JPS63242561A - Font reducing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an optimum reduction font for every font independently of an untranslated font, by a method wherein, with directions for a reducing translation of a specific dot matrix pattern, a reducing translation system optimum for this dot matrix pattern is determined, and according to the determined reducing translation system, a reducing translation processing for every font is executed. CONSTITUTION:Code data to be printed is received from a host system to be stored in a data buffer 3. With directions as to reduction printing, a CPU 1 reads the code data from the data buffer 3 and retrieves a reducing system selecting table 5 for the purpose of judging a reducing system corresponding to the read code data, thereafter sending the read data to a reducing circuit 8. Then, a reducing system is selected for every font represented by all the code data to be printed, and dot matrix patterns obtained from a font memory 4 are successively reduced to be developed in a page memory 8. After that, the information in the page memory 8 is printed by a printer 7.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Objective of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application)] The present invention relates to a font reduction system used for obtaining reduced fonts of standard fonts such as Chinese characters in printing devices, for example.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, a method called thinning processing as shown in FIG. 3 has been known as a method for reducing fonts such as Chinese characters to 1/2 in a printing device.

In this method, for example, the dot matrix pattern of font M represented by an 8 x 8 matrix is divided into 2 x 2 small matrices In, and a predetermined dot in this small matrix m (hereinafter referred to as mask tod) is black. If the mask tod is a dot, one black dot is made to correspond, and if the mask tod is a dot, one dot is made to correspond to it to obtain a 4×4 matrix font N.

A method called OR processing as shown in FIG. 4 is also known.

In this method, for example, a dot matrix pattern of a font M represented by an 8 x 8 matrix is divided into 2 x 2 small matrices m, and if any one of the small matrices m is a black dot, 1 Match the two black dots,
This is a method in which only when all the dots in the small matrix m are local dots, one local dot is associated with each other to obtain a 4×4 matrix font N.

Printing devices and the like employ either the thinning method or the OR method to perform reduction conversion of standard fonts.

By the way, the thinning method described above is suitable for reducing the size of fonts with "dense" patterns (many dots), but is not suitable for reducing the size of fonts with "sparse" patterns (fewer dots).

Conversely, the OR method is suitable for reduction conversion of fonts with "sparse" patterns, but is not suitable for reduction conversion of fonts with "dense" patterns.

FIG. 5 is a diagram explaining this.

In the figure, Pl is a relatively "dense" font pattern, P2 is a pattern obtained by reducing the pattern P1 using the thinning method, and P3 is a pattern obtained by reducing the pattern P1 using the OR method.

On the other hand, in the figure, P4 is a relatively "sparse" font pattern, P5 is a pattern obtained by reducing pattern P1 using the thinning method, and P6 is a pattern obtained by reducing pattern P4 using the OR method. be.

As you can see from this figure, pattern P2 and pattern P6
means that the pattern before conversion can be distinguished to some extent, but pattern P3 is distorted and cannot be distinguished, and pattern P
5 has only its own dot and cannot be distinguished.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) As described above, both the thinning method and the OR method have their suitability and unsuitability depending on the font, but since conventional devices only adopt one of the processing methods, it depends on the font. teeth,
There has been a problem in that the reduced font is significantly deformed, and in the case of R is bad, it may become unreadable.

The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a font reduction system in which the reduced font is natural and easy to read, regardless of the font before conversion.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The font reduction system of the present invention includes a standard font storage means in which a plurality of dot matrix patterns are stored;
a reduction information storage means storing information indicating which of a plurality of different reduction conversion methods is suitable according to dot 7 matrix patterns; and a reduction conversion means for determining an appropriate reduction conversion method for this driver I/matrix pattern by referring to the information storage means, and executing reduction conversion processing for each font according to the determined reduction conversion method. be.

(Function) In the font reduction system of the present invention, the reduction conversion means performs different reduction conversion processing for each font according to the information in the conversion information storage means, so that an optimal reduced font can be obtained for each font.

