| 摘要 |
A system and method for storing and retrieving fixed-width and compressed characters of at least one font, which includes memory having a plurality of memory addresses for storing instructions and encoded character font data representing fixed-width and compressed characters, wherein the encoded character font data for a fixed-width character of any given font is identical to the encoded character font data for a compressed character for the same font. The system addresses the plurality of memory addresses so as to read out the encoded character font data and then, depending upon the value of a control signal generated by the system's control unit, decodes the encoded character font data through a decoder as either a fixed-width or compressed character. The fixed-width or compressed character is then displayed on a dot-matrix display. Each memory address commonly contains a plurality of bits which represents a column of said character. A first subset of the bits may then be set or not set in accordance with the particular shape and form of that particular columnar portion of the character. A second subset of bits are then set or not set to indicate which column(s) may be ignored for generation of the compressed characters. The instant invention thus achieves both storage simplicity and display efficiency, by providing a system which can store character font data for both the fixed-width and compressed characters of any given font using the same memory addresses, but which can display those characters of that font using only the minimum amount of columns necessary to accurately represent same.
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