Character generation system

Claim 2

A character generation system comprising: a. input means for storing at least one line of received coded characters and for providing a cyclic read out thereof; b. a cyclic code generator including first means for cyclically generating in synchronism with said input means an N-bit serial code representative of the characters in the system''s repertoire, with each of the characters being comprised of a predetermined number of successive segments of said N-bit code, and second means cyclically generating in synchronism with said first means a series of M reference codes indexing the N-bit serial code of said first means relative to the characters represented therein; c. third means coupling said cyclic code generator and said input means for selecting from said N-bit serial code, in response to a character code readout from said input means, a segment portion of said N-bit code representative of the readout character; and d. character forming means, responsive to said third means and synchronized with said input means and said first means, for directing to recording means the segment portions of each of said line of coded characters, the cyclic reading of the contents of the input means being repeated until segments representative of the complete form of each of said line of characters have been directed to the recording means via said character forming means.

Claim 3

The character generation system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first means are provided by an N-stage shift register.

Claim 4

The character generation system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the output of the Nth stage of said shift register is connected to the input of the first stage thereof, and wherein each one of said N-stages is connected to a source of shift pulses.

Claim 5

The character generation system as claimed in claim 3 further including a first modulo-two gate, one input thereof being connected to the output of the Nth stage and the other input being connected to the output of another one of the N-stages of the shift register, with the output of said first modulo-two gate being connected to the input of said first stage.

Claim 6

The character generation system as claimed in claim 4 further including a second modulo-two gate, each one of the inputs thereof being connected to the output of a separate one of the N-stages of the shift register, while the output of said second modulo-two gate is connected to the input of one of the N-stages.

Claim 7

The character generation system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said coded characters read-out of said input means are coupled to said cyclic code generator and are sequentially applied thereto at a rate of one every cycle of said N-bit code, and wherein said cyclic code generator is arranged such that each one of said N-stages of said shift register is preset by said coded characters.

Claim 8

The character generation system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said coded characters control the operation of said first and second modulo-two gates.

Claim 9

The character generation system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said third means includes gating circuits connected to the N-bit serial code output of said cyclic code generator and a gating pulse generator for applying at least one gating pulse to said gating circuits during each cyclic of said cyclic generation and in synchronism therewith, said gating pulse causing at least a segment of said N-bit serial code to be gated out of said gating circuits which is representative of part of the desired character.

Claim 10

The character generation system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said first means includes a character reference code counter for cyclically generating, in synchronism with the generation of said N-bit serial code, said series of M reference character codes representative of the M characters of system''s character repertoire, and wherein said third means further include a character code comparator, coupled to said character reference code counter and to said input means, and coupled between said gating circuits and said gating pulse generator for comparing a character code read-out of said input means with the cyclic M-reference code index of said reference counter means and providing upon coincidence therebetween at least one gating pulse to pass from said gating pulse generator to said gating circuits in predetermined synchronous phase relationship with said cyclically produced N-bit serial code, said gating pulse permitting said gating circuits to pass the segment of said N-bit serial code then present at the input thereto.

Claim 11

The character generation system as claimed in claim 9 wherein said input means include two line stores and a changeover logic unit, the two line stores alternating in function under the control of said changeover logic unit in a manner such that one store in being filled while the other is being read-out, the interchange of said stores being initiated when the characters stored in one have been transferred to the character forming means and recorded completely and the other store has been filled with incoming data.

Claim 12

The character generation system as claimed in claim 9 wherein said character forming means include a selection matrix in conjunction with a character counter unit which is synchronized with said gating pulse generator for directing the output of said gating circuits to the appropriate input channels of said recording means.

Claim 13

The character generation system as claimed in claim 11 further including means for the reception of facsimile data.

Claim 14

The character generation system as claimed in claim 12 wherein said means for the reception of facsimile data comprise a facsimile input register which is interposed between the N-bit serial coded input to said gating circuits and a facsimile data input terminal.

Claim 15

The character generation system as claimed in claim 9 including means for varying the spacing between characters.

Claim 16

The character generation system as claimed in claim 14 wherein said means for varying the spacing between characters includes a character width translator in operative arrangement with said character code comparator, wherein when a selected character code applied to the comparator coincides with the appropriate reference character code, said code comparator provides an output signal representative of the width of the selected character which is applied to said character width translator, and wherein the output of said character width translator is coupled to said character forming means for instructing the distribution logic thereof to channel the selected subsequent charactEr segment to the appropriate input channels of said recording means in order to obtain the predetermined intercharacter spacing.

