Abstract: The present invention relates to an outline font. The purpose lies in supplying a transforming and rendering method in the shape where the important form of the shape, such as the thickness of the stroke, will be maintained from the basic shape, and at the same time the whole size of the shape can be fitted into a given bounding box. The present invention supplies the transformation method of a handwriting font including searching for the medial axis of a given element, obtaining contact points by using maximal inscribed circles with the medial axis and points of the medial axis as a center, and applying the information about the medial axis points and the contact points in case of a transformation of the element in the transformation method of handwriting where a given element can be optionally transformed in sizes in order to achieve the purpose. The present invention enables the transformation of the shape.

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 method and system for adaptively refining an arbitrary progressive mesh representation for a graphical geometric model according to changing view parameters is presented. The method uses efficient selective refinement criteria for view-dependent parameters based on the view frustum, surface orientation, and screen-space geometric error to produce graphical objects and images such as a graphical terrain. A real-time method for incrementally refining and coarsening the mesh according to the selective refinement criteria is also presented. The real-time method exploits graphical view coherence, and supports frame rate regulation. For continuous motions, the real-time method can be amortized over consecutive frames, and smooth visual transitions (geomorphs) can be constructed between any two adaptively refined meshes used to represent a graphical object or image.

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: Data about display start positions are stored in an H register. An H start counter counts an original oscillation signal ORGCLK after the termination of a flyback period, and a comparator detects a start position. Flip flops and NOR gates form a clock having a cycle one and a half times as long as that of the original oscillation signal from the start position, and either the signal having a 1.5-fold cycle or the original oscillation signal is selected according to the level of a mode signal MODE. Thus, it is possible to obtain a clock OSDCLK having a frequency the same as that of the original oscillation signal up to the start position and a clock OSDCLK having a frequency corresponding to magnification from a display position. Therefore, by controlling display of characters based on the clock OSDCLK, display start positions can be made even regardless of magnification.

Abstract: A computer system in accordance with the invention includes a primary desktop computer and an auxiliary portable computer. The two computers are configured to work together--documents such as word processing documents are at times downloaded from the desktop computer for viewing and editing on the portable computer. However, the desktop computer uses TrueType outline fonts, while the portable computer uses raster fonts. The desktop computer includes a conversion program that is automatically invoked when the user copies an outline font file to the portable computer. The conversion program makes calls to the graphics device interface of the desktop computer to render outline character glyphs to a bitmap. The resulting bitmap is used as the basis of a rasterized character glyph. A set of glyphs is converted in this manner and compiled into a raster font file.

Abstract: Horizontal lines of a character are divided into groups of lines which are not offset from each other and distances between which are less than a predetermined value. Further, on conditions that two groups contain at least one common line and overlapping portion of lines of one group is offset from none of lines included in the other group, these two groups are combined. Consequently, space correction groups for the horizontal lines are formed. Then, by using areas of the horizontal lines included in the groups obtained as described above as space correction areas, spaces defined by points on outline of each line are corrected. As a result, it is possible to form a character of high quality by using data which does not include information on space correction.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to reduce an amount of data which is supplied to a character outputting process and to execute the character outputting process at a high speed. On the basis of extra-character registration information, whether bit map data is compressed or not is judged. When the bit map data is not compressed, an extra character is registered into a predetermined area of a storage. When compressing, in accordance with a compression method which is designated by extra-character registration information, the relevant compression method is selected and the bit map data is compressed. Data of the compressed extra character is registered into a predetermined area of the storage. By performing a character output by using optimum font data and scaler every character unit or character set, the data amount can be reduced, the process can be executed at a high speed, and a high-quality output can be performed.

Abstract: A method of assigning hints for outline-font creation includes a first step of dividing elements having similar outlines into classes, a second step of learning hint assignment by storing hint information which prevails when a hint is assigned by operator operation to a predetermined position of an outline of a representative element (master element) of each class, and a third step of assigning hint information automatically to elements of the class, to which the master element belongs, using learned hint information of the master element.

Abstract: Described is an image processing system which is operative to automatically determine a quadrilateral object such as a character frame, page mark, or position correction mark only with a mouse click. A field is automatically specified by displaying a scanned image of a form including a black frame on a display, clicking within a character frame at the left end for each recognition field, and clicking within a character frame at the right end of the same field. In this case, a field position/size determination program scans the image in the vertical and horizontal directions from the two clicked points to detect the inner wall of the black frame, and produces a histogram by establishing rectangles between two character frames to automatically detect the number of character frames in the field and the thickness of the black line between the character frames.

