JPH05201064A - Printer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a large capacity of a memory by reducing an occupying area in a substrate mounting area and alleviate controlling load by integrating relational controls of a device and the memory. CONSTITUTION:A character pattern storing memory 6 consists of a physical memory having a sufficient capacity, constituted of a header 60, a bit map storage area 61, and an outline storage area 62. In the header 60, memory storage leading address and storage length of the respective bit map storage area 61 and the outline storage area 62 are written. At the head of the bit map storage area 61, a bit map storage area header 61a in which storing places of dot pattern corresponding to individual character code are written is provided. At the head of the outline storage area 62, an outline storage area header 62a in which storing places of outline character data corresponding to the individual character code are written is provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer device, and more particularly to a font data storage format for bitmap fonts and outline fonts in the printer device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a printer, when both a font of a bitmap font and an outline font can be used, a bit from a bitmap font character pattern storage memory (hereinafter referred to as a bitmap memory) for storing the bitmap font is used. The map fonts are printed by reading out the outline fonts from the outline font character pattern storage memory (hereinafter referred to as the outline memory) that stores the outline fonts.

In such a conventional printer device, since it is necessary to separately prepare a bitmap memory and an outline memory, there is a problem that the mounting area of these two memories takes up a large board mounting area. In addition, there is a limitation in increasing the capacity of these two memories due to mounting restrictions, and there is a problem that the management of the correspondence between the device and the memory is duplicated and the management load is large.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to eliminate the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and can reduce the occupied area in the board mounting area to increase the capacity of the memory. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer device that can reduce the management load by integrating the correspondence management with.

[0005]

A printer device according to the present invention is a printer device for converting a character pattern corresponding to a character code in print data for printing, and a first storage area for storing outline data consisting of coordinate values. And a second storage area for storing bitmap data composed of dot data, and a character pattern storage memory composed of one physical memory is provided.

[0006]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a CPU (central processing unit) 1
When receiving a data signal from a host device (not shown) via the interface (I / F) unit 2, starts the editing unit 3. The editing unit 3 receives the data from the host device word by word via the interface unit 2, edits the received data into a device internal command, and stores it in the code buffer 4.

When the CPU 1 receives from the editing unit 3 an edit end signal indicating that one page of print data has been edited,
The drawing unit 5 is activated. The drawing unit 5 reads the internal command from the code buffer 4 and determines whether to print a bitmap font or an outline font according to the function code included in the internal command.

When the drawing unit 5 determines to print a bit map font, it searches the character pattern data corresponding to the character code while analyzing the header part in the character pattern storage memory (CG) 6, and acquires the character pattern data. And writes it in the frame buffer (FB) 8. On the other hand, when the drawing unit 5 determines to print the outline font, it specifies the character code to be printed and activates the outline expanding unit 7.

The outline expanding unit 7 searches for outline character data corresponding to the specified character code while analyzing the header portion in the character pattern storage memory 6, reads the outline character data, and expands it into a bit map pattern. When the outline expanding unit 7 notifies the drawing unit 5 of the end of the character expansion, the drawing unit 5 takes in the character pattern data expanded by the outline expanding unit 7 and writes it in the frame buffer 8.

Here, the character pattern storage memory 6 has a bitmap storage area for storing a bitmap font,
It comprises an outline storage area for storing outline fonts, and a header section for storing the start addresses of the bitmap storage area and outline storage area.

When the CPU 1 receives the end signal from the drawing unit 5, it activates the printing unit 9. The printing unit 9 pulls out data from the frame buffer 8 while controlling the device 10, and prints on actual paper.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the character pattern storage memory 6 of FIG. In the figure, the character pattern storage memory 6 is composed of one physical memory having a sufficient capacity, and includes a header section 60, a bitmap storage area (CG) 61 for storing a bitmap font, and an outline storage for storing an outline font. And a region (CG) 62.

The header portion 60 has a bitmap storage area 6
The memory storage start address and storage length of each of the 1 and outline storage areas 62 are written. By referring to the header portion 60, the bitmap storage area 61 or the outline storage area 62 is searched.

A bitmap storage area (CG) header 61a is provided at the beginning of the bitmap storage area 61, and each character stored in the bitmap storage area 61 is included in the bitmap storage area header 61a. The storage location of the dot pattern corresponding to the code is written.

An outline storage area (CG) header 62a is provided at the beginning of the outline storage area 62, and the outline storage area header 62a corresponds to each character code stored in the outline storage area 62. The storage location of outline character data is written.

When printing a bitmap font, the drawing section 5 reads the memory storage start address and the storage length of the bitmap storage area 61 from the header section 60 in the character pattern storage memory 6. The drawing unit 5 determines the bitmap storage area header 61 based on the memory storage start address and the storage length of the read bitmap storage area 61.
Referring to a, the character pattern data corresponding to the character code is searched and the character pattern data is fetched.

Further, when printing an outline font, the outline expanding section 7 uses the character pattern storage memory 6
The memory storage start address and the storage length of the outline storage area 62 are read out from the header section 60 inside. The outline expanding section 7 reads out the outline storage area 62.
The outline storage area header 62a is referred to based on the memory storage start address and the storage length of the drawing unit 5
The outline character data corresponding to the designated character code is searched from, and the outline character data is read and developed in the frame buffer 8 as a bitmap pattern.

Therefore, the character pattern storage memory 6 described above is used.
By preparing one, the character pattern data of the bitmap font and the outline font can be used.

Further, by storing character pattern data corresponding to a character code that is frequently used in the bitmap storage area 61 of the character pattern storage memory 6, the processing speed can be increased. In this case, if information indicating the presence / absence of the character pattern is stored in the header section 60, the drawing section 5 refers to the information and determines the presence / absence of a bitmap font corresponding to the character code, and the determination result Therefore, the print font is determined. The drawing unit 5 takes in the character pattern data of the bitmap font and the outline font in the same manner as the above according to the determined print font.

Further, by using a mask ROM for the character pattern storage memory 6 and storing the character pattern data of the bit map font and the outline font in a fixed manner in the mask ROM, a large capacity of the character pattern storage memory 6 is obtained. Can be realized at low cost.

In this way, by storing the character pattern data of the bitmap font composed of dot data and the character pattern data of the outline font composed of coordinate values in the character pattern storage memory 6 composed of one physical memory, The occupied area in the mounting area can be reduced to increase the capacity of the memory. As a result, the size of the device can be reduced, and the management of the correspondence between the device and the memory can be integrated to reduce the management load.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, by storing outline data consisting of coordinate values and bitmap data consisting of dot data in a character pattern storing memory consisting of one physical memory, it is possible to mount on a substrate. There is an effect that the occupied area in the area can be reduced and the capacity of the memory can be increased, and management of correspondence between the device and the memory can be integrated to reduce the management load.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a character pattern storage memory shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 5 Drawing Section 6 Character Pattern Storage Memory 7 Outline Expansion Section 8 Frame Buffer 9 Printing Section 60 Header Section 61 Bitmap Storage Area 61a Bitmap Storage Area Header 62 Outline Storage Area 62a Outline Storage Area Header

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A printer device for converting a character pattern corresponding to a character code in print data for printing and storing outline data consisting of coordinate values.
And a second storage area for storing bitmap data composed of dot data, and a character pattern storage memory composed of one physical memory is provided. 2. A printer device, characterized in that information indicating whether or not bitmap data corresponding to the character code is stored in the second storage area is stored in the character pattern storage memory. .