Method and apparatus for a multiple font display

Patent 5625375 Issued on April 29, 1997. Estimated Expiration Date:

January 6, 2015. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

3868673

3895375

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Inventor

Keen, Donald M.

Application

No. 369556 filed on 01/06/1995

US Classes:

345/472.1, Reduction only345/467Character generating

Examiners

Primary: Hjerpe, Richard
Assistant: Mengistu, Amare

Foreign Patent References

4-52691 JP 06/13/1990
2029055 GB. 03/13/1980
1585071 GB. 02/13/1981
2090451 GB. 07/13/1982
2091467 GB. 07/13/1982
2164189 GB 12/13/1986

International Class

G09G 005/26

Abstract

A method and apparatus for displaying more than one font on a limited dot matrix display device are disclosed. In addition to displaying characters in a standard font based on using all pixels in a five by seven pixel matrix, a custom font set based on a reduced size pixel matrix is used for character display. A maximum of four columns and six rows of pixels, i.e., a four by six matrix, are used for the custom font out of the five columns and seven rows of pixels which are available. In further embodiments of the invention, the pixels which are not used to create a character may be used to add a background characteristic. Thus a reverse video font or underlining font may be created. In an additional embodiment, a box can be placed around a word by using the underline font in conjunction with placing a vertical line immediately before the first character and immediately after the last character of a word to be placed in a box.