JPH08287276A - Character layout device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To array a character string beautifully and easily in a figure by deciding a closed area of the generated area and arranging the inputted character string in the decided arbitrary area by a character layout means. CONSTITUTION: A control part 6 decides the closed area of the figure generated through an input part 1, and a layout part 3 arrays the character string inputted from the input part 1 in the decided closed area. The layout part 3 decides the area inside the figure stored in a storage part 2 and lays out the characters obtained from the input part 1 and storage part 2 so that they do not project from the area. When a character is inputted, the control part 6 automatically decides whether or not the character is put in the area. Consequently, the operator only inputs characters one after another and the character string is arranged orderly in the figure.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a character layout device which is provided in a personal computer, a word processor or the like to lay out characters and figures in a beautiful manner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when laying out characters such that they fit exactly inside a closed figure such as a circle, a rhombus, or a heart, the operator first draws the figure by some method, then , Skillfully operate the mouse and keyboard,
The insertion position and line feed position of the character were determined.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the operator inserts a space at the beginning of the character string by using the space key so that the character string fits exactly inside the figure. However, there has been a problem in that a complicated operation such as a line feed and adjusting the length of the character string, adjusting the length of the character string, or moving the entire character string is required.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the above-mentioned prior art, and its object is to arrange a character string neatly and easily inside a figure. The present invention is intended to provide a character layout device capable of performing the above.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a character layout device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a character layout device for creating a graphic, a character input device for inputting a character, and a closed area for the graphic. And a character layout means for laying out characters, wherein the closed area determination means determines a closed area for the figure created by the figure creation means, and the determined arbitrary area In the closed area, the character string input by the character input means,
The characters are arranged by the character layout means.

To achieve the same object, a character layout device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the character layout device according to the first aspect, characterized in that the graphic creating means can create an arbitrary number of closed regions. It is a thing.

To achieve the same object, a character layout device according to a third aspect of the present invention is the character layout device according to the first aspect, wherein the graphic forming means groups the arbitrary number of closed areas into grouping means. It is characterized by having.

In order to achieve the same object, a character layout device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the character layout device according to the third aspect, characterized in that the grouping means performs grouping by multivalued filling. To do.

To achieve the same object, a character layout device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the character layout device according to the first aspect, in which the character layout means creates a graphic created by the graphic creating means after the character layout. Even if the characters are transformed or replaced, the layout of the characters is automatically changed accordingly.

[0010]

According to the character layout apparatus of the present invention, the closed area of the graphic created by the graphic creating means is determined by the closed area determining means, and the character inputting means is placed in any of the determined closed areas. The character string input by is arranged by the character layout means.

According to the character layout device of the second aspect, in addition to the operation of the character layout device of the first aspect, it is possible to create an arbitrary number of closed areas by the graphic creating means.

In the character layout device according to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the operation of the character layout device according to the first aspect, the graphic forming means has a grouping means for grouping an arbitrary number of closed regions.

According to the character layout device of claim 4, in addition to the operation of the character layout device of claim 3, the grouping means performs grouping by multi-valued filling.

A character layout device according to a fifth aspect is the character layout device according to the first aspect, wherein even if the character layout means deforms or replaces the graphic created by the graphic creating means after the character layout, the character layout means follows the character layout. And the layout of the characters also changes automatically.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As the present embodiment, a layout including graphics and characters, such as a postcard, an invitation card, and an advertisement leaflet, will be described.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a character layout device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG.
Reference numeral 1 is an input unit for inputting characters using a keyboard,
A pointing device such as a mouse is used to select a command or specify a position in a document. Two
Is a storage unit that stores a file of character strings and previously created graphic data. For example, a storage device such as a hard disk is used.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a layout section, which determines the area inside the graphic stored in the storage section 2, and determines the input section 1 and the storage section 2.
It has the function of laying out characters so that they will not run out of the area. A display unit 4 displays the layout process and results on the CRT monitor screen so that they can be recognized in real time. A printing unit 5 prints and outputs the layout result on a printing paper, and has a function of printing characters and images by a set of dots such as a monochrome or color inkjet printer or a laser printer. Reference numeral 6 denotes a control unit, which is each of the above units 1 to 5
And is composed of a CPU (central processing unit) or the like.

