Abstract: The principles of the present invention relate to appropriately rendering a graphical object when a corresponding outline has excessive control points. A computer system identifies a point of junction between a first and second feature of the outline. The computer system accesses an excess control point included in the first or second feature of the outline. The computer system moves the excess control point in a first direction until the position of the excess control point in the first direction is essentially the same as the position of the point of junction in the first direction. The computer system moves the excess control point in a second direction until the position of the excess control point in the second direction is essentially the same as the position of the point of junction in the second direction, the second direction being different from the first direction.

Abstract: Mechanisms for rendering an object on a portion of a display that includes pixel sub-components for each pixel. The pixel sub-components are striped along a certain direction (e.g., vertically or horizontally). The computing system determines that the object has spatial frequency dominance a direction which happens to be parallel to the striping direction. The computing system then performs sub-component based sampling assuming that the striping direction is perpendicular to the actual striping direction. Then the object is rendered on the display. This may be performed for each object to be displayed. Counterintuitively, this improves the resolution of the character being displayed as compared to performing pixel sub-component based sampling assuming that the striping direction is the same as the actual striping direction.

Abstract: A system and method for displaying text are described. According to embodiments of the invention, the system and methods describe operations for displaying text, where the text does not include hints.

Abstract: A method and computer software product for processing outline fonts is described to skeletonize character fonts based on their outline data. The method may comprise: reading font data from an outline font dictionary that stores the outline data of an outline font, preparing element structures and constructing a graphic path; determining whether or not the element structures constitute another graphic path; determining whether or not, within the graphic path, there is another graphic path that is completely contained and has the same cyclic direction as the graphic path, if there is, then, deleting the other graphic path; and moving the element structures that constitute the graphic path by a predetermined distance to the direction of character width based on the character width of the outline font, thereby to output a plurality of line segments which effectively eliminates the character width of the outline font.

Abstract: A system and method for rendering ink annotations for a displayed image is disclosed. The invention adjusts the thickness of rendered lines for ink annotations when rendered. Ink annotations are created by capturing and connecting a set of data points input by a user. The invention outlines various pixels and weights saturation of anti-aliasing pixels to improve a user's viewing experience.

Abstract: A method, computer graphical user interface tool, and computer-readable medium for generating a set of characters for display in gray scale are provided, wherein each character comprises one or more strokes/glyphs, and each stroke/glyph is defined in silhouette-oriented representation. The method includes generally six steps. First, a set of characters is displayed, wherein each character comprises one or more strokes/glyphs, and all of the strokes/glyphs are represented by a set of basic strokes/glyphs, each basic stroke/glyph topographically representing a set of similarly-shaped strokes/glyphs. Second, each basic stroke/glyph is defined in silhouette-oriented representation. Third, each stroke/glyph forming each character is defined in silhouette-oriented representation. Fourth, the set of characters is rendered in gray scale. Fifth, the proper appearance of the characters is verified.

Abstract: The principles of the present invention relate to iteratively solving constraints in a font-hinting language. A computing system accesses a more complex constraint that can not be natively expressed based on the vocabulary of the font-hinting language, the more complex constraint constraining at least a portion of the outline. The computing system decomposes the more complex constraint into a plurality of simpler constraints that can be natively expressed based on the vocabulary of the font-hinting language. The computer system represents each of the simpler constraints in corresponding font-hinting language instructions that can be iteratively processed to at least approximate a solution to the more complex constraint. The font-hinting language instructions are iteratively processed at the computing system or another computing system to cause a graphical object to comply, within a specific tolerance, with the more complex constraint.

