Patent Document ID: 4586835
Application ID: 06695997
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A printer for printing characters in two alternative print qualities by printing selected character elements in a matrix of positions arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns comprising storage means for storing sets of character data elements, each set defining the shape of a respective character which has a high print quality in the horizontal direction and a low print quality in the vertical and diagonal directions, printing means for printing character elements defining characters when supplied with character data elements derived from said sets of character data elements, means for selecting a low or a high print quality, logic means responsive to the selection of a low print quality to derive subsets of the character data elements of said stored sets, each of which subsets defines the shape of the respective character less densely in the horizontal direction, and control means responsive to the selection of low print quality to control the operation of said logic means and to supply to said printing means selectively said subsets of character data elements, whereby said printing means in responsive to the receipt of each of said subsets of character data elements to print character elements defining a respective character which has a low print quality in all directions, said logic means being further responsive to the selection of a high print quality to perform logical operations on the character data elements of said stored sets so as to generate associated additional character data elements for each set which define the shape of the respective character more densely in the vertical and diagonal directions, said control means also being responsive to the selection of high print quality to control said logic means and to supply to said printing means selectively said stored sets of character data elements together with said associated additional character data elements, whereby said printing means is responsive to the receipt of each of said stored sets of character data elements and the associated additional character data elements to print character elements defining a respective character which has a high print quality in the horizontal direction, vertical and diagonal directions.