JPS62204954A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable fonts of different levels to be easily and individually selected and used by providing a font registration means which inputs a font pattern corresponding to a data code from outside an register it in a font memory when an identification means judges that no font is registered. CONSTITUTION:A character code or a form data code which is transmitted from a host computer 1 is once loaded into a buffer memory 5, and then sequentially accumulated in a page memory 6. A data code is read from the page memory 6 to determine whether it is a form data code. If it is not the form data code, processing for a character code is to be performed. If it is the form data code, it is judged whether or not the corresponding font pattern is already registered. When said pattern is not registered, the corresponding font pattern is read referring to an external memory unit 2 with the form data code. Then the corresponding font pattern is stored at a prearranged address of a font memory 8, and after this, 'form data code enable' is stored. Then the font pattern is to be developed in dots at an address corresponding to an image memory 9.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus that forms and outputs an image according to a data code.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in this type of device, a group of character fonts and a group of form fonts are permanently stored in a font memory. Therefore, while using a group of character fonts of, for example, 24×24 dots, even if one wants to use the two-character font “Ai” of, for example, 64×64 dots, it is not possible. That is, in order to use it, a new font set of 64x64 dots must be loaded, and
For example, the JIS first standard of 64×64 dots requires about 1.5 Mbytes of memory for all characters.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and its purpose is to register only the fonts to be specially used. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that can increase the efficiency of using font memory and easily select and use fonts of different levels individually.

[Means for Solving Problem 1] In order to solve this problem, for example, the image forming apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG. In the image forming apparatus, the font memory 8 stores a font pattern corresponding to the character code or form data code, and whether or not a font corresponding to the character code or form data code is registered in the font memory. Discrimination means (CP
U) Font registration means (CPU) which inputs a font pattern corresponding to the character code or form data code from the external storage device 2 and registers it in the font memory 8 when the determination means 7 determines that there is no registration. )7
Equipped with.

[Operation] In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, data codes sent from the host computer 1 are stored in the page memory 6 via the buffer memory 5. A determining means (CPU) 7 determines whether a font corresponding to the data code is registered in the font memory 8 or not. If it is not registered, the font registration means (CPU) 7 inputs the font pattern corresponding to the code from the external storage device 2 and registers it in the font memory 8.

[Examples] Examples of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. In the figure, 1 is a predetermined value for the character code, control code, and form data code! 11#, a host computer that generates a series of mixed data; 2, an external storage device that stores font patterns corresponding to locations referenced according to character codes or form data codes;
3 is an image forming processing section, and 4 is a printer that outputs the image formed by the image forming processing section 3.

In the image forming processing section 3, 5 is a buffer memory for temporarily storing code data from the host computer 1 and font pattern data from the external storage device 2;
6 is a page memory that stores code data from the host computer 1 in page units or form units; 7 is a central processing unit (CPU) that implements the image forming processing procedure of the embodiment as shown in FIG. 2; A font memory stores a group of fonts to be kept and a specific font newly registered as needed, and an image memory 9 stores image data obtained by developing a pattern of the document code in the page memory 6.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the image forming process of the embodiment. Note that the processing shown in FIG. 2 is handled assuming that there is something special only in the form data code. In step S1, the character code sent from the host computer 1,
The form data code and the like are once taken into the puffer memory 5 and sequentially stored in the page memory 6. In step S2, the data code is read from the page memory 6 and it is determined whether or not it is a form data code. If it is not a form data code, the process advances to step S3 to process character codes and the like. That is, the font memory 8 is accessed using the character code, the corresponding font pattern is read out, and the font pattern is dot-developed at the corresponding address in the image memory 9. If the font pattern is a form data code, the process advances to step S4, and it is determined whether or not a corresponding font pattern is registered. If it is determined that there is no registration, the process proceeds to step S5, refers to the external storage device 2 with the form data code, reads the corresponding font pattern, stores the font pattern at a predetermined address in the font memory 8, and from then on Register that the form data code can be used. In step S6, the font memory 8 is accessed using the form data code, the corresponding font pattern is read out, and the font pattern is dot-developed at the corresponding address in the image memory 9. Of course, once registered, there is no need to access the font memory 8 again. Further, if it is determined in step S4 that there is registration, the process advances to step S6.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, even if a font corresponding to a specific data code does not exist in the font memory, instead of loading a group of font sets as in the past, the code is Since only the font pattern of Font memory space can be used effectively.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing image forming processing according to an embodiment. In the figure, 1... host computer, 2... external storage device, 3... image forming processing unit, 4... printer, 5...
...Buffer memory, 6...Page memory, 7...
Central processing unit (CPU), 8...
-Font memory, 9...Image memory.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In an image forming apparatus that forms and outputs an image according to a data code, is there a font memory that stores a font pattern corresponding to the data code, and whether a font corresponding to the data code is registered in the font memory? The present invention is characterized by comprising a determining means for determining whether or not the data code is registered, and a font registering means for inputting a font pattern corresponding to the data code from the outside and registering it in the font memory when the determining means determines that the data code is not registered. Image forming device. (2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data code is a character code or a form data code.