Point size,computation and exposure control device for a character display apparatus

Abstract

Abstract A CHARACTER MEMORY, INCLUDING SEVERAL FONTS OF CHARACTERS EACH OF A DIFFERNT POINT SIZE, SUPPLIES CHARACTERS GENERATING DATA TO FORM CHARACTERS ON AN ENERGY RESPONSIVE SURFACE, SUCH AS THE FACE OF A CATHODE-RAY TUVE, IN RESPONSE TO INSTRUCTIONS FROM A CONTROL RECORD. THE CONTROL RECORD SELECTS THE FONT AND THE CHARACTER WITHIN THE FONT TO BE DISPLAYED AND THE SIZE OF THE CHARACTER TO BE DISPLAYED INDEPENDENT OF ITS SIZE AS RECORDED IN THE MEMORY WITHIN THE SELECTED FONT. EACH CHARACTER IS FORMED BY MOVING A BEAM OF ENERGY TO A PLURALITY OF PREDETERMINED LOCATIONS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AND ENERGIZING THE BEAM FOR A PREDETERMINED DURATION ON THE ENERGY RESPONSIVE SURFACE TO FORM A SERIES OF SPOTS, AND EACH CHARACTER IS FORMED TO THE POINT SIZE REQUIRED BY THE CONTROL RECORD BY A CIRCUIT WHICH ANALYZES THE POINT SIZE OF THE CHARACTER STORED IN TEH CHARACTER MEMORY, COMPARES THIS INFORMATION WITH THE POINT SIZE OF THE CHARACTER TO BE DISPLAYED FROM THE CONTROL RECORD, AND PROVIDES A REFERENCE VOLTAGE TO THE CHARACTER GENERATOR TO CONTROL THE SPACING BETWEEN ADJACENT SPOTS. THUS, TYPSETTING CHARACTERS MAY BE DISPLAYED AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND OF DIFFERENT QUALITY, DEPENDING UPON THE USE FOR WHICH THE OUTPUT OF THE PHOTOTYPSETTING SYSTEM IS TO BE EMPLOYED. A CIRCUIT IS ALSO PROVIDED TO CONTROL THE DURATION OF THE SPOTS WHICH FORM THE CHARACTERS SO THAT THE CHARACTERS ARE ALL OF THE SAME DENSITY INDENPENDENT OF THE SIZE OF THE CHARACTER DISPLAYED OR THE POINT SIZE OF THE CHARACTER MEMORY SELECTED.

Inventors

• 👤 Edwin R Kolb
• 👤 Charles H Grace

Bibliographic Details