Next, the work procedure of the operator in the character layout apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, in step S201, a graphic is created. Specifically, the operator uses the mouse connected to the input unit 1 in FIG. 1 to select "graphic" or "create" in the pull-down menu displayed on the monitor screen connected to the display unit 4. Select. The control unit 6 receives the graphic creation command, and the graphic creation menu shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the monitor screen. It has various tools for creating various figures in advance. For example, in FIG. 3A, reference numeral 31 is a tool for performing graphic range, graphic movement, and enlargement / reduction. 32 is a tool for drawing a straight line, 33 is a tool for drawing a curve, and 34 is a tool for drawing a continuous straight line. The operator uses these tools 31 to 34 to generate the image shown in FIG.
In the free-form curve as shown in FIG.
Create 37 and 38.

Next, in step S202, the figure is positioned. Specifically, for example, if a triangle is created by combining arbitrary curves in step S201, a triangular figure 401 is displayed on the monitor screen as shown in FIG. A positioning frame 402 is displayed around the triangular figure 401. Using the mouse, the figure can be enlarged, reduced, or moved in position. By moving the position of 10 or 14 on the grid up and down, vertical scaling can be performed. Further, by moving the position of 12 or 16 on the grid, it is possible to perform lateral magnification change. Furthermore, 11, 13, 1 on the grid
By moving the positions of 5 and 17, it is possible to perform vertical and horizontal scaling at the same time. Also, if the mouse is selected on the dotted line of the frame 402 and dragged, the figure can be moved. These controls are performed by the control unit 6 in FIG. The positioning of the figure is completed by combining these operations.

Next, in step S203, the figures are grouped. For example, it is assumed that four figures 35 to 38 are created as shown in FIG. Select "Figure" or "Group" from the group down menu. Then, as shown in FIG.
On the monitor screen of the display unit 4, a dialog box as shown in, specifically, a message 501 "Please select a figure to be grouped", an "End" button 502, and a "Cancel" button 503 are displayed. Is displayed in. Here, when laying out a character string only in the figures 35 and 36 of FIG. 3B, the operator clicks on the contour lines of the figures 35 and 36 using the mouse. Then Fig. 4
A frame is displayed on the monitor screen so as to surround each figure as shown in FIG. In the case of FIG. 3, figure 3
A frame surrounding each of 5 and 36 is displayed on the monitor screen.

When the selection is completed in this way, FIG.
“End” button 502 of “No”, and when canceling the grouping on the way, the “Cancel” button 503 is selected. When the “end” button 502 is selected, the selected group is filled with the same value. In the case of the present embodiment, it is possible to use eight values as the filling value. In other words, the figure can be divided into eight groups. The value of this fill is
The number is not limited to eight, and in principle, the number is the same.

Next, in step S204, characters are input. In the case of inputting this character, the control unit 6 automatically determines the area so that the character fits within the figure. This is the most important part of the invention. Specifically, click the position inside the figure where you want to insert the character with the mouse. Then, the cursor blinks at that position and the character insertion mode is set. When a character string is input from the keyboard connected to the input unit 1, a character is inserted from the position of the cursor, and when the character reaches the boundary line of the figure, the line is automatically broken. Then, the cursor moves to the beginning of the next line within the figure.

Therefore, the operator only needs to input characters one after another, and the character string is arranged in order inside the figure. The operator does not need to care about the line feed position and the beginning position of the next line after the line feed, and the layout of characters can be done easily. The details of the character layout processing operation will be described later with reference to FIG. Figure 6
An explanatory diagram for area determination is shown in FIG. For example, assume that a triangle is created as a figure in step S201. The internal area of the created triangle is filled in advance. In FIG. 6, 20, 21, 22 and the like correspond to the area of one character. Since the character areas of 20 and 22 are not all within the range of the triangular figure, no character is inserted here. In No. 21, since the character area is entirely within the range of the triangular figure, it is possible to insert the character.

Next, in step S205, the character layout is corrected. When there are no gaps inside the figure and the character strings are arranged, the result obtained in step S203 is sufficient, but in some cases, it is desirable to insert line breaks irregularly at word breaks and sentence breaks. There are cases, etc. You may also want to insert a space at the beginning of the sentence. In such a case, specify the insertion position of the character with the mouse,
By inserting spaces and line breaks from the keyboard, the layout of characters can be modified. These controls are performed by the control unit 6 in FIG.

