JPH0573024A - Cach system of font pattern - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the cach system of font patterns capable of leaving the pattern which is a once cached pattern and is preferably held preserved without erasing this pattern. CONSTITUTION:A cach control section 5 decides whether the pattern is already cached in either of the 1st storage region 3 or 2nd storage region 4 in a buffer memory 2 when the pattern is assigned. This control section reads out the pattern and delivers this pattern to a printer when the pattern is already cached. The control section retrieves the pattern from an auxiliary storage section 1, caches the pattern into either of the 1st storage region 3 and the 2nd storage region 4 and delivers the pattern to the printer if the assigned pattern is not cached. The pattern cached into the 1st storage region 3 can be erased. The pattern cached into the 2nd storage region 4 is the previously assigned pattern and is not erased.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a font pattern cache system which caches a font pattern and uses it for displaying information such as recording on a recording paper or displaying on a display screen.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, in printers, display devices, etc., patterns indicating fonts, that is, characters, symbols, etc. are stored in an auxiliary storage device, and necessary patterns are taken out from the auxiliary storage device one by one. Then, the taken out pattern is recorded on a recording paper or displayed on a display screen.

However, when a large number of patterns such as kanji, hiragana, and symbols are stored in the auxiliary storage device, it takes time to search for and retrieve the required pattern.

Therefore, paying attention to the high probability of reusing a pattern that has been searched and used once, the searched pattern is cached in the buffer memory, and when the pattern is reused, the pattern is searched from the buffer memory. Therefore, there has been proposed a technique for improving the search efficiency (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-190382).

However, although the pattern used infrequently is erased and a new pattern is cached when the buffer memory is full, the pattern used infrequently is not always erased. Not a good idea. For example, if hiragana, numbers, etc. are once retrieved and cached, it is preferable to save them without deleting them, and no consideration was given to this point.

[0006]

As described above, in the prior art, the pattern is cached in the buffer memory, and when the pattern is reused, the pattern is searched from the buffer memory to improve the search efficiency. When the buffer memory became full, patterns that were not used frequently were erased and new patterns were cached, so once you search and cache, save them without erasing even if you use them infrequently. There is a drawback in that even if it is better to keep it, the pattern which is preferable is erased. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a font pattern cache method in which a pattern that has been cached once and is preferably stored can be left without being erased.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a first storage means for caching a plurality of patterns, erasing a pattern already cached when a storage capacity is full, and caching a new pattern. , A second storage means for caching a plurality of predesignated patterns is provided, and the control means determines whether or not a pattern to be cached is included in each of the predesignated patterns, If it is determined that they are not included, the pattern to be cached is stored in the first storage means, and if it is determined that they are included, the pattern to be cached is stored in the second storage means. I am trying to do it.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the control means determines whether or not a pattern to be cached is a predesignated pattern, and if it is not a predesignated pattern, the pattern is stored in the first storage means, If the pattern is specified in advance, the pattern is stored in the second storage means. Therefore, only the patterns designated in advance are cached in the second storage means, and the patterns cached here are not erased for the cache of new patterns.
On the other hand, the first storage means caches each pattern other than the predesignated patterns, and the cached pattern may be erased to cache a new pattern. Therefore, for example, hiragana,
If patterns such as numbers are designated in advance as those to be cached in the second storage means, these patterns will not be erased after being cached in the second storage means regardless of the frequency of use. ..

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a print controller to which an embodiment of a cache system according to the present invention is applied. In the figure, the auxiliary storage unit 1 is a large-capacity memory in which a plurality of pattern data is stored for each typeface. That is, a plurality of patterns are stored for each typeface of font F1, font F2, ..., Font Fn. Further, these pattern data are stored corresponding to the respective character codes indicating the respective pattern data. Therefore, if the font and character code are designated, the pattern data corresponding to the designated character code can be searched from the designated font area.

The buffer memory 2 serves to cache the pattern data from the auxiliary storage unit 1 and serves as a storage area for caching the pattern data.
Storage area 3 and a second storage area 4. The first storage area 3 is for caching each pattern data other than each pattern data that can be cached in the second storage area 4, and after caching until the storage capacity becomes full, new pattern data is stored. When cached, the first cached pattern data among the already stored pattern data is erased, and new pattern data is cached. The second storage area 4 caches only each pattern data designated in advance, and these pattern data are, for example, hiragana,
It indicates numbers and the like.

