JPH0717080A - Printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To convert standard characters into italic characters at a character unit with high speed and print them by providing a shifter wherein a converting character data from a page buffer memory is shifted and converted in accordance with a shift data from a shifter controller and the converted data is stored in the memory. CONSTITUTION:A printing device comprises a microprocessor 5 for outputting character conversion instruction and character conversion information, a page buffer memory 4 for storing character data, and a shift controller 1 for outputting a shift data calculated based on the character conversion information from the microprocessor 5. Also, a memory controller 3 for controlling input/ output of the memory 4 in response to a conversion request from the shifter controller 1 and a shifter section 2 for shifting and converting the character data from the memory 4 in accordance with the shift data from the shifter controller 1 and for storing the conversion data in the memory 4 are provided. An italic character having optional obliqueness can be formed based on standard type face, so that a high speed printing is possible in optional type face for every character.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer, and more particularly to a printer having a character typeface changing function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, as document contents and purposes have been diversified in a document preparation device such as a word processor, there has been an increasing demand for various typefaces in order to prepare a unique document or a document with impact. There is.

A conventional printing apparatus stores character font data corresponding to various typefaces in a memory, and reads character font data of a designated typeface from the memory and prints it according to an instruction from a higher-level device. .

Further, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 01-255544, when the address scan of the character generator is performed, the leading data of the character data is delayed and gradually returned to the normal by the address scan of the final data. Italic characters were printed.

[0005]

However, in the conventional example in which the character font data is stored in the memory,
Since the required memory capacity becomes large, there is a disadvantage that the cost becomes high and the printing speed becomes slow.

Further, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 01-255544, since a standard character is converted into an italic character by a delay of a horizontal synchronizing signal, an image drawn in the same area as the main scanning direction in which italic conversion is performed. There was a problem that all were italicized.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer capable of improving the disadvantages of the conventional example and, in particular, capable of converting standard characters into italic characters at high speed and printing the characters.

[0008]

Therefore, according to the present invention, a microprocessor for outputting a character conversion instruction and character conversion information, a page buffer memory for storing character data, and a character conversion information from the microprocessor are used. The shifter control unit that outputs the calculated shift data and the position data of the conversion target character, the conversion target character data read from the page buffer memory is shift-converted according to the shift data from the shifter control unit, and the conversion data is also converted into the page buffer memory. And a shifter section for storing the data in the. This aims to achieve the above-mentioned object.

[0009]

The microprocessor outputs a character conversion command and character conversion information to the shifter control section.

Here, the character conversion information is the drawing position data of the first character of the conversion target character string on the drawing screen, the width data of the conversion target character string, the height data of the conversion target character, and the first character of the conversion target character. And the shift amount data in the dot line.

The shifter control section outputs the shift amount data and the dot line number calculated based on the character conversion information from the microprocessor to the shifter section and outputs the information of the conversion target character to the page buffer memory.

The shifter unit shifts the dot line number data designated by the shifter control unit out of the 1-word data of the conversion target character read from the page buffer memory based on the shift amount data designated by the shifter control unit. Along with conversion, the conversion data is stored in the page buffer memory.

The shifter control unit repeats the above conversion process for all dot lines of all conversion target characters.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is calculated based on the microprocessor 5 which outputs the character conversion instruction and the character conversion information, the page buffer memory 4 which stores the character data, and the character conversion information from the microprocessor 5. The shifter control unit 1 for outputting the shifted shift data, the memory control unit 3 for controlling the input / output of the page buffer memory 4 according to the conversion request signal from the shifter control unit 1, and the shifter control unit for the character data from the page buffer memory 4. The shifter unit 2 performs shift conversion according to the shift data from 1 and stores the converted data in the page buffer memory 4.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

(1). To store standard characters in page buffer memory:

.. When a character is drawn on the drawing screen, the microprocessor 5 outputs a character storage command and character information to the memory control unit 3.

Here, the character information is composed of drawing position data and character content data on the drawing screen of the character.

[0020]. The memory control unit 3 converts the character content data from the microprocessor 5 into a format suitable for the data in the page buffer memory 4, and converts the converted character data into the page buffer memory 4 corresponding to the drawing position data from the microprocessor 5. Stored at the address of.

(2). To convert standard characters to italic characters:

.. The microprocessor 5 outputs the character conversion command and the character conversion information to the shifter control unit 1 (S10 in FIG. 2).

Here, the character conversion information is the drawing position data of the first character of the conversion target character string on the drawing screen, the width data of the conversion target character string, the height data of the conversion target character, and the first character of the conversion target character. And the shift amount data in the dot line.

In particular, the shift amount data in the first dot line of the conversion target character is data for determining the inclination angle of the character.

Here, for the sake of explanation, it is assumed that the width of the conversion target character string is n dots, the height of the conversion target character is m dots, and the shift amount data in the first dot line is ι dots.

