Abstract: Method for altering the supply of characters which are represented by data stored in the character generator of an ideographic typewriter and which can be displayed, under control of the character generator, in at least one standard character area of a display device for the display of ideographic characters, which method includes: displaying, in the standard character area, a first character for which data is already stored in the character generator; reducing the size of the first character displayed in the standard character area with respect to at least one dimension of the character if required; displaying, in the standard character area, at least one further character for which data is already stored in the character generator, to create a new character constituted by the first and further characters as thus displayed; and storing in the character generator data representing the new character which then forms part of the supply of characters.

Abstract: A print control system includes an order detection circuit for detecting an effective digit number of numeral information. A converter ROM is provided for developing a character pattern code signal in response to the numeral information and the order information thereof. A dot matrix printer responds to the character pattern code signal so as to print the numeral information through the use of, for example, alphabetical or kana characters derived from Chinese characters.

Abstract: This method is for encoding and retrieval of Chinese ideographic characters which have been digitized into a machine-compatible format and stored in an accessible memory device. The storage location of each character is identified by a unique numerical code of base ten generated by the present encoding and retrieval method. Each of the nine basic strokes plus a zero stroke used to write all Chinese characters is assigned an arbitrary numerical equivalent; a unique numerical code for each character is generated by assembling the strokes in the same manner used to write the character and following the commonly-used rules establishing the sequence in which the strokes are written. The basic strokes representing the forms and the stroking sequence rules are combined to form a simulated guide character which serves as a mnemonic symbol to aid the encoding of the Chinese character and also serves to identify this scheme as a simulated character method of encoding ideographic character.

Abstract: A method of encoding, uniquely, different characters in the Chinese language. The method includes the steps of (1) associating with a selected character a phonetic tag formed with no less than one and no more than three of the recognized Chinese phonetic symbols, (2) associating with the same character a tone tag in the form of a single one of the five different recognized Chinese tone symbols, (3) further associating with the character a two-digit number tag each digit of which is associated, respectively, with two different ones of the four recognized corner configurations in the character, and (4) assembling these tags in a preselected sequence to generate a combined electronic data stream usable in a data-handling device such as a digital computer.

Abstract: A method of and a system for forming ideograms (or ideographic characters) including Chinese and Japanese Kanji, with associated alphabetic symbols for Roman, Hiragana, Chinese BoPoMoFo, Korean Hankul and the like. The system may be employed in the context of an ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) typewriter keyboard. Ideograms to be formed are identified from characteristic radical information, characteristic phonetic information, and characteristic colloquial sound information associated therewith.

Abstract: Non-alphabetic characters are reproduced by feeding into a computer symbols defining the gross form of each character, then feeding in successive pairs of symbols, with one symbol in each pair defining an element of the character and another symbol defining the juxtaposition of each element relative to previous elements. The operation of the computer is fixed by a program to cause a plotter to draw the elements in accordance with their juxtaposition and thereby form the characters.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for controlling and ordering Chinese characters wherein a Chinese character is formed from a set of form-strokes and the strokes which form the characters are divided into four basic stroke subsets. The stroke subsets include a horizontal stroke subset, a vertical stroke subset, a sloping stroke subset and a dot stroke subset along with associated turn and curve strokes. Strokes are further divided into two twin subsets, which are the elements of the Chinese ideograms. Ordering and controlling Chinese characters from the form-strokes permits the design and construction of simplified Chinese word processing, printing and communication devices and retrieval of information from mass storage of Chinese characters.

Abstract: A character shaping device includes a tablet or the like upon which characters are written or drawn, and a device for determing distribution functions for the character as projected in the x- and y-directions. From this information the "center of gravity" of the character is calculated, and the x- and y-dimensions of the character are detected to determine the character area. The image is then centered within a normalization area and enlarged or reduced in size according to scale factors dependent upon the relative dimensions of the character area and the normalization area, to obtain a well balanced and sized character which may then be printed along with other characters to form sentences on a printed document or the like.

Abstract: A word processing system for Chinese type characters includes a keyboard with a generally standard key arrangement for encoding the characters in accordance with their basic stroke type and sequence. Up to eight basic stroke types may be employed, although a five stroke system is preferred. Recurrent code sequences of two, three, four and five strokes are identified. An "end of character" code may be generated with the space bar. Preferred sequences are assigned key positions so as to provide an ergonometrically efficient keyboard. Average typing speeds using the keyboard are comparable on a character/word basis to those for English.

Abstract: A character printing system in an electronic data processing apparatus is provided that is adapted for printing language characters in response to numerical value coded data entered through numeral keys of a keyboard, each character being represented by a respective numerical value coded data of a predetermined convention, wherein said language characters comprises at least two kinds of language characters, such as upper case type alphabet characters and lower case type alphabet characters, or English alphabet characters and Japanese kana characters, or the like, and the keyboard includes language character code entry mode key and language character kind specifying key as well as numeral keys and ordinary commanding keys, and a printer operable responsive to a storage for storing information entered through said keyboard is controlled by a print control responsive to said storage, whereby said printer is controlled to selectively print numerical value coded data in a kind of language characters specified by t

Abstract: The invention disclosed is a printing system particularly useful for printing languages having large number of characters such as Chinese. The printing system in one aspect comprises a packet of coaxially disposed printing elements, each having a generally flat edge, an axis of rotation proximate that edge, and at least one series of character faces disposed circumferentially relative to the axis of rotation. The printing elements are generally mutually aligned so that their flat edges are disposed adjacent to a print receiving means such as a platen and are axially translatable so that any selected printing element can be placed in a pre-print position. Each printing element is rotatable so that a selected character face on the printing element in pre-print position can be juxtaposed into a print position relative to the print receiving means for printing of the character.