The second storage area 4 is divided into respective columns 4-1, 4-2, ..., 4-n corresponding to the respective fonts F1, F2, ..., Fn as shown in FIG. Row 4
-1, 4-2, ..., 4-n have fonts F1, F2,
The pattern data belonging to Fn are cached. These columns 4-1, 4-2, ..., 4-n are constructed as shown in FIG. 3, font data 41 indicating the type of font is arranged at the beginning, and subsequently each character code 42- , 42-n are arranged on the upper side, and each pattern data area 43-
, 43-n are arranged on the lower side. The pattern areas 43-1, 43-2, ..., 43-n are the upper character codes 42-1, 42-2 ,.
Each pattern area corresponds to n, and the pattern data indicated by the upper character code is cached in one pattern area. As shown in FIG. 4, the pattern data cached in this pattern area is composed of print information 44 and bitmap information 45. The bitmap information 45 indicates a pattern in the bitmap, and the print information 44 records the pattern. It shows the position when recording on paper.

Therefore, for example, in the column 4-1 in the second storage area 4, each pattern data belonging to the font F1 is cached, and each pattern data indicated by each character code arranged above this column is cached. Pattern data, that is, each pattern is cached in each pattern area.

Further, each column 4-1, 4-2, ..., 4-n
In the above, the respective character codes 42-1 arranged first are the same, the respective character codes 42-2 arranged second are the same,
Each character code 4 arranged in the nth
2-n are the same. Therefore, each column 4-1 and 4-
In 2, ..., 4-n, each pattern that can be cached first has the same meaning although the fonts are different from each other, and each pattern that can be cached second has the same meaning even if the fonts are different from each other. Have a
Each pattern that can be cached in the nth has a different typeface but has the same meaning. The first storage area 3 also stores the pattern data for each font in the manner shown in FIG. 3, but the area for each font is the same as the second storage area 4. It is not divided in advance and is changed at any time, and the character code is not registered in advance, but is registered together with the pattern data when instructed to register, and when instructed to erase. It is erased together with the pattern data.

The cache control unit 5 retrieves the pattern data indicated by the designated character code from the auxiliary storage unit 1 and the buffer memory 2 and sends the pattern data to a printing device (not shown) or the auxiliary storage unit. The pattern data retrieved from the unit 1 is cached in the buffer memory 2. The cache control unit 5 includes a code determination unit 6 and a font setting unit 7. The font setting unit 7 is for each font F1, F2
, Fn, which is designated in advance prior to the cache of the pattern data. The code determination unit 6 determines each character code 42 in the second storage area 4.
-1, 42-2, ..., 42-n is built in, and when a character code is designated, this character code is collated with each character code in the table, and the matching character code It is for determining whether or not there is.

With such a configuration, when the character code is designated, the cache control unit 5 retrieves the pattern data indicated by the character code and sends it to the printing apparatus. The processing procedure for this will be described according to the flowchart shown in FIG. Here, it is assumed that the font F1 is preset in the font setting section 7.

First, when the character code is designated (step 101), the cache control section 5 gives this character code to the code judging section 6. The code determination unit 6 compares the given character code with each character code registered in the built-in table, and the given character code is used as each character code 42-1, 42-2, ... In the table. , 42-n, is determined (step 102).

If the given character code does not match any of the character codes in the table (step 102, NO), the cache control unit 5 determines that the first storage area in the buffer memory 2 has been reached. 3 is searched to determine whether the pattern data indicated by the given character code and belonging to the font F1 in the font setting section 7 is already cached in the first storage area 3. (Step 1
03). Then, if the corresponding pattern data is not cached in the first storage area 3 (step 10)
3, NO), the cache control unit 5 reads the pattern data corresponding to the given character code from the area of the font F1 in the auxiliary storage unit 1, caches this pattern data in the first storage region 3, and The pattern data is sent to the printing device (step 105). When the pattern data indicated by the given character code is cached in the first storage area 3, if the first storage area 3 is full and there is no room to cache new pattern data, the first storage area The first cached pattern data of the existing pattern data in the area 3 is erased, and the pattern data indicated by the character code is cached.