Abstract: A tool usable in an interactive television environment comprises a module having code to analyze a dynamic text string and to determine where to split or truncate the text string, at spaces, for each row and/or into substrings for each page. The module takes onto account the pixel width of the characters in the text string and the available rows of the display area of the television to write the text string. The module can truncate the text string after a particular number of lines at a space and append an ellipsis, or the module can dynamically write code to accommodate the entire text string in a “page flipper,” where the user sees substrings of the text string on each page (broken at a space at the end of each page) and can “page” forward or backward through the entire text string.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for electronically providing vehicle identification and registration information to a vehicle. The system includes a remote control unit, which receives and stores vehicle identification and registration information. At least one computer on the vehicle is configured to receive the vehicle identification and registration information and to store such information. An electric license plate coupled to this computer for electronically displaying at least a portion of the identification and registration information stored in the computer.

Abstract: The method 600 renders a self-overlapping polygon, wherein the polygon is a set of one or more closed curves each comprising line segments. The method performs, for a currently scanned pixel that overlaps both sides of a line segment of the self-overlapping polygon within a currently scanned scanline, the following steps. The method 600 decomposes 618 that portion of the polygon that lies within the currently scanned pixel into a number of closed loops comprising at least those portions of those line segments that lie within the currently scanned pixel, the closed loops are such that when they are combined the combination is substantially equivalent to that portion of the polygon that lies within the currently scanned pixel. The method 600 combines 623 incrementally the closed loops and determines one or more winding count values representative of respective weighted averages of winding counts of the combined closed loops.

Abstract: A method generates a two-dimensional distance field from a pen stroke. A pen state is sampled during the pen stroke to generate an ordered list of pen states along the pen stroke. The pen state includes a location of the pen stroke. A set of boundary descriptors is generated from the ordered list of pen states. The two-dimensional distance field is generated from the set of boundary descriptors.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and apparatus for a computer network system to provide compact and efficient representations of graphics commands on drawing/displaying lines, circles, etc. The methods and apparatus exploit the redundancies and/or relations of the information in drawing/displaying lines, circles, etc. and allow for fewer bytes and faster transmission rate (e.g., more graphics primitives per second) to a client tier (e.g., to a thin client appliance and/or a display on the desktop appliance). For example, one embodiment of the present invention uses commands that take advantage of the structure of spans created by drawing commands to send a base fill command, followed by fills whose locations and size are expressed as deltas with respect to each previous fill in the list. The deltas may comprise a difference between two commands, a difference between a command and another difference, a difference between two differences, and/or a plurality of differences.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a font-hinting system is configured to select a first TrueType font that has been hinted with hints that define constraints between control points associated with individual characters of the font. Individual characters of a second TrueType font that correspond to individual characters of the first TrueType font are identified. The second TrueType font is different from the first TrueType font and individual characters of the second TrueType font are unhinted. Hints are transferred from characters of the first TrueType font to individual corresponding characters of the second TrueType font, and a hint is discarded where it appears inappropriate for a character of the second TrueType font. Further, the system maintains indicia of a discarded hint to indicate where a hint has been discarded.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for activating the filling of a graphical object. The method generates, for a current scanline, a plurality of edge records associated with an edge of the object from a previously generated edge record for a previous scanline. One of these edge records comprises fractional data which defines a minimum position of the edge within the current scanline or on a border thereto with respect to a direction along said current scanline. Another of these edge records comprises fractional data which defines a maximum position of the edge within the current scanline or on a border thereto with respect to a direction along the current scanline. One of these edge records comprises fractional data which defines an exit position of the edge from the current scanline. The previously generated edge record comprises fractional data defining an exit point of the edge from the previous scanline.

Abstract: Character display apparatus includes a display device and a control section. The control section controls the display device such that: a color element level of at least one first sub-pixel, which corresponds to a basic portion of a first character, is set to a predetermined color element level; and a color element level of a first vicinal sub-pixel located in the vicinity of the at least one first sub-pixel is set to a color element level different from the predetermined color element level, whereby the first character is displayed on a display plane, the basic portion of the first character is included in a first frame having a predetermined size, the at least one first sub-pixel is included in a first region on the display plane which corresponds to the first frame, and at least one of the at least one first vicinal sub-pixel is out of the first region.

