Patent Document ID: 4187552
Application ID: 05944082
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A system for generating dot print characters of a given font within a nine-column-by-nine-row dot matrix comprising: a read only memory having memory storage devices arranged in rows and columns with a storage capacity per row of memory, the memory having a first memory means, a second memory means and a third memory means, said first memory means having nine memory row locations for each character of the font to be printed, the memory storage devices at each row location for each character being burned in pursuant to the dot matrix pattern for a partial column of dots of that given character, said second memory means having a memory row location for each character of the font to be printed with the memory storage devices at each location being burned in pursuant to the dot matrix pattern for not more than five columns of dots for a row of one of said characters and a binary-coded representation for the dot matrix pattern of the remaining columns of that row for that particular character, and said third memory means having a memory row location for each of said differing binary-coded representations with the storage devices at each location being burned in pursuant to the dot matrix pattern representative of one of said binary-coded representations; a first input address means for receiving input information representative of a character to be printed and addressing the memory row locations of said first and second memory means corresponding to the particular character to be printed; a decoder coupled to the second memory means for receiving the output of said second memory means and separating the dot matrix information from the binary-coded information for each character addressed; a second address means coupled to the decoder for receiving the binary-coded information from the decoder and addressing rows of said third memory means; a compiler for receiving the dot matrix information output of the decoder and the dot matrix information output of said third memory means and compiling the dot matrix information for each location in a single row successive column format pursuant to the row dot matrix pattern of the character addressed; a port interface for receiving successive columns of dot matrix information for the addressed character from said first memory means and said rows of dot matrix information to the addressed character from said compiler, whereby the port interface may be coupled to driver means for activating a matrix print head responsive to successive composite columns of compiled dot information for the character addressed and the print head prints on a print medium in successive columns the dot pattern for the addressed character.