Character image generation apparatus and crt phototypesetting system

Abstract

Apparatus for reproducing characters from cathode ray tubes wherein a beam is deflected onto alpha/numeric characters occupying a selected area of a font. The beam is deflected by relatively high speed linear vertical strokes which are displaced horizontally by a slower speed stroke advance waveform and each scan is positioned relative to one of the selected areas. The vertical linear strokes of the beam are at a variable rate and the vertical strokes are terminated by time interval pulses at an amplitude corresponding to the area height of the font character. The rate of the strokes is determined by the time interval pulses which in turn are regulated by point size control selection means. A resultant two level output signal representative of the successive selected characters controls another cathode ray tube, the scanning of which is identical to that of the first cathode ray tube. The deflection of the beam in the second cathode ray tube is at a constant rate and the intervals of the strokes in the scanning of the second cathode ray tube are also controlled by the time interval pulses.