Claim 17

The character generation system as claimed in claim 14 wherein said means for varying the spacing between characters include fourth means for obtaining from said gating circuits, each time it is required to generate a character and after a first digital signal representative of part of a character has been obtained from said gating circuits, a second digital signal representative of the remainder of the said character, and fifth means for generating the logical product of said first digital signal and said second digital signal as a third digital signal which is representative of the overall width of the said character, wherein said third digital signal is applied to the distribution logic of the character forming means to instruct same to channel the character data representative of a selected subsequent character which is to be generated to the appropriate input channels of the recording means in order to obtain the desired intercharacter spacing.

Claim 18

A character generation system as claimed in claim 16 wherein said fourth means include a gating pulse unit for applying, after said first digital signal has been obtained, gating pulses to said gating circuits in order to cause said second digital signal or signals to be gated out of said gating circuits.

Claim 19

A character generation system as claimed in claim 16 wherein said fourth means are provided by the character generation system''s gating pulse generator which is adapted to apply, after said first digital signal has been obtained, gating pulses to said gating circuits in order to cause said second digital signal or signals to be gated out of said gating circuits.

Claim 20

A character generation system as claimed in claim 16 wherein said fifth means are provided by a character width translator, the inputs of which are connected to the outputs of said gating circuits and the output of which is connected to the distribution logic of said recording means.

Claim 21

A character generation system as claimed in claim 19 including sixth means for varying the spacing between sets of characters.

Claim 22

A character generation system as claimed in claim 20 wherein said sixth means are provided by arranging for the character codes representative of spaces between sets of characters to include details as to the required space width and by adapting said character width translator to detect the presence of these space codes and to provide an output signal representative of the required space width for application to the distribution logic of said recording means.

Claim 23

A character generation system comprising: a. input means for storing at least one line of received coded characters and for providing a cyclic readout thereof; b. a cyclic code generator including first means for cyclically generating in synchronism with said input means an N-bit serial code representative of the characters in the system''s repertoire with each of the characters being comprised of successive segments of said N-bit code, and second means cyclically generating in synchronization with said first means a series of M reference codes indexing the N-bit serial code of said first means relative to the characters represented therein; c. gating circuitry coupled to said first means for receiving therefrom each of the cyclically presented segments of said N-bit serial code; d. code comparator means coupled to said input means and to said second means for comparing a character code readout of said input means with the cyclic index of said second means and providing upon coincidence therebetween at least one gating pulse in predetermined synchronous phase relationship with said cyclically produced N-bit serial code, said gating pulse permitting said gating circuitry to pass a segment of said N-bit serial code then present at the input thereto; and e. character forming means, responsive to said gatiNg circuitry and synchronized with said input means and said first means, for directing to recording means the segment portions of each of said line of characters to be recorded, the cyclic reading of the contents of the input means being repeated until segments representative of the complete form of each of said line of characters has been directed to the recording means via said character forming means.

Claim 24

A character generation system comprising: a. input means for storing at least one line of received coded characters and for providing a cyclic readout thereof; b. a cyclic code generator including first means for cyclically generating in synchronism with said input means an N-bit serial code representative of the characters in the system''s repertoire with each of the characters being comprised of successive segments of said N-bit code, and second means cyclically generating in synchronization with said first means a series of M reference codes indexing the N-bit serial code of said first means relative to the characters represented therein; c. gating circuitry coupled to said first means for receiving therefrom each of the cyclically presented segments of said N-bit serial code; d. code comparator means coupled to said input means and to said second means for comparing a character code readout of said input means with the cyclic index of said second means and providing upon coincidence therebetween at least one gating pulse in predetermined synchronous phase relationship with said cyclically produced N-bit serial code, said gating pulse permitting said gating circuitry to pass a segment of said N-bit serial code then present at the input thereto; and e. character forming means, responsive to said gatiNg circuitry and synchronized with said input means and said first means, for directing to recording means the segment portions of each of said line of characters to be recorded, the cyclic reading of the contents of the input means being repeated until segments representative of the complete form of each of said line of characters has been directed to the recording means via said character forming means.

Claim 25

The character generation system according to claim 22 further including character segment counter means, coupled to said code comparator means, for providing in synchronism with said cyclic code generator said at least one pulse for gating said gating circuitry upon a coincidence obtained in said comparator means.