System for centrally controlling letter data

Abstract

A plurality of letter output devices (workstations, printers) are connected to a letter data control device by a transmission path. The control device stores letter data for transmission to the letter output devices, and is able to convert that letter data to a desired layout (e.g. from a vector font to a dot font) and then transmits the converted letter data to one or more of the letter output devices. The control device is able to select part of its stored letter data for transmission so that only commonly used letter data need be transmitted during start up of the system. Since a large amount of letter data may be stored in the control device, and only part may be transmitted to the letter output devices, those output devices can have a relatively