JPH05313637A - Font data processing part - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make the capacity of a buffer small by interrupting outline point extraction and outputting font data in an image format if the buffer used for conversion to vector becomes deficient in capacity during the outline point extraction. CONSTITUTION:The font data in the image format are inputted from a host computer 1 to an input part 2. Then, the font data while taken out of a storage part 3 are converted into vectors and rasterized at an execution part 4. In this case, the buffer 4-1 for conversion to vector and a buffer 4-2 for rasterization are not made large in capacity, but set large enough to process the majority of fonts. The generation of a pattern data font based upon a vector font is given up as to a font whose vector conversion and rasterization can not be carried out with said capacity and the font in the image format which is inputted from the host computer 1 is used as it is for output.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a font data processing method for generating a vector font on the basis of font data input in an image format (bitmap data) and then creating a pattern data font.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A font data processing method is to first extract outline points of a font from font data input in an image format from a host computer or the like to generate a vector font (outline font) and then rasterize it. There is a method of obtaining a font of pattern data (bitmap data).

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the conventional operation in such a font data processing system. Step 1 ... Input font data in an image format from a host computer or the like.

Step 2 ... Extract contour points of the font data. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the data stored in the vectorizing buffer and the rasterizing buffer. This is one taking the case of the font of "A" as an example, this case, contour points are extracted as P ₁ to P _10. These contour points are stored in the buffer for use during vectorization.

Step 3 ... A vector font (outline font) is generated based on the contour points. Between adjacent contour points that are connected with a single stroke (for example, P ₁ and P in FIG. 2)
The straight line portion between ₂ ) is called a path, but the data (for example, P ₁ is the start point of one contour, the contour point next to P ₇ is P ₁ (start point)) related to that path. , Information) is calculated, and a vector font is generated.
Those data are also stored in the buffer for use during vectorization. By steps 2 and 3, vectorization (obtaining a stroke of one stroke for the font) is performed.

Step 4 ... A pattern data font is obtained based on the vector font obtained by vectorization. That is, the vector font is rasterized (the part surrounded by the stroke of one stroke is painted) to obtain the font of the bitmap data.

There are various rasterizing methods. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, intersections C _{1 to} C ₄ between the scan line S indicated by a dotted line and each path are obtained, and the intersections between the odd and even intersections are obtained. Fill (between C ₁ and C ₂ , between C ₃ and C ₄ ) and between even and odd intersections (left of C ₁ , left of C ₂ and C ₃ , right of C ₄ ) There is a method of not filling. In this case, the data (eg, inclination) regarding the paths P ₁ P ₂ , P ₈ P ₉ , P ₈ P ₁₀ , and P ₁ P ₇ that intersect the scan line S are stored in the rasterization use buffer and rasterized. It is used for stools.

As a document relating to the font data processing method, there is, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-129692.

[0009]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

(Problem) However, in the above-described conventional font data processing method, it is assumed that the amount of information to be stored in each of the vectorizing buffer and the rasterizing buffer is the maximum, and There is a problem in that it is uneconomical to prepare each one having a capacity capable of storing information amount.

(Explanation of Problems) Vectorization and rasterization are both completed, and a desired pattern data font is created. The goal is not achieved if only one of them is completed. In order to perform vectorization and rasterization, a buffer used for vectorization used when performing each processing,
The buffer used during rasterization must have sufficient capacity.

When a font of a certain character is to be processed, the vectoring use buffer does not become full at the time of vectorization, but at the time of rasterization, at the time of rasterization If the buffer for use is not enough, the font of the target pattern data will not be created after all. In this case, even if the vectorization is performed, the time spent for the vectorization is completely wasted.

On the contrary, when rasterizing, the buffer for rasterizing does not become full,
Even when the vectorization buffer is not sufficient for vectorization, the desired pattern data font is not created.

Therefore, for any font,
In order to be able to create a font for pattern data, it is necessary to do the following. That is, when vectorizing, the maximum amount of information that must be stored in the buffer for vectorization is the case of the letter A, and if the buffer capacity required for this is V,
A buffer having a capacity of V or more must be prepared as a buffer for use during vectorization.

Further, when rasterizing, the maximum amount of information that must be stored in the buffer for rasterizing use is in the case of the letter B, and if the buffer capacity required for that is R, A buffer having a capacity of R or more must be prepared as a buffer for use during rasterization.

Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a buffer for vectorization and a buffer for rasterization that have a large capacity which is not required for most fonts, which results in cost reduction. Get higher
An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems.

[0016]

In order to solve the above problems, according to the font data processing method of the present invention, the contour points of the input image format font data are extracted, and a vector font is generated based on the contour points. Then, in the font data processing method that creates the pattern data font, when the buffer for vectorization use runs out of space during extraction of contour points, or when there are too many contour points to be extracted and rasterization is used during rasterization. If it is expected during extraction of contour points that the data buffer will run out of capacity, the contour point extraction is stopped and the image format font data is output.

