Printer control unit and method
First Claim
1. A printer control unit, comprising:
- drawing object forming means for forming a drawing object described in an intermediate data format on the basis of input print data; and
selection means for selecting font object forming means according to a font type of a reference drawing object which is a font object when there occurs a need to form an image at a resolution different from the resolution at which the reference drawing object was formed.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
When there occurs a need to perform resolution conversion while a drawing object, such as a character, is formed, deterioration of print quality is reduced by selecting a reforming method according to the type of font. The quality of other pages is prevented from deteriorating in a case in which a drawing object is referenced at the same time from different pages by forming another drawing object. Prevention of deterioration of quality is achieved by selecting a method of forming (for example, by rescaling when the font is scalable) a pattern having a different resolution according to the type of font in a case in which a drawing object is formed on the basis of print data. Further, prevention of deterioration of quality is achieved where a drawing object is shared among a plurality of pages by forming another drawing object when a decreased resolution is desired.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A printer control unit, comprising:
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drawing object forming means for forming a drawing object described in an intermediate data format on the basis of input print data; and selection means for selecting font object forming means according to a font type of a reference drawing object which is a font object when there occurs a need to form an image at a resolution different from the resolution at which the reference drawing object was formed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 21)
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9. A printer control unit for drawing an image by retrieving a previously formed font object corresponding to previously input print data when a same character type and the same character code as those of the previously formed font object are requested in current print data and by referring to said previously formed font object when said previously formed font object is present, said printer control unit comprising:
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determination means for determining if previously formed font object is referenced from another page when there occurs a need to form an image at a resolution different from a resolution at the previously formed font object was formed; and forming means for forming a font object different from said previously formed font object when it is determined by said determination means that said previously formed font object is referenced from another page. - View Dependent Claims (10, 22)
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11. A printer control method, comprising:
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a drawing object forming step of forming a drawing object described in an intermediate data format on the basis of input print data; and a selection step of selecting a font object forming step according to a font type of a reference drawing object which is a font object in a case in which there occurs a need to form an image at a resolution different from that at which the reference drawing object was formed. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 23)
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19. A printer control method for retrieving a previously formed font object corresponding to print data input earlier and for drawing an image by referring to said previously formed font object when said font object is present in a case in which a same character type and same character code as those of the previously formed font object are requested in current print data, said printer control method comprising:
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a determination step of determining if the previously formed font object is referenced from another page when there occurs a need to form an image at a resolution different from a resolution at which the previously formed font object was formed; and a forming step of forming a font object different from said previously formed font object when it is determined by said determination step that the previously formed font object is referenced from another page. - View Dependent Claims (20, 24)
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25. A memory which is accessed by a computer, said memory having stored therein the following programs:
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a drawing object forming program for forming a drawing object described in an intermediate data format on the basis of input print data; and a selection program for selecting a font object forming program according to a font type of a reference drawing object which is a font object in a case in which there occurs a need to form an image at a resolution different from that at which the reference drawing object was formed.
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26. A memory which is accessed by a computer, said memory having stored therein a printer control program for retrieving a previously formed font object corresponding to previously input print data and for drawing an image by referring to said previously formed font object when said previously formed font object is present in a case in which a same character type and same character code as those of the previously formed font object are requested in current print data, said printer control program including:
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a determination program for determining whether the previously formed font object is referenced from another page when there occurs a need to form an image at a resolution different from a resolution at which the previously formed font object was formed; and a forming program for forming a font object different from said previously formed font object when it is determined by said determination program that the previously formed font object is referenced from another page.
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27. A method for re-writing font objects at a reduced resolution, said method comprising:
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inspecting each font object to determine if such font object is a scalable font object or a non-scalable font object; re-writing each scalable font object by re-reading font information pertaining to the font object and using the font information to form a new font object at the reduced resolution from font data from which such scalable font object was formed; and re-writing each non-scalable font object by thinning out such non-scalable font object to the reduced resolution.
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28. A method for re-writing font objects at a reduced resolution, said method comprising:
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inspecting each font object to determine if such font object is a rescalable font object or a non-rescalable font object, with a rescalable font object being a scalable font object for which font data from which such scalable font object was formed has not been deleted or changed, and a non-rescalable font object being a font object which is not a rescalable font object; re-writing each rescalable font object by re-reading font information pertaining to such rescalable font object and using the font information to form a new font object at the reduced resolution from the font data from which such rescalable font object was formed; and re-writing each non-rescalable font object by thinning out such non-rescalable font object to the reduced resolution.
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29. A method for managing a cache of font objects in accordance with input print data, said method comprising:
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identifying a previously formed font object corresponding to a character code and font attributes specified in the input print data for a current page; determining whether the previously formed font object is referenced from another page in a case in which a resolution reduction is requested; and forming a new font object when it is determined that the previously formed font object is referenced from another page in a case in which a resolution reduction is requested, wherein the new font object is referenced from the current page and the previously formed font object is referenced from the other page.
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30. An apparatus for re-writing font objects at a reduced resolution, said apparatus comprising:
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a memory for storing font objects, font data, font information and program instruction sequences; and a processor for executing said program instruction sequences stored in said memory, wherein said program instruction sequences include;
(a) inspecting each font object to determine if such font object is a scalable font object or a non-scalable font object;
(b) re-writing each scalable font object by re-reading font information pertaining to the font object and using the font information to form a new font object at the reduced resolution from font data from which such scalable font object was formed; and
(c) re-writing each non-scalable font object by thinning out such non-scalable font object to the reduced resolution.
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31. An apparatus for re-writing font objects at a reduced resolution, said apparatus comprising:
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a memory for storing font objects, font data, font information and program instruction sequences; and a processor for executing said program instruction sequences stored in said memory, wherein said program instruction sequences include;
(a) inspecting each font object to determine if such font object is a rescalable font object or a non-rescalable font object, with a rescalable font object being a scalable font object for which font data from which such scalable font object was formed has not been deleted or changed, and a non-rescalable font object being a font object which is not a rescalable font object;
(b) re-writing each rescalable font object by re-reading font information pertaining to such rescalable font object and using the font information to form a new font object at the reduced resolution from the font data from which such rescalable font object was formed; and
(c) re-writing each non-rescalable font object by thinning out such non-rescalable font object to the reduced resolution.
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32. An apparatus for managing a cache of font objects in accordance with input print data, said apparatus comprising:
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a memory for storing font objects, input print data, font data and program instruction sequences; and a processor for executing said program instruction sequences stored in said memory, wherein said program instruction sequences include;
(a) identifying a previously formed font object corresponding to a character code and font attributes specified in the input print data for a current page;
(b) determining whether the previously formed font object is referenced from another page in a case in which a resolution reduction is requested; and
(c) forming a new font object when it is determined that the previously formed font object is referenced from another page in a case in which a resolution reduction is requested, wherein the new font object is referenced from the current page and the previously formed font object is referenced from the other page.
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Specification