Method for generating format lines and character data in an image scanning system

Claim 1

In an image recording or displaying system using a light beam scanning means employing a raster scanning light beam modulated by a signal carrying character data, a method of generating format data to be combined with said character data so as to record or display format lines together with characters, comprising the steps of: preparing a horizontal pattern memory for memorizing a plurality of kinds of horizontal patterns in a direction parallel to scanning lines of the raster scanning means, preparing a vertical pattern memory for memorizing pattern codes which indicate the kind of said horizontal patterns with respect to vertical positions of the raster, causing said horizontal pattern memory to memorize all kinds of horizontal patterns of a format to be recorded or displayed together with the characters, causing said vertical pattern memory to memorize said pattern codes to memorize which kind of said all kinds of horizontal patterns of said format should be recorded or displayed at which vertical position of the raster, inputting a scanning line signal into said vertical pattern memory to cause the same to output one of said pattern codes in the form of a pattern select signal according to the vertical position of the raster, and inputting the pattern select signal into said horizontal pattern memory to cause the same to output one of said horizontal patterns in the form of a pattern signal according to the input pattern code.