If the corresponding pattern data is already cached in the first storage area 3 (step 1
03, YES), the cache controller 5 reads the corresponding pattern data from the first storage area 3 and sends this pattern data to the printing apparatus (step 10).
5).

On the other hand, when it is determined that the given character code matches any one of the character codes 42-1, 42-2, ..., 42-n (step 10).
2, YES), the cache control unit 5 searches the second storage area 4 in the buffer memory 2, and the pattern data indicated by the given character code is the pattern data belonging to the font F1 in the font setting unit 7. Is already cached in the second storage area 4 (step 106). That is, the given character code is searched from the column 4-1 corresponding to the font F1 shown in FIG. 2 in the second storage area 4,
It is determined whether the pattern data is already cached in the pattern area corresponding to this character code. Here, if the corresponding pattern data is not cached in the second storage area 4 (step 106,
NO), the cache control unit 5 reads the pattern data indicated by the given character code from the area of the font F1 in the auxiliary storage unit 1 and uses this pattern data in the character of column 4-1 in the second storage region 4. The pattern data is cached in the pattern area corresponding to the code and the pattern data is sent to the printing apparatus (step 108).

If the corresponding pattern data is already cached in the second storage area 4 (step 1
06, YES), the cache controller 5 reads the corresponding pattern data from the second storage area 4, and sends this pattern data to the printing device (step 10).
8).

Such processing is repeated every time the character code is designated, and the pattern data indicated by the character code is sent out to the printing apparatus one by one. Every time the printing device receives pattern data,
The patterns indicated by the bit information included in the pattern data are sequentially recorded on the recording paper.

In the apparatus of this embodiment, the pattern data indicated by the designated character code is searched in the first storage area 3 and the second storage area 4, and if this pattern data is not cached, this pattern data is searched. The pattern data is read from the auxiliary storage unit 1 and the first storage area 3
And cache in any of the second storage areas 4. The pattern data cached in the first storage area can be erased by repeatedly repeating the cache of each of the other pattern data, but the pattern data once cached in the second storage area 4 is specified in advance. Yes, it will never be erased. Therefore, if pattern data indicating patterns such as hiragana and numbers are designated as the respective pattern data cached in the second storage area 4, these pattern data will be stored in the second storage area 4. Once cached, the auxiliary storage unit 1 does not need to be searched again, and the second storage area 4 can be searched immediately.

Although the above embodiment exemplifies the print control device for sending the pattern to the printing device, the present invention is not limited to this, and the pattern is sent to the display device having a CRT or the like. In this case, the present invention can be applied.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, only the patterns designated in advance are cached in the second storage means, and the patterns cached here are erased to cache new patterns. Moreover, each pattern other than each pattern designated in advance is cached in the first storage means, and the pattern cached here is erased to cache a new pattern. Sometimes. Therefore, for example, if patterns such as hiragana and numbers are designated in advance as those to be cached in the second storage means, these patterns will be cached in the second storage means and thereafter, regardless of the frequency of use. It will never be erased. That is, it is possible to provide a font pattern cache method in which a pattern that has been cached once and is preferably stored can be left without being erased.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a print control apparatus to which an embodiment of a cache system according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a storage mode of a second storage area in the embodiment shown in FIG.

3 is a partially enlarged view of the storage mode shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the storage mode shown in FIG.

5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for pattern search and cache in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Auxiliary storage unit, 2 ... Buffer memory, 3 ... First storage region, 4 ... Second storage region, 5 ... Cache control unit, 6
... code determination section, 7 ... font setting section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A font pattern cache method in which a font pattern is cached, and this pattern is visualized and used for display. A plurality of patterns are cached, and a pattern already cached when the storage capacity is full. And a second storage unit for caching a plurality of predesignated patterns, and a pattern to be cached is included in each of the predesignated patterns. It is determined whether or not it is included, and if it is determined that it is not included, the pattern to be cached is stored in the first storage means, and if it is determined that it is included, the pattern to be cached. And a control means for storing the font pattern in the second storage means. Gerhard system.