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: A computer-implemented apparatus, and method for generating an output digital font from a base font and one or more font descriptor files. The method involves, in an exemplary embodiment, the steps of retrieving from memory a file containing instructions and data for a generic base font; retrieving from memory a font descriptor file containing specifications for operating upon the base font to produce the desired output font; and then generating the output font by performing operations upon the base font in accordance with the specifications contained in the font descriptor file, to produce a character program for each character in the base font wherein the data representing the output font is the generic font data as transformed in accordance with said specification. Two or more font descriptor files may be combined, such as by using mathematical weighted averaging of the parameter values for different typographic design features, or otherwise, to create font descriptor files for hybrid typefaces.

Abstract: A character generating method and apparatus which arrange a plurality of partial patterns constituting a character to the start positions of the partial patterns to generate a character pattern. A memory of the apparatus stores origin position data of the partial patterns firstly in a partial-pattern coordinate system, set by a character coordinate system, start position data of basic patterns in the partial-pattern coordinate system and shape data of the basic patterns.

Abstract: A display control section displays characters on a display screen of a display section. Character information data, including a plurality of character sizes, a plurality of character intervals, and a plurality of line spacings, are stored in a character data ROM or an EEPROM section. A control section determines an optimum display pattern in accordance with the length of a received message involved in a paging signal by adequately selecting the character information stored in the character information memory. There is an external input section for allowing a user to determine the display pattern in accordance with user's preference.

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: An electronic apparatus of the present invention includes: a storage unit for storing data having time data; a retrieval word input unit for inputting a retrieval word having an expression representing at least a period of time in order to retrieve the data stored in the storage area; a conversion unit for converting the retrieval word into date information; a comparison unit for comparing the date information with the time data; and a display unit for displaying data having time data which matches with the date information.

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 generating device which is capable of creating a clear thickened or thinned (wider or narrower) character by eliminating an improper portion of an outline of a character. According to a character code input from an input portion, a CPU obtains outline font data for one character from a font data storage and transfers the data into a RAM. On the basis of the character code input from the input portion, the CPU searches a head address of a memory storing data for a required character and transfers the data from the address into the RAM. A character thickness processing portion performs character thickening or thinning operations on each point sequence composing each outline of the outline-font character and a point-sequence transferring portion determines, by use of functions or a table, a correct destination and transfers thereto the improper point-sequence on the thick or thin processed outline of the outline-font character.

Abstract: A character and figure transforming system which includes a display unit to display characters or figures according to pattern data in dot form. The system having a device for a first device which displays on a display area a menu screen for showing at least two transformation patterns having figures different from each other. A second device which designates an area including at least one character among the characters displayed on the display area, as a subject transformed area, and a third device which displays at least one transformed character on the display area by transforming at least one of the characters designated as a subject transformed area into at least the one transformed character according to a contour line of a figure of the transformation pattern selected.

Abstract: The invention teaches grayscale specific character outline modification techniques for synthesizing contrast controlled grayscale pixmap characters of improved appearance at any resolution and size. In addition, methods for computing the visually optimal spacing of any two characters taking into account outline shape modifications induced by the character contrast control method.

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: This invention offers a font processor which performs thinning processing, standard processing and bolding processing in outline font according to a resolution level of an output apparatus. According to this invention, a rasterizer generates a raster image in a first area from the outline font, which is stored in a font memory. An outline producer produces an outline image in a second area according to an outline width, which is determined by an outline width determiner. An operation unit makes an logical operation of the raster image and the outline image, and generates an thinned or bolded raster image.

Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting a line width of an outline font includes an original outline data storing device for storing attribute data in advance. The attribute data indicates whether a data point, which represents a contour line of a character of an outline font, is a point at which line width is to be adjusted. The attribute data is stored in correspondence with original coordinate-value data of the data point. Also provided is an original line-width data storing device for storing data representing original line width in correspondence with original outline data of each character; and a line-width converting device for converting original line-width data into fraction-processed output line-width data in conformity with a mesh size corresponding to a designated character size.

Abstract: Character processing uses character pattern information generated from a previously-used scalable font when outputting image information for subsequent characters. Attribute information for the font which was used in generated the previously-used character pattern information is stored. Thereafter, during an idle state, character pattern information for subsequent characters is generated from a scalable font having the same attribute information as that of the previously-used scalable font based on the stored attribute information.

Abstract: A computer-implemented apparatus and method for generating an output digital font from a base font and one or more font descriptor files. In one example, the method involves, the steps of retrieving from memory a file containing instructions and data for a generic base font; retrieving from memory a font descriptor file containing specifications for operating upon the base font to produce the desired output font; and then generating the output font by performing operations upon the base font in accordance with the specifications contained in the font descriptor file, to produce a character program for each character in the base font wherein the data representing the output font is the generic font data as transformed in accordance with said specification. Two or more font descriptor files may be combined, such as by using mathematical weighted averaging of the parameter values for different typographic design features, or otherwise, to create font descriptor files for hybrid typefaces.