JPS61179752A - Pattern converting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to perform various font indication inputs by a predetermined name, by mounting a memory means, a specifying means for specifying various fonts in the memory means by names and a selection means for selecting the font of the same name specified by the specifying means according to the name input from the outside. CONSTITUTION:A font memory stores plural kinds of fonts A-D and a specifying means 12 specifies the fonts A-D in the memory font 11 by allotting names thereto. For the purpose of the specification, a register 13 holds names, that is, REGULAR, BOLD, ITALIC and FOOTNOTE and the head addresses of the corresponding fonts A-D in pairs. A comparing means 14 compares the (font) indication code N (number) from the outside with the specific name read through a line 110 and a selection means 15 connects character code input C to the specific name font wherein coincidence was obtained in the comparing means 14. The font memory 11 is constituted of ROM, RAM or a combination of both of them and the font from the outside can be loaded to RAM through a line 106.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field] The present invention relates to a pattern conversion device, and more particularly to a pattern conversion device that selectively outputs a plurality of types of patterns.

[Prior Art] In recent years, as laser printers have become more widespread, the types of characters that can be output have become more diverse.For example, enlarged or reduced characters can be used by specifying them from a keyboard on an operation panel. Also, bold letters (BO
LD), italic characters (ITALIG), etc. can also be used. A so-called pattern conversion device is a device that generates a desired font pattern according to these user specifications, but conventionally, this type of pattern conversion requires complicated control and parameter specification.

To explain this point in more detail, FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a conventional pattern conversion device, where 1 is the main body of the device, and 4 is a block diagram showing a conventional pattern conversion device.
is a printer that prints using a font pattern P output from one main body. Furthermore, in the main body 1, 2 is a font memory for reading out a font pattern FP using a character address FA, and 3 is a font memory for accessing the font memory 2 using a character code C (character address FA), and reading out the read pattern FP according to a specified parameter T. In a configuration of 0 or more, which is a pattern conversion/formation unit that performs size conversion, character spacing conversion, etc., and forms and outputs a desired font pattern P, when the user specifies a font from the keyboard, this is pattern converted/formed as parameter T information. However, according to the conventional configuration and method of the pattern conversion/formation section 3, the parameter T is information obtained by converting character spacing, character size, character thickness and slope into specific numerical values, and furthermore, needs to be information for distinguishing the type of character design, etc., which not only complicates the creation of the parameter T but also complicates the structure and control of the pattern conversion/formation section 3 itself.

[Objective] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and its object is to provide a pattern conversion device that can input various font specifications using predetermined names. It is in.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pattern conversion '5cf1 with simple structure and control for obtaining various font outputs.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a pattern conversion device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG.
Program execution of PU (not shown) (Figures 3 and 4)
11 is a font memory that stores multiple types of fonts A to D, and 12 is a font AND in the font memory 11.
Specification means for assigning and specifying a name, 13 is a name for this purpose 414 yt lf name REGtlLAR, B
A register 14 holds pairs of OLD, ITALIC, FOOTNOTE and each start address of the corresponding font AND, and 14 compares the external (font) designation code N (name) with the specific name read out via line 110. Comparison means 15 compares character code input C with comparison means 14
This is a selection means for connecting to a specific name font for which a match has been obtained.

The font memory 11 is composed of ROM, RAM, or a combination thereof, and fonts can be loaded into the RAM from the outside via line 106.

Font memory 11 is a regular font (REGULAR)
In addition, various fonts such as enlarged font, reduced font, bold font (BOLD), italic font (IT
ALI (:), footnote font (FOOTNOTE)
etc. are stored separately. An index register M for accessing font memory 11 provides any starting address for fonts A-D via line 102. The readout pattern P of the font memory 11 is a pattern desired by the user as it is, and is sent to the printer 4 via the line 105. In addition, for example, it is possible to store a name in advance in the specific area of font A to identify the font, and for this purpose, initialization process 2 in FIG. The name read from the font specific area can be stored in register 13 via line 104.

An address register G is provided in the identification means 12, which register G can access any of the contents of the register 13 via a line 103.

It is also possible to write the contents of register G.

With the above configuration, the operation of the embodiment will be described below.

Figures 3 (a) and (b) relate to the initialization process of an embodiment that assigns names to phono) 3 is a flowchart showing assigned processing.

For example, when a laser beam printer equipped with this device is powered on, a power-on detection signal PW is sent via line 107.
ROM is added and input to initialization process l. Step S
1, the register G is set to 0, and in step S2, the index register M is initialized to the first address of the font A (physically stored first). In step S3, it is determined whether or not phono A exists at that address, and if font A exists, a name is assigned to the font in step S4.

