Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Ejector mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-25
2001-09-18
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Ejector mechanism
C347S005000, C358S001110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290327
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image-forming device for elongating an image in a predetermined direction, which is employed in an electronic apparatus, such as a tape printer and a word processor, and a printing apparatus incorporating the device as well as an image-forming method therefor.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, to obtain an expressive printed image, rich in variety, of entered characters including letters and symbols, an electronic apparatus having the printing capability, such as a word processor, is capable of forming an image generally increased or reduced in size by employing various character sizes, or forming an image generally elongated or shorted in a horizontal direction (in a left-right direction) or in a vertical direction(in a top-bottom direction).
The conventional electronic apparatus, which is capable of expanding or contracting, or elongating or shortening an image as a whole, however, is not capable of forming e.g. an image partially elongated. More specifically, it is impossible to form an image of one character (one character image), which has a left half portion having a normal or original size and a right half portion having an elongated size.
Of course, from an image (character string image) of a plurality of characters shown in
FIG. 12A
, it is possible to form a partially elongated image as shown in FIG.
12
B. However, this image is merely formed by changing the whole size of a character image of each selected character, but not formed by changing part of the character image. What is more, to form such a modified character string image, the user is required to set a rate of elongation for each character image, and the operation of the apparatus becomes very troublesome. Further, this character string image is formed by stepwise varying the rate of elongation, on a character by character basis, and it has been impossible to form character string images by continuously changing the elongation rate (see
FIGS. 5A
to
5
E).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an image-forming device which is capable of partially elongating an image in a predetermined direction, thereby forming an image richer in variety than the prior art, and a printing apparatus incorporating the device, as well an image-forming method there for.
To attain the object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an image-forming device for varying an elongation rate of a basic image in at least one of a direction of length of the basic image and a direction of width of the basic image based on a specific elongation pattern to thereby form a deformed image from the basic image.
The image-forming device is characterized by comprising:
elongation pattern storage means for storing elongation data of at least the specific elongation pattern;
data-developing means for developing basic image data representative of the basic image into a dot matrix;
duplicating means for duplicating each dot line of the basic image data extending in at least one of directions corresponding respectively to the direction of length of the basic image and the direction of width of the basic image, based on the elongation data; and
addition means for adding a dot line generated by duplication of the each dot line by the duplicating means between the each dot line and a following dot line adjacent to the each dot line.
According to this image-forming device, each dot line of the basic image data extending in at least one of directions corresponding respectively to the direction of length of the image and the direction of width of the image is duplicated based on the elongation data, and a dot line generated by duplication of the each dot line by the duplicating means is added between the each dot line and a following dot line adjacent to the each dot line.
It should be noted that the basic image not only includes various kinds of images, such as a character string image comprising an image of at least one character, such as letters and symbols, (including a character string image decorated e.g. by various kinds of character decoration), but also a kind of non-character string image comprising an image of a figure or a picture, an image comprising a combination of a non-character string image and a character string image. Further, the elongation rate is a proportion of the length of an elongated portion to the length of its original portion. The elongation data includes not only the number of duplications of each dot line but also an equation for calculating the number of duplications.
Preferably, the elongation data stored in the elongation pattern storage means comprises elongation data of a plurality of elongation patterns, the image-forming device including elongation pattern-selecting means for selecting the specific elongation pattern from the plurality of elongation patterns.
According to this preferred embodiment, the user can select a desired elongation pattern from the plurality of elongation patterns, which enables him to create an image with much freedom of deformation.
Preferably, the basic image comprises at least one character image, and the plurality of elongation patterns include an elongation pattern for varying the elongation rate of the basic image in units of length smaller than a horizontal width of one character image in the basic image or in units of length smaller than a vertical width of the one character image in the basic image.
According to this preferred embodiment, the elongation rate can be varied in units of length or width shorter than a horizontal or vertical width of one character, and hence it is possible to form an image containing character images which are partially elongated from those in the basic image.
Preferably, the plurality of elongation patterns include one for varying the elongation rate of the basic image in a continuous manner.
According to this preferred embodiment, the basic image is elongated in a predetermined direction at a continuously changing elongation rate. This makes it possible to obtain a deformed image in which the basic is elongated without causing a feeling of strangeness.
Preferably, the elongation data includes data of a maximum number of times of duplication permitted to be carried for the each dot line, the maximum number being dependent on a size of an image area in which the deformed image is to be formed.
According to this preferred embodiment, the maximum number of times of duplication permitted to be carried for the each dot line can be determined in dependence on the size of an image area in which the deformed image is to be formed. Therefore, it is possible to form an image suitable for the image area.
Preferably, the elongation data includes an equation for calculating a number of times of duplication to be carried out for the each dot line, and the data-developing means comprises a temporary storage buffer for loading the basic image data therein, the duplication means comprising a line number counter for counting a number of the each dot line of the basic image data, a duplication counter for counting a number of times of the duplication, a print data read pointer for designating an address of the temporary storage buffer from which the each dot line is read out, a print buffer into which the each dot line read out from the temporary storage buffer is written, and a print data write pointer for designating an address of the print buffer at which the each dot line read from the temporary storage buffer is written.
Alternatively, the elongation data includes an equation for calculating a number of times of duplication to be carried out for the each dot line, and the data-developing means comprises a buffer for loading the basic image data therein, the duplication means comprising a line number counter for counting a number of the each dot line of the basic image data, a one-line repetition counter for counting a number of times of repetition of reading of the each dot line from the buffer, and a print data read pointer for desi
Hosokawa Takeshi
Ichikawa Tomoyuki
Sudo Rie
Tanabe Kenichi
Watanabe Kenji
Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.
Le N.
Nguyen Lamson D.
Seiko Epson Corporation
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