Next, in step S205, the result of the layout of figures and characters is printed on the printing paper by the printing unit 5 of FIG.

Specifically, the operator selects "print" from the pull-down menu. Then, the data is transferred to the printing unit 5, and the printing result as displayed on the monitor screen of the display unit 4 is obtained. After the printing process in step S205 is executed, this processing operation is ended.

Next, a character layout processing operation in the character layout apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, in step S701, it is determined whether the character insertion position is included in the graphic area. Since the internal area of the graphic is filled in advance, the area determination as a character area can be performed easily and quickly. Then, as described with reference to FIG. 6, when the character area is entirely within the graphic area, the process advances to step S702 to insert the character. Specifically, the character input from the keyboard is inserted at the insertion position (cursor position). Next, in step S703, the character insertion position is moved to the right by one character, and then the process returns to step S701 to determine again whether the character insertion position is included in the graphic area.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S701 that the character area is not entirely within the figure area, the flow advances to step S704 to determine whether the character can be inserted in the next line by the same determination method as in step S701. To judge. If a character can be inserted in the next line, the insertion position is moved to the next line in step S705, and then the process proceeds to step S702 to insert the character.

If a character cannot be inserted in the next line in step S704, an uninsertable process is performed in step S706. Specifically, the operator is notified by displaying a warning dialog indicating that the character cannot be inserted, such as "I cannot insert any more characters" on the monitor screen of the display unit 4.

After executing the non-insertable processing in step S606, this processing operation is terminated.

(Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In the first embodiment described above, the character string was described as input from the keyboard, but in this embodiment,
A document file created in advance with word processor software is read, and the read data is subjected to character layout processing.

Since the basic configuration of the character layout device according to this embodiment is the same as that of FIG. 1 described above, the description will be given by diverting the drawing.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the work procedure of the operator in the character layout apparatus according to the present embodiment. Steps S801 to S803, Step S805, and Step S806 in the figure are the steps S201 in FIG. ~ Step S203, Step S20
5 and step S206, respectively, so step S804, which is a processing step peculiar to this embodiment, will be described.

After the figures are grouped in step S803, the document file is read in step S804. In the case of inputting this document file, the area determination is automatically performed by the control unit 6 of FIG. 1 so that the characters fit exactly in the figure. This is the most important part of the invention. Specifically, click the position inside the figure where you want to insert the character with the mouse. Then, the cursor blinks at that position and the character insertion mode is set.

With the mouse, select "File" or "Open" from the pull-down menu. Then, a dialog box displaying a list of document files created in advance is displayed on the monitor screen of the display unit 4. Select the file you want to lay out and select the "OK" button. Then, the file stored in the storage unit 3 is read by the control unit 6, the document is inserted from the position of the cursor, and a line is automatically laid out when the boundary of the figure is reached, and character strings are laid out one after another. .

Therefore, the operator only needs to specify the input file, and the character strings are arranged in order inside the figure. The operator does not need to care about the line feed position and the beginning position of the next line after the line feed, and the layout of characters can be done easily. (Third Embodiment) Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In the above-described first embodiment, the character string is described as input from the keyboard, but in this embodiment,
A character string is read using an optical character recognition device (hereinafter, referred to as OCR), and character layout processing is performed on the read data.

Since the basic configuration of the character layout device according to this embodiment is the same as that of FIG. 1 described above, the description will be given by diverting the drawing.

The OCR is a device for reading typed characters and handwritten characters written on a paper as an image using a scanner and recognizing the characters from them. The scanner is connected to the input unit 1, performs character recognition in the input unit 1, and transfers the recognition result to the control unit 6.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the work procedure of the operator in the character layout apparatus according to this embodiment. Steps S901 to S903, step S905, and step S906 in the figure are the steps S201 in FIG. ~ Step S203, Step S20
5 and step S206, respectively, and therefore step S904, which is a processing step peculiar to this embodiment, will be described.

After the figure is glued in step S903, the character string is read using OCR in step S904. When this character string is input, the control unit 6 automatically determines the area so that the character fits within the figure. This is the most important part of the invention. Specifically, click the position inside the figure where you want to insert the character with the mouse. Then, the cursor blinks at that position and the character insertion mode is set. In advance, write the character string on the form and set it on the scanner.

