JPS62209483A - Character output unit - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a character output device that outputs characters by inputting an output designation control command including a character code, line feed code, and return code from an external device. be.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, when emphasizing characters in this type of device, an impact printer prints the same characters in the same position, and the characters are overprinted using a slight mechanical shift using a hammer or the like or double application of ink. There have also been cases where overprinting has been performed using double application of ink with a non-impact printer.

Alternatively, in a display device using a storage tube, the same character may be displayed at the same position again to brighten the brightness on the screen and emphasize the character.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, impact printers with high printing position accuracy (
For example, in a laser beam printer) or a rask scan type display device using a video RAM method, data intended for overprinting is developed in exactly the same font pattern at the same position, so it is possible to create an emphasis effect by overprinting in the output result. The problem was that there was no Furthermore, with respect to software for impact printers such as typewriters (particularly word processing software), these output devices with high printing position accuracy have a problem in that it is difficult to ensure compatibility with the emphasis function.

The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a character output device that can perform emphasized printing by overlapping with a non-impact printer using print data for an impact printer. .

[Means for Solving the Problems] The character output device according to the present invention develops a font pattern in the frame memory using the preceding line when the same character code for the same line is stored in the buffer over two lines in the same column. After completion, the instruction means sequentially indicates the character code of each digit of the succeeding line and the character code of each digit of the preceding line, and the character code of each digit indicated by this instruction means is sequentially compared, and each When the character codes indicated by the indicating means match, the expansion address in the frame memory of the font pattern corresponding to the character code indicated by the indicating means indicating the character code of the subsequent line is compared with the expansion address of the preceding line. A pattern development control means is provided for developing a pattern by moving a predetermined dot.

[Effect]

In this invention, when the same character code for the same line is stored in the buffer over two lines in the same column, that is, when overlapping characters occur, two The character code of each digit of the line is sequentially instructed by the instruction means, and when the character codes instructed by the pattern expansion control means match, the font corresponding to the character code instructed by the instruction means is used to instruct the subsequent line. The expansion address of the pattern in the frame memory is shifted by a predetermined dot from the pattern expansion address of the same character in the preceding line.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a character output device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a main body of a printer device for outputting characters. 2 is a CPU composed of, for example, a microprocessor; 3 is a program memory;
The program itself and various tables for printing are stored. A page buffer 4 stores print data from the computer 10 (external device) connected externally. Reference numeral 5 denotes a pattern generation control circuit, which controls the generation of font patterns according to information in the page buffer 4.

The pattern generation control circuit 5 has a processor (not shown) that controls the generation of font patterns. A frame memory 6 stores a dot image corresponding to one page. A font memory 7 stores the font pattern of each character used for printing. 8 is for example R5
An interface circuit such as 232C and a video interface circuit 9 convert the dot image in the frame memory 6 into a serial electrical signal, such as a laser on/off signal in a laser beam printer. In addition,
The computer 1o functions as a print data generation source.

What is the computer 10 and the printer main body 1?

It is connected via an interface circuit 8, and print data from the computer 10 is sent to the interface circuit 8.
The data is taken into the CPU 2 via the CPU 2 and sequentially stored in the page buffer 4. When the storage of print data for one page is completed, the CPU 2 instructs the pattern generation control circuit 5 to develop characters and to specify the start address of the print data in the page buffer 4. The pattern generation control circuit 5 sequentially develops font patterns into the frame memory 6 according to character codes for print data in the page buffer 4. When the font pattern development in the frame memory 6 for one page of print data is completed, the pattern generation control circuit 5 notifies the CPU 2 of the completion of the font pattern development. When the CPU 2 detects the end of the font pattern development, it instructs the video interface circuit 9 to convert it into a video signal. In response to this, the video interface circuit 9
is a frame memory 6 which is a dot image for one page.
Each dot is sequentially converted into a serial signal for turning on/off the laser, and the output of this page is obtained.

Next, the emphasized printing operation according to the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG. 2 and FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b).

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of emphasized print output according to the present invention, in which 11 is a printing paper and shows a case where, for example, three lines are printed in horizontal printing format. 11a to 11c indicate each line print output, and the third character "G" of the line print output 11b is an emphasized print character.

FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) are diagrams for explaining the print data of each line print output 11a to 11c shown in FIG. 2, and in FIG. 3(a), 12a to 12d are each line print data, Line print data 12a includes print characters rA, B, C,
A carriage return code CR and a line feed code LF are added after DJ, and line print data 12b has only a carriage return code CR added after the print characters "rE, F, G, H", and then a line for emphasis printing. Print data 12c follows. The line print data 12c has two blank spaces (indicated by Δ in the figure) followed by the print character "
G'', a carriage return code CR and a line feed code LF are added. The line print data 12d is the printed character “K”.

J, has a configuration in which 7 reward feed FFs are added after LJ.

In the same figure (b), 13a to 13c indicate each line print data, and the line print data 13a is a print character rA,
A carriage return code CR and a line feed code LF are added after B, C, DJ, and the line print data 13b has a backspace code BS added after the print characters rE, F, GJ, and further print characters rG,
HJ, a carriage return code CR, and a line feed code LF are added, and the line print data 13c becomes the print character r1. A forward feed FF is added to J, after LJ. ``When printing the line print outputs 11a to 11c shown in FIG. 2 on the print paper 11, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the line print data 12a.

After printing 12b, without starting a new line, proceed to the position of the printing character "G" on the same line using the line printing data 12c, that is, with two spaces, and print only the printing character rGJ again, or print the same line as shown in Fig. 3 ( As shown in b), after printing the characters rE, F, and GJ using the line print data 13a and the line print data 13b, one character is printed using the backspace code BS.
That is, there are two options: return to the position of the printed character "G" and then print the printed characters rG and HJ.

The CPU 2 prints these line print data 11a to 11d.
, 12a to 72c are converted into records based on the print data format shown in FIG. 4 and stored in the page buffer 4.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the print data record format according to the present invention, where 21 is a print data record;
A is a pointer that points to the print data record of the next line. 21b is line data indicating the print position, and 21c is digit data indicating the print position. 21d is character count data, which stores the number of characters to be printed on each line. 2
1e is print data in which print characters to be printed on each line are stored. Note that the print data record 21 is processed due to processing reasons E,
Line data 21b 1 digit data 21c 9 character count data 21d
, print data 21e are nested in this order,
At the end of one page, the pointer 27a of the next print data record 21 is set to [nu I I 1.

Figures 5(a) and (b) are similar to Figure 3(a) and (b).
This is a schematic diagram in which the line print data shown in FIG. 2 is expressed as the print data record 21 shown in FIG.
31d, and line print data 12a to 12d shown in FIG. 3(a) are print data records 32a to 32.
It is expressed as d.

The pattern generation control circuit 5 is shown in FIG. 5(a).

Print data records 31a to 31d or 32a to 32d shown in (b) are processed to develop a font pattern.

Next, the operation of the pattern generation control circuit 5 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b).

6(a) and 6(b) are diagrams for explaining the operation of the pattern generation control circuit 5 shown in FIG. 1, and FIGS.
) are given the same reference numerals. P1-P5
is a pointer, pointer P1 points to the print data record where the font pattern is actually developed, and pointer P1
2 indicates the first print data record of the print data record group at the same line position as the line data 21b and 9-digit data 21c in the print data record pointed to by pointer P1, and pointer P3 points to the print data record pointed to by pointer P1. Row data 21b in the data record.

Indicates the print data record for checking whether each print data in the print data record group at the same line position as the line position in column data 21c is the same, and points the pointer P
4 indicates the print data for which the font pattern is to be actually developed in the print data record indicated by the pointer P1, and the pointer P5 indicates the print data in the print data record indicated by the pointer P3. Indicates the print data to be checked to see if it is actually the same.

In the case shown in FIG. 6(a), each pointer P1 to P5 in the pattern generation control circuit 5 points to the first print data record 31a when a character development instruction from the CPU 2 is executed.
(Printed characters rA, B, C.

