Method and apparatus for filling out a form by a machine

• US 4,651,288 A
• Filed: 11/06/1984
• Issued: 03/17/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: A E G Olympia AG
• Original Assignee: Olympia Werke Aktiengesellschaft
• Inventors: Zeising, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell E.
• Application Number:
  US06/668,853
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 354/8, 354/9, 364/519, 400/1, 400/2, 400/9, 400/61, 400/68, 400/62
• US Class Current: 358/1.18
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/42 Controlling printing material conveyance for accurate alignment of the printing material with the printhead; Print registering
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/46 Printing mechanisms combined with apparatus providing a visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 5/30 Character or syllable selection controlled by recorded information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

A method and an arrangement for filling out a form by means of a processor-controlled typewriter or similar machine which includes a form memory. The text keyed in, which is to be printed in a text field on the form defined in the form memory, is stored in a text memory of the machine. The size of the area required for printout of the text, considering a given line and character spacing, is compared with the area available in the intended text field. If necessary, the line and/or character spacing is automatically changed before printout so as to adapt the text to the boundaries of the text field. With a suitable printing mechanism, it is also possible to change the size of the characters.

Claims

1. In a method for filling in a form by using a printing machine to print at least one line of text within an addressed text field having boundaries which accommodate a predetermined text line length, the printing machine including a movable printing mechanism which is able to print characters in different sizes, a processor to control the printing machine, form memory means for storing at least one of positions and sizes of text fields on forms so as to control the printing position movement of the printing mechanism within the boundaries of a text field, a text data memory from which stored text is printed out automatically, and means for presetting character and line spacing, the improvement comprising:

before the text stored in the text data memory is printed out on the form in the addressed text field, comparing the length of the stored text with the predetermined line length accommodated by the addressed text field,

if the length of the stored text exceeds the predetermined line length, reducing at least one of the character and line spacing and reducing at least one of the width and height of the characters to condense the text; and

activating the printing mechanism to print the condensed text.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the printing machine includes drive means for moving the printing mechanism vertically and horizontally with respect to a record carrier, the movement taking place in vertical and horizontal basic steps of predetermined length, wherein the means for presetting character and line spacing comprises means for storing values corresponding to a plurality of basic horizontal steps for character width and space between characters and to a plurality of basic vertical steps for character height and space between lines, and wherein the step of reducing at least one of the width and height of the characters is accomplished in basic steps.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the printing machine includes drive means for moving the printing mechanism vertically and horizontally with respect to a record carrier, the movements taking place in vertical and horizontal basic steps, wherein the means for presetting character and line spacing comprises means for storing values corresponding to a plurality of basic horizontal steps for character width and space between characters and to a plurality of basic steps vertical for character height and space between lines, and wherein the step of reducing at least one of the character and line spacing is accomplished in basic steps.

4. In a method for filling in a form by using a printing machine to print at least one line of text within an addressed text field having boundaries which accommodate a predetermined text line length, the printing machine including a movable printing mechanism which is able to print characters in different sizes, a processor to control the printing machine, form memory means for storing at least one of positions and sizes of text fields on forms so as to control the printing position movement of the printing mechanism within the boundaries of a text field, a text data memory from which stored text is printed out automatically, means for presetting character and line spacing, and means for generating an error signal, the improvement comprising:

before the text stored in the text data memory is printed out on the form in the addressed text field, comparing the length of the stored text with the predetermined line length accommodated by the addressed text field;

if the length of the stored text exceeds the predetermined line length, reducing at least one of the character and line spacing and reducing at least one of the width and height of the characters to condense the text; and

activating the means for generating an error signal without printing out the stored text if the text is condensed to a prdetermined limit but still exceeds the predetermined line length.

5. A printing machine for filling in a form by printing at least one line of text within an addressed text field having boundaries which accommodate a predetermined text line length, comprising:

a movable printing mechanism which is able to print characters in different sizes;

drive means for moving said printing mechansim with respect to the form, the movements taking place in vertical and horizontal basic steps;

form memory means for storing at least one of the positions and sizes of text fields on forms so as to control the printing position movement of said printing mechanism within the boundaries of a text field;

a text data memory from which stored text is printed out automatically;

means for presetting character and line spacing, said means including first register means for storing a value indicating character spacing and second register means for indicating line spacing; and

calculating and control circuit means, operatively connected to said printing mechanism, drive means, form memory means, text data memory, and first and second register means, for comparing the length of the stored text with the predetermined line length accommodated by the addressed text field before the text stored in the text data memory is printed out on the form in the addressed text field, and for reducing at least one of the character and line spacing to condense the text if the length of the stored text exceeds the predetermined line length, said calculating and control circuit means including

a counter to determine the number of horizontal basic steps in the text stored in said text data memory,

means for determining, in basic steps, the predetermined line length accommodated by the addressed text field,

comparator means for comparing the number of basic steps of the predetermined line length with the content of the counter, and

means for reducing at least one of the character and line spacing and for reducing at least one of the character height and width in dependence on the result of the comparison by said comparator means.

6. A method for filling in a form by using a printing machine to print text within an addressed text field having boundaries which accommodate text of a predetermined height and width, the printing machine including a movable printing mechanism, a processor to control the printing machine, form memory means for storing the positions and boundaries of text fields on forms so as to control the printing position movement of the printing mechanism within the boundaries of a text field, a text data memory from which stored text is printed out automatically, and means for presetting character and line spacing, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) before the text stored in the text data memory is printed out on the form in the addressed text field, comparing the length of the stored text, when the preset character spacing is used, with the predetermined width accommodated by the addressed text field;

(b) if the comparison of step (a) indicates that th length of the stored text does not exceed the predetermined width when the preset character spacing is used, activating the printing mechanism to print the stored text on the form as a single text line;

(c) if the comparison of step (a) indicates that the length of the stored text exceeds the predetermined width when the preset character spacing is used, breaking the stored text into segments to generate a plurality of text lines;

(d) before the text lines generated in step (c) are printed out on the form in the addressed text field, comparing the height of the text lines, when the preset line spacing is used, with the predetermined height accommodated by the addressed text field;

(e) if the comparison of step (d) indicates that the height of the text lines does not exceed the predetermined height when the preset line spacing is used, activating the printing mechanism to print the text lines on the form;

(f) if the comparison of step (d) indicates that the height of the text lines exceeds the predetermined height when the preset line spacing is used, condensing the text by reducing both the character spacing and the line spacing;

(g) before the condensed text of step (f) is printed out on the form in the addressed text field, comparing the size of the condensed text with the predetermined height and width; and

(h) if the comparison of step (g) indicates that the size of the condensed text does not exceed the predetermined height and width, activating the printing mechanism to print the condensed text on the form.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the printing mechanism comprises means for printing characters in different sizes, and further comprising the step of reducing at least one of the width and height of the characters if the comparison of step (g) indicates that the size of the condensed text exceeds the predetermined height and width.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the printing machine includes drive means for moving the printing mechanism vertically and horizontally with respect to a record carrier, the movement taking place in vertical and horizontal basic steps of predetermined length, wherein the means for presetting character and line spacing comprises means for storing values corresponding to a plurality of basic horizontal steps for character width and space between characters and to a plurality of basic vertical steps for character height and space between lines, and wherein step (f) is accomplished in basic steps.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of signalling an error if the comparison of step (h) indicates that the size of the condensed text exceeds the predetermined height and width.