JPH089241B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing device used as an output device for electronic devices such as personal computers and office computers.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the development of office computers, printed materials used in offices have been diversified, and one page has a mixture of a plurality of types of font groups. There is a demand for a printing device that can print all at once.

Conventionally, when printing is performed by changing the font in one page, the font data group corresponding to the font to be changed is sent from the host computer to the printing device to store the font group in the printing device. Then, the font selection command is transmitted to the printer.

In dot matrix printers such as laser printers that have been developed in recent years, all fonts are stored in memory as bit images, and even if a font that is not stored in memory is specified by the host computer, the printing device Some are configured to judge a font selection command that specifies a font and select a font close thereto.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the above-described conventional configuration, when the font selection command is sent to the printing device even though the font data group is not stored in advance, the printing device sets the set font. There is one that is configured to automatically select a font group different from the group, but for example, even if the user changed the font type to emphasize the character, the printer does not There is a problem that a font group that is not suitable may be selected, and the effect of changing the font group may not appear.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a printing result by a general printing apparatus. Now, when the user attempts to print a character string in which the entire text is underlined as shown in Fig. 6 (a) and only the character "DE" is bold, the data of the character "D" is displayed. Before being sent, the printer will be sent a command to select a thick, underlined font. However, as shown in Fig. 6 (b), even if the entire sentence is a thick character string and only the character "DE" is underlined, the character "D" is underlined before it is sent. A command will be sent to select the line font. Therefore, if the printing device does not have a bold and underlined font, either condition is ignored and the characters "DE" are displayed as shown in Figs. 6 (c) and 6 (b). There is a problem that a character string without any features may be created, and the user's intention is not reflected.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS The present invention relates to attribute storage means for storing data indicating characteristics of a font group over a plurality of items for each of the stored font groups, and font selection command when a font selection command is sent. The characteristics of the font group detected by the detection means for detecting the changed item by comparing the command with the font selection command sent immediately before and the changed item and the font data corresponding to the font selection command are shown. It is provided with an output means for converting the character data into font data in which the data items match and outputting it, and a printing means for printing according to the font data output from the output means.

Operation With the above configuration, even when the font data group corresponding to the print data is not stored in the font storage means, the apparatus can select the font group having the expression close to the intended expression and perform printing.

Example Hereinafter, a printer according to an example of the present invention will be described.
Description will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a host computer (not shown) via an interface cable (not shown) and the like. Enter the print data,
The signal input unit 2 for storing each byte stores the print data stored in the signal input unit 1 for each byte, determines the character data, the control command, and the escape sequence, and prints each of them into a print buffer (not shown in the figure). If the print data sent is a control command and a font selection command for setting the font type, the analysis means 2 corresponds to the font selection command. It is determined whether or not the font group to be stored is stored. If the font group is not stored, the font selection command sent immediately before is compared with the font selection command sent this time, and there is a change. Each item of the font selection command is given a priority order with the item having the highest priority. Reference numeral 3 is a control data generating means for converting character data into bitmap control data, 4 is a printing means for actually printing, 5 is a print control means for controlling the printing means 4 according to the output of the control data generating means 6, 6 Is a font supply means for storing a plurality of font data groups and data showing characteristics of the font data groups and outputting font data corresponding to the print data; 7 is a display means for displaying data for setting fonts and the like; Reference numeral 8 is a selection means for setting fonts and the like, and 9 is a display control means for changing the display information of the display means 7 in accordance with the selection value selected by the user while referring to the display means 8. Is.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the printer of this embodiment.
Is a central processing unit (hereinafter abbreviated as CPU), 11 is a program memory storing a program, and 12 is at least 1
Font group storage unit 12 that stores various types of font data groups
a and a font memory having an attribute storage unit 12b that stores data corresponding to the characteristics of the font data group for each of the font data groups stored in the font group storage unit 12a, and 13 is a print buffer (not shown in the figure). And a random access memory (hereinafter abbreviated as RAM) in which a work area is secured, and 14 is an interface processor (hereinafter abbreviated as I / O processor) that exchanges data with a host computer (not shown in the figure). , 15 is a key switch group for setting and the like, 16 is a liquid crystal display panel (hereinafter abbreviated as LCD display panel), 17
Is a light emitting diode indicator (hereinafter abbreviated as LED indicator).

FIG. 3 shows the operating portion of the printing apparatus of this embodiment.
22 is a font setting mode key for entering the font setting mode for setting the font group, 24 is an online key for making a communication state with the host computer, 27 is a next key for changing the selected value in the font setting mode, 28 is an enter key for determining the selected value as the set value.

As described above, the characteristics of the font group are stored in the font memory 12, and this characteristic extends over a plurality of items as shown in Table 1. Selection of each item according to the characteristics of each font group. The value is stored.

The operation of the printing apparatus of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The user creates a document on the host computer. At this time, the user can select an appropriate font by sending the font selection command to the printer or by attaching the font selection command in the document. The font selection command is not prioritized as in the conventional example. The analysis means 2 compares the font selection command sent immediately before and the font selection command sent this time. FIG. 5 shows the contents of the font setting commands that are prioritized by the analysis means, and shows the case where the bold expression has changed from the previous time, and the bold expression is a high priority item. The priority of the rest is determined according to the previous font selection command.