) for "D". The pattern generation control circuit 5 determines the start address of pattern development on the frame memory 6 based on the line data 21b and 9-digit data 21c of the print data record 31a pointed to by the pointer PL, and also calculates the start address of the pattern development on the frame memory 6, and generates the print character rAJ at the beginning of the print data record 31a.
is set as indicated by pointer P4. Then,
The pattern generation control circuit 5 stores the font pattern corresponding to the print character rAJ pointed to by the pointer P4 in the frame memory 6, and sequentially moves the pointer P4 to the next print character rB.
is set so as to instruct the font pattern, the start address of pattern development on the frame memory 6 is obtained, and the font pattern is stored in the frame memory 6 in the same manner as described above. pointer P
When the pattern expansion for the value stored in the character count data 21d in the print data record 31a indicated by i is completed, the contents of the pointer P2 are checked, and if it is the same as the pointer P1, the pointer in the print data record 31a indicated by the pointer PL is The contents of 21a are loaded into pointer P1 and set to point to the next print data record 31b. When changing the pointer P1, if the value of the line of the line data 21b 9-digit data 21C in the print data record 31c that the pointer Pi points to is different from the line value of the line in the print data record 3Ib that the pointer P2 points to. , make the value of pointer P2 match the value of pointer P1.

If the values of the two rows are the same, that is, if overprinting may occur, the pattern generation control circuit 5 makes the value of the pointer P3 match the value of the pointer P2, and
The first print character rEJ of print data record 31b pointed to by pointer P3 is set to be pointed to by pointer P5. Then, each print character in the print data record 3Ib pointed to by the pointer PL is pointed to by the pointer P4, and pattern expansion into the frame memory 6 is executed sequentially. At that time, pointer P5 points to the print character in the same digit as the print character pointed to by pointer P4, and if
If the printed characters are the same, the printed character indicated by the pointer P4 is shifted, for example, by one dot, and pattern development is executed. Further, if the print characters indicated by pointer P4 and pointer P5 are different, the pattern is developed while performing OR processing with the font pattern already generated on the frame memory 6. That is, the printed characters rE and FJ of the printed data record 31b are expanded into the frame memory 6 after being ORed with the blank space of the printed data record 31c.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3(b), when the backspace code BS is added, the print data records 32a to 32d are configured as shown in FIG. 5(b), so that As shown in (b), the print character rGHJ of the print data record 32c pointed to by the pointer Pi
When processing, the line data 21b of the print data record 32c is "3", so the pointer P4 points to the print character r.
When specifying "G" in G, HJ, pointer P5
indicates the printed character "G" among the printed characters rE, F, and GJ, so the pattern generation control circuit 5 determines that the printed characters in the same digit are the same, and changes the printed character "G" to the printing direction. Then move one dot and develop the pattern.

FIGS. 7(a) to 7(C) are schematic diagrams for explaining the font pattern expansion operation according to the present invention, and FIG. This shows the state of font pattern development in the frame memory 6. For example, one character is composed of 32×32 dots, and is developed sequentially from bit 7 of address +1 to address +n, for example. FIG. 5(b) shows the independent font pattern development state of the print character rGJ in the frame memory 6 by the print data record 31c shown in FIG. 5(a), and the font pattern is developed sequentially from bit 6 of address k+1 to address +n This shows the case. The same figure (C) is the same figure (a)
The font pattern shown in FIG. 3B is developed after the font pattern is developed according to the method shown in FIG.

FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) are schematic diagrams showing other examples of the expansion operation of emphasized characters according to the present invention. In FIG. 8(a), 41a to 41e are line print data, and the second line This figure shows the case where printed characters rG, H, and IJ are printed in an emphasized manner.

In the same figure (b), 51a-51e are print data records, FIG. 4 and FIG. 6 (a).

Components that are the same as those in (b) are given the same reference numerals.

When pointer P1 points to print data record 51d and pointer P2 points to print data record 51b, pointer P3 also initially points to print data record 51b.
instruct. Therefore, the print character "H" pointed to by the pointer P4 moves one dot and is developed in the frame memory 6, and then the pointer P3 points to the print data record 51c, so the print character "I" moves one dot. and is developed into the frame memory 6. Therefore, while the pointer P1 is pointing to the print data record 51d, the print characters rlJ and rlJ are also expanded by moving one dot as the pointer P3 moves.

