JPS58211284A - Printer connecting device having editing function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To mix a character and a figure by an optional format, on an output from of optional size, and to output them, by connecting various memories for storing the character, the figure, etc., editing them in accordance with format information, and outputting them to a printer. CONSTITUTION:A title A is printed in output positions (a)-(b) by a designated character, and in the same way, an item B and a sentence C are printed in output positions (c)-(d) and an output position, respectively, by format information stored in layout memory. As for them, a character pattern stored in a character generator is outputted in accordance with a data of a character code memory. Subsequently, as for a figure D, a data stored in a graphic memory is read out and outputted to the part of output positions (g)-(h). In this case, size of the figure is designated by format information. Thereafter, the character memory and the graphic memory are selected successively by the layout memory, and a data is outputted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a printer connection device having an editing function, in particular,
The present invention relates to a printer connection device that has an editing function for sending data such as characters and graphics to printers, which are often used as computer terminal devices.

Typical methods for outputting data from a conventional computer using a printer are: ■ A method in which the printer prepares a character pattern to be printed and prints it according to the sent character code; ■ A method in which the printer connects to a cathode ray tube display For example, there is a hard copy type that outputs the video signal using the video signal.

With such conventional output methods, (1) If characters are printed in units of characters, it is not possible to select a character spacing that is appropriate for the size of the printed characters.

■ Unable to obtain mixed output of figures and characters.

■ Since the hard copy method uses video signals, it is not possible to obtain a higher quality output than the graphics displayed on the cathode ray tube.

■ Output suitable for output paper of arbitrary size cannot be obtained. Furthermore, in order to be able to obtain this information, it is necessary to memorize all output patterns, which requires a huge storage capacity.

There are drawbacks such as.

The purpose of the present invention is to compensate for the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, to be able to specify any output format on output paper of any size, to output a mixture of characters and graphics, and to achieve high quality output. An object of the present invention is to provide a printer connection device having an editing function.

A printer connection device having an editing function according to the present invention includes a layout memory that stores format information, a character code memory that stores supplied character codes in output order, and a character generator that generates a character pattern according to the character code. , a graphic drawing circuit that generates a graphic pattern according to the supplied graphic information, a graphic memory that stores the graphic pattern, and a printer that edits the character pattern and the graphic pattern according to the format information and sends the edited data to the printer. It is configured to include an output circuit that outputs the output.

That is, the printer connection device having an editing function of the present invention includes a character generator having a character pattern, a character code memory that stores character codes in the order of output characters, and a graphic drawing device that creates figures. It consists of a circuit, a graphic memory that stores its output pattern, a layout memory that stores the output format, an output circuit that outputs data to the printer, and a control circuit that controls these.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

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

In the printer connection device having an editing function as shown in FIG. be done.

The graphic drawing circuit 2 generates a pattern of arbitrary figures and outputs it to the graphic memory 3.

The graphic pattern is stored in the graphic memory 3.

The layout memory 5 stores character spacing, line spacing, character arrangement,
Information such as the output position of the figure, designation of the graphic memory 3 and character memory 4, character size, and figure size is stored.

The output circuit 7 has a graphic memory 3 . Data read from character memory 4 is sent. , the control circuit 6 is in charge of overall control of these operations.

Next, referring to FIG. 2, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 will be explained.

The layout memory 5 stores all format information regarding output formats of characters and graphics. That is, character spacing, character size, print position, figure drawing position, figure size, etc. are stored.

In the character code memory 4, character codes are stored in the order of printed name letters.

The graphic memory 3 stores graphic patterns created by the graphic drawing circuit 2.

The output format shown in FIG. 2 is obtained in the following order.

According to the format information stored in the layout memory 5, the title A is printed at the output position a-b in the specified character size. Next, item B is printed at output positions C and d in the same manner.

In the above portions, since the character spacing is specified by the layout memory 5, an arrangement that achieves overall balance can be selected.

Next, sentence C is output to output positions e to f with one character space between them. In this part, the layout memory 5 allows the character size to be selected in consideration of the overall balance. Further, up to this point, the character patterns stored in the character generator 1 have been output according to the data in the character code memory 4.

In the next graphic, the data stored in the graphic memory 3 is read out and output at the output position gh. At this time, the size of the figure is designated by the format information read from the layout memory 5.

After that, character memory 4. Graphic memory 3
are selected by the layout memory 5, and the data are sequentially output.

In this process, sentences C and F are at left end position 5~j, 1=
m and right end position f −%/k, n~Q, 9
.about.l are specified in the layout memory 5 and output so that they are arranged in a line.

In addition, since the character arrangement and character spacing of the entire sentence can be specified, even if the character size of item G to be printed between output positions p and q is changed, the balance of the overall character arrangement will not be lost. I can do it.

In this way, by using the layout memory, it is possible to create documents and materials that are easy to view.

As is clear from the above explanation, the printer connection device having the editing function of the present invention has the following effects.

■ Character spacing can be output according to the character size, resulting in a well-balanced overall output.

■ Character spacing can be set arbitrarily.

■ Enables mixed output of figures and characters.

■ You can select the size of figures and characters that suits their output position.

■ Since characters are handled as codes and are separated from the graphics memory, the memory capacity for storing output data can be reduced.

■ Provides an easy-to-read, well-proportioned output format.

■ High quality output can be obtained.

From what has been described above, the present invention provides a new means for computer-based document and material creation technology.

Therefore, the present invention can be applied not only to ordinary terminal devices (but also to document creation devices such as word processors).

Furthermore, the format information stored in the layout memory can be expected to have a wide range of applications such as color control.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the output obtained using the embodiment shown in FIG. l...Character generator, 2...
・Graphic drawing circuit, 3...Graphic memory, 4...Character memory, 5...
... Layout memory, 6... Control circuit, 7.
...Output circuit, 8...Printer, 9...
...Data bus, A...Title, B, E, G...Item, C
, F... text, D, H... figure.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A layout memory that stores format information, a character code memory that stores supplied character codes in output order, a character generator that generates a character pattern according to the character code, and a graphic pattern that generates a graphic pattern according to the supplied graphic information. a graphic drawing circuit that generates a graphic pattern; a graphic memory that stores the graphic pattern;
A printer connection device having an editing function, comprising: an output circuit that edits the character pattern and the graphic pattern according to the format information and outputs the edited data to the printer.