Initially, the content of register G is O, so the address O of register 13 is selected, and in the first half, a name prepared in advance is read out from a predetermined memory (not shown) using, for example, the content O of G. REGULAR is written ((G)
1←(G)), and in the latter half, the first address of phono)A is written (CG)2←M1. In step S5, the contents of register G are incremented by 1, and in step S6, the contents of index register M are updated to indicate the starting address of phono)B (physically stored next).The flow then proceeds to step S3. Returning, it is determined whether font B exists there. In this way, the same process as described above is repeated for up to font D, and when it is determined that there is no primary 7-on) E, the process ends.

After the initialization process 1 is completed, the user will be able to use the phono)A-
D is a simple name (e.g. REGULAR, 80LD,
ITALIC, FOOTNOTE) keys can be specified manually. If each name does not match the original meaning of the font (normal, bold, etc.) due to user inexperience, a symmetry table is provided near the console for convenience. However, it is usually easy to specify without a symmetric table. Moreover, the physical storage order of A-D (phono) is the same as the designated name REGULARNFO.
It is convenient because it allows intuitive handling when replacing the ROM or when reloading the phono.

Incidentally, in a case such as that shown in FIG. 3(a), instead of going to the trouble of executing the initialization process, the device may be configured in advance so that a predetermined name (REGULAR-FOOTNOTE) is assigned to the physical storage order of the font. good.

FIG. 3(b) relates to the initialization process of another embodiment,
12 is a flowchart showing a process in which the name is specified by the name owned by the fonts A to D themselves. Furthermore, Figure 3 (
The same names are given to the same processing blocks as in a), and the description thereof will be omitted. In the same way, the process proceeds to step S3, and if it is determined that font A is present at the address, the process proceeds to step S7. In step S7, the name read from the specific area of phono A (in the example, the first address of each font) is assigned to font A. . That is, since the content of the address register G is 0 at first, address 0 of the register 13 is selected, and the content read from the first address M of the font A is written in the first half of the address t (
G)1←(M)), for example, name REGU to the address
If LAR is written, phono) A has the name REGUL.
If AR is assigned and BOLD is written, the name is BO.
L[l is assigned. Also, in the latter half, the starting address of font A is written <(G)2←M). The following processing is the same as that in FIG. 3(a). Now, in this case, since the font itself has a name that identifies itself, at what address in the font memory 11 is the font loaded (RO
M insertion) has the advantage that the designated name does not change.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing font designation processing during use. This process is input when the user or the like specifies a desired font. In step Sll, line 1
Specified code N (name REGUL) input via 09
AR-FOOTNOTE] and the contents (name) of the register 13 pointed to by the address register G at that time are compared by the comparison means 14. If no match is found, the process advances to step 512 and the contents of address register G are incremented by 1.
do.

In step 313, it is determined whether the contents of the address register G exceed the maximum value (for example, the value 3 corresponding to FOOTNOTE), and if it does not exceed the maximum value, the process returns to step Sll.
Return to If it is exceeded, the address register G is reset in step S14, and then the process returns to step Sll. Eventually, if a match is found in step 11, step S
Proceeding to step 15, the output of the comparison means 14 connects the switch of the selection means 15 to the contact point of the name through the line 108, and connects the subsequent character code C to the designated name font. Specifically, the contents of the second half of the register 13 pointed to by the register G (font start address) are stored in the index register M (M←(G) 2 ).

In the above embodiment, the specifying means 12 assigns names to the phonos A to D in the font memory 1 according to their physical storage order, but the invention is not limited to this. This is because it is intuitive and convenient in the case of a ROM replacement method, etc., which may be allocated. This can also be done, for example, by creating a table of the respective head addresses of fonts A to D according to their actual arrangement (for example, from top to bottom).

[Effects] As described above, according to the present invention, the user can input various font specifications using simple names, so there is no need to provide specific keys for specifying various fonts, and pattern conversion applications with easy configuration and operation can be realized. Equipment can be easily configured.

Further, according to the present invention, since the structure and control for obtaining various font outputs are simple, an inexpensive and highly reliable pattern conversion device can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing a conventional pattern conversion device, FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram showing a pattern conversion device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. Figure 3 (b) is a flowchart showing a process in which the names are specified by the names held by the fonts A to D themselves. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing font designation processing during use. Here, 10... main body, 11... font memory. 12... Specification means, 13... Register, 14...
Comparison means, 15... selection means. Figure 3 (G) Figure 3 (b) Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] A storage means for storing a plurality of types of fonts, a specifying means for specifying various fonts in the storage means by name, and a font having the same name specified by the specifying means according to a name input from an external device is selected. A pattern conversion device comprising a selection means.