Digital plotting system for graphic information

Abstract

A digital plotting system that receives and stores coded signals depicting raphic information for processing and display. The system processes three basic types of information which are short vector information, long vector information and character information. Together these three types of information can reproduce virtually any type of graphic information that is desired to be transmitted and displayed. The short vector information describes curved lines, the long vector information describes straight lines and the character information describes alphanumerics and symbols. The system employs effective data compaction techniques resulting in a substantial reduction of processed data as compared to facsimile processing. The system automatically stores and provides for sequential selection of the short vector, long vector and alphanumeric information for presentation. The short vector information provides an incremental trace of a curve and is defined by the variable exception vector that is dependent upon trend and exception vectors represented by ODD and EVEN bits described as binary 1's or 0's. The long vector information describes a long straight line starting from any point and extending in any direction and having a specific length. Its specific direction is implemented by an eight 45.degree. quadrant system wherein the specific angle within a particular quadrant is derived from either a vertical adjacent or a horizontal adjacent line. The alphanumeric information is defined by a logic system that describes the symbol from bottom to top and alternately from left to right and from right to left. At the end of each character definition the logic automatically returns the registers to the starting position for the next character.