For example, when converting one character "mountain" as shown in FIG. 3 into italic, n = 11 dots,
Values of m = 8 dots and ι = 7 dots are set.

.. The shifter control unit 1 sets the dot line number to 1 (S20 in FIG. 2) and outputs the conversion request command and the drawing position data on the drawing screen of the first character of the conversion target character string to the memory control unit 3 (Fig. S3 of 2
0, S40).

Further, the shifter control section 1 outputs shift amount data of ι dot to the shifter section 2 (S4 in FIG. 2).
0).

According to the request from the shifter control unit 1, the memory control unit 3 reads the 1-word data of the first character of the conversion target character string from the page buffer memory 4, and the shifter unit 2
Output to.

The shifter unit 2 shift-converts the data of the first dot line portion of the 1-word data from the page buffer memory 4 based on the shift amount data from the shifter control unit 1, and also converts the converted data into page data. The data is stored in the buffer memory 4 (S50 in FIG. 2).

.. If the conversion target character further exists (S60 in FIG. 2), the shifter control unit 1 causes the memory control unit 3 to operate.
To the conversion request command and the drawing position data of the character next to the conversion target character string on the drawing screen (S70, S4 in FIG. 2).
0).

Further, the shifter control section 1 outputs shift amount data of ι dot to the shifter section 2 (S4 in FIG. 2).
0).

According to the request from the shifter control unit 1, the memory control unit 3 reads out 1-word data of the next character of the character string to be converted from the page buffer memory 4 and outputs it to the shifter unit 2.

The shifter section 2 shift-converts the data of the first dot line section of the 1-word data from the page buffer memory 4 based on the shift amount data from the shifter control section 1 and also by the previous shift conversion. The generated surplus data is put into the empty area generated by this shift conversion, and the conversion data is stored in the page buffer memory 4
(S50 in FIG. 2).

.. When the above process is completed for all the conversion target character strings (S60 in FIG. 2), the shifter control unit 1 increments the dot line number and outputs the shift amount data output to the shifter unit 2 to (1-ι /
(M-1)) Change to dots (S90 in FIG. 2).

The shifter section 2 shift-converts the data of the second dot line section out of the 1-word data from the page buffer memory 4 based on the shift amount data from the shifter control section 1, and converts the converted data into page data. The data is stored in the buffer memory 4 (S50 in FIG. 2).

.. When the above process is completed for all the conversion target character strings (S60 in FIG. 2), the shifter control unit 1 increments the dot line number and outputs the shift amount data to be output to the shifter unit 2 (1-3 ×).
ι / (m-1)) dots (S90 in FIG. 2).

The shifter section 2 shift-converts the data of the third dot line section of the 1-word data from the page buffer memory 4 based on the shift amount data from the shifter control section 1, and converts the converted data into page data. The data is stored in the buffer memory 4 (S50 in FIG. 2).

That is, the shifter control section 1 shifts the data of the p-th dot line section to (1-
The (p−1) × ι / (m−1)) dot shift amount data is output to the shifter unit 2. The shift amount data is not changed during the conversion of the same dot line.

.. On the last m-dot line, the shifter control unit 1 outputs the shift amount data of 0 dots to the shifter unit 2. That is, the character data is not shift-converted.

As described above, it is possible to create an italic character with an arbitrary inclination at high speed by shifting the standard character once drawn by different amounts for each dot line.

(3). To draw the data stored in the page buffer memory:

.. When a drawing request is made, the microprocessor 5 outputs a drawing command and character information to the memory control unit 3.

Here, the character information includes drawing position data on the drawing screen.

.. The memory control unit 3 reads the data stored in the address of the page buffer memory 4 corresponding to the drawing position data from the microprocessor 5,
The data is converted into a format suitable for the data of the microprocessor 5, and the converted character data is output to the microprocessor 5.

[0046]

Since the present invention is constructed and functions as described above, according to the present invention, italic characters having an arbitrary inclination can be created based on the standard font, and therefore, it is possible to freely create each character. It is possible to provide an unprecedented excellent printing device that enables high-speed printing with various typefaces.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the embodiment of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 shifter control unit 2 shifter unit 3 memory control unit 4 page buffer memory 5 microprocessor

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A microprocessor that outputs a character conversion instruction and character conversion information, a page buffer memory that stores character data, shift data calculated based on the character conversion information from the microprocessor, and a conversion target character. A shifter control unit for outputting the position data of the shift buffer, the shift target character data read from the page buffer memory is shift-converted according to the shift data from the shifter control unit, and the shift data is stored in the page buffer memory. A printing device characterized by being equipped with a section. 2. The character conversion information from the microprocessor includes drawing position data of the first character of the conversion target character string on a drawing screen, width data of the conversion target character string, and height data of the conversion target character. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus is composed of shift amount data of a first dot line of a target character. 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shift data from the shifter control section is composed of a dot line number and shift amount data at the dot line number.