JPH073633B2 - Character pattern generation method - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a character pattern generation method for generating character pattern data having a dot matrix configuration for printing a character corresponding to a character code.

BACKGROUND ART FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a storage area of a conventional font memory 1, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which a character bit pattern stored in the font memory 1 is planted in a bit map memory 2. . The font memory 1 has a store area Q1, ..., Qm, for each character corresponding to a plurality of addresses.
, Qn, ..., and this store area Q1, ..., Qm, ..., Q
Bit patterns for each character are individually stored in n, .... The storage areas Q1, ..., Qm, ..., Qn, ... All have the same memory capacity, and correspond to the memory for the maximum printing area in a set of character bit patterns.

Here, for example, the bit pattern of the character "A" is stored in the store area Q1, the bit pattern of the character "e" is stored in the store area Qm, and the bit pattern of the character "g" is stored in the store area Qn. Is assumed to have been done. When the address of the store area Q1 is designated, only the area for the store area Q1 is read out, and the bit map memory 2 scans for the area Q1. As a result, as shown in FIG. A bit pattern of the letter "A" is planted on the. Similarly, when addressing the store area Qn,
Only the area corresponding to Qn is scanned, and the bit map memory 2
A bit pattern of the letter "g" is planted in the.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the above-mentioned prior art, the store area of the font memory is configured to have a memory capacity of a character bit pattern having a maximum print area in one set of characters. Therefore, the useless blank portion is generated in the font memory 1, which makes the structure of the font memory 1 inefficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above technical problems and to provide a character pattern generating method that reduces wasteful blank areas as much as possible and improves the utilization efficiency of the font memory.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention prepares a font memory, and this font memory has a store area for each character individually corresponding to a plurality of addresses. Bit pattern, and the maximum vertical bit number a of the bit pattern,
The maximum horizontal bit number b of the bit pattern and the reference coordinates (c, d) within the bit area to be displayed for each character of the bit pattern are stored, and then the bit pattern from the font memory is stored. A bit map memory to be prepared is prepared, and in the area to be displayed for each bit pattern of the bit map memory, the coordinates (c,
The character pattern generating method is characterized in that the bit pattern of the font memory is planted in the bit map memory by scanning b from the d) in the horizontal direction and a times in the vertical direction.

Operation According to the present invention, useless blank areas can be reduced as much as possible, and the utilization efficiency of the font memory can be improved.

Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. The character code signal from the host computer 10 is stored in the text buffer 15 via the interface 11 and then read by the processing circuit 18 to be read by the code conversion table 12.
Given to. As shown in Table 1, the code conversion table 12 has the font addresses corresponding to the character codes written in one-to-one correspondence. For example, the code 1 is the font address in which the bit pattern of the character "A" is stored. It corresponds to "F1".

When a character code signal is given to the code conversion table 12, the font address corresponding to the code signal is read from the code conversion table 12, and the stored contents of the font ROM 13 corresponding to the given address are read out to make a bit map. Given to memory 14. At this time, the counter 19 counts the number of horizontal bits of the character bit pattern stored in the ROM 13, and
At 20, the number of vertical bits of the character bit pattern is counted.

In the bit map memory 14, horizontal scanning is performed based on the contents stored in the font ROM 13, and the character bit pattern stored in the font ROM 13 is implanted. Then, the character bit pattern stored in the font ROM 13 is read for each character code signal, and one frame is planted in the bit map memory 14. Bitmap memory
The bit pattern planted in 14 is an interface.
It is given to the printing mechanism 17 via 16 and a predetermined printing is performed.

In addition, interface 11,16, code conversion table 1
2. The font ROM 13, the bit map memory 14, the text buffer 15, and the counters 19 and 20 are controlled by control signals from the processing circuit 18.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the store area of the font ROM 13,
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the character bit pattern stored in the font ROM 13 is embedded in the bit map memory 14. The bit map memory 14 has bit areas M1, M2, ... (Indicated by a reference symbol M when collectively referred to) in which a character bit pattern is embedded. The bit areas M1, M2, ... All have the same number of bits, and are arranged in a matrix of horizontal e-bits and vertical f-bits.

The font ROM 13 has storage areas S1, S2, ..., Sn, ... (Indicated by reference numeral S when collectively referred to) for each character corresponding to a plurality of addresses individually. Store area S1, S2,
, Sn, ... are the character pattern areas R1, R2, ..., Rn, ... in which the character bit patterns are stored (indicated by reference numeral R when collectively referred to) and the upper part of these areas R1, R2, ..., Rn, ... , And Tn, which stores the data for controlling the character bit patterns (denoted by reference numeral T when collectively referred to). The character pattern area R stores character bit pattern data. The horizontal bits of the character pattern area R are all common, and
It's a bit off. The vertical bit numbers l1, l2, ..., In, of the character pattern area R are the bit numbers corresponding to the stored character bit pattern.