When print data is sent from the host computer to the signal input means 1 through the interface, the analysis means 2 determines whether the sent print data is character data, a control command, or an escape sequence, and the character data is used. If there is, the font data is stored in the print buffer, the font data is sent from the font supplying means 6, the control data generating means 3 generates bitmap control data, and the print controlling means 5 follows the control data to print the printing means 4. Control and perform the actual printing.

When the analyzing unit 2 determines that the print data sent from the host computer is not the control command and the font selection command, the font selected by the font selection command in steps 31, 32, 33 and 34 is Determine if it is in a font stored in the printer. This determination is made based on whether or not there is a font data group in which the characteristics set in the font selection command match over all items.

While repeating steps 31, 32, 33, and 34 multiple times, if there is a font data group that matches the characteristics set in the font selection command, set that font group to be used in step 35, The font supply means 6 outputs bitmap font data from this font group.

After performing steps 31, 32, 33, and 34 for all the font groups stored in the printing device, if there is no font group that matches the characteristics set in the font selection command, the analyzing means 2 is set to the host computer. The communication is interrupted, and the display control means 9 displays “OFF LINE” on the LCD display panel 16.
Is displayed to alert the user.

At this time, the user automatically selects a font group suitable for the printing device according to the mode in which the user selects a font that he / she thinks is appropriate from among the plural types of font groups stored in the printing device and the font selection command. It is possible to select two modes, that is, a mode for selecting and printing.

 The first mode will be described.

Step 38 If the user sets the font setting mode key
When the selection means 8 detects that the user has pressed 22, the display control means 9 displays the type of the first font group among the font groups stored in the printing device in step 57. If the selecting means 8 determines in step 59 that the next key 27 has been pressed, the display control means 9 displays the second font group among the font groups stored in the printing device in step 57. Here in step 58 enter key 28
When the selecting means 8 determines that the button has been pressed, the font supplying means 6 sets the font group at this time as font data for printing in step 60. After that, the display control means 9 causes the display means 7 to display "OFF LINE" again. Then, in step 62, the printer goes into the off-line mode, and is in a standby state until the user again commands the start of inputting print data or commands another setting.

 The second mode will be described.

If there is no font group that matches the characteristics set in the font selection command, "OFF LINE" is displayed on the LCD display panel 16, and then the selecting means 8 detects that the online key 24 has been pressed in step 37, Font supply means 6
Starts selecting a font group having a feature closest to the feature set in the font selection command.

In steps 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45, the font supply means 6 determines whether the first font group is a font group of bold expression which is the setting condition with the highest priority of the font selection command. Check. Next, in steps 43, 44 and 45, the proportional character pitch, which is the setting condition with the next highest priority, is checked. Similarly, the priority is lowered one after another and checked. Here, if the direction up to the third upright character direction of the priority is the same, 3 is stored in the fitness memory T (1).

This check is performed for all the font groups stored in the printing device, and the values of the font group having the highest fitness are stored in the memory K in steps 47 and 48. For all font groups, when this check is completed, the number of the font group with the highest fitness is found in steps 49, 50 and 51, and in step 52 the font group with the characteristics closest to the font selection command is selected. The font supply means 6 outputs font data according to this font group.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an attribute storage unit that stores data indicating the characteristics of a font group over a plurality of items for each of the stored font groups, and a font that is sent one before when a font selection command is sent. The detection means for comparing the selection commands and detecting the changed items, and the font data in which the items of the data indicating the characteristics of the font group detected by the detection means when the font data corresponding to the font selection command do not exist match the character data And a print means for printing according to the font data output from the output means, and the font group corresponding to the print data is not stored in the font storage means. Even in such a case, the device can select a font group having an expression close to the intended expression and perform printing.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the apparatus, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the operating portion, FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b). ) And FIG. 4 (c) are the same timing charts, FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the contents of the font selection command, and FIGS. 6 (a) and (b) and (c) and (d) are general. It is a figure which shows the printing result by a printing device. 1 ... Signal input means, 2 ... analysis means, 3 ... control data generation means, 4 ... printing means, 5 ... printing control means, 6
... font supply means, 7 ... display means, 8 ... selection means, 10 ... CPU, 11 ... program memory, 12 ... font memory, 12a ... font group storage section, 12b ... attribute storage section, 13 …… RAM, 14 …… I / O processor, 15 …… Key switch, 16 …… LCD panel, 17 …… LED indicator,
22 …… Font setting mode key, 24 …… Online key, 27 …… Next key, 28 …… Enter key

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (56) Reference JP 62-60657 (JP, A) JP 63-141757 (JP, A) JP 62-257859 (JP, A) JP 62- 237495 (JP, A) JP 62-156769 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A font storage means for storing font data of at least one type of font group, and an attribute for storing data indicating characteristics of the font group over a plurality of items for each font group stored by the font storage means. The storage means and the data indicating the characteristics of the font group selected by the font selection command when the font selection command is sent from the outside and the font group selected by the font selection command sent from the outside by one before. Detecting means for comparing the data showing the characteristics and detecting changed items in the data showing the characteristics of the font group, and font data corresponding to the font selection command sent from the outside are stored in the font storing means. And the font selection sent from the outside. If the determination unit determines that the font data corresponding to the command is not stored in the font storage unit, the data item indicating the characteristics of the font group detected by the detection unit is sent from the outside to the matched font data. A printing apparatus, comprising: an output unit for converting and outputting the received character data, and a printing unit for printing according to the font data output from the output unit.