Vector font processing in a printing device

Claim 1

A printing device, comprising: input means for inputting character codes and attribute information items allotted to the character codes; printing memory means for storing bit map fonts, each determined by a combination of a character code and an attribute information item input from said input means; font stack memory means for storing combinations of character codes and attribute information items, corresponding to the bit map fonts stored in said printing memory means, with coordinate information items attached to the respective combinations of character codes and attribute information items and indicating the areas of said printing memory means at which said bit map fonts are located; printing means for printing a printing pattern constituted by the bit map fonts stored in said printing memory means; font memory means for storing a plurality of vector fonts; and processing means for checking whether or not a combination of a character code and an attribute information item, identical to a combination of a character code and attribute information item input from said input means, is registered in said font stack memory means; said processing means including means for selecting one of the vector fonts stored in said font memory means in accordance with an input character code, converting the selected vector font into a bit map font corresponding to the input attribute information item, storing the converted bit map font in an area of said printing memory means, and for registering a combination of character code and attribute information item in said font stack memory means with the coordinate information corresponding to the stored bit map font, when it is detected that an identical combination of character code and attribute information item has not been registered; and said processing means including means for reading a bit map font from that area of said printing memory means which is specified by the coordinate information item attached to the identical combination of character code and attribute information item, and for storing the readout bit map font into another area of said printing memory means when it is detected that the identical combination has been registered.