US4041482A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Character generator for the reproduction of characters
Assignee: Digital Equipment Corp
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Filing: 1976-03-11
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Granted: 1977-08-09
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Expires: 1996-03-11
Abstract
Abstract In an apparatus which supplies characters or symbols and which is intended for service in different countries, some characters or symbols must have different forms for different countries or groups of countries. In the case of read-out apparatus which reproduces in dots, such as matrix printers or displays, the character forms are usually stored in a read-only store, a given address being assigned to each character. In order to achieve simple addressing in the case of a character which has different forms in different countries, not the character form is stored in the corresponding storage location, but rather one or more addresses which indicate in which location in the character store the relevant, country-dependent character form is present. To this end, each storage location comprises an additional storage (bit) position which indicates whether or not address information is concerned and which is read and interrogated first. Depending on the contents of this storage position, either the remainder of the store is then read and transferred to the read-out or an address in the address control system is read and transferred; after that the special character form stored at this further address location is read.
Inventors
- 👤 Jurgen Freudeberg
- 👤 Reimer Von Osten
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 19:54
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09G; G09G5/00; G09G5/22; G09G5/24; G06; G06K; G06K15/00; G06K15/02; G06K15/10; G06K15/18; G06K15/1827; G06K15/1828
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
188 words
A character generator for generating the signals for a reproduction device for the reproduction of characters composed of a matrix of dots, comprising a store which is addressed by an address control system and which contains in each addressed storage location at least a part of the information for generating the signals for a character assigned to this address, characterized in that for any desired character form the store (3) comprises a storage location containing the associated complete character information, and a storage location assigned to a character which can be reproduced in respective different forms containing address information, each storage location further including at least one storage position for control information which indicates whether the storage location contains address information or character information, any access to a storage location causing this storage position to be read first, the control information read out controlling a switch (1) which subsequently applies the address information read from the storage location to the address control system (2), thus initiating the reading of the information of a character to be reproduced and present at this address which corresponds to the address information.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
188 words
A character generator for generating the signals for a reproduction device for the reproduction of characters composed of a matrix of dots, comprising a store which is addressed by an address control system and which contains in each addressed storage location at least a part of the information for generating the signals for a character assigned to this address, characterized in that for any desired character form the store (3) comprises a storage location containing the associated complete character information, and a storage location assigned to a character which can be reproduced in respective different forms containing address information, each storage location further including at least one storage position for control information which indicates whether the storage location contains address information or character information, any access to a storage location causing this storage position to be read first, the control information read out controlling a switch (1) which subsequently applies the address information read from the storage location to the address control system (2), thus initiating the reading of the information of a character to be reproduced and present at this address which corresponds to the address information.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
61 words
A character generator as claimed in claim 1, in which each time only an information of a character part is read from an addressed storage location by additional selection signals, characterized in that a complete information of a character part of a storage location containing character information has similar structure as a complete address of a storage location containing address information.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
A character generator as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the storage locations addressed by the stored address information are situated in a given sector of the store (3).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A character generator as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the address to be activated is determined by the address information as well as by additional information signals.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
274 words
A character generator for generating the signals for a reproduction device for the reproduction thereby of a first plurality of characters each composed of a matrix of dots, comprising an input for receiving a primary address, a store having store addressing means connected to said input and operative for addressing a storage location within said store, said store comprising a first plurality of storage locations and a second plurality of storage locations which is larger than said first plurality, each of said second plurality of storage locations containing first storage positions for storing a complete character information and at least one second storage position for storing control information, said store further comprising at least one further storage location assigned to a character which can be reproduced in respective different forms, said at least one further storage location containing first storage positions for storing secondary address information and at least one second storage position for storing control information, said control information being adapted for indicating whether said storage location contains character information or address information, said store addressing means being adapted for reading upon reception of an address, first the second storage position within the storage location thus addressed, whereby said control information in the case of said further storage location being addressed is then operative for controlling a switch for retrocoupling secondary address information read out from said further storage location back to an input of said store addressing means, for addressing one of said second plurality of storage locations, whereby the total complement of primary addresses is thus adapted for each separately addressing a like number of said second plurality of storage locations.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
274 words
A character generator for generating the signals for a reproduction device for the reproduction thereby of a first plurality of characters each composed of a matrix of dots, comprising an input for receiving a primary address, a store having store addressing means connected to said input and operative for addressing a storage location within said store, said store comprising a first plurality of storage locations and a second plurality of storage locations which is larger than said first plurality, each of said second plurality of storage locations containing first storage positions for storing a complete character information and at least one second storage position for storing control information, said store further comprising at least one further storage location assigned to a character which can be reproduced in respective different forms, said at least one further storage location containing first storage positions for storing secondary address information and at least one second storage position for storing control information, said control information being adapted for indicating whether said storage location contains character information or address information, said store addressing means being adapted for reading upon reception of an address, first the second storage position within the storage location thus addressed, whereby said control information in the case of said further storage location being addressed is then operative for controlling a switch for retrocoupling secondary address information read out from said further storage location back to an input of said store addressing means, for addressing one of said second plurality of storage locations, whereby the total complement of primary addresses is thus adapted for each separately addressing a like number of said second plurality of storage locations.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-08-08 | 1981-02-07 | 1981-08-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-08-08 | 1985-02-07 | 1985-08-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-08-08 | 1989-02-07 | 1989-08-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |