US 4,353,653 AGranted

Font selection and compression for printer subsystem

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorLee T. Zimmerman

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Abstract

A printer subsystem receives command and data information from a host system and retains a large number of font images in an associated storage area within the printer subsystem. A base font image set is ordinarily selected by the user but provision is made to dynamically change the font images as may be required in a real time fashion during actual printing operations. The font images are stored in a compressed form in the storage area. Routines involve use of pointer tables and data tables. It is possible to select an entire set of new font images in place of the base set of images or to modify only selected character images within the base font image set.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A font selection and compression arrangement for a printer subsystem having a printer unit and assemblies for feeding a form and printing character images on said form in a variety of languages during print operations, comprising:

language selection means providing multinational, major, and modifier language selection signals indicative of a plurality of language character images to be printed, said language character images being characterized as multinational, major, and modifier images;
storage means for storing a plurality of image sets in a compressed format for access by said printer subsystem during printing, said storage means storing said language images in the form of a plurality of character image information sets including a multinational master set that is a composite of images used in most of said languages, at least one major country set incorporating images not included in said multinational master set and at least one modifier set including images to be modified in said multinational master set;
font selection means responsive to a multinational signal from said language selection means to select said multinational master set from said storage means for use in developing character image signals during printing operations, said font selection means being further responsive to font selection signals in real time during printing operations, said font selection means being operable responsive to a major language signal from said language selection means to select said major country set from said storage means to substitute for said multinational master set and operable responsive to a modifier language signal from said language selection means to select said modifier set from said storage means to modify but maintain said multinational master set as the primary source of images;
and
image generator means in said printer subsystem operable to utilize said character image sets for producing character image signals in accordance with the language character image set selected and further operable to supply said character image signals to said printer unit for printing of characters required.

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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

language selection means providing multinational, major, and modifier language selection signals indicative of a plurality of language character images to be printed, said language character images being characterized as multinational, major, and modifier images;
storage means for storing a plurality of image sets in a compressed format for access by said printer subsystem during printing, said storage means storing said language images in the form of a plurality of character image information sets including a multinational master set that is a composite of images used in most of said languages, at least one major country set incorporating images not included in said multinational master set and at least one modifier set including images to be modified in said multinational master set;
font selection means responsive to a multinational signal from said language selection means to select said multinational master set from said storage means for use in developing character image signals during printing operations, said font selection means being further responsive to font selection signals in real time during printing operations, said font selection means being operable responsive to a major language signal from said language selection means to select said major country set from said storage means to substitute for said multinational master set and operable responsive to a modifier language signal from said language selection means to select said modifier set from said storage means to modify but maintain said multinational master set as the primary source of images;
and
image generator means in said printer subsystem operable to utilize said character image sets for producing character image signals in accordance with the language character image set selected and further operable to supply said character image signals to said printer unit for printing of characters required.

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