Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Character generating
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-09
2001-03-13
Zimmerman, Mark K. (Department: 2671)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Character generating
C345S468000, C345S469000, C345S471000, C345S472000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06201553
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a character generating method and apparatus for reconstructing e.g. a character pattern or the like by combining the elements of the character.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to reduce the quantity of font data in character generation, the practice in the prior art is to use a font scheme based upon the combining of strokes in which a font is stored in memory upon first being broken down into character elements (referred to as “strokes” below) each composed of a stroke body, after which the strokes are read out of memory and combined to generate the character. In the character generating process of this scheme, strokes constituting the character are constructed, stroke scaling or the like is performed as necessary, and the strokes are placed, as the elements constituting the character, at positions given for each character, whereby the character is eventually obtained.
In the font scheme based upon the combining of strokes, however, about 30% of total processing time required for character generation is taken up by stroke construction processing. Consequently, in comparison with outline font processing in which a character pattern is generated from data representing the entire contour of a character, the font scheme based upon the combining of strokes involves a character pattern development time that is prolonged by the length of time necessary for stroke construction processing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a character processing method and apparatus through which the time required for character generation can be shortened by shortening stroke construction processing time.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a character generating method for generating a character image by combining strokes, comprising: a determination step of determining, based upon stroke data representing a stroke which constitutes a character, whether the stroke is a simple stroke, for which computation for contour generation is simple, or an ordinary stroke, for which computation for contour generation is complex; a stroke generating step of generating the contours of strokes through a procedure conforming to results of the determination; and a character generating step of generating a character image by combining the stroke contours generated at the stroke generating step.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a character generating method for generating a raster image of a character by combining strokes, comprising: a stroke generating step of generating a raster image of a stroke of interest in such a manner that pixels of a row of successive pixels extending longitudinally of the stroke are stored at memory locations having successive addresses, and a character generating step of generating a character image by combining strokes generated at the stroke generating step.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a character generating apparatus for generating a character image by combining strokes, comprising: determination means for determining, based upon stroke data representing a stroke which constitutes a character, whether the stroke is a simple stroke, for which computation for contour generation is simple, or an ordinary stroke, for which computation for contour generation is complex; stroke generating means for generating the contours of strokes by a procedure conforming to results of the determination; and character generating means for generating a character image by combining the stroke contours generated by the stroke generating means.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a character generating apparatus for generating a raster image of a character by combining strokes, comprising: stroke generating means for generating a raster image of a stroke of interest in such a manner that pixels of a row of successive pixels extending longitudinally of the stroke are stored at memory locations having successive addresses, and character generating means for generating a character image by combining strokes generated by the stroke generating means.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer readable memory storing a character generating program for generating a character image by combining strokes, the program having: determination means for determining, based upon stroke data representing a stroke which constitutes a character, whether the stroke is a simple stroke, for which computation for contour generation is simple, or an ordinary stroke, for which computation for contour generation is complex; stroke generating means for generating the contours of strokes through a procedure conforming to results of the determination; and character generating means for generating a character image by combining the stroke contours generated by the stroke generating means.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer readable memory storing a character generating program for generating a raster image of a character by combining strokes, the program having: stroke generating means for generating a raster image of a stroke of interest in such a manner that pixels of a row of successive pixels extending longitudinally of the stroke are stored at memory locations having successive addresses, and character generating means for generating a character image by combining strokes generated by the stroke generating means.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.
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patent: 5734748 (1998-03-01), Amano
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Nguyen Kimbinh T.
Zimmerman Mark K.
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