Character display apparatus for displaying multiple-font characters with high speed

Claim 1

A character display apparatus, comprising: an attribute management means for storing an attribute of each of a plurality of used fonts, including a respective plurality of font headers, each storing said attribute of each respective used font; a raster image storage means for storing a raster image of said each used font; an image position management means for storing a storage position of each raster image in said raster image storage means in correspondence with each attribute stored in said attribute management means, including a corresponding plurality of pointer tables each connected to a corresponding one of said font headers, a portion of each of said pointer tables being assigned to store said storage positions of raster images of predetermined characters for high frequency usage, while another portion is assigned to store said storage positions of raster images of characters for low frequency usage so that said storage positions of raster images of characters for high frequency usage may be accessed first; a judgment means for judging whether a raster image of a character to be displayed is stored in said raster image storage means or not, by referring to said attribute management means and said image position management means; a supplying means for supplying said raster image storage means with a raster image of a character to be displayed in case of said image of said character is not stored in said raster image storage means; and a display means for displaying an image of said character according to said raster image stored in said raster image storage means, in case that said raster image is stored therein.