Multidirectional scan and print capability

Abstract

A character generator with multidirectional scan and variable line and character (or symbol) size capability. Universality is implemented by producing a serial binary stram which can be used to print or display in any of eight combinations of scan direction and progression, that is, for scan direction left to right, or vice versa, progressing up or down, or scan direction top to bottom or vice versa, progressing left or right. In formatting the serial binary stream, a font is accessed (for basic symbol definition), which selectively provides for orthogonal scans of the symbol definitions. Variable line size is implemented by terminating a symbol row (or line) based on a predetermined size criteria regardless of the comparable font dimension and 'filling' up to the line size to the extent the corresponding font dimension is less than the predetermined size criteria. Variable character (or symbol) size is implemented by independently multiplying the effect of a symbol definition by selected (integral) factors, in orthogonal directions. The general architecture includes a font table (for symbol definition), an address/escape (A/E) table, defining symbol size for comparison with line size parameters, a character position escape (CPE) table to define a leading character or symbol on each line and a page buffer (PB) memory defining the characters (symbols) in the document and their relationship with other characters (symbols). Access to the CPE table allows access to the PB, from there to the A/E table and from there to the font allows extraction of selected and appropriate portions of the symbol definition to make up the binary system.