FR2588399A1 - METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONVERTING DELIMITED PATTERNS - Google Patents

Abstract

THE PRESENT INVENTION CONCERNS A PATTERN CONVERSION PROCESS INCLUDING A MEMORY MEANS 2 FOR STORING DATA REPRESENTATIVE OF THE OUTLINE OF A PATTERN, A MEANS FOR READING THE DATA FROM THE SAID MEMORY MEANS, AND A MEANS 1 FOR PROCESSING THE DATA READ FROM THE MEAN AND REPRESENTATIVE OF THE OUTLINE OF THE PATTERN. PROCESSING BY THE MEANS OF PROCESSING INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING STEPS: MOVING PARALLEL EACH OF A PLURALITY OF SEGMENTS CONSTITUTING THE OUTLINE OF THE PATTERN OF THE SAME DISTANCE D; RESOLVE AN INTERSECTION BETWEEN THE DISPLACED SEGMENTS; AND REPEAT THESE STEPS FOR THE ENTIRE OUTLINE OF THE PATTERN.

Description

The present invention relates to a pattern conversion method

  delimited such as a character shape, this method being applicable to a pattern processing apparatus

  graphics processing patterns as vector data.

  A method for converting a character pattern to vector data is excellent when the patterns can be converted with high data compressibility and with a desired magnification or reduction ratio to provide patterns with high fidelity. With this method, a vector data format representing the coordinates of the contour of a character pattern is used, for example a succession of coordinates of successive points of the contour, a succession of displacement values starting from a coordinate of point of departure, or the like. A conventional enlargement or reduction of a pattern, however, presents a problem: for example, in the case where one wants to enlarge the character "H" in FIG. 2A, this is simply enlarged to a similar figure

  as shown in Figure 2B or 2C.

  Regardless of the above problem, there is currently a considerable demand for editing graphic patterns in various forms. For example, we want to obtain not only a simple classic enlargement or reduction function, but also a visual effect such as a synthesis of one or more contours produced by enlarging or shrinking an original contour in the form of vector data for

  get what's called a character silhouette.

  However, such processing of graphic data cannot be carried out using a computer, or it is not possible to obtain a visual balance of the patterns. Consequently, to obtain such a treatment, we relied on processes

  complex and laborious including photographic processes.

  The present invention has been made for the purpose of solving the above problems of the prior art and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for converting a graphic pattern such as a character pattern and a system for

  treatment for this, in which enlargement or narrowing-

  ment of a graphic pattern can be performed while maintaining a

  visual balance of it, through one or more

  several conversions of the motif if desired, or by adding the converted motif to an original motif if desired. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for converting a graphic pattern using a graphic pattern processing apparatus which processes the outline of a pattern in the form of vector data, wherein the processing for enlargement or shrinking of the outline can be done while maintaining the visual balance of the pattern, calculating parallel lines to form the outline of the

  line segments of the pattern and determine the inter-

  section of these lines using the vector data from the

pattern.

  These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be discussed in more detail.

  in the following description of particular embodiment

  made in relation to the attached figures in which:

  1 a Figure 1 is a diagram in the form of blocks represented

  as an embodiment of the system for processing graphic patterns according to the present invention; FIGS. 2A to 2C are views showing examples of enlargement and reduction of a character according to the prior art;

  Figure 3 shows an example of vector data -

  those of a graphic character contour according to the present invention; Figure 4 is a graph illustrating a relationship between vector data and line segments parallel to the contour; FIG. 5 represents the coordinate of a new contour produced during the enlargement treatment; Figure 6 is a flow diagram of the enlargement control process; and Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the

  complete graphic pattern processing system.

  - A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is clear that the object, the effects and the constitution of the present invention can be achieved by a system constituted

  of several devices or by a single device.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram in the form of blocks represented

  as an embodiment of a system for processing graphic patterns according to the present invention. In the figure, the reference numeral 1 designates a vector processing module, 2 a vector data memory module, 3 a pattern generator module, and 4 a temporary pattern storage module. Vector data of character data is stored in the vector data memory module

  2. In this embodiment, although the description relates

  the present invention is not limited to character data, but can also be applied to other data. As a result of receiving a command to initialize processing from an external signal, the vector processing module 1 reads the data required for processing from the vector data memory module 2 and processes the data. Vector data

  processed are then applied to the pattern generator module 3.

  The vector processing module 1 comprises a central unit (CPU) not shown, a read only memory (ROM) initializing control programs represented in FIGS. 6 and 7 and so on. The pattern generator module 3 provides the vector data of the digital data according to a real vector pattern,

  and stores them in the temporary pattern memory module 4.

