JPH0433077A - Picture painting-out device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To generate paint-out information at high speed by providing a means to decrease access with a memory outside a processor when generating the paint-out information of an outline font. CONSTITUTION:One part of coordinate storing means 104 and 105 is held in coordinate storing means 107-109, and it is stored in position storing means 110-112 which part of the coordinate storing means 104 and 105 is held. When the coordinate storing means 107-109 store a coordinate value to be used for generating the information of painting-out the outline font, the coordinate storing means 104 and 105 are not newly referred to. Therefore, the number of times for the access to the coordinate storing means 104 and 105 can be decreased. Thus, the information of painting-out the outline font can be generated at high speed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image filling device that fills in the outline of an outline font when an outline font is generated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A conventional image filling device will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 10. FIG. 5 shows an outline font. In this figure, the character ``日'' is shown. The outline font is thus composed of the outer closed curve 63 and the inner closed curves 61 and e2.

Also, the outer closed curve 63 is clockwise, and the inner closed curve 61 is clockwise.
．． 62 is counterclockwise. When a character is drawn using an outline font, an outer closed curve and an inner closed curve are drawn and the inside is filled in. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a conventional character filling device. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 71 denotes a contour coordinate generating means for generating the coordinates of pixels constituting the contour of an outline, and 72
is a character filling means that generates character filling data based on the coordinates generated by the contour coordinate generating means 71. In particular, 73 is a packet, and 74 is a means for storing coordinates called a cell, which will be explained using FIG. 8 and subsequent figures. 76 is a processor that controls the entire system. 76 is a character display means for displaying characters based on the information generated by the character filling means T2, and 77 is a data bus for receiving and passing coordinate information.

Next, a method for filling out an outline font using the conventional character filling means 72 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8, 9, and 10. In FIG. 8, the work area for performing filling is divided into a packet area 81 and a cell area 82. The packet area 81 is divided into a plurality of small areas called packets 83. The number of packets 83 is equal to the number of X coordinates of the outline font. Further, the cell area 82 is also divided into a plurality of small areas called cells 84. The number is prepared by counting the points that make up the closed area of the outline font. This cell 84 is used one by one each time points constituting the closed area are generated as an outline font is generated.

Therefore, if we take a certain point in time, the used area 86 and
It is divided into an unused area 86.

FIG. 9 illustrates a packet 91 and a cell 92. The packet 91 in FIG. 9(a) has 1 at the X coordinate 93.
It corresponds to each one. A pointer 94 to the cell is stored in the packet 91 . The cell 92 in FIG. 9(b) is composed of an area 95 for storing the X coordinates of pixels forming the outline of the outline font, and a part 96 for storing pointers to other cells.

FIG. 10 shows the relationship between the packet 10o1 and the cell 10o2. When one coordinate value forming the outline of the outline font is generated, one new cell is selected from an unused area of the cell area. The X value 1o03 of the coordinate value just generated is written into this cell. Next, the bucket) 1001 corresponding to this coordinate value y is examined. If the pointer to the cell is not written in the packet, the pointer 1o04 to the cell just generated is written in this packet. If a pointer to another cell has already been written, that cell 10o6 is referenced. The X coordinate of this cell is 10o6 and the X coordinate of the new cell is 1
Compare 0o7. If the X coordinate 1007 of the new cell is smaller than the X coordinate 1006 of the currently referenced cell, move the pointer from packet 100B to the new cell 1oo
10, and the new cell 1009 points to the currently referenced cell 10o5. In this way, the new cell is inserted between the referenced cell and the packet.

The new cell's X coordinate 1o11 is the x of the referenced cell.
If the coordinates are larger than 1o1o, the referenced cell 1o
A pointer 1o14 is placed from 12 to a new cell 1o13. In this way, the new cell 1o13 is connected after the referenced cell 1o12.

If a plurality of cells are connected from one bucket) 1015, the X coordinate 1o17 of the new cell 1o16 is compared with the X coordinates of the cells already connected to the packet in order. Then, cells are connected so that the X coordinates of each cell are in ascending order when viewed from the packet.