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.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for printing Chinese or other ideographic characters. An operator enters upon a keyboard a sequence of sub-structures composing the character to be printed. The particular set of sub-structures disclosed enables an operator to type in the sub-structures in a manner substantially identical with the way in which the words would be written, thus minimizing special training necessary for the operation of the system. Apparatus is disclosed for processing signals from the keyboard to identify and print in dot-matrix form the proper Chinese characters.

Abstract: A Chinese typewriter comprising a keyboard for the input of numerical and command signals, a control circuit for control of the system, a rotating drum carrying a film strip on which are optically stored a plurality of Chinese characters, a CRT display for verifying the desired character, and a printer.

Abstract: A wire matrix printer has a plurality of heads, each consisting of nine wires arranged in a slanting format. The printer can be controlled to print Oriental type characters such as Japanese by loading a wire image map of the characters into a memory. The loading technique loads the memory in a slanted fashion corresponding to the slant of the print heads and reads from the memory in a bit column manner to correspond to the position of the various wires of the multihead print block. The loading and unloading of the wire image memory is controlled by a pair of microprocessors operating respectively on different halves of the memory, such that at any given time, half of the memory is being loaded while the other half is being read from. Thereafter, the memory is switched so that the loaded half is read and the previously read half is cleared and loaded with a new line of information.

Abstract: A character selection keyboard for use in connection with an ideographic language of which the characters can each comprise one or more of a set of character components, as defined. The keyboard comprises an array of character component keys each bearing a symbol corresponding to a character component. Some of the components have separate linguistic identity and can accordingly be used in isolation to constitute characters in the ideographic language; these components are all depicted within a part of the array which is visually distinct from the rest of the keyboard. The keyboard can be connected in a composing system in which data defining the structure of the characters constituted by the components selected by key actuation is derived from a programmable store in response to key signals generated by the key actuation. The keyboard may also be used in typewriters, telex machines, and other systems requiring data input.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for reconstructing Chinese characters such as in a printer system, each of the characters is divided into a pair of components at least one of which occurs in one or more other characters. The components which have a height equal to the height of a standard character cell are stored together with information as to the locations of the components across the width of the standard character cell for each character. The components may be stored in a compressed form, in which event the information as to their location forms a part of the compressed data. When a given character is to be reconstructed, the first component thereof is transferred to a buffer where it is temporarily stored at the proper location across the width of a standard character cell. Thereafter, the second component is transferred to a logic circuit together with the temporarily stored first component, and the two are logically OR'ed to form the complete character.

Abstract: Non-alphabetic characters are reproduced by feeding into a computer symbols defining the gross form of each character, then feeding in successive pairs of symbols, with one symbol in each pair defining an element of the character and another symbol defining the juxtaposition of each element relative to previous elements. The operation of the computer is fixed by a program to cause a plotter to draw the elements in accordance with their juxtaposition and thereby form the characters.

Abstract: A Korean language typewriter system for reproducing Korean words. A keyboard has keys for each of the word arrangements of Korean alphabet elements into words and the respective keys generate a binary number signal corresponding to a respective one of the arrangements. Further keys for each of the plurality of alphabet elements of the Korean alphabet generate a binary number signal corresponding to a respective one of the alphabet elements. A memory stores sets of hexadecimal numbers each representing an elementary alphabet element on a matrix of a predetermined size.

Abstract: Each Kanji-character is divided into a plurality of part contours constituting the Kanji-character. The part contours of a character are sequentially designated according to the conventional order of writing various parts of the character by an input unit. In an output unit the designated part contours are sequentially printed or otherwise written for completing a character by the combination of one or more part contours. Between the input and output units is provided a processing unit for controlling the relative position and order of the part contours to be written. Space means is also provided to provide spaces between adjacent written characters. According to the system some of the part contours are used in common for synthesizing different Kanji-characters.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reproducing desired Chinese ideographs using standard typewriter keyboard bearing phonetic symbols is disclosed for typing, typesetting and composing, transmissions of telegrams in computer languages and the like including the steps of coding ideographs by their phonetic spelling and characteristic identification to uniquely identify each ideograph, storing the coded information, inputing the phonetic spelling of a desired ideograph, inputing characteristic identification of the desired ideograph, identifying the desired ideograph based on the stored information and the input information, and reproducing the desired ideograph thereby permitting the use of a conventional keyboard to print Chinese ideographs without requiring any additional means for selecting the desired ideograph.

Abstract: The device of the present invention is intended to be attached to a ball-element type typewriter to permit rapid switching among a plurality of ball elements. While the invention has utility in any instance where the need arises for switching rapidly and frequently among a number of ball elements, it is particularly useful in systems as described for utilization of a standard typewriter for typing Chinese or Japanese.