  The stored pattern is read and provided as output from processed data. Although this is not shown in Figure 1, it is clear that a control module is provided which includes a

  display, a pointing device, or various keys, respectively

  tively, to initialize the execution of such an enlargement processing. The outline of a character pattern is represented by interpolating a succession of vector data points (coordinates) indicated by circles with line segments

  straight or curved, as shown in Figure 3.

  The direction of each of the data vectors between adjacent coordinates is determined so that the vector always sees the inside of the character (or the inside of the outline)

to her right.

  The description will now relate to the case where the

  vector data pattern "P" shown in Figure 3 is

  widened (or shrunk). For the sake of simplicity of description, the

  vectors represented by arrows in Figure 3 are called contour lines. The method of widening the contour line by the quantity d and obtaining a new contour line represented by the dotted lines in FIG. 4 will now be described. In the enlargement process represented in FIG. 4, each of the vectors (contour line) is moved parallel to each vector concerned by the same distance d. By doing this, it is possible to obtain a character pattern "P" moved from d while maintaining visual balance. Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the

  enlargement treatment of a "P" motif as in FIG. 4.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the enlargement processing the program of which is stored in a ROM of a control module not shown, and the calculated lines and the intersections of patterns

  are stored in a memory.

  As shown in FIG. 5, vectors V0 and V1 represent two optional adjacent vectors among a plurality of vectors constituting the contour pattern represented in FIGS. 3 and 4. The two straight lines of the part of the contour are represented by W0 and Wi. Line W0 passes through two points (x0, yO) and (x1, y1), while line W1 passes through two points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2. The intersection of lines W0 and W1 is (x1 The widening treatment is carried out using the above data. In step S1 represented in FIG. 6, first, after the introduction of the amount of parallel displacement (widening or shrinking), vector data is decoded (coordinate conversion), so in step S3, parallel lines W 'and W' are obtained spaced by d

0 1

  lines W0 and W1, respectively. In step S4, the intersection between the lines W 'and W' is obtained. This process is repeated m 0 1 times for a vector loop (closed surface) made up of m vectors (steps S3, S4, S6, and S5). In the case of figure 3, m = 10 for the external contour and m = 8 for the internal contour. In step S7, it is determined whether all the contours have been processed or not, that is to say in the case of FIG. 3, for example, if steps S3 to S6 have been executed for the outer contour ( m = 10) and for the internal contour (m = 8). If this is completed, the vector decoding data of all contours for the pattern "P" 'is vector coded to provide the data

in step S8.

  Hereinafter, the processing in steps S5 and S6 will be

  explained in more detail in relation to FIG. 5.

  As can be understood from Figure 5, the line W0 can be expressed by: Y - YO = y0 / Ax0 (x - xO)

  o Ay0 and Ax0 represent WO line increments, respectively-

  ment for the x and y coordinates. Ay1 and Ax1 indicated in figure 5

represent the same thing.

  The line W'0 parallel to the line WO is expressed by: W ': Y - (Yo + eo0) = Ayo / AXo. (x - xO) ... (2) where e0 represents the amount of displacement from line W0 to line W'0 in the direction Y, e0 being expressed by: i to2 2 e0 = d / Ax0 Ay02 A 0. .. (3) By combining equations (3) and (2), the line W'0 to be obtained is resolved on the basis of the coordinates above, (x0o, yO) and (X1,

  y1), and the amount of parallel movement d.

  The equations for solving the line W 'concerning the vector following V1, following the vector V0 and parallel to the line W1, are given by: y (Y1 + e1) = y1 / x1' (x - x0) ... (4 )

/ 2 2

  e1 = d / Ax1 + Y / Ax1 ... (5) A new expressed intersection (x'1, y'1) produced when the vectors V0 and V1 are moved by the distance d can be obtained from a solution (x, y) of the two equations (2) and (4). For the sake of simplification, the slopes of the lines are represented by: a0 = yO / x a1 = AY1 / Ax1 then, x '= [(a0.x0 - a1.x1) - {(YO + e0) - (y1 + e1) }] / (a0-a1). (7) y'1 = a0 (x'1 - x0) + (y0 + e0) ... (8) Using known values x0, y0, x1, y1, eo , e1, ao, and a1, the intersection (x'1, y'1) can be obtained at

starting from equations (7) and (8).

  If a pattern includes m vectors, the above calculation is repeated m times to provide a new contour line displaced by the same distance d from an initial contour line. If the pattern includes n contour lines, the m calculations above

  are repeated n times (in the case of Figure 3, n = 2).