Abstract: The preferred method transforms a set of closed curves, such as a typeface, font, or character. The method projects a pattern of continuous curves over the closed curves (502). The method then determines a set of intersection points of the closed curves and continuous curves (506). Cross-over points are then determined from the set of intersection points (508). Closed loops are then assembled from the cross-over points to form the transformed typeface, font or character (510).

Abstract: A method for determining the growing degree units (GDUs) accumulated at a particular farm site throughout the growing season, the amount that such accumulation is above or below the average historical GDU accumulation that occurred at the farm site, and a GDU meter for obtaining and displaying such information. The GDU meter measures and stores the temperatures that occur at a farm site throughout every 24-hour period of the growing season and calculates and stores the accumulated GDUs that impinge on the site year to date. The GDU meter compares the GDUs accumulated year to date (year to date GDUs) to the average GDUs accumulated in previous years at the same site (historical GDUs) and calculates how much the year to date GDUs are above or below the historical GDUs. The GDU meter of the present invention displays year to date GDUs and the amount that it is above or below the historical GDUs. Optionally, the GDU meter of the present invention displays the date, time, and temperature.

Abstract: A method of creating a series of font characters (101) on a computer system (150) is disclosed. A series of font outlines (111) and source artwork (112); a series of manipulation tools (116) for the manipulation of aspects of the outlines and artwork. Such an arrangement provides for the creation of substantially arbitrarily complex font structures from the outlines, artwork and manipulation tools. A series of font characters is then formed through the application of the complex font structures to each of a base font outline in the series of font characters. Preferably, the complex font structures can comprise a graphical expression tree of operations (120) to be performed in the creation of a font and the tree includes an outline of a font character. The manipulation tools can include tools for distorting, replacing or compositing the outline of a font and can further include the tools for the application of morphological and non-morphological effects to the font outlines.

Abstract: A character generator and its method are suitably applied to such a video title generator for adding title images to a video program. Specifically, the character generator according to the present invention analyzes the form of characters inputted by an operator through a keyboard, and generates a polygon model matching the inputted characters so that the inputted characters look a three-dimensional image. The generated polygon model is subjected to rendering processing and displayed on a computer display. The polygon model displayed on the display can be changed in real time by using three-dimensional parameter and so on, for a shadow or perspective, which is set by the operator on the GUI screen. Thereby, the three-dimensional character generated by transforming the inputted character into the three-dimensional form can be generated with simple constructions and operations and in real time.

Abstract: A form analyzing unit receives 2-D outline data stored in an outline data storing unit via an outline data obtaining unit, and judges from the received 2-D outline data whether an outline of a character includes an outline of a hole formed in the character. If so, a top/bottom dividing unit divides an area surrounded by the two outlines into convex polygons. A side generating unit moves each divided structure element in a z-axis direction to generate a side plane of the 3-D character, and generates 3-D data for the character.

Abstract: One embodiment of a method of performing a font operation involves receiving a set of font data identifying a font operation to be performed. If a first font data unit in the set indicates that a first coordinate should be a background color and transparent background is enabled, the method involves outputting an enable for a second font data unit in the set. The second font data unit indicates that a second coordinate should be a foreground color. The enable for the second coordinate is output instead of a disable for the first coordinate. If instead the first font data unit in the set indicates that the first coordinate should be a background color and transparent background is disabled, the method may involve outputting a disable for the first coordinate.

Abstract: An animation data generation apparatus that supplies a state where a character string can be read in a part of 3D character animation generated based on functions. The apparatus includes an interface unit for setting characters which are used for animation, time allocation between 3D character animations in a moving standstill state, and the type of the animation in the moving state. The apparatus also includes a calculation unit for calculating the number of frames corresponding to animation based on the time allocation, and a generation unit for generating animation data in the standstill state so that 3D characters corresponding to the set characters can be read, and for generating data of the 3D character animation in a moving state so as to link to the data of the animation in the standstill state by using the number of calculated frames and a function corresponding to the set animation.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method, apparatus and computer program product for positioning a plurality of sub-images such as spheres or circles within a bounded image (such as a character). The size (eg radius) and/or packing density of the sub-images can be varied in accordance with the distance of a point where the sub-image is to be located from a reference line (131, 171) which can be internal or external of the bounded image. The use of actual and virtual dimensions (ra, rv) enables overlapping and spaced apart sub-images to be created. A threshold test is also able to prevent display of sub-images below a certain size.