With the mouse, select "File" or "OCR" from the pull-down menu. Then, the paper is scanned and recognized by the input unit 1, and the recognition result is displayed on the monitor screen of the display unit 4. If the recognition is incorrect, the correct character is selected from the candidate characters using the mouse and corrected. When the correction is completed, the "end" button is selected to end the OCR input. Then
A document is inserted from the cursor position, and a line is automatically laid out when it reaches the boundary of the figure, and character strings are laid out one after another.

Therefore, the operator only needs to specify the input from the OCR, and the character string is arranged in order inside the figure. The operator does not need to care about the line feed position and the beginning position of the next line after the line feed, and the layout of characters can be done easily.

(Fourth Embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In the above-described first embodiment, the case where only the layout of the characters is corrected after the character input is described, but in the present embodiment, the figure and the layout of the character are corrected after the character input. It was done like this.

The basic layout of the character layout device according to this embodiment is the same as that shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the work procedure of the operator in the character layout apparatus according to the present embodiment. Steps S1001 to S100 in FIG.
Since Step 4, Step S1006 and Step S1007 are the same as Step S201 to Step S204, Step S206 and Step S207 of FIG. 2 described above, respectively, Step S1 which is a processing step peculiar to this embodiment.
005 will be described.

After the characters are input in step S1004, the graphic is modified, that is, the graphic is exchanged or edited in step S1005. In many cases, the step S1
A result of 004 gives satisfactory results. In that case, step S1005 is skipped and step S10 is performed.
The process proceeds to 06. If not, that is, if the result of step S1004 is not satisfied, graphics are exchanged or edited in step S1005.

When exchanging figures, the operator first
A graphic to be deleted is selected using the tool 31 shown in FIG. If grouping is done, the group is selected. Next, “Edit” or “Cut” in the pull-down menu displayed on the monitor screen connected to the display unit 4 is selected, and the selected figure is deleted. Here, the figure is deleted, but next, a new figure is created by the processing of steps S1001 and S1002. When the figure has been created, select "Graphic" or "Exchange" from the pull-down menu. Then, a message "Please specify the combination of figure and character" is displayed on the monitor screen, and the newly created figure and the character string up to that point are specified in order. Then, the character layout unit 3 cleanly rearranges the characters inside the newly created figure.

Next, step S1006 and step S
The processing of 1007 is sequentially performed.

[0055]

As described above in detail, according to the character layout device of the present invention, it is possible to arrange a character string beautifully and easily inside a figure.

Further, by selecting at least one figure from a plurality of figures created by the figure creating means and grouping it, the character string can be arranged only in the designated group. Is. Further, even if the figure created by the figure creating means is transformed or exchanged after the character layout, the layout of the characters automatically changes accordingly, so that the figure creation and editing can be repeated any number of times. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a character layout device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a work procedure of an operator in the character layout device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a graphic creation menu in the character layout device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a layout of figures in the character layout device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a grouping dialog box in the character layout device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of area determination of a figure in the character layout device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a character layout process in the character layout device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a work procedure of an operator in the character layout device according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a work procedure of an operator in the character layout device according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing a work procedure of an operator in the character layout device according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 input unit (character input unit, graphic creation unit) 2 storage unit (graphic storage unit, document storage unit) 3 layout unit (character layout unit) 4 display unit 5 printing unit 6 control unit (closed region determination unit)

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A graphic forming means for creating a graphic, a character inputting means for inputting a character, a closed area judging means for judging a closed area of the graphic, and a character layout means for laying out a character, wherein the graphic The closed area determination means determines the closed area for the graphic created by the creating means, and the character string input by the character input means is inserted by the character layout means in the determined arbitrary closed area. A character layout device characterized by being arranged. 2. The character layout apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the graphic creating means can create an arbitrary number of closed areas. 3. The character layout apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the graphic creating unit has a grouping unit that groups an arbitrary number of closed regions. 4. The character layout device according to claim 3, wherein the grouping unit performs grouping by multi-valued filling. 5. The character layout means is characterized in that, even if the figure created by the figure creating means is transformed or exchanged after the character layout, the character layout is also automatically changed following the change. The character layout device according to claim 1.