  If Ax0 = 0 or Ax1 = O in equation (6) or if a0 = a1 in equation (7), the above calculation is replaced by

exceptional treatment.

  The amount of parallel movement d can take a widening value or a shrinking value. If d is positive, the amount of displacement e0 of equation (3) is such that the contour of each vector datum is widened, while if d is negative the contour is narrowed. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the complete system for processing graphic patterns, which is executed by the control unit not shown. In the flow chart, after a delimited pattern is formed and displayed in step S10, an editing process (step Sll), such as a rotation or tilt conversion including, for example, the processing of enlargement of the figure

6, is executed.

  As will be noted from the description

  preceding the present invention, a visual balance is ensured for the patterns subjected to a rotation conversion, to an inclination conversion or to any other conversion before the

  conversion of a pattern according to the present invention.

  In addition, a shadow effect can be obtained so that, after changing the interior of the pattern subjected to the enlargement treatment to a dot pattern, the dot pattern is moved a certain distance to synthesize it. another

  similar pattern of dots.

  New vector data with correct visual balance can easily be produced by converting the initial vector data through a process

  enlargement or narrowing.

  The present invention is not limited to a graphic character, but can be applied to a general pattern of data.

  vector. The present invention presents several applications.

  tions, for example, an image processing system capable of

  deal with patterns, deal with shapes, and the like.

  As has been described in detail thus far, the method of converting graphic patterns used with a pattern processing apparatus processing the contour line of a pattern in the form of vector data made it possible to calculate, according to the predetermined processes , lines parallel to line segment contours of vector data and their

  intersection coordinates, and widening or narrowing-

  parallel to the pattern while maintaining visual balance.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS -   1. Method for converting a pattern including memory means (2) for storing data representative of the outline of a pattern, means for reading data from said memory means, and means (1) for processing the data read from said means and representative of the outline of the pattern, characterized in that the processing by the processing means comprises the following steps: moving in parallel each of a plurality of segments constituting the outline of the pattern by the same distance d;   resolve an intersection between displaced segments these; and   repeat these steps for the entire outline of said pattern.   2. Method for converting a pattern according to the claim   tion 1, characterized in that the memory means memorizes the   outline of the pattern in the form of a succession of coordinates.   3. Method for converting a pattern according to claim 2, characterized in that said segment is a line from a plurality of lines successively connecting each of the coordinates. 4. An image processing system comprising: memory means (2) for storing a succession of coordinate data representative of the outline of a pattern; means for generating an instruction signal for controlling an editing process of a pattern stored in the memory means; operational means for providing, in response to the instruction signal produced by the generation means, straight lines which are moved in parallel by one   constant distance d from the corresponding straight lines   tes passing through two adjacent coordinates stored in the memory means; and calculating means (3) for providing an intersection between two adjacent straight lines obtained by parallel displacement of said operational means; characterized in that the operational means provides said straight lines so that an initial pattern is enlarged or   shrunk depending on whether d is positive or negative.   5. Image processing system according to claim 4, characterized in that the generation means is a calculation module to cause an enlargement or a narrowing of an initial pattern.   6. Image processing system according to the claim   tion 4, characterized in that the operational means provides the quantity, in the y coordinate, of parallel displacement of said straight line, from a succession of coordinate data. 7. An image processing system comprising: memory means for storing a succession of coordinated data representative of the outline of an image; first editing means for performing processing such as rotation conversion or tilt conversion of the image stored in the memory means; an instruction means for ordering to carry out an enlargement processing or a shrinking processing of the image edited by the first editing means; a second editing means to perform in response to   an instruction of said instruction means an enlargement treatment   processing or shrinking processing of the image edited by said first editing means; characterized in that the second editing means comprises a first means for providing a straight line which is obtained by parallel displacement of a certain distance from each straight line passing through two adjacent coordinates representative of the image and a second means for providing intersections between a plurality of straight lines provided by the first means; an output means for providing an image after having subjected it to an enlargement or shrinking treatment, this image being represented by the intersections provided by the second means and the straight lines passing through said intersections obtained by said first means .   8. Image processing system according to the claim   tion 7, characterized in that the output means comprises an interpolation means for interpolating straight lines between said intersections.   9. Image processing system according to the claim   tion 7, characterized in that the first means performs an enlargement treatment or a shrinkage treatment of an initial image depending on whether said constant distance is positive or negative.   10. Image processing system according to the claim   tion 7, characterized in that the second editing means can carry out a uniform enlargement treatment or a uniform shrinkage treatment of an initial image, independently of the   causes the first editing means to perform an editing.