Signature presentation method and apparatus

• US 4,364,024 A
• Filed: 12/07/1979
• Issued: 12/14/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Paetsch, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo H.
• Application Number:
  US06/101,291
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 358/260, 358/93, 358/296, 340/146.3 AC, 340/146.3 H, 340/146.3 SY, 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 101/93.04, 355/14 C, 346/94, 346/95, 346/98, 178/30
• US Class Current: 382/119
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/49 by writing
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/10 by matrix printers G06K15/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0082 Architecture adapted for a particular function

Abstract

Signature image information is converted from scanner input data into lines of character spaces which can conveniently be presented on a matrix printer. Both the method of image conversion from input scans to output lines of characters and apparatus for interpreting control information accompanying character picture element information are disclosed. An efficient format for presenting the control information and reducing the amount of picture element data stored and handled is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A matrix printer for presenting an image of a signature, the improvement comprising:

means for receiving and storing a count indicative of the number of lines of character spaces having a portion of said image and a count of the number of character spaces in said lines;

means for contiguously receiving and storing a plurality of blank space indicator bits including a binary bit for each character space of a line of character spaces having a portion of said image;

logic means responsive to said stored counts for examining each blank space indicator bit in sequence;

stepping means controlled by said logic means to cause the print head of said printer to skip each character space position having a logical zero corresponding blank space indicator bit;

data gates controlled by said logic means for gating slice data bytes to said print head at each character space having a logical one corresponding blank space indicator bit, said stepping means stepping said print head between each of said slice data bytes.

2. The matrix printer of claim 1 further comprising:

line incrementing means controlled by said logic means to cause the relative position of said print head with respect to the paper to be incremented to print character spaces on a second line substantially contiguous with a first line.

3. The printer of claim 1 wherein said count of the number of character spaces in each of said lines is in the form of a byte count and wherein the number of said blank space indicator bits for each of said lines is eight times said byte count.