Character processing apparatus and method for processing character data as an array of coordinate points of contour lines

A character processing apparatus comprising:

• input means for inputting size information;
• memory means for storing a plurality of data representing a character,
• wherein the plurality of data comprises a first data which represents the number of coordinate points for representing the character, second data which represents the number of contour lines of the character, and third data which represents a memory area in which fourth data is to be stored, wherein the fourth data represents the contour lines and further comprises fifth data representing the kinds of each coordinate point data, and, for each coordinate point, either sixth data, representing that coordinate point, or seventh data, representing distances of that coordinate point from a reference point, in accordance with the fifth data for that coordinate point;
• and
• control means for repeatedly accessing the fourth data on the basis of the first, second, and third data stored in said memory means in response to input index information and, for each coordinate point, reading the sixth data (if any) corresponding to that coordinate point in response to the fifth data or, if no sixth data is stored for that coordinate point, deriving coordinate information for that coordinate point using the seventh data for that coordinate point,
• wherein said control means independently derives the sixth data and the seventh data in response to the size information input by said input means.

A character processing method comprising:

• a step for inputting size information;
• a step for storing in memory means a plurality of data representing a character,
• wherein the plurality of data comprises a first data which represents the number of coordinate points for representing the character, second data which represents the number of contour lines of the character, and third data which represents a memory area in which fourth data is to be stored, wherein the fourth data represents the contour lines and further comprises fifth data representing the kinds of each coordinate point data, and, for each coordinate point, either sixth data, representing that coordinate point, or seventh data, representing distances of that coordinate point from a reference point, in accordance with the fifth data for that coordinate point;
• and
• a step for repeatedly accessing the fourth data on the basis of the first, second, and third data stored in the memory means in response to input index information and, for each coordinate point, reading the sixth data (if any) corresponding to that coordinate point in response to the fifth data or, if no sixth data is stored for that coordinate point, deriving coordinate information for that coordinate point using the seventh data for that coordinate point,
• wherein said step for repeatedly accessing independently derives the sixth data and the seventh data in response to the size information input by said input step.

A character processing apparatus comprising:

• memory means for storing a plurality of pieces of information representing a character pattern, wherein each of the plurality of pieces of information comprises (1) identification information (Sx, Sy) for identifying whether the piece of information represents a primary contour portion of the character pattern or a secondary contour portion accompanying such a primary contour portion, (2) if the piece of information represents such a primary contour portion, coordinate information (Cx, Cy) for representing coordinates of the primary contour portion, (3) if the piece of information represents such a secondary contour portion, reference information (Rx, Ry) for specifying coordinates of a primary contour portion to be referred to for the secondary contour portion and (4) if the piece of information represents such a secondary contour portion, distance information (Fx, Fy) for representing a distance from the primary contour portion to the secondary contour portion;
• first deriving means for deriving coordinate information, of a character pattern to be output, corresponding to the coordinate information (Cx, Cy) representing the primary contour portion by executing an enlargement or reduction operation on the coordinate information (Cx, Cy) in a desired magnification in response to the identification information (Sx, Sy) stored in said memory means identifying that the piece of information represents the primary contour portion;
• calculation means for executing an enlargement or reduction operation on the distance information (Fx, Fy) in the desired magnification in response to the identification information (Sx, Sy) stored in said memory means identifying that the piece of information represents the secondary contour portion;
• second deriving means for deriving coordinate information, of the character pattern to be output, corresponding to the secondary contour portion by adding the distance information as enlarged or reduced by said calculation means to the coordinate information derived by said first deriving means;
• and
• output means for converting the coordinate information derived by said first and second deriving means into dot information and for outputting the converted dot information.

A character processing method comprising the steps of:

• storing, in a memory, a plurality of pieces of information representing a character pattern, wherein each of the plurality of pieces of information comprises (1) identification information (Sx, Sy) for identifying whether the piece of information represents a primary contour portion of the character pattern or a secondary contour portion accompanying such a primary contour portion, (2) if the piece of information represents such a primary contour portion, coordinate information (Cx, Cy) for representing coordinates of the primary contour portion, (3) if the piece of information represents such a secondary contour portion, reference information (Rx, Ry) for specifying coordinates of a primary contour portion to be referred to for the secondary contour portion and (4) if the piece of information represents such a secondary contour portion, distance information (Fx, Fy) for representing a distance from the primary contour portion to the secondary contour portion;
• a first step of deriving coordinate information, of a character pattern to be output, corresponding to the coordinate information (Cx, Cy) representing the primary contour portion by executing an enlargement or reduction operation on the coordinate information (Cx, Cy) in a desired magnification in response to the identification information (Sx, Sy) stored in the memory identifying that the piece of information represents the primary contour portion;
• executing an enlargement or reduction operation on the distance information (Fx, Fy) in the desired magnification in response to the identification information (Sx, Sy) stored in the memory identifying that the piece of information represents the secondary contour portion;
• a second step of deriving coordinate information, of the character pattern to be output, corresponding to the secondary contour portion by adding the distance information as enlarged or reduced in said executing step to the coordinate information derived in said first deriving step;
• and
• converting the coordinated information derived in said first and second deriving steps into dot information and outputting the converted information.