JPH1063248A - Outline font plotter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the missing of data by converting the coordinate values into integers by repeating the processing to integrate N lines to one line and to develop this line to dot patterns in accordance with magnified contour coordinate point data. SOLUTION: An input section 1 inputs code information, such as character codes of the characters to be displayed or printed and type face codes, and character sizes. A contour coordinate data memory section 2 stores the coordinate data of an outline font in accordance with the code information inputted from the input section 1. A variable magnification processing section 4 executes transformation of the contour coordinate point data so as to meet desired character sizes. A y coordinate magnification processing section 5 executes the magnification conversion of N times with respect to the y coordinate of the contour coordinate point data after the variable magnification. A dot pattern development section 6 integrates the N lines to one line and develops the line to the dot patterns and repeats the processing to combine and develop the lines by as much as the character size component in a y direction in accordance with the contour coordinate point data by which the y coordinate is magnified N times.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an outline font drawing apparatus which possesses characters and figures as contour coordinate point data and develops them into dot patterns.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a character having a small character size is output by a display or a low-resolution output device, "character missing" occurs in a character having a small number of dots. An example of this missing character will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of data loss of coordinate dot data in a conventional example, and shows characters developed into a 10 × 10 dot pattern. In FIG. 11, A is a missing dot. The circles indicate contour coordinate points, and the outline of the character is represented by connecting each point with a straight line.

FIG. 12 is a view showing coordinate values of eight contour coordinate points in the conventional example. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the coordinates of the intersection of the integer value of the y-coordinate and a straight line connecting each contour coordinate point in the conventional example. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing coordinate dot data converted into integers in a conventional example, where Y is the value of the y coordinate, X start is the start coordinate of the x coordinate, X end is the end coordinate of the x coordinate, and This indicates that the dot pattern is developed from the start of X to the end of X.

The coordinate dot data is data generated by performing dot pattern development processing on the contour coordinate point data.

FIGS. 13 and 1 show the outline coordinate points shown in FIG.
In the coordinate dot data shown in FIG. 4, an intersection of a straight line connecting each contour coordinate point and an integer value (line) of the y coordinate is calculated, rounded off to the decimal point, converted to an integer, and converted into a dot. The dot A of the character shown in FIG. 11 has disappeared, resulting in "character missing".

[0007]

In such an outline font drawing apparatus, as described above, when characters or graphics with a small number of dots are output to a display or the like, "character missing" occurs when the characters or graphics are developed into a dot pattern. Had the problem of doing so.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an outline font drawing apparatus capable of preventing loss of data generated in an arithmetic processing when developing contour coordinate point data into a dot pattern and improving character quality. .

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided an input means for inputting code information, a storage means for storing contour coordinate point data corresponding to the code information, Point data is called, N times enlargement processing is performed on the y coordinate of the contour coordinate point data, N lines are merged into one line based on the enlarged contour coordinate point data, and then developed into a dot pattern, and N lines are developed. 1
The process of merging with a line and developing it into a dot pattern is called y
And a developing means for repeating by the character size in the direction.

As a result, there is provided an outline font drawing apparatus capable of preventing loss of data generated in the arithmetic processing when developing the outline coordinate point data into a dot pattern and improving the character quality.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention provides an input means for inputting code information, a storage means for storing contour coordinate point data corresponding to the code information, and The data is called, the N-fold enlargement processing is performed on the y-coordinate of the contour coordinate point data, and the N lines are merged into one line based on the enlarged contour coordinate point data. By providing a developing means for repeating the process of merging into one line and developing it into a dot pattern by a character size in the y-direction, data of integer data generated for developing into a dot pattern for each line can be obtained. Missing can be prevented.

[0012]

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

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an outline font drawing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, an input unit 1 inputs code information such as a character code and a typeface code of a character to be displayed or printed, and a character size. The outline coordinate data storage unit 2 stores outline font coordinate data based on the code information input from the input unit 1. The output unit 7 outputs the developed dot pattern to a display, a printer, or the like.

The drawing unit 3 comprises a scaling unit 4, a y-coordinate enlargement unit 5, and a dot pattern developing unit 6, and controls each unit. The scaling unit 4 converts the contour coordinate point data so as to match the desired character size. The y-coordinate enlargement processing unit 5 determines that the y-coordinate of the contour coordinate point data after scaling is N
Perform double magnification conversion. The dot pattern developing unit 6 combines the N lines into one line based on the contour coordinate point data in which the y coordinate is enlarged by N times, develops the N lines into a dot pattern, and performs the process of combining and developing the dots. This is repeated for the character size in the y direction.

The enlargement ratio N in the y-coordinate enlargement processing section 5 is determined by the size of the character to be output, the resolution of an output device such as a display or a printer, the type of font, and the like. In this embodiment,
Although the enlargement ratio N is fixed, it may be variable depending on the above conditions and the like.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an outline font drawing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 10 denotes a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as "CPU") for executing a control program of the outline font drawing apparatus of the present embodiment, and 11 denotes a read-only memory storing a control program executed by the CPU 10. (Hereinafter referred to as “ROM”), 12 is a random access memory (hereinafter referred to as “RA”) for temporarily storing data generated when the CPU 10 executes the control program.
M)), 13 is an input device for inputting data such as a keyboard and a mouse, 14 is a display device having a display screen such as a CRT display, and 15 is a printing device for printing data such as characters and figures on paper. .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the input unit 1 is realized by an input device 13, and the output unit 7 is provided by a display device 14.
Alternatively, the outline coordinate data storage unit 2 is realized by the RAM 12, and the drawing unit 3
The scaling unit 4, the y-coordinate enlargement unit 5, and the dot pattern developing unit 6 are realized by the CPU 10 executing a control program stored in the ROM 11.

