Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
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The present invention relates to type fonts and
more particularly to a font of numeric-fraction-like
characters for a character-element printing system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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Matrix printing of alphanumeric characters is
a compromise. If the matrix is small, for example, a 5 x 7
array of dots, the character shape is coarse and distorted.
If the matrix size is increased, for example, a 7 x 9 array
of dots, the character shape i8 more refined yet still
limited, but the coding complexity is greatly increased. In
order to obtain still greater refinement of the type font
and in order to print small fractions, a matrix of as much
as 8 x 12 has been used. However, a larger matrix size
results in undesirable levels of character-font generation
complexity and very high cost. Alternatively, fonts are
possible having irregular shapes better to accommodate curves, --
etc. with less than the highest costs of font-generating
memory. However, scanning logic then increases in cost
and complexity. There was thought to be no convenient way
to produce elaborate fonts including fractions, without the
high cost of a 8 x 12 matrix or an irregular font.
Fraction fonts have, to be sure, been produced
in a 7 x 9 or smaller matrix but only using two or more - --
character spaces to constitute a single numeric fraction or
wlth unacceptably close proximity between the digits of the
fraction and the fraction line, slash, or bar.
It is the ob~ect of a particu-lar embodiment of the
pre8ent lnvention to produce a readable numeric fraction font
on a 7 x 9 dot matrix using only a single character space for
a full fraction.
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It is another ob~ect of the present invention to
provide an improved numerical fraction font.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, fraction-
like figures are made by forming indicia in two minor printing
arrays located at diagonally opposite corners of a major
printing array and forming a hiatal line separating the two
minor printing arrays.
More specifically the invention consists of an improved
method of printing a double indicium in a character-element
matrix embodied in: ~ -
a ma~or printing array of generally parallelogram
shape in which indicia are formed, wherein the improvement
comprises~
defining two minor printing arrays of generally .
parallelogram shape located within the ma~or printing array and
at diagonally opposite corners of the ma~or printing array; ~,.- .~-
forming indicia in both minor printing arrays; and
forming a hiatal line separating the two minor printing
arrayc.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OFTHE DRAWINGS-~ ~.
.
The following detailed description will be more
readily understood when considered in con~unction with the
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accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 shows a straightforward fraction font according
to the prior art, using a large (8 x 12) dot matrix;
FIG. 2 shows an example of a fraction using a
smaller (5 x 7) dot matrix; and
FIG. 3 shows a fraction font on a 7 x 9 dot matrix,
according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION_
Referring now to FIG. 1, a fraction font is shown
using a 8 x 12 rectangular matrix of dots in order to generate
a more conventional fraction. It is seen that considerable
effort has been made to separate the digits 13 and the diagonal
lines or bars 14 by means of spaces 16 so that the dots 18 of a
digit 13 and the dots 20 of a diagonal line 14 do not intersect
or in any way touch one another. This is most essential since
any contact between a digit and the diagonal line or bar of a
fraction would tend to make the fraction less readable.
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Haak 3
10~183Z
1 The ~raction ~ont shown ln FIG. 1 i8 lllustrated
2 in a greatly enlarged size but it will be readily appre-
3 ciated by one skilled in the art that in normal practice,
4 a printed or displayed character is approxlmately .100 - to -
.167 inches high. In the 8 x 12 dot matrix font shown in
6 FIG. 1, each dot 18 and 20 would be on the order Or .01
7 inche~ ln diameter.
8 With the ~ractions being ~ormed on thl~ small
9 o~ a s¢ale, contact between the diglts o~ the rractlon
and the diagonal fractlon bar would result ln a tendency
11 o~ the dlglt to ~low lnto the bar, at least optically, whlch
12 would make the ~ractlon appear to be somewhat ~meared and
13 sloppy ln the area Or contact between the dlglt and the
14 bar. Addltlonally, the two digits o~ a ~raction cannot
be made too small; otherwise, the ~raction would be too
16 hard for the normal machlne operator to see, whether it
17 19 prlnted on paper or di~played on the screen o~ a cathode
.
18 ray tube. It will be appreclated that ln the ~ractlon font ~--
19 o~ FIG. 1 wlth the 8 unlts o~ width and 12 unlt~ o~ helght
available ln the matrlx, each dlglt was made 5 unit~ or
21 les~ wlde and 5 units high ln order to make lt large enough
22 ~or vi~ibllity in a normal paper print out or CRT dlsplay. ~-
23 Thi~ problem ~an be appreciated more partlcularly by view- ~-
24 ing the ~raction "3/8" (indicated by the re~erence 22) at
a great dlstance.
26 It will be apparent to one o~ ordl~ary sklll
27 in the art tha~ with an 8 x 12 matrlx, the rormatlon of
28 a ~ont o~ typi¢ally 60 - 100 alphanumer~c characters would
29 require a rather exten~ive memory. Thls come~ about because
the 8 x 12 matrlx comprlses no le~s than 96 individual dot
31 lo¢ation~ or blt~ o~ memory that must be used to generate
32 each chara¢ter ln the ront, I~ a ~ont o~ 100 ¢haracters
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104i~3Z Haak 3
1 i~ de~lred, almo~t lO,000 memory locatlon~ or blt~ must
2 be prov~ded, simply to generate the ~ont Or characters
3 in a printer or display device.