[0017]

[Operation] In the font data processing method that extracts the contour points of the input image format font data, generates a vector font based on the contour points, and then creates the pattern data font. If the buffer for use during rasterization runs out of capacity, or if there are too many contour points to be extracted during rasterization and the buffer for use during rasterization is expected to run out of space during contour point extraction, Stop extraction and output font data in image format.

As a result, although the font of the image format is mixed in a part of the output, the capacity of the buffer for vectorization and the buffer for rasterization is
It is possible to make it smaller than before.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an apparatus for executing the font data processing method of the present invention. In FIG. 4, 1 is a host computer, 2 is an input unit, 3 is a storage unit, 4 is an execution unit, 4-1 is a buffer for vectorization use, 4-2 is a buffer for rasterization use, and 5 is a control unit. , 6 are execution units when the contour extraction is stopped.

Image format font data is input from the host computer 1 to the input unit 2. Storage unit 3
Remembers it once. The control unit 5 controls vectorization and rasterization. To do this, the execution unit 4 executes vectorization and rasterization while fetching font data from the storage unit 3. Vectorization buffer 4-1 and rasterization buffer 4
-2 is prepared in the execution unit 4.

In the present invention, the capacity of the vectorizing buffer 4-1 and the rasterizing buffer 4-2 is not increased as in the conventional case, but is used for processing most fonts. The size should be sufficient. And
For fonts that cannot be vectorized or rasterized with that capacity, we abandon creating pattern data fonts based on vector fonts, and output using the image format fonts that have been input from the host computer 1. ..

The pattern data font created on the basis of the vector font becomes a beautiful font in which diagonal lines are smooth even when enlarged. On the other hand, the image format font is not beautiful as a whole when enlarged, because the diagonal lines become jagged.

Therefore, as described above, if some fonts are output in the image format as they are, unclean fonts will be mixed in some places. It is possible to reduce the capacity of the buffer for use and the buffer for use during rasterization.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the font data processing method of the present invention. Step 1 ... Input font data in the image format from the host computer 1 into the input unit 2. Step 2 ... Extract the outline points of the font data. This corresponds to extracting P _{1 to} P ₁₀ in FIG.

Step 3 ... Vectorization is performed while extracting contour points. Then, it is monitored whether or not the amount of data stored in the vectorizing use buffer 4-1 exceeds the capacity. Further, when rasterizing the vectorized data amount up to the present time, it is monitored whether or not the rasterizing use buffer 4-2 will run out of capacity.

Step 4 ... As a result of such monitoring, it is determined that the capacity of the vectorizing use buffer 4-1 will be exceeded, or the capacity of the rasterizing use buffer 4-2 will be insufficient. At times, I give up creating pattern data fonts. Then, the extraction of the contour points is stopped at that time. Step 5 ... Then, the image format font data input from the host computer 1 is used for output. When it is necessary to enlarge, reduce, or transform and output, the input font data is enlarged,
Reduce or transform and output.

Step 6 ... In the case of NO in Step 3, that is, the capacity of the buffer 4-1 for vectorization use is not exceeded, and it is not expected that the capacity of the buffer 4-2 for rasterization use will be exceeded when rasterizing. in case of,
Extract the contour points to the end.

Step 7 ... A vector font (outline font) is generated based on the extracted contour point data. Step 8 ... Rasterization is performed based on the vector font to create and output a pattern data font.

If the above operation is performed instead of reducing the capacity of the buffer for vectorization and the buffer for rasterization, all the fonts will be mixed, although some image format fonts will be mixed. Can be output.

[0030]

As described above, according to the font data processing method of the present invention, although a font which has been enlarged, reduced or deformed in the image format is mixed in a part of the output, the buffer for use in vectorization is used. Since the capacity of the buffer used during rasterization and rasterization can be made smaller than before, the cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the font data processing method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating data stored in a buffer for vectorization and a buffer for rasterization.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the conventional font data processing method.

FIG. 4 is a block configuration diagram of an apparatus that executes the font data processing method of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Host computer, 2 ... Input unit, 3 ... Storage unit, 4
... Execution unit, 4-1 ... Buffer for use in vectorization, 4-
2 ... buffer used for rasterization, 5 ... control unit, 6
... Execution unit when contour extraction is stopped

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A font data processing method for extracting contour points of input image format font data, generating a vector font based on the contour points, and then creating a pattern data font, during contour point extraction. If the buffer for use during vectorization runs out of space, or if there are too many contour points to be extracted during rasterization and the buffer for use during rasterization runs out of space, it is expected during contour point extraction. A font data processing method characterized by stopping point extraction and outputting image format font data.