Abstract: A method and computer software product for processing outline fonts is described to skeletonize character fonts based on their outline data. The method may comprise: reading font data from an outline font dictionary that stores the outline data of an outline font, preparing element structures and constructing a graphic path; determining whether or not the element structures constitute another graphic path; determining whether or not, within the graphic path, there is another graphic path that is completely contained and has the same cyclic direction as the graphic path, if there is, then, deleting the other graphic path; and moving the element structures that constitute the graphic path by a predetermined distance to the direction of character width based on the character width of the outline font, thereby to output a plurality of line segments which effectively eliminates the character width of the outline font.

Abstract: A user of a data processing system may specify variability in the generation of data for data-presentation, either by displaying or printing, on an output device. The variability specification may be applied on a glyph-by-glyph basis to the presentation of glyphs. The data processing system provides processing of glyph-based quality variability requests in the following manner. The system receives a request for data-presentation of a series of glyphs and determines, for each glyph in the series of glyphs, whether quality variability is applicable to each glyph. If quality variability is applicable to each glyph, then the system determines a quality variance to be applied to each glyph according to predetermined data-presentation variability data and performs data-presentation of each glyph on an output device in accordance with the quality variance.

Abstract: A method of creation of artistic effects in object outlines is disclosed including the steps of generating a mesh over the internal area of the outline; forming a series of areas from the mesh; for each of the series of areas, warping one of a predetermined series of tile shapes to cover the area, the tile shapes having a series of edge portions and the one of the series of tile shapes being chosen to substantially match in an aesthetically pleasing sense along its edges with adjacent ones of the tiles. The artistic effects can include Celtic type knot work designs and the object outlines can include font characters. Hence the tiles can include substantially curves representing rope segments and the aesthetically pleasing sense can include substantially matching the position and thickness of rope segments along the edges of the tile. Additionally, the rope segments can include multiple grouped substantially parallel rope segments.

Abstract: An improved scan converter to support the efficient and accurate display of character outlines by pixel-oriented display devices. To conserve the finite resource of memory, the improved scan converter supports an efficient use of available memory workspace by accurately determining an upper bound for the amount of memory required to support scan conversion calculations. To achieve improvements in speed and character image quality, the improved scan converter renders the spline segments of a character outline by using a second order equation to calculate an implicit function based on the control points of each segment. The improved scan converter further addresses in a systematic manner the rendering of an endpoint located on a scan line to determine whether the pixel associated with the endpoint should be activated. This decision is based upon the direction of approach to and exit from this endpoint for the pair of segments connected to the endpoint.

Abstract: A character processing apparatus has a font storage area with at least fonts for representative characters stored therein, and a character information table with storage address for the fonts, no-font information or the like stored therein. A retrieving section is provided for receiving arbitrary inputted character code, referring to storage address information or no-font information in the character information table, and outputting the storage address information corresponding to character code for a representative character having the same group number and the same type information as that of the retrieved character code according to type information as well as to group information when there is no-font information. A display control section and a display section are included for receiving a corresponding font from the font storage area and displaying a character for the arbitrary character code on a screen according to the storage address information inputted from the retrieving section.

Abstract: Character display apparatus includes a display device and a control section. The control section controls the display device such that: a color element level of at least one first sub-pixel, which corresponds to a basic portion of a first character, is set to a predetermined color element level; and a color element level of a first vicinal sub-pixel located in the vicinity of the at least one first sub-pixel is set to a color element level different from the predetermined color element level, whereby the first character is displayed on a display plane, the basic portion of the first character is included in a first frame having a predetermined size, the at least one first sub-pixel is included in a first region on the display plane which corresponds to the first frame, and at least one of the at least one first vicinal sub-pixel is out of the first region.