(Example) Hereinafter, details of an example of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a page printer.

In the figure, 1 is a cPU that controls the entire system, 2 is a ROM that stores the CPU control program, 3 is a data buffer that stores code data from the upper system, and 4 is a font dot that corresponds to the code data. Font memory in which the matrix pattern is stored, 5 is a thinning method when reducing in correspondence with each code data, OR
A reduction method selection table stores data specifying which reduction method to use, 6 is a base memory in which print images are stored, and 7 is a page memory 6.
8 is a printer that prints the contents on paper, and 8 is a reduction circuit that performs reduction conversion using either a thinning method or an OR method.

In this embodiment, first, code data to be printed is received from the host system and stored in the data buffer 3.

Then, the code data in the data buffer 3 is analyzed, and if the same size printing is specified, the dot matrix pattern corresponding to the code data is read out from the font memory 4 and expanded into the page memory 6 as it is.

On the other hand, if reduced printing is specified, processing as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2 is executed.

First, the CPU 1 reads code data from the data buffer 3 (step A).

Next, the CPU searches the reduction method selection table 5 to determine the reduction method corresponding to the read code data.
The read data is sent to the reduction port FR 18 (step B). At this time, the data indicating the reduction method in the reduction method selection table 5 corresponds one-to-one with each code data (for example, the code data is connected to the address). (stored at the address), indicated by ``0'' or ``1''.

Results of searching reduction method selection table 5 (step C)
For example, if the data indicating the reduction method is "0", reduction conversion using the thinning method is selected in the reduction circuit 8 (step D), and if the data indicating the reduction method is "1", reduction conversion using the OR method is selected. (Step E).

Then, in step F), one of the reduction methods is selected for each font indicated by all the code data to be printed, and the dot matrix pattern obtained from the font memory 4 is sequentially reduced and converted into the page memory 6.

After the above, the contents of the page memory 6 are printed by a printer.

In this embodiment, the reduction conversion of each font is performed using a thinning method and an OR method.
For example, the reduction method selection data may be specified for each font group by investigating in advance which of the methods is suitable and storing the resulting data in the reduction method selection table 5. Since the reduction conversion is performed by switching between the thinning method and the OR method for each font, it is possible to obtain the most suitable reduced font for each font.

In addition, in this embodiment, whether reduction conversion is performed by thinning method or O
Since there is no need for the higher-level system to be aware of whether the R method is to be used, no unnecessary burden is placed on the higher-level system.

In this embodiment, two types of reduction conversion methods, the thinning method and the OR method, are selected, but three types of reduction conversion methods are prepared, and one of them can be used selectively. Good too.

In this embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a page printer has been described, but the present invention can be similarly applied to a serial printer and a line printer.

Further, the present invention is not limited to printers, but can be widely applied to display devices, text creation devices, etc. that use dot image fonts.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, in the font reduction system of the present invention, a different reduction conversion process is selected for each font, so the reduced font is natural and easy to read, regardless of the font before conversion. It's extremely easy.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the device of the embodiment, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the state of reduction conversion by the thinning method, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the state of reduction conversion by the OR method, and is a diagram comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the thinning method and the OR method. 1...CPU 2...ROM 3...Data buffer 4...Font memory 5... ...Reduction method selection table 6...
...Page memory 7 ...Printer 8 ...Reduction circuit

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A standard font storage means that stores a plurality of dot matrix patterns, and a reduction information storage means that stores information indicating which of a plurality of different reduction conversion methods is suitable depending on the type of dot matrix pattern. When a reduction conversion of a specific dot matrix pattern is instructed, the reduction conversion method most suitable for this dot matrix pattern is determined by referring to the reduction information storage means, and each reduction conversion method is performed according to the determined reduction conversion method. A font reduction system comprising: reduction conversion means for performing font reduction conversion processing. (2) The font reduction system according to claim 1, wherein the different reduction conversion methods include a thinning method and an OR method.