In the character pattern control areas T1, T2, ..., Tn, ..., Values a1, a2, ..., An, .. (corresponding to the reference numeral a when collectively referred to) and values b1, b2 ,. , bn, ... (denoted by reference numeral b when collectively referred to), values c1, c2, ..., cn, ... (denoted by reference numeral c when collectively referred to), and values d1, d2, ..., dn ,. (Indicated by reference numeral d) is stored.
The values a1, a2, ..., An, ... Indicate the maximum number of vertical bits in the character bit pattern, and the values b1, b2, ..., Bn, ... Indicate the maximum number of horizontal bits in the bit pattern. This value b is selected to be larger than the number of bits (8 bits) in the horizontal direction of the character pattern area R described above. Also, the values c1, c2, ..., Cn, ... are reference points P1, P2, .. (Refer to the generic names when the bit patterns are planted in the bit areas M1, M2, ... Of the bit map memory 14). (Indicated by the letter P) indicates the x coordinate, and d1, d
2, ..., dn, ... Indicate the y coordinates of the reference points P1, P2 ,. The coordinates (c, d) of the reference point P are the points Q at the lower left corner of the bit area M1.
The coordinates are set so that 1, Q2, ... The remaining store areas S2, ..., Sn, ... have the same configuration as the store area S1 and are composed of character pattern areas R2, ..., Rn, ... and character pattern control areas T2 ,. Have.

The character bit pattern is defined by the following method in the character pattern area R
Stored in advance. Here, the case where the character "A" is stored in the character bit pattern area R1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the horizontal scanning lines i1, i2, ... Are sequentially scanned for the font character "A" which is planted in the bit map memory 14 and is similar to the font, and the read data is sequentially read as shown in FIG. Arrange from left to right. Therefore, the total number of bits at this time is a1 × b1 bits. The width of the character pattern area R1 is 8 bits, so that the data is stored every 8 bits from the left end of the character pattern area R1. That is, of the b bits read by the scanning line i1, 8 bits are first stored as the first row j1 of the character pattern area R1, and then the remaining (b-8) bits of the b bits on the scanning line i1 are stored. A total of 8 bits of (16-b) bits on the scanning line i2 are displayed on the second line from the left end of the character pattern area R1.
Store as j2. In this way, all the data of a1 and b1 bits are stored in the area R1 of the character pattern. The method of storing each character bit pattern in the remaining character pattern areas R2, ..., Rn, ... Is the same as in the character pattern area R1. The number of bits a and b of the character bit pattern stored in the character pattern area R in this way is expressed by the first equation.

8 · (l1-1) <a · b ≦ 8 · l (1) Therefore, each character bit pattern is stored in the character pattern area R at the maximum time.
There is almost no useless blank area in the store area R. The number of bits in the horizontal direction of the font ROM 13 is 8
In addition to the bits, 16 bits may be used.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a procedure for implanting a bit pattern in the bit map memory 14. Referring also to FIG. 3, first, the process moves from step n1 to step n2, and the character code signal is input from the host computer 10. This character code signal is transmitted to the interface 11 as described above.
Stored in the text buffer 15 via. Then, from step n2 to step n3, a code signal for one character is given to the code conversion table 12, and the code conversion table 12 gives the font address corresponding to the character code to the font ROM 13. And step n3 to step n4
Then, the values a, b, c, d and the bit pattern of the font ROM 13 are read. Then, in step n5, the reference point P is set according to the values c and d. When the reference point P is set, the counters 19 and 20 are reset.

At step n6, a bit pattern is planted in the bit map memory 14. At this time, first, the reference point P (c,
Horizontal scanning is performed from d). With this counter 1
At 9, the number of horizontal bits is counted. And step n7
Then, it is judged whether or not the b-bit horizontal scanning has been performed. If the b-bit horizontal scanning has not been completed, the process returns to step n6. When the b-bit scanning is performed, the process proceeds from step n7 to step n8, and the horizontal scanning of the next row is performed. That is, when the counter 19 counts b, the counter 20 is incremented by 1. When the counter 20 is incremented by 1, the bit map memory 14 shifts to the next scanning line.

