a starting point,
Second reduced character data is generated with a point deviated from the base point bit by a predetermined amount in a predetermined direction as a start point, and vertical or horizontal reduced character data is obtained from a logical sum of the first and second reduced character data. To generate. (2) When the reduction direction is both the vertical and horizontal directions, the first reduced character data is generated with the base point bit as a start point, and the second shifted character is generated with a point vertically displaced from the base point bit by a predetermined bit as the start point. The reduced character data is generated, the third reduced character data is generated by using a point laterally displaced from the base point bit by a predetermined number of bits as a start point, and the logical sum of the first to third reduced character data is used to determine the vertical and horizontal directions. Reduced character data can be generated. By the procedure of (1) and (2) above,
Even when shrinking basic character data such as Mincho type with vertical and horizontal lines having different thicknesses, reduced character data generated from basic character data and reduced character data generated by shifting the basic character data in the reduction direction Therefore, the reduced character data with the quality of the character data maintained can be obtained without losing the vertical line or the horizontal line.

Therefore, according to the character data generation method of the present invention, it is possible to generate reduced character data from basic character data, so that it is not necessary to develop reduced character data such as Chinese characters which are rarely used, and There is no need to add expensive ROM.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example when a character data generation method of the present invention is applied to a printer.

FIG. 2 is a pattern diagram showing an example of basic character data.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram when the pattern of FIG. 2 is reduced.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a character data reduction method.

FIG. 5 is a pattern diagram showing an example of basic character data.

FIG. 6 is a pattern diagram when the basic character data of FIG. 5 is reduced with a base point Q as a starting point.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure for generating reduced character data from the basic character data of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a pattern diagram showing secondary basic character data.

FIG. 9 is a pattern diagram when the secondary basic character data of FIG. 8 is reduced.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for generating vertical and horizontal reduced character data from basic character data.

FIG. 11 is a pattern diagram of first reduced character data obtained by reducing the basic character data of FIG. 5 with a base point Q as a starting point.

FIG. 12 is a pattern diagram of second reduced character data obtained by reducing the basic character data of FIG. 5 from the base point Q by 1 bit in the vertical direction as a start point.

FIG. 13 is a pattern diagram of third reduced character data obtained by reducing the basic character data of FIG. 5 from the base point Q by 1 bit in the horizontal direction as a start point.

FIG. 14 is a pattern diagram showing vertical and horizontal reduced character data generated from a logical sum of the data of FIGS. 11 to 14;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a procedure for generating vertically reduced character data from the basic character data of FIG.

16 is a pattern diagram of first reduced character data obtained by reducing the basic character data of FIG. 5 with a base point Q as a starting point.

FIG. 17 is a pattern diagram of second reduced character data obtained by reducing the basic character data of FIG. 5 by shifting the base point Q by 1 bit in the vertical direction from a starting point.

FIG. 18 is a pattern diagram showing vertically reduced character data generated from the logical sum of the data of FIGS. 16 and 17;

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing a procedure for generating horizontally reduced character data from basic character data.

FIG. 20 is a pattern diagram of first reduced character data obtained by reducing the basic character data of FIG. 5 with a base point Q as a starting point.

FIG. 21 is a pattern diagram of second reduced character data obtained by reducing the basic character data of FIG. 5 from the starting point Q by 1 bit in the horizontal direction as a starting point.

22 is a pattern diagram showing horizontal reduced character data generated from the logical sum of the data of FIGS. 20 and 21. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 CPU 2 Character data generation means 3 Character generator (CG) 4 Character data memory P3 Basic character data P5 Secondary basic character data P6, P10 Vertical reduced horizontal character data P13 Vertical reduced character data P16 Horizontal reduced character data P7, P11, P14 1 reduced character data P8, P12, P15 2nd reduced character data P9 3rd reduced character data Q Base point Q1 Point vertically shifted by 1 bit from point Q2 Point horizontally shifted by 1 bit from base point

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ───

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] February 4, 1994

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Name of item to be corrected] Fig. 20

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

FIG. 20

[Procedure Amendment 2]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Name of item to be corrected] Fig. 21

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

FIG. 21

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. By thinning out bit data from the basic character data in a vertical direction at a predetermined ratio, starting from a base point bit of the basic character data composed of a bit pattern,
In the character data generation method for generating vertically reduced character data that is vertically reduced at the predetermined ratio with respect to the basic character data, first reduced character data is generated with the base point bit as a start point, and the base point Generating a second reduced character data by using a point vertically shifted from a bit by a predetermined bit as the starting point, and generating the vertically reduced character data from a logical sum of the first and second reduced character data A method for generating character data characterized by. 2. By thinning out bit data from the basic character data in a horizontal direction at a predetermined ratio, starting from a base point bit of the basic character data composed of a bit pattern,
In the character data generation method for generating horizontally reduced character data that is laterally reduced by the predetermined ratio with respect to the basic character data, the first reduced character data is generated using the base point bit as a starting point, and the base point Generating second reduced character data starting from a point laterally displaced from the bit by a predetermined number of bits, and generating the horizontally reduced character data from a logical sum of the first and second reduced character data. Character data generation method characterized by. 3. The basic character data is thinned out at a predetermined ratio in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction from the base character bit of the basic character data constituted by a bit pattern as a starting point, thereby decompressing the basic character data with respect to the basic character data. A method for generating character data for generating vertical and horizontal reduced character data reduced in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction at a predetermined ratio, respectively, wherein first reduced character data is generated by using the base point bit as a start point, and a predetermined amount is generated from the base point bit. Second reduced character data is generated with a point vertically shifted by a bit amount as a start point, and third reduced character data is generated with a point horizontally shifted from the base point bit by a predetermined bit as a start point. Generating the vertical and horizontal reduced character data from the logical sum of the first, second, and third reduced character data. Forming method.