KR19990038651A - Printer Text Buffer and Control Method - Google Patents

Abstract

A memory buffer used for the text buffer of the printer and used for ordinary characters, the character buffer comprising a "type information" field, an "image pointer of characters" field, and an "X position" field; A line head buffer, which is used only at the beginning of every row on one page and is composed of a "type information" field, a "buffer counter" field, and a "Y position" field; It is recorded only when the editing information is changed, and after composing the text buffer by combining three types of memory blocks of the editing information buffer composed of the "type information" field and the "edit information" field, the Y position information recorded in the text buffer is Only when the line changes, and the edit information is written to the text buffer only when the edit information changes, saving memory.

Description

Printer Text Buffer and Control Method

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a text buffer of a printer, and more particularly, to a text buffer of a printer and a method of controlling the same, which can reduce the memory used for the text buffer.

The text buffer is composed of a memory block that stores edited information such as position information, enlargement, and underlining on a page memory in which an input character code and a character corresponding to the character code are recorded. These text buffers usually contain information about character codes for a line or page.

2 shows the structure of a conventional text buffer. Character code A ₁ -A _n is recorded first in each line, X position information B ₁ -B _n is recorded second in each line, and Y position information C ₁ -C _n is third in each line The editing information D ₁ -D _n is recorded fourth in each row.

When a character code is input from a host computer (PC (Personal Computer, etc.)), the character code and the X position, Y position on the page on which the character is to be recorded, and edit information of the character are recorded on the text buffer. Update X position, Y position and edit information. That is, the X position is updated each time a character is input in one row, and the Y position is updated by the row transfer code. The editing information is updated whenever a command for changing the type of characters from the host is input. Until the command to print one page of data comes, the positional information and edited information of the input character code are recorded in the text buffer together with the character code. When the print page data command is input, the image data of the character for the character code is read while searching from the beginning of the text buffer, and the shape of the character is transformed (zoom or underlined) according to the edit information (D), and then the X position ( B), it writes on the page memory corresponding to the Y position (C). Repeat the above procedure until the last character code. The data of the page buffer in which image data for all characters on the text buffer are recorded are finally printed on the printing paper.

As described above, whenever a character code is input into the conventional text buffer, the character code and the X position, Y position, and edit information of the character on the page on which the character is to be recorded are recorded on the text buffer. And the Y position, which does not change because the line is not changed because the information is updated, is stored each time the character code is input, and the information of the same content is duplicated and recorded, and the edit information of the currently entered character is the same as the previous edit information. Even if there was an inefficient problem of recording the same edit information as it is.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to reduce the memory used in the text buffer by recording the position information and the edit information recorded in the text buffer in the text buffer only when the information changes. The present invention provides a text buffer of a printer and a control method thereof.

1A to 1C are structural diagrams of a memory block according to the present invention.

2 is a structural diagram of a conventional text buffer.

According to a feature of the present invention for achieving the above object,

A memory buffer used for a text buffer and used for ordinary characters, and a character buffer comprising a "type information" field, an "image pointer of a character" field, and an "X position" field; A line head buffer, which is used only at the beginning of every row on one page and is composed of a "type information" field, a "buffer counter" field, and a "Y position" field; It is recorded only when the editing information is changed, and after composing the text buffer by combining three types of memory blocks of the editing information buffer composed of the "type information" field and the "edit information" field, the Y position information recorded in the text buffer is Only when the line changes, and the edit information is written to the text buffer only when the edit information changes, saving memory.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

1A to 1C show the structure of a memory block according to the present invention. The memory block according to the present invention configures a text buffer by combining three types of memory blocks. Fig. 1A is a character buffer and is used for a normal character, and is composed of a "type information" field, an "image pointer of a character" field, and an "X position" field. In the "type information" field, a code indicating that the type of the character recorded in the current buffer is "normal character" is recorded. The "Image pointer of text" field indicates the starting position where the image data constituting the text is located. The "X Position" field displays the X coordinate in the page memory.

Fig. 1B is a line head buffer, which is used only at the beginning of every row on one page, and is composed of a "type information" field, a "buffer counter" field, and a "Y position" field.

The code indicating the line head is recorded in the "Type Information" field, the buffer counter value recorded in the current line is recorded in the "Buffer Counter" field, and the Y coordinate in the page memory is displayed in the "Y Position" field.