Once the outline coordinates of one character have been generated in this manner, filling is performed. At this time, look at the packet in order from the top. When a pointer pointing to a cell is stored in a packet, the cells are followed in order. From the beginning, select 2 cells
Refer to each cell and fill in the space between the X coordinates stored in the two cells.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, with this method, each time the cell pointer is changed, the cell must be read from the memory. That is, the bucket, ) area, and cell area cannot be placed inside the filling device because they require a large memory area. Therefore, these packet areas or cell areas are placed outside the filling device. Therefore, in order to read or write related packets or cells, the external memory must be referenced each time. For this reason, the time required to refer to a packet or cell increases, and the time required for filling in data also increases, which poses a problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an image filling device that can generate information for filling in at higher speed.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a collection of small regions each storing one of the two coordinate values of each pixel constituting a closed region on a two-dimensional plane. a first coordinate storage means configured, a second coordinate storage means configured of a collection of small areas each storing other coordinate values of each pixel, and the first or second coordinate storage means; third, fourth, and fifth coordinate storage means for storing part of the stored coordinate values, and in the second coordinate storage means for storing the third, fourth, and fifth coordinate storage means; 1st to memorize the position,
Second and third position storage means are provided.

Operation With the above configuration, the present invention retains part of the first and second coordinate storage means in the third, fourth, and fifth coordinate storage means when generating information for filling in the outline font. I'll keep it. At this time, which part of the first and second coordinate storage means is held is stored in the first, second and third position storage means. If the coordinate values used to generate information for filling in the outline font are held in the third, fourth, and fifth coordinate storage means, the first and second coordinate storage means No new references are made. By doing so, the number of accesses to the first and second coordinate storage means can be reduced. Therefore, information for filling in outline fonts can be generated faster.

Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image filling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 101 denotes contour information generating means for generating contour coordinates of an outline font. The coordinate information generated by the contour information generating means 101 is input to the character filling device 102.

Inside the character filling device 102, there is an external memory 103 and a processor 106. Inside the external memory 103, there are a packet memory 104 and a cell memory 105. The packet memory 104 stores pointers to the cell memory, and the number of pointers can be recorded in the range that can be taken by the X coordinate of the outline font. The cell memory 106 stores the X coordinates of outline pixels forming an outline font.

Within the processor 106 is a front switch buffer 1o7.
, a rear switch buffer 108, an expansion switch buffer 109, a front storage position holding means 11o, a rear storage position holding means 111, an extended storage position holding means 112, and a controller 113. Each switch buffer 10~109
is used to temporarily read, refer to, and rewrite part of the information in the external memo 1J103, and is used to generate outline font filling information at high speed.

The controller 113 is for controlling rewriting of information in the external memory and information in the internal memory.

The character filling information generated by the character filling means 102 is sent to the character display means 116, and the characters are displayed. A bus 114 is used to transfer coordinate information of outline fonts and the like.

FIG. 2(a) shows how donant-shaped characters are drawn for simplicity. First, the coordinates of the outer contour 21 are generated, and then the coordinates of the inner contour 22 are generated. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2(b), between cell 26 corresponding to section 23 and cell 27 corresponding to section 24,
Cells 28 corresponding to 26 sections are arranged.

In FIG. 3, the cells in section 23 in FIG.
1, and the cells in the area 24 in FIG. 2 are in the area 32.
It shall be assumed that The cells in section 26 in FIG. 2 are newly placed in area 33.

In this case, while the 26 section coordinates in FIG. 2 are being generated, the memories in the cell areas 31 and 32 in FIG. 3 are sequentially referenced, and only the area 330 in FIG. 3 is expanded.
Cells in other parts are never referenced. This is due to the fact that the contours of an outline font are generated continuously. Therefore, cells corresponding to adjacent pixels are always adjacent to each other. From this, if a certain range of the cell area 34 or packet area 36 is held inside the processor, the number of accesses to external memory will be reduced compared to the case where external cell information is read and written each time. It becomes possible to generate information for filling in more quickly.

