Multiple font management system and method

A method of managing multiple fonts in a printing device, wherein said multiple fonts are stored within a font-storage memory of said printing device, the method comprising the following steps:

• (a) activating a first font from said font-storage memory by storing a first font location of said first font in a first font-access memory, said first font-access-memory being first in a font access order, said first font including a first plurality of characters each identified by a corresponding first character index;
• (b) activating a second font from said font-storage memory by storing a second font location of said second font in a second font-access memory, said second font-access memory being second in said font access order, said second font including a second plurality of characters each identified by a corresponding second character index;
• and
• (c) requesting and receiving a character index;
• wherein upon receiving said requested character index:
• determining if the requested character index matches any of said first character indices, if a match is found, then outputting the character within said first font that corresponds to the matched first character index;
• else determining if the requested character index matches any of said second character indices, if a match is found, then outputting the character within said second font that corresponding to the matched second character index;
• wherein said second font is a base font and said first font is a base-patch font, said base-patch font being a subset of said base font and consisting of revised base characters to replace corresponding original base characters within said base font, as determined by said first character index of each revised base character matching the second character indexed of its corresponding original base character.

A system for managing multiple fonts in a printing device, said system comprising:

• a plurality of activation-memory locations for activating a font whose address location is stored within said activation-memory locations, each activation-memory location having a fixed and non-overlapping access priority relative to each other;
• wherein all of said multiple fonts have characters identified by character index, and all fonts whose address location is stored within any of said plurality of activation-memory locations have at least one character index in common;
• a processing device that responds to receiving a character index identifying a requested character by:
• searching for said character index first within a first activated font whose address is stored in the highest access priority activation-memory location, and
• if said processing unit locates said character index within said first activated font, then said processing unit returns the character within said first activated font corresponding to said character unit;
• else
• (a) said processing unit identifies the next activation-memory location having the next lower priority;
• (b) said processing unit searching for said character index within a next activated font whose address is stored in said next activation-memory location;
• (c) if said processing unit locates said character index within said next activated font, then said processing unit returns the character within said next activated font corresponding to said character unit;
• else said processing unit determines if all activation-memory locations have been accessed, if not then said processing unit returns to step (a), else said processing unit indicates that the requested font was not found.