Then, the process proceeds to step n9, where it is judged whether or not the a-row horizontal scanning has been performed. If not, the process returns to step n6 again. In this way, a series of operations from step n6 to step n9 are repeated, and when the horizontal scanning of b bits is performed a times and a predetermined character bit pattern is planted in the bit map memory 14, step n10 is executed.
Then, the planting for one character is completed. The operations from step n1 to step n10 are repeated, and the bit map memory 14 is planted with a bit pattern for one frame.

It is assumed that the bit pattern of the character "A" is stored in the store area S1 corresponding to the font address "F1" of the font ROM 13. When the code content of the character code signal from the host computer 10 is "1",
According to the code conversion table 12, font address "F1"
Based on this addressing, the font RO
The store area S1 of M13 is read. That is, the values a1, b1, c1,
Bit pattern data of d1 and the character "A" is read. As a result, the reference point P1 (c1, d1) is set. In addition, this resets the counters 19 and 20. Then, the bit pattern read from the font ROM 13 is planted horizontally from the reference point P1. At this time, 8 bits are read from the character pattern area R1 at a time, so that all the data in the first row j1 of the character pattern area R1 is planted by the first scanning line i1 of the bit map memory 14. Then, this bit number is sequentially counted up by the counter 19. Then, 8 bits of the next row j2 of the character pattern area R1 are read out and planted by the first scan line i1 by (b1-8) bits. In this 8-bit reading, when the counter 19 counts b1, the counter 20 is incremented by 1.
This causes the bit map memory 14 to move to the next scanning line i2. That is, horizontal scanning is performed from the coordinates (c1, d1 + 1). In this way, the bit patterns of the character pattern region R1 are sequentially planted in the bit map memory 14, and when the reference point P1 is horizontally scanned by b1 bits and a1 times are repeatedly scanned, the bit map memory 14 stores the third pattern. As shown, the letter "A" is planted in the bit area M1. When the planting of one character is completed in this way, the coordinate value of the point Q1 is updated and the planting of the next character is performed from the point P with the point Q2 as the reference point. When one frame is planted in the bit map memory 14, the stored contents are given to the printing mechanism 17 via the interface 16 and predetermined printing is performed.

As another embodiment of the bit map memory 14, the width e of the bit area M may be different for each character,
In such a case, the value e may be stored as data in the character pattern control area T of the font ROM 13.

Further, in the above embodiment, the bit map memory 14 is configured to store only one frame, but it may be configured to store two frames or more.
Although the value b is larger than 8 bits in the above embodiment, it may be smaller than 8 bits.

As described above, according to the present invention, the maximum vertical bit number a, the maximum horizontal bit number b, and the reference coordinates (c, d) for display are individually assigned to a plurality of addresses in the font memory for each bit pattern. Since the data is stored in the storage area for each character corresponding to, the useless blank area is unnecessary in the font memory, and therefore the usage efficiency of the font memory can be improved. Further, when the character bit pattern is planted in the bit map memory, it can be planted by scanning only the character bit pattern, and therefore the processing speed can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a store area of a font ROM 13 used in the present invention.
FIG. 3 shows a state in which a bit pattern is implanted in the bit map memory 14 by the font ROM 13 shown in FIG. 2, and FIGS. 4 and 5 show the bit pattern of the character "A" in the character bit pattern area R1. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the procedure for storing, and FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a procedure for implanting a character bit pattern in the bit map memory 14.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a store area of the conventional font memory 1, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which a character bit pattern is planted on the bit map memory 2 by the conventional font memory 1. 12 ... Code conversion table, 13 ... Font ROM, 14 ...
… Bitmap memory, 15… Text buffer, 18…
… Processing circuit, M… bit area of bit map memory,
S: font ROM store area, R: character pattern area, T: character pattern control area, P: reference point, a
... maximum vertical bit number of bit pattern, b ... maximum horizontal bit number of bit pattern, c ... x coordinate of reference point P in bit area M, d ... y coordinate of reference point P in bit area M

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A font memory is prepared, and this font memory has a store area for each character individually corresponding to a plurality of addresses, and a bit pattern and a bit pattern for each character are stored in this store area. Maximum vertical bit number a
And the maximum horizontal bit number b of the bit pattern and the reference coordinates (c, d) in the bit area to be displayed for each character of the bit pattern are stored, and then the bit pattern from the font memory is stored. A bit map memory for storing is stored in the area to be displayed for each bit pattern of the bit map memory, and the coordinates (c,
A method for generating a character pattern, which comprises scanning from b) in the horizontal direction by b times and a times in the vertical direction by a times to plant the bit pattern of the font memory in the bit map memory.