FIG. 4 shows how part of the external cell information 402 is copied and rewritten inside the processor 401. In FIG. 4(a), processor 4
01 includes a switch buffer 403 and a storage position holding means 409. The switch buffer 403 has 404 and 4
06, each of which can continuously store an appropriate number of cells or packets.

On the other hand, the storage position holding means 409 includes an internal memory rewriting means 406, an external memory pointer 407, and a direction storage means 40B.

In FIG. 4A, part of the external memory N1-410 is stored in 404 of the switch buffer 403, and part N2-411 of the external memory is stored in 405. At this time, the internal memory rewrite location 406 holds the switch buffer to be rewritten next. In this case, it is 404. Further, the external memory pointer 407 stores the location of the external memory to be read next. In this case N3
-412. The direction position storage means 408 stores information about which direction the external memory 402 is being referred to. In this case, the reference is made in the increasing direction of the external memory address, so it is "increase". When reference is made in the decreasing direction of the external memory, "decreasing" is recorded.

When the external memo IJ 402 is referenced from left to right, the reference progresses to the boundary of 405 and when it becomes necessary to refer to N3-412, the following occurs.

The contents of the switch buffer indicated by the internal memory rewriting position 406, in this case 404, are written to the external memory 402. After that, the information of the external memory 402 indicated by the external memory pointer 407, in this case N3-412
information is written to the switch buffer 404. after that,
FIG. 4 (as shown in bl, internal memory rewrite position 41
6 is rewritten to b, and the external memory pointer 416 is rewritten to N4.

FIG. 5 shows that such a switch buffer and storage location capture means are provided within the processor 61. The switch buffer 66 and the storage location holding means 67 are each used to store information of a newly expanded cell. The switch buffers 62, 64 and the memory location holding means 63, 66 are respectively used to store information of previous and subsequent cells related to the newly expanded cell.

In this way, by appropriately holding the contents of the external memory 68 inside the processor, it is possible to reduce the number of accesses to the external memory 58.

Therefore, it is possible to generate information for filling in at high speed.

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, when generating filling information for an outline font, accesses to memory outside the processor can be reduced, and information for filling can be generated faster. is big.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block wiring diagram of an image filling device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2(a) is a diagram showing the drawing of donut-shaped characters by the same device, and FIG. 2(b) is a diagram showing the drawing of donut-shaped characters by the same device. Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram of the arrangement of cells on the memory in the same device, and Figure 4 shows how a part of external information is copied and rewritten inside the processor in the same device. Fig. 5 is a block wiring diagram in which multiple sets of each configuration are provided in the processor in the same device, and Fig. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing conventional image filling (b).
7 is a professional wiring diagram of the conventional image filling device, and FIGS. 8 to 10 are conceptual diagrams of the main parts of the same device. 101...Contour information generation means, 102...Character filling means, 103...External memory, 104...Packet memory (first coordinate storage means), 105...Cell memory (second coordinate storage means) 106... Processor, 107... Front switch buffer (third coordinate storage means), 108... Rear buffer (fourth coordinate storage means), 109... Extension buffer ( 5th coordinate storage means), 11Q...Front storage position holding means (first position storage means), 111...Rear storage position holding means (second position storage means), 112...Extension Position storage means (
third position storage means), 113...controller, 11
4...Path, 116...Character display means. Figure 1 Name of agent Patent attorney Shigetaka Awano and one other person Memory Figure 4 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 8 (a) Bucket 91 Cell 92

Claims (1)

[Claims] a first coordinate storage means constituted by a collection of small regions each storing one of two coordinate values of each pixel constituting a closed region of a two-dimensional plane; and the other coordinate value of each pixel. The second area consists of a collection of small areas each storing
coordinate storage means, and third, fourth, and fifth coordinate storage means for storing a part of the coordinate values stored in the first or second coordinate storage means.
coordinate storage means; first, second, and third position storage means for storing positions in the second coordinate storage means stored by the third, fourth, and fifth coordinate storage means; 1st
, second, third, fourth, and fifth coordinate storage means, and the first
, second and third position storage means, and controller means for controlling the second and third position storage means.