Abstract: A thickening process of figure data (outline font data) is performed, an intersection where line segments on outlines cross is obtained, the outlines are separated at the intersection, the separated outline portions are synthesized, the rounding direction of the outlines after the outline synthesis is compared with the original rounding direction of the outlines, and the outlines in which the rounding directions are different from the original rounding direction are deleted. Thus, the outlines overlapped by the thickening process are correctly connected and the inside can be correctly painted.

Abstract: A polygon drawing apparatus for drawing a polygon which is colored inside its outline by using outline data indicating the outline of the polygon, the apparatus comprising: an outline data generation unit for generating outline data indicating the outline of the polygon on the basis of coordinate data indicating the coordinates of points constituting the polygon; a mask data generation unit for performing, for a predetermined amount of the outline data, parallel exclusive-OR processes in units of amounts constituting the predetermined amount, thereby generating mask data which specifies “coloring” for the inside of the outline; and a segment generation unit for drawing the polygon by using the mask data generated by the mask data generation means. Therefore, this polygon drawing apparatus can provide a satisfactory result of display without using a bulk memory, and without increasing the processing load.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer-readable medium for generating a glyph-based outline font are provided, which allow for font communication between different devices having various (high and low) resolutions. A method selects a character for display on the output device. The character consists of one or more glyphs, and each glyph forming the character is predefined by key points, width values, feature points that have predefined spatial relationship to the key points and width values, and curve ratios prestored in a curve level table. Next, the method determines the resolution of an output device. Then, for each glyph forming the character, the method retrieves curve ratios from the prestored curve level table according to the determined resolution of the output device. Curve ratios are used to create curve segments, which form the outline of the selected glyph.

Abstract: An emboldened font is simulated from a regular font by moving the outline that describes the font along a vector normal to the direction of the outline a predetermined distance. A new emboldened location is calculated for each control point that defines the font outline. The new location for each control point is determined by calculating a vector perpendicular to the outline at the location of the control point. The control point is then moved a predetermined distance along the perpendicular vector. The predetermined distance controls how much emboldening is applied to the font. The greater the predetermined distance, the more emboldened the font will appear. By moving all of the control points that define a font outline a predetermined distance along a vector perpendicular to the outline, a new outline is created that defines the emboldened version of the font.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for utilizing pixel sub-components which form a pixel element of an LCD display, e.g., as separate luminous intensity elements, are described. Each pixel of a color LCD display is comprised of three non-overlapping red, green and blue rectangular pixel sub-elements or sub-components. The invention takes advantage of the ability to control individual RGB pixel sub-elements to effectively increase a screen's resolution in the dimension perpendicular to the dimension in which the screen is striped, e.g., the RGB pixel sub-elements are arranged lengthwise. In order to utilize the effective resolution which can be obtained by treating RGB pixel sub-components separately, scaling or super sampling of digital representations of fonts is performed in one dimension at a rate that is greater than the scaling or sampling performed in the other dimension. In some embodiments where weighting is used in determining RGB pixel values, e.g.

Abstract: A character line address counter clock signal generator for generating a character line address counter clock signal for an on screen display (OSD) circuit used to selectively display a character image within an on screen display contained within a displayed screen image. The character image displayed within the OSD is maintained at a substantially constant image height regardless of the number of image lines contained within the overall displayed screen image. The character image lines for a base character image are displayed in accordance with a predetermined repetition sequence without requiring phase lock loop to generate a reduced character line address clock or requiring arithmetic computation to calculate each character line address.

Abstract: Image data processing and image rendering methods and systems whereby images are displayed on display devices having pixels with separately controllable pixel sub-components. Images, such as text characters, are displayed on a display device with at least some features being rendered with sub-pixel precision. The displayed advance width of a character displayed with sub-pixel precision is compatible with the advance width of the character if it had instead been displayed with a conventional full pixel precision rendering process. Thus, characters are displayed with sub-pixel precision, resulting in improved resolution and readability, while the advance width and the corresponding size and spacing of the characters and the overall formatting of the document remains the same compared to documents and characters rendered using conventional full pixel precision processes.

