Method for displaying kanji characters

Claim 1

A method for displaying characters whose structure is represented by vertical stems, horizontal stems and vertical and horizontal counters, where these stems and counters are derived from the character definition which is scaled to the device on which the characters are to be displayed, and where, as a result of such scaling, the counter widths have integer and fractional portions, charaterized by: grouping the counters defined by a first plurality of overlapping horizontal or vertical stems into a first chain of counters; further grouping the counters in the first chain into subgroups, the counters within each subgroup having similar fractional widths substantially different from the fractional widths of other counters in the first chain; adjusting the counter widths within the first chain by rounding them up or down so that counter widths in the same subgroup are rounded in the same direction; and grouping the remaining counters in the character not in the first chain into one or more chains of overlapping, horizontal and vertical counters, and rounding the counter widths, chain by chain, until all the counter widths have been adjusted in the same manner as the first chain.