Character generating method and apparatus

Abstract

In a character generating method and apparatus for dividing each character pattern into a plurality of partial patterns, storing the partial patterns, selecting the proper partial patterns from the stored ones, and arranging the selected partial patterns at respective start points, a memory stores common start point data representing an absolute start point, common to corresponding partial patterns of a plurality of characters having the same arrangement of partial patterns constituting a character pattern, as coordinate values from a set origin, relative position data representing positions of the partial patterns of the plurality of characters from the common start points as relative positions, and shape data of the partial patterns, representing shapes of the patterns. The common start point data, the relative position data and the shape data are read out from the memory. The coordinate values of the absolute start points of the individual partial patterns are computed from the common start point data and the relative position data. The partial patterns having the shape matching the shape data are arranged at the coordinates of the absolute start points to generate a character pattern corresponding to the character code.