Patent · US Expired

Multidirectional scan and print capability

US4841453A · kind A · utility

25Cited by
18References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 10, 1986
Grant dateJun 20, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 10, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06K2215/0077
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A character generator with multidirectional scan and variable line and character (or symbol) size capability. Universality is implemented by producing a serial binary stram which can be used to print or display in any of eight combinations of scan direction and progression, that is, for scan direction left to right, or vice versa, progressing up or down, or scan direction top to bottom or vice versa, progressing left or right. In formatting the serial binary stream, a font is accessed (for basic symbol definition), which selectively provides for orthogonal scans of the symbol definitions. Variable line size is implemented by terminating a symbol row (or line) based on a predetermined size criteria regardless of the comparable font dimension and "filling" up to the line size to the extent the corresponding font dimension is less than the predetermined size criteria. Variable character (or symbol) size is implemented by independently multiplying the effect of a symbol definition by selected (integral) factors, in orthogonal directions. The general architecture includes a font table (for symbol definition), an address/escape (A/E) table, defining symbol size for comparison with line s…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.