Abstract: The resolution of text rendered on a display device having sub-pixel elements, such as an RGB LCD for example, and in particular, on a display device having horizontal striping is enhanced by (i) overscaling (or oversampling) character outline information in the vertical (or Y) direction, and (ii) filtering displaced information from the overscaled (or oversampled) character outline information. Metrics associated with character outline information may be appropriately adjusted. The vertical (or Y) position of the baseline of adjacent characters may be constrained by forcing the first pixel above the baseline to be composed of a full number N of scan conversion source samples, where N corresponds to an overscaling (or oversampling) factor. Groups of scan conversion source samples may be converted into packed pixel index values. Color values may be selectively filtered when the differences in the intensity of adjacent sub-pixel elements would otherwise be irritating to view.

Abstract: Rendering glyphs using a layout services library. A layout services library provides a set of text-processing functions for use by a client program. The text-processing functions access font information stored in the font tables insulating the client program from the details of the font table formats. The layout services library may be used to identify glyph variants and to position glyphs along a base line for a run of text. To identify glyph variants, the layout services library scans the run of text to identify the locations of characters having alternative glyph forms. The layout services library creates a list of feature parameter structures, each of which contains a count of the number of glyph alternates that apply for each identified character. The client program assembles a list of identical characters which have different parameters and presents a list of all glyph variants to the user who chooses one of the alternatives.

Abstract: When a character image composed of strokes is generated, character generation is performed at high speed by simplifying strokes for which the processing of the stroke contours can be executed in simple fashion. In other words, if a stroke has a substantially linear shape parallel to a coordinate axis, the contour of the stroke will have sides parallel to the coordinate axis and can therefore be generated in a simple manner. In another aspect of the invention, character generation is performed at high speed by generating the image of a stroke in such a manner that dots of the stroke in the longitudinal direction thereof are stored at memory locations having successive addresses. That is, memory cells having successive addresses usually are allocated along the direction of the scanning lines. Accordingly, when necessary a stroke is rotated in such a manner that the longitudinal direction thereof becomes parallel to the raster lines, thereby producing a stroke.

Abstract: An improved scan converter to support the efficient and accurate display of character outlines by pixel-oriented display devices. To conserve the finite resource of memory, the improved scan converter supports an efficient use of available memory workspace by accurately determining an upper bound for the amount of memory required to support scan conversion calculations. To achieve improvements in speed and character image quality, the improved scan converter renders the spline segments of a character outline by using a second order equation to calculate an implicit function based on the control points of each segment. The improved scan converter further addresses in a systematic manner the rendering of an endpoint located on a scan line to determine whether the pixel associated with the endpoint should be activated. This decision is based upon the direction of approach to and exit from this endpoint for the pair of segments connected to the endpoint.

Abstract: A printer device driver system includes a relatively simplistic kernel mode device driver, KM.sub.-- DRIVER. KM.sub.-- DRIVER supplies limited functionality for basic Device Driver Interface, DDI, operations compatible with O/S kernel mode components. Separate reporting of graphics objects data and text data is made. The device driver is now divided into: a kernel mode analysis segment KM.sub.-- TEXT and a user mode text resolution generator UM.sub.-- TEXT segment. A user mode driver, UM.sub.-- DRIVER, is provided for receiving DDI coded instructions. In essence, UM.sub.-- TEXT subroutine ignores reported resolution and renders text in any resolution up to and including the highest possible resolution for the printer apparatus provided. A set of text data output from the application and O/S is reported to KM.sub.-- DRIVER in a fixed resolution. Text data is received with DDI text print requests. When a font is not recreatable, rendering is performed at the fixed resolution and output to the printer.

