Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Dot matrix array
Reexamination Certificate
1997-04-10
2001-07-10
Coles, Edward (Department: 2622)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Dot matrix array
C358S001500, C358S001180, C382S199000, C382S213000, C382S256000, C382S298000, C382S258000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06259535
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of forming a print image and a device therefor.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, an apparatus which involves printing (hereinafter referred to as “the printing apparatus”), such as a personal computer(PC), a word processor, or a label writer, carries out printing of images of letters, figures, symbols, etc. based on print image data formed or produced within itself. Letter data, figure data, and symbol data (hereinafter collectively referred to as “basic image data”) defining images of letters, images of figures, and images of symbols, respectively, are stored as font data ready for use in a read only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM) in advance, and read out to be developed into dot matrices of print image data, as needed.
A font is a collection of characters and the like having the same typeface and style, and can be classified according to the method of defining (or manner of expressing) an image of each member thereof into several groups: a font in which the image is defined by numerical formulas or coordinates, such as an outline font in which the shape of the image is defined by a collection of numerical formulas, a vector font in which the shape of the image is expressed by arrangement of segments, and a stroke font in which the shape of the image is expressed by a combination of lines, (hereinafter this group of fonts will be generically referred to as “the outline font”, and a bit map font in which the shape of the image is expressed by a uniquely defined bit map (dot pattern). Font data of each member of a font is developed into a dot matrix according to the desired size of a print image, by the use of a font generator in the case of the former font group, while in the case of the bit map font, by expansion of the data through duplicate development of bits, etc. or reduction of the data through thinning of bits, etc. Further, the fonts can be classified according to the typeface. For example, fonts for the Japanese language are classified into Mincho typeface, Gothic typeface, Bold-Mincho typeface, Bold-Gothic typeface, Round-Mincho typeface, Round-Gothic typeface, etc. Font data of such different typefaces is normally stored in the ROM or the like, typeface by typeface, and the printing apparatus is capable of printing images of various typefaces by the use of the ROM installed thereon.
However, according to the conventional print image-forming method and device, to produce data of print images including characters of plurality of typefaces, the printing apparatus is required to be provided with a ROM or the like storing font data of the typefaces, so that if the number of typefaces increases, the cost of component parts increases due to an increase in a required capacity of memory devices such as a ROM. Further, if figures are needed which are slightly different in thickness or roundness of constituent lines from figures originally stored in the RAM or ROM, it is required to newly form the required figures by nonstandard character processing, etc. That is, to use figures slightly different from the original figures available, it not only requires the same labor of the user as needed when a figure is originally formed but also demands a larger capacity of a memory device of the printing apparatus for storing these figures individually.
To overcome these inconveniences, a print image-forming method has been proposed e.g. by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 3-173659, which forms a dot pattern by shifting an original dot pattern in a specified direction by a predetermined amount and arranges the resulting dot pattern and the original dot pattern in an overlapping manner to form a letter of thickened typeface (bold-type letter).
However, this method suffers from the inconvenience that the bold-type letter thus obtained is larger in size than the original one, and out of proportion in letter size. It presents a problem particularly in a label printer which is restricted in the width and length of a printable area.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of the invention to provide a print image-forming method which is capable of easily forming desired print image data without requiring data of a variety of sets of basic images, such as font data defining typefaces of characters, and figure data which are different in the thickness or roundness of lines forming the figures, or changing the size of modified characters from the size of original ones.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a print image-forming device which is capable of easily forming desired print image data without requiring data of a variety of sets of basic images, such as font data defining typefaces of characters, and figure data which are different in the thickness or roundness of lines forming the figures, or changing the size of modified characters from the size of original ones.
To attain the first object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a print image-forming method of forming print image data of a dot matrix in which print portions are represented by positive dots and blank portions are represented by negative dots, comprising the steps of:
reading basic image data formed in a manner such that when the basic image data is developed into the dot matrix, a group of image pixels formed by one of a set of positive dots and a set of negative dots is capable of representing a basic image, from a memory device;
forming a developed image data item representative of the basic image by developing the basic image data read from the memory device into a dot matrix which is smaller in size than the dot matrix of the print image data in at least one predetermined direction of a vertical direction and a horizontal direction;
forming at least one shifted image data item by shifting the developed image data item by units of dots in the at least one predetermine direction; and
forming the print image data by causing the developed image data item and the at least one shifted image data item, to be superposed, one upon one another, in a manner such that the group of image pixels overrides background pixels.
To attain the second object, according to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a print image-forming device, comprising:
print image-storing means for storing print image data of a dot matrix in which print portions are represented by positive dots and blank portions are represented by negative dots;
basic image-storing means for storing basic image data formed in a manner such that when the basic image data is developed into a dot matrix, a group of image pixels formed by one of a set of positive dots and a set of negative dots is capable of representing a basic image;
developed image-forming means for developing the basic image data read from the basic image-storing means into a dot matrix which is smaller in size than the dot matrix of the print image data in at least one predetermined direction of a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, to form developed image data item representative of the basic image;
shifted image data-forming means for forming at least one shifted image data by shifting the developed image data item by units of dots in the at least one predetermined direction, and
print image-forming means for forming the print image by causing the developed image data item and the at least one shifted image data, to be superposed, one upon another, in a manner such that the group of image pixels overrides background pixels.
According to the print image-forming method and device of the first and second aspects of the invention, it is possible to form print image data in which a basic image is modified. That is, from the basic image data, there is formed a developed image data item which represents the basic image by a group of image pixels formed by one of a set of positive dots and a set of negative dots, i.e. a group of image pixels formed by a set of positive dots, when the print image is formed as a positive image, o
Aida Chieko
Hosokawa Takeshi
Kameda Takanobu
Kurashina Hiroyasu
Shimmura Tomoyuki
Coles Edward
Hogan & Hartson LLP
Seiko Epson Corporation
Wallerson Mark
LandOfFree
Print image-forming method and device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Print image-forming method and device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Print image-forming method and device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2527584