Fig. 1C is an edit information buffer, which is recorded only when the edit information is changed, and is composed of a "type information" field and a "edit information" field. In the type information field, a code indicating that the current buffer has edit information is recorded.

Hereinafter, the operation and effects of the present invention will be described.

(1) configuring the linehead buffer

When the printer is powered on, the beginning of the text buffer is configured as a linehead buffer. 1B shows a line head buffer structure according to the present invention. The line head buffer according to the present invention includes a type information field, a buffer counter field, and a Y position field. At this time, the line head code is recorded in the "Type information" field, the count value "Ø" indicating the beginning is recorded in the "buffer counter" field, and the Y coordinate of the first printing position is recorded in the "Y position" field.

(2) step of configuring the edit information buffer

After configuring the line head buffer, each time a character code is input, it is checked whether the current edit information has changed, and if so, a "edit information buffer" having a structure as shown in Fig. 1C is constructed. The edit information buffer is composed of a "type information" field and an "edit information" field. The edit information code is recorded in the "type information" field, and the changed edit information is recorded in the "edit information" field, and then the pointer of the text buffer is increased.

(3) step of configuring the character buffer

After the edit information buffer is configured, if the edit information is the same as before, that is, if a command for changing the form of the character is not input, a "character buffer" is configured. The structure of the character buffer is shown in Fig. 1A. The character buffer according to the present invention is composed of a type information field, an image pointer field of a character, and an X position field. Write the character code in the "Type Information" field, the start address of the character image in the "Image Image Pointer" field, and the X position in which the currently entered character is printed in the "X Position" field, and then increase the pointer in the text buffer. . At this time, the buffer counter of the line head buffer is increased by one. The process is repeated until a line break command (line feed) is input.

(4) row separation step

When the line break command is input, the step of configuring the line head buffer is repeated. That is, a "line head buffer" having a structure as shown in FIG. 1B is configured, the buffer counter value is set to "Ø", the type information and the updated Y position are recorded, and the edit information buffer is set until the next line break instruction is input. Repeat the steps to configure.

(5) performing printing process

The steps (2) constructing the edit information buffer, (3) constructing the character buffer, and (4) dividing the lines are repeated until a page print command is input. When a print page command is entered, an image of characters on page memory is searched for "type information" from the beginning of the text buffer, referring to "edit information" for normal characters and "Y position" and "X position" of the line head. Form and then print.

As described above, according to the present invention, the text buffer can be configured with a small amount of memory by recording the Y position once per line and recording only the edited information that is changed, thereby achieving memory savings.

Claims (5)

In the printer's text buffer, A character buffer, which is used for a normal character, comprising a "type information" field, an "image pointer of a character" field, and an "X position" field; A linehead buffer used only at the beginning of every row on a page and composed of a "Type Information" field, a "Buffer Counter" field, and a "Y Position" field; A text buffer of a printer, which is recorded only when the editing information is changed, and is composed of an editing information buffer comprising a "type information" field and an "editing information" field. The method of claim 1, In the type information field of the character buffer, a code indicating that the type of the character recorded in the current buffer is "normal character" is recorded. In the image pointer field of the character buffer of the character buffer, image data constituting the character is located. A code indicating a start position is recorded, and an X coordinate on page memory is displayed in an X position field of the character buffer. The method of claim 1, A code indicating a line head is recorded in the type information field of the line head buffer, a buffer counter value recorded in the current line is recorded in the buffer counter field of the line head buffer, and a page memory is stored in the Y position field of the line head buffer. A text buffer of a printer, characterized by displaying a Y coordinate of a phase. The method of claim 1, And a code indicating that a current buffer has edit information is recorded in the type information field of the edit information buffer. Configuring the linehead buffer, When the current edit information is changed when the character code is input, configuring the edit information buffer; After configuring the edit information buffer, if the edit information is the same as before, the step of configuring the character buffer, Repeating the above process until a line break command is input, reconfiguring the line head buffer if a line break command is input, and repeating the process of configuring the edit information buffer until a next line break command is input; , The step of configuring the edit information buffer, the character buffer, and the line separating step are repeated until a page print command is input. When the page print command is input, the "type information" is searched from the beginning of the text buffer. And forming an image of a character on the page memory while referring to "editing information" and "Y position" and "X position" of the line head, and then printing.