4 While memory device~ have become le~s expen~lve
with contlnued advance in electronic technology, 10,000
6 bit~ o~ random acce~s memory are still not cheap. Any
7 changes which modi~y the font ~hapes to promote a reduction
8 in the number of dot~ in the matrix upon which a ront o~
9 characters 1~ generated i~ a great improvement since it
reduce~ the amount o~ memory required to generate a glven
ll ~ont and thu~ re~ult~ in con~iderable co~t ~avings.
12 To this end, in the pa~t, ~maller matrices o~
13 character font~ have been used, for example, typically,
14 a 5 x 7 matrix as illustrated in FIa. 2. In this matrix,
only 35 dots are required to de~ine a character. However, --
16 it will be ~een from FIG. 2 that there is no way that a
17 legible rractiOn ront can be formed within the conrine~
18 of a single 5 x 7 matrix. In order to generate numeric
19 rractions ln a 5 x 7 matrix, three character ~paces were
customarily used with the numerator constltuting the ~ir~t
21 character space 30, the diagonal ~raction bar or line con-
22 stltuting the second character space 32, and the fractlon
23 denominator constituting the third character space 34. ~ -
24 It can be seen that a 5 ~ 7 matrlx ~erves the
purpose Or printing legible alphanumeric characters. Frac- -
26 tions can, after a rashlon, be printed on a 5 x 7 matrix,
27 as illustrated in FIG. 2. However, many o~ the character
28 8hape8 Or a 5 x 7 matrlx admittedly look crude. Additlon-
29 ally, using three character space~ to produce a single
~ra¢tlon 1~ most ob~ectlonable in tran~mission and displays
31 ln whlch rractlons constltute a large proportlon Or the
32 pr~nted or di~played materlal. Thi~ 18 most c~ltical in
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Haak 3
1(~4183Z
1 the tran~ml~sion, dl~qplay, and printing Or sto¢k quotations,
2 etc. Al_o, the crudeness Or a 5 x 7 alphanumeric font i3
3 often ob~ectionable with some character!q being o~ten mis-
4 taken for o~hers especially at Rlightly greater-than-normal
viewing di~tance_
6 In order better to display and print matrlx-~ormed
7 characters, compromiseR have been made, ln that the matrlx
8 ha~ been re~lned ~omewhat 90 as to lmprove the ~hape of
9 the alphanumeric characters in the rOnt. However, it ha~
not been possible previously to make a readlly useable
11 and readable fractlon ~ont ln the intermedlate and very
12 deslrable 7 x 9 slze matrlx. This is because lt was con-
13 sldered that the 7 x 9 matrlx did not permlt su~lclent
14 ~lze ~or a readable dlgit on each o~ two opposlte corners ~ -
with a dlagonal line separatlng them. Consequently, 1~ a
16 ~raction font were to be used, one had to resort to either
17 the 8 x 12 matrlx of FI~. 1 or to the equally undesirable
18 expedlent o~ uslng more than one character space ~or a
19 ~ra¢tlon as lllustrated in FIG. 2.
Re~erring now to FIG. 3, a rractlon ~ont 18 ~hown ~ -
21 on a 7 x 9 dot matrlx in whlch each dlglt such as 40 18
... ........ . .
22 rormed on an adequate 3 x 5 minor matrlx at the two, custo-
23 mary, oppo~lte corners 42 and 44 o~ the ~ont. The two
24 opposlte dlglts o~ each rractlon do not touch one another - -
are separated by a space~46. A rragmentary or hlatal llne
26 or bar 48 18 rormed substantlally diagonally rrom each of ~ -
27 the other two corners 50 and 52 but stopplng ~hort of the ~ ~ -
28 center o~ the ma~or matrlx at the space 46 and al30 stop-
29 ping ~hort Or ¢onta¢t wlth elther dlglt 40. The hlatus
is rormed in the ¢enter o~ the fra¢tlon bar or line in
31 order to preclude the smearing or distortlon Or the ~rac-
32 tion re~ultlng rrOm ¢ontact Or either dlglt with the bar.
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~0~3z Haak 3
l A percent slgn (%) 54 19 shown in FIG. 3 to illustrate
2 that fraction-like figures can also be ~ormed ln the ~ame manner
3 and to illustrate the ~ormation of the dlgit O in a 3 x 5 minor
4 matrix.
Although the digit~ "6" and "9" are not lllustrated
6 in FIG. 3, it will be apparent to one Or ordinary ~kill in the
7 art that once the digit~ "3" and "8" are shown, the digits
8 "6" and "9" can readily be derived there~rom.
9 Although only one speclric embodiment Or the
lnvention is shown in the drawlng and descrlbed ln the
ll foregoing speci~ication, it will be understood that inven- ;
12 tion is not limited to the speci~ic embodiment described,
13 but iB capable Or modirication and rearrangement and ~ub-
14 stitution o~ parts and elements such, ~or example, as line
segment character elements without departlng ~rom the spirit
16 o~ the invention.
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