In the embodiment L, a case has been described in which when the same character code is stored in the same line and column in the page buffer 4, the same font pattern is transferred to a predetermined dot and developed in the frame memory 6. If the same character code is stored in the same line/column in the page buffer 4, a bold font of the same character registered in advance may be selected.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the pattern is developed by moving dots one by one using the frame memory, which is a dot image for one page, but in an impact printer or the like that moves the print head, the previous print data A similar effect can be obtained by storing the code and moving the print head to print when the same code is specified. Furthermore, even in the case of non-in-back dove links, in the method of developing patterns line by line, if there are multiple lines of the same line, it is necessary to compare the printing codes of those lines and, if they are the same, to overprint them. A similar effect can be obtained.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the developed font pattern is outputted by a printer has been described, but it may be outputted by a display device.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, when the same character code for the same line is stored in the buffer in the same column for a predetermined period, after the font pattern development in the frame memory by the preceding line is completed, the characters in each column of the subsequent line An instruction means that sequentially indicates the code and the character code of each digit of the preceding line, and the character code of each digit indicated by this instruction means are sequentially compared, and the character codes indicated by each instruction means match. pattern expansion control that expands the expansion address of the suffon pattern into the frame memory by shifting a predetermined dot compared to the expansion address of the preceding line, corresponding to the character code specified by the instruction means that instructs the character code of the subsequent line. Since the present invention is provided with means, there is an excellent advantage that the printing data for a non-impact printer can be used as is to print emphasized characters by overlapping with a laser beam printer or the like.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a character output device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
A block diagram showing an example, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of emphasized print output according to the present invention, and FIGS.
A diagram explaining the print data of each line print output shown in the figure,
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram explaining the print data record format according to the present invention, and FIGS. 5(a) and (b) are similar to FIG. 3(a).
FIG. 6(a) is a schematic diagram in which the line print data shown in FIG. 4 is expressed by the print data record shown in FIG. 4. (b) is a diagram explaining the operation of the pattern generation control circuit shown in FIG. 1, FIGS. 7(a) to (C) are schematic diagrams explaining the font pattern development operation according to the present invention, and FIG. 8(a)
, (b) are schematic diagrams showing another example of the expansion operation of emphasized characters according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is the printer main body, 2 is the CPU, 3 is the program memory, 4 is the page buffer, 5 is the pattern generation control circuit, 6 is the frame memory, 7 is the font memory, 8
9 is an interface circuit, 9 is a video interface circuit, 1o is a computer, and P1 to P5 are pointers. Drawing core I chicken 1. No change in 1゛;) Figure 1 Figure 1 Near 1 Risiguku Entrustment Figure 2 Figure 3 12d to IJ LO 13c to IJKL ■ Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 7 ( c) LMe--41e in Figure 8 J Procedure Ne City Correct ↑脣 (Method) % Formula % 2. Name of the invention Character output device 3. Relationship to the amendment person case Patent applicant address Okawa-ku, Tokyo Shimomaruko 3-30-2 Name (1
00) Canon Co., Ltd. Representative Ryu Kaku Sanbu 4, Agent 6th floor 6, Hironobu Building, 31-16 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150, drawing 7 subject to amendment, content of amendment All drawings are attached as attached. to correct. that's all

Claims (1)

[Claims] A buffer that stores character codes and control codes input from an external device, and the font pattern of each character corresponding to the character code stored in this buffer is read from the font memory, expanded to the frame memory, and displayed or output as a character. In a character output device, when the same character code for the same line is stored in the buffer over two lines in the same column, after the font pattern has been developed in the frame memory by the preceding line, the character code and character code of each digit in the subsequent line are stored in the buffer. An instruction means for sequentially indicating the character code of each digit of the preceding row, and the character code of each digit indicated by the instruction means are sequentially compared, and the character codes indicated by the respective instruction means match. pattern development control for developing a development address in a frame memory of a font pattern corresponding to a character code indicated by the instruction means for instructing a character code of a subsequent line by shifting a predetermined dot from the development address of the preceding line; A character output device characterized by comprising means.