The operation of the outline font drawing apparatus configured as described above will be described below.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the outline font drawing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. The CPU 10 executes the control program until the information input from the input device 13 is output to the display device 14 or the printing device 15. The processing is shown.

As shown in FIG. 3, first, in step 20, code information such as a character code and a font code and character size information are obtained from the input unit 1 such as a keyboard. In step 21, outline coordinate point data of the outline font is read from the outline coordinate data storage unit 2. In step 22, data conversion is performed on the contour coordinate point data read in step 21 by the scaling processing unit 4 of the drawing unit 3 so as to match the output character size.

In step 23, the y-coordinate enlargement processing unit 5 applies the contour coordinate point data scaled in step 22 to
Enlarge the y coordinate by N times. In step 24, based on the outline coordinate point data generated in step 23, it is determined whether or not the process of merging N lines into one line, which will be described later, has been completed for the output character size.

If it is determined in step 24 that the process is not completed, the dot pattern developing unit 6 obtains coordinate dot data for developing into a dot pattern in step 25, and merges N lines into one line in step 26. It is determined whether or not the coordinate dot data is merged.
Develops a dot pattern based on the merged data.

When step 28 is completed, the process returns to step 24, and the processes from step 25 to step 28 are repeated until the process for the character size is completed. If it is determined in step 24 that the processing for the output character size has been completed, in step 29, the dot pattern developed by the output unit 7 is output to a display, a printer, or the like. Note that the dot pattern is developed at the time when the data is accumulated N times in step 28, but it may be developed in a batch for the character size before the output in step 29.

Next, with respect to the conventional character shown in FIG.
The case where the present invention is implemented with N = 2 will be specifically described.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the character of FIG. 11 with N = 2 and y-coordinate data in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
In the figure, a circle indicates an outline coordinate point, and a character is 10 × 20.
Dot coordinates. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the outline coordinate points of the character shown in FIG. 4 according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein the y coordinate in FIG. 12 is enlarged by N = 2. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the coordinates of the intersection of a line connecting each outline coordinate point and the y line in one embodiment of the present invention, where Y is y
X represents the integer value of the coordinates, and X represents the x coordinate value of the intersection of the line connecting the outline coordinate points and the y line. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing coordinate dot data merged for each y line in one embodiment of the present invention. The x coordinate values in FIG. 6 are rounded off and converted to integers, which are merged for each y line. FIG. 8 is a diagram in which lines are merged in units of 2 (= N) lines in one embodiment of the present invention, and are merged based on the data shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram in which the present invention is applied to the characters of FIG. 2 in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing coordinate dot data obtained by converting y-coordinate data of FIG. 8 into an integer just before expansion in one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a diagram in which this is expanded to dots.

With respect to the character shown in FIG.
By performing the processing as shown in FIG. 5 → FIG. 6 → FIG. 7 → FIG. 8 → FIG. 10, a gap is generated in FIG. 11, but the gap is eliminated in FIG. 9 and an outline character without missing characters is formed. , Character quality can be improved.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, input means for inputting code information, storage means for storing contour coordinate point data corresponding to the code information, and contour coordinate point data are called from the storage means. Performs N-times enlargement processing on the y coordinate of the contour coordinate point data, merges the N lines into one line based on the enlarged contour coordinate point data, develops it into a dot pattern, and merges the N lines into one line And a developing means for repeating the process of developing the dot pattern by the character size in the y-direction, thereby preventing the loss of data due to the conversion into integers generated for developing the dot pattern for each line. , Character missing is eliminated, and character quality can be improved. The advantageous effect described above can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an outline font drawing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram of an outline font drawing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an operation flowchart of an outline font drawing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example in which characters in FIG.
Diagram of enlarged y-coordinate data in 2

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing contour coordinate points of the character shown in FIG. 4 in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing coordinates of intersections between a straight line connecting each contour coordinate point and a y-line in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing coordinate dot data merged for each y line in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram in which each line is merged in units of two lines in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the embodiment of the present invention in which the present invention is applied to the characters shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing coordinate dot data converted into integers immediately before development in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of data loss of coordinate dot data in a conventional example.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing coordinate values of eight contour coordinate points in a conventional example.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing intersection coordinates of an integer value of ay coordinate and a straight line connecting each contour coordinate point in a conventional example.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing coordinate dot data converted into integers in a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Input part 2 Contour coordinate-data storage part 3 Drawing part 4 Scaling processing part 5 y coordinate enlargement processing part 6 Dot pattern development part 7 Output part 10 Central processing unit (CPU) 11 Read-only memory (ROM) 12 Random Access memory (RAM) 13 Input device 14 Display device 15 Printing device

Claims (2)

[Claims] An input unit for inputting code information; a storage unit for storing contour coordinate point data corresponding to the code information; N times enlargement processing is performed, and N lines are set to 1 based on the enlarged contour coordinate point data.
An outline font drawing apparatus comprising: a developing unit that repeats a process of merging into a dot pattern after merging into lines and merging N lines into one line and developing into a dot pattern by a character size in the y direction. . 2. A scaling means for scaling to a predetermined character size, retrieving outline coordinate point data from the storage means, scaling the data to a predetermined character size by the scaling means, and then processing by the expansion means. 2. The outline font drawing device according to claim 1, wherein