Abstract: A character pattern generating apparatus includes a CPU and a memory for pre-storing character shape skeleton data, element skeleton shape data, element skeleton shape data, and element outline shape data. The CPU determines whether a thickness of a character is to be altered or not from a standard thickness, and determines whether the process of altering the thickness of each constituent element in the element outline shape data is to be performed by calculation, or by replacing the element with an alternative element in the case where character thickness is to be altered. The CPU then alters the thickness in the element outline shape data according to the determination and deforms the element skeleton shape data based on the character shape skeleton data. Associated therewith, the CPU alters the element outline shape data based on the altered element skeleton shape data and generates a character pattern from the altered element outline shape data.

Abstract: An output device has storage means for storing a compressed font, representing characters by compressed data corresponding to dot patterns, a first generation unit for generating dot patterns based on the compressed data, and a second generation unit for generating outline information of characters from the compressed data and then generating dot patterns. The first generation unit or the second generation unit is selected in accordance with an output condition.

Abstract: A method of generating a graphical image, such as a font, is described in which expansion data for an image portion that is not to be written is never added to source data for such portion.

Abstract: An animation producing process for producing an animation having fluid color, texture and consistency throughout the entire sequence. The process comprises the steps of creating key frames containing objects and characters having substantial color and texture and which correspond to an animated sequence. The key frames are digitized into a computer system for storage in a predetermined memory space. Two consecutive key frames are then defined as a source key frame and a target key frame. Corresponding features in both the source key frame and the target key frame are then outlined, preferably while projected upon a computer monitor. In-between frames are then generated that depict a substantially linear interpolation of each outlined figure in the source key frame and a corresponding outline in the target key frame.

Abstract: A character pattern generator includes a ROM for storing font data and attribute information of each point of each stroke forming the font data, and a CPU for recognizing a portion to be transformed of a contour shape of the stored font data based on the attribute information of each point. The CPU further adds to the recognized portion to be transformed, a control point for performing transformation into a character pattern having a specified typeface code. The CPU then calculates the coordinates of the control point based on a factor at each point of each stroke of the font data. The CPU then transforms the contour shape by using the added control point and the font data. Finally, the CPU generates the character pattern having the specified typeface code based on the contour shape of the transformed font data.

Abstract: Output apparatus that converts vector font data into dot font data in accordance with a change in output resolution has a first memory to store dot font data and a second memory to store vector font data. A change instruction circuit can instruct a change of output resolution. Whether dot font data of an output resolution corresponding to the change exists in the first memory is discriminated and a converter converts the vector font data in the second memory into the dot font data according to the changed output resolution on the basis of the instruction from the change instruction circuit and the result of the discrimination.

Abstract: An image processing system has bit map figure data of a plurality of sizes and edits a document on the basis of this data. This system comprises an input device to input a figure by a polygon definition, an instructing circuit to instruct the input figure with a desired size, and an output device to output the figure with the desired size in response to the input instruction. The figure data of standard sizes are stored as bit map data into a memory even when auxiliary characters are registered. When inputting figure data of a size larger than the standard sizes, it is stored as polygon definition data. Thus, the memory capacity can be reduced and the labors and time to define an auxiliary character can be reduced.

Abstract: There is disclosed an image processing apparatus capable of forming white patterns on black background, hatched patterns, patterns with shadows, etc., in a simple manner. The apparatus has plural memories, which are used for defining mutually corresponding dots. These dots are subjected to logic processing, and the obtained dot patterns are released in combination.

Abstract: An improved scan converter to support the efficient and accurate display of character outlines by pixel-oriented display devices. To conserve the finite resource of memory, the improved scan converter supports an efficient use of available memory workspace by accurately determining an upper bound for the amount of memory required to support scan conversion calculations. To achieve improvements in speed and character image quality, the improved scan converter renders the spline segments of a character outline by using a second order equation to calculate an implicit function based on the control points of each segment. The improved scan converter further addresses in a systematic manner the rendering of an endpoint located on a scan line to determine whether the pixel associated with the endpoint should be activated. This decision is based upon the direction of approach to and exit from this endpoint for the pair of segments connected to the endpoint.