Complex character generator

In character generating apparatus, a method of generating characters in a Kanji character set on a utilization device, with each character in said Kanji character set being described by an original m by n element matrix, where m and n are integers which may or may not be equal, said method comprising the steps of:

• defining in terms of elements, three groups of different patterns which occur frequently in said Kanji character set, namely, a first group which has a fixed size for each pattern, a second group which has one size parameter which must be specified for each pattern, and a third group which has a plurality of size parameters which must be specified for each pattern;
• assigning a different symbol to represent each one of said different patterns;
• defining a sparse m by n character matrix for each character in said Kanji character set in terms of the combination of symbols assigned to represent the combination of patterns defining the corresponding original character matrix, with at least certain ones of said characters having elements of different patterns which overlap, such that the elements that overlap are generated for each pattern of which they form a part, with each symbol being positioned in the sparse matrix where a predetermined one of the elements forming the pattern defined by the symbol is positioned in the original character matrix;
• storing in binary form in a storage device each sparse matrix representation in said Kanji character set as a compacted character, with the binary information stored for each compacted character being:
• (a) the symbols in the sparse matrix, (b) the positions of the symbols in the sparse matrix, and (c) the size parameters of the pattern represented by the symbol, if the symbol is in said second or third group of patterns;
• and
• generating on said utilization device a given Kanji character in response to retrieving and decoding the information stored which defines the corresponding compacted Kanji character, with the elements that overlap patterns being generated for each pattern of which they form a part, and for a given Kanji character, one pattern being decoded while another pattern is being generated on said utilization device.

In character generating apparatus, a method of generating characters in a complex character set on a utilization device, with each character in said complex character set being described by an original m by n elements matrix, where m and n are integers which may or may not be equal, said method comprising the steps of:

• defining in terms of elements, three groups of different patterns which occur frequently in said complex character set, namely, a first group which has a fixed size for each pattern, a second group which has one size parameter which must be specified for each pattern, and a third group which has a plurality of size parameters which must be specified for each pattern;
• assigning a different symbol to represent each of said different patterns;
• defining a sparse m by n character matrix for each character in said complex character set in terms of the combination of symbols assigned to represent the combination of patterns defining the corresponding original character matrix, with at least certain ones of said characters having elements of different patterns which overlap, with the elements that overlap patterns being generated for each pattern of which they form a part, with each symbol being positioned in the sparse matrix where a predetermined one of the elements forming the pattern defined by that symbol is positioned in the original character matrix;
• storing in binary form in a read only storage device each sparse matrix representation in said complex character set as a compacted character, with the information stored for each compacted character being:
• (a) the symbols in the sparse matrix, (b) the positions of the symbols in the sparse matrix, and (c) the size parameters of the pattern represented by the symbol, if the symbol is in said second or third group of patterns;
• storing in a memory device information needed to generate each of said different patterns contained in said three groups of patterns;
• storing information relative to all of the different symbols, all of the positions in the sparse matrix, and all of the size parameters specified for the patterns in said second and third groups of patterns, in a programmed logic array,
• retrieving from said read only storage device, the information stored which defines a given compacted character;
• and
• responding to the retrieved information relative to said given compacted character by the information stored in said programmed logic array and the information stored in said memory device to generate each of said different patterns for generating the original character corresponding to said compacted character, with the element that overlap patterns being generated for each pattern of which they form a part.

A method of compacting characters in a complex character set, with each character in said complex character set being described by an original m by n element matrix, where m and n are integers which may or may not be equal, said method comprising the steps of:

• defining in terms of elements, three groups of different patterns which occur frequently in said complex character set, namely a first group which has a fixed size for each pattern, a second group which has one size parameter which must be specified for each pattern, and a third group which has a plurality of size parameters which must be specified for each pattern;
• assigning a different symbol to represent each one of said different patterns;
• defining a sparse m by n character matrix for each character in said complex character set in terms of the combination of symbols assigned to represent the combination of patterns defining the corresponding original character matrix, with at least certain ones of said characters having elements of different patterns which overlap, such that the elements that overlap are described for each pattern of which they form a part, with each symbol being positioned in the sparse matrix where a predetermined one of the elements forming the pattern defined by that symbol is positioned in the original character matrix;
• and
• storing in binary form in a storage device each sparse matrix representation in said complex character set as a compacted character, with the binary information stored for each compacted character being:
• (a) the symbols in the sparse matrix, (b) the positions of the symbols in the sparse matrix, and (c) the size parameters of the pattern represented by the symbol, if the symbol is in said second or third group of patterns.

In a complex character generator for generating a complex character set, with each character in said complex character set being described by an original m by n element matrix, where m and n are integers which may or may not be equal, defining in terms of elements, three groups of different patterns which occur frequently in said complex character set, namely, a first group which has a fixed size for each pattern, a second group which has one size parameter which must be specified for each pattern, and a third group which has a plurality of size parameters which must be specified for each pattern, assigning a different symbol to represent each of of said different patterns, defining a sparse m by n character matrix for each character in said complex character set in terms of the combination of symbols assigned to represent the combination of patterns defining the corresponding original character matrix, with at least certain ones of said characters having elements of different patterns which overlap, such that when the character is generated, the elements that overlap patterns are generated for each pattern of which they form a part, with each symbol being positioned in the sparse matrix where a predetermined one of the elements forming the pattern defined by that symbol is positioned in the original character matrix, the combination comprising:

• a storage device in which each sparse matrix representation in said complex character set is stored as a compacted character, with the information stored for each compacted character being:
• (a) the symbols in the sparse matrix, (b) the positions of the symbols in the sparse matrix, and (c) the size parameters of the pattern represented by the symbol, if the symbol is in said second or third group of patterns;
• a memory means in which information needed to generate each of said different patterns contained in said three groups of patterns is stored;
• a programmed logic array in which information is stored relative to all of the different symbols, all of the positions in the sparse matrix, and all of the size parameters specified for the patterns in said second and third group of patterns;
• means of retrieving from said storage device the information stored which defines a given compacted character;
• and
• means for responding to the retrieved information relative to said given compacted character by said logic array and the information stored in said memory means to generate each of said different patterns for generating the original character corresponding to said compacted character, with the elements that overlap patterns being generated for each pattern of which they form a part.