Patent US4735515A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4735515A
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Serial printing apparatus having two character generators, one which generates characters common to a plurality of countries
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1986-01-22
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Granted: 1988-04-05
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Expires: 2006-01-22
Abstract
Abstract A printing apparatus having two character generators, one which generates characters common to a plurality of countries, comprises a keyboard for entering character codes, a first character generator for producing certain character patterns representing certain character codes common to a plurality of countries, and a second character generator for producing other character patterns representing other character codes. A buffer stores the character codes entered by a keyboard and a selection signal generator generates a selection signal in dependence on each character code stored in the buffer. The selection signal indicates that the second character generator is to be utilized to produce the other character patterns represented by the other character codes. A processor controls the operation sequence ofthe apparatus. The buffer is responsive in the absence of generation of the selection signal by the generator to access the first character generator to produce one of the certain character patterns and the processor is responsive to generation of a selection signal by the generator to access the second character generator to produce one of the other character patterns.
Inventors
- 👤 Hiroyuki Ueda
- 👤 Yasuaki Yamada
- 👤 Toshiaki Ozawa
- 👤 Hiroharu Nakajima
- 👤 Hiroatsu Kondo
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 19:45
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J1/00; B41J1/22; B41J1/24; B41J21/00; B41J29/00; B41J29/26; B41J29/36; B41J29/42; B41J3/00; B41J3/28; B41J3/44; B41J3/46; B41J33/00; B41J33/14; B41J33/36; B41J33/38; B41J33/388; B41J5/00; B41J5/30; B41J9/00; B41J9/44; B41J9/48; G; G06; G06F; G06F40/00; G06F40/10; G06F40/103; G06F40/111; G06F40/166; G06F40/169; G06F40/174; G09; G09G; G09G3/00; G09G3/04; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S400/00; Y10S400/902; Y10S400/903
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
287 words
A printing apparatus, comprising: a processor of stored-program type with a data bus and an address bus for controlling the printing operation sequence of the apparatus; a keyboard for entering character codes; buffer means for storing a character code entered by said keyboard; a character generator connected to the output of said buffer means to be addressed by the character code stored in said buffer means for generating one of a group of character patterns, which corresponds to the addressed one, at the output thereof; a processor-accessible memory connected to the address bus of said processor to be addressed by an address signal issued from said processor and producing data at the addressed location on the data bus, said memory storing character patterns other than the group of character patterns; and means for generating a first selection signal when the character code stored in said buffer means corresponds to one of said group of character patterns and a second selection signal when the character code stored in said buffer means corresponds to one of said other character patterns; wherein said processor in response to the first selection signal directs said buffer means to address said character generator by the character code stored in said buffer means for generating one of said group of character patterns from said character generator, and in response to the second selection signal receives the character code stored in said buffer means to convert the received character code into an address signal and accesses said memory by the converted address signal through the address bus for generating one of said other character patterns on the data bus, wherein said processor does not participate in addressing said character generator for the first selection signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
287 words
A printing apparatus, comprising: a processor of stored-program type with a data bus and an address bus for controlling the printing operation sequence of the apparatus; a keyboard for entering character codes; buffer means for storing a character code entered by said keyboard; a character generator connected to the output of said buffer means to be addressed by the character code stored in said buffer means for generating one of a group of character patterns, which corresponds to the addressed one, at the output thereof; a processor-accessible memory connected to the address bus of said processor to be addressed by an address signal issued from said processor and producing data at the addressed location on the data bus, said memory storing character patterns other than the group of character patterns; and means for generating a first selection signal when the character code stored in said buffer means corresponds to one of said group of character patterns and a second selection signal when the character code stored in said buffer means corresponds to one of said other character patterns; wherein said processor in response to the first selection signal directs said buffer means to address said character generator by the character code stored in said buffer means for generating one of said group of character patterns from said character generator, and in response to the second selection signal receives the character code stored in said buffer means to convert the received character code into an address signal and accesses said memory by the converted address signal through the address bus for generating one of said other character patterns on the data bus, wherein said processor does not participate in addressing said character generator for the first selection signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selection signal generating means includes a comparator for comparing each character code stored in said buffer means with a reference code.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said character generator stores a group of character patterns which are common to a plurality of countries.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the processor-accessible memory stores the other character patterns which are not common to a plurality of countries.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
A printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor-accessible memory stores the other character patterns which are not common to a plurality of countries.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said character generator stores a group of character patterns which are common to a plurality of countries.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor-accessible memory stores the other character patterns which are not common to a plurality of countries.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying character patterns generated by said character generator.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
A printing apparatus connectible to a different keyboard for a different country, comprising: a processor of stored-program type with a data bus and an address bus for controlling the printing operation sequence of the apparatus;
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
A printing apparatus connectible to a different keyboard for a different country, comprising: a processor of stored-program type with a data bus and an address bus for controlling the printing operation sequence of the apparatus;
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
255 words
a keyboard for entering character codes; buffer means for storing a character code entered by said keyboard; a character generator connected to the output of said buffer means to be addressed by the character code stored in said buffer means for generating one of a group of character patterns common to countries, which corresponds to the addressed one, at the output thereof, wherein said processor controls said buffer means to address said character generator by the character code stored in said buffer means for generating one of said group of character patterns; identification means for generating an identification signal representative of the country which corresponds to said keyboard; a processor-accessible memory connected to the address bus of said processor to be addressed by an address signal issued from said processor and producing data at the addressed location on the data bus, said memory storing character patterns other than the group of character patterns; and interrupt means for generating an interrupt signal when the character code stored in said buffer means is determined to correspond to one of said other character patterns by referring to the identification signal, wherein said processor in response to the interrupt signal halts said buffer means to generate one of said group of character patterns and instead receives the character code stored in said buffer means to convert the received character code into an address signal and accesses said memory by the converted address signal through the address bus for generating one of the other character patterns on the data bus.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
255 words
a keyboard for entering character codes; buffer means for storing a character code entered by said keyboard; a character generator connected to the output of said buffer means to be addressed by the character code stored in said buffer means for generating one of a group of character patterns common to countries, which corresponds to the addressed one, at the output thereof, wherein said processor controls said buffer means to address said character generator by the character code stored in said buffer means for generating one of said group of character patterns; identification means for generating an identification signal representative of the country which corresponds to said keyboard; a processor-accessible memory connected to the address bus of said processor to be addressed by an address signal issued from said processor and producing data at the addressed location on the data bus, said memory storing character patterns other than the group of character patterns; and interrupt means for generating an interrupt signal when the character code stored in said buffer means is determined to correspond to one of said other character patterns by referring to the identification signal, wherein said processor in response to the interrupt signal halts said buffer means to generate one of said group of character patterns and instead receives the character code stored in said buffer means to convert the received character code into an address signal and accesses said memory by the converted address signal through the address bus for generating one of the other character patterns on the data bus.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
A printing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said memory stores character patterns specific to each country.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
44 words
A printing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said interrupt means also generates a selection signal to select said character generator when the character code stored in said buffer means is common to countries by referring to the identification signal from said identification means.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-04-05 | 1991-10-05 | 1992-04-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-04-05 | 1995-10-05 | 1996-04-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-04-05 | 1999-10-05 | 2000-04-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |