System for processing individual pixels to produce proportionately spaced characters and method of operation
First Claim
1. A process for proportionately spacing a plurality of characters comprising:
- (a) storing a character font in a memory defining a group of characters which individually selected, each selectable character containing at least one matrix of pixels with each matrix containing a plurality of rows of pixels with each row having pixels extending in a direction of reading of the pixels from the memory, visible pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character defining a visible shape which is stored in the memory as a first binary value and background pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character which are a remainder of a total number of pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character are stored in the memory as a second binary value;
(b) reading from the memory a selected row of pixels from the at least one matrix of each of the plurality of characters in a sequence of pixel groups with each pixel group containing a fixed number of pixels and being read from the memory in parallel;
(c) producing processed pixel groups containing the proportionately spaced plurality of characters by processing the sequence of pixel groups of the plurality of characters from the selected row by serially processing the individual pixels within each pixel group which has been read to selectively add or discard pixels from the at least one matrix of each of the selected characters;
(d) sequentially outputting in parallel the processed pixel groups of the selected row with each processed pixel group containing the fixed number of pixels to produce proportionate spacing in the selected row between the pixels of adjacent characters within the selected row; and
(e) repeating steps (b)-(d) to select and process each remaining row of the matrices of the plurality of characters.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system (10) for proportionately spacing a plurality of characters is disclosed. The system includes a memory for storing a character font defining a group of characters which may be individually selected. Each selectable character contains at least one matrix of pixels with each matrix containing a plurality of rows of pixels with each row having pixels extending in a direction of reading of the pixels from the memory. Visible pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character define a visible shape which is stored in the memory as a first binary value. Background pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character, which are a remainder of a total number of pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character, are stored in the memory as a second binary value. A central processing unit (12) controls reading from the memory each of the rows of pixels from the at least one matrix of each of a plurality of characters in a sequence of pixel groups with each pixel group containing a fixed number of pixels. The central processing unit produce processed pixel groups containing the proportionately spaced plurality of characters by processing individual pixels within the sequence of pixel groups of the plurality of characters from the selected row. Each processed pixel group contains the fixed number of pixels including visible pixels from at least one character of the plurality of characters.
43 Citations
53 Claims
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1. A process for proportionately spacing a plurality of characters comprising:
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(a) storing a character font in a memory defining a group of characters which individually selected, each selectable character containing at least one matrix of pixels with each matrix containing a plurality of rows of pixels with each row having pixels extending in a direction of reading of the pixels from the memory, visible pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character defining a visible shape which is stored in the memory as a first binary value and background pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character which are a remainder of a total number of pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character are stored in the memory as a second binary value; (b) reading from the memory a selected row of pixels from the at least one matrix of each of the plurality of characters in a sequence of pixel groups with each pixel group containing a fixed number of pixels and being read from the memory in parallel; (c) producing processed pixel groups containing the proportionately spaced plurality of characters by processing the sequence of pixel groups of the plurality of characters from the selected row by serially processing the individual pixels within each pixel group which has been read to selectively add or discard pixels from the at least one matrix of each of the selected characters; (d) sequentially outputting in parallel the processed pixel groups of the selected row with each processed pixel group containing the fixed number of pixels to produce proportionate spacing in the selected row between the pixels of adjacent characters within the selected row; and (e) repeating steps (b)-(d) to select and process each remaining row of the matrices of the plurality of characters. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A system for proportionately spacing a plurality of characters comprising:
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(a) a memory for storing a character font defining a group of characters which individually selected, each selectable character containing at least one matrix of pixels with each matrix containing a plurality of rows of pixels with each row having pixels extending in a direction of reading of the pixels from the memory, visible pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character defining a visible shape which is stored in the memory as a first binary value and background pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character which are a remainder of a total number of pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character are stored in the memory as a second binary value; (b) means for reading from the memory each of the rows of pixels from the at least one matrix of each of the plurality of characters in a sequence of pixel groups with each pixel group containing a fixed number of pixels and being read from the memory in parallel; and (c) means for producing processed pixel groups containing the proportionately spaced plurality of characters by processing individual pixels within the sequence of pixel groups of the plurality of characters of each of the rows of pixels by serially processing the individual pixels within each pixel group which has been read to selectively add or discard pixels from the at least one matrix of each of the selected characters and sequentially outputting in parallel the processed pixel groups with each processed pixel group containing the fixed number of pixels to produce proportionate spacing between the pixels of adjacent characters. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A process for proportionately spacing a plurality of characters comprising:
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(a) storing a character font in a memory defining a group of characters which individually selected, each selectable character containing at least one matrix of pixels with each matrix containing a plurality of rows of pixels with each row having pixels extending in a direction of reading of the pixels from the memory, visible pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character defining a visible shape which is stored in the memory as a first binary value and background pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character which are a remainder of a total number of pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character are stored in the memory as a second binary value; (b) reading from the memory a selected row of pixels from the at least one matrix of each of the plurality of characters in a sequence of pixel groups with each pixel group containing a fixed number of pixels; (c) producing processed pixel groups containing the proportionately spaced plurality of characters by processing individual pixels within the sequence of pixel groups of the plurality of characters from the selected row; (d) sequentially outputting in parallel the processed pixel groups of the selected row to a display controller and displaying the processed pixel groups with a display device under control of the display controller; and (e) repeating steps (b)-(d) to select and process each remaining row of the matrices of the plurality of characters. - View Dependent Claims (52)
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53. A system for proportionately spacing a plurality of characters comprising:
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(a) a memory for storing a character font defining a group of characters which individually selected, each selectable character containing at least one matrix of pixels with each matrix containing a plurality of rows of pixels with each row having pixels extending in a direction of reading of the pixels from the memory, visible pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character defining a visible shape which is stored in the memory as a first binary value and background pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character which are a remainder of a total number of pixels in the at least one matrix of each selectable character are stored in the memory as a second binary value; (b) means for reading from the memory each of the rows of pixels from the at least one matrix of each of the plurality of characters in a sequence of pixel groups with each pixel group containing a fixed number of pixels; (c) means for producing processed pixel groups containing the proportionately spaced plurality of characters by processing individual pixels within the sequence of pixel groups of the plurality of characters of each of the rows of pixels; (d) means for sequentially outputting in parallel the processed pixel groups; (e) a display controller, coupled to the means for sequentially outputting, for receiving the parallel processed pixel groups from the means for sequentially outputting; and (f) a display device, coupled to the display controller, for displaying parallel processed pixel groups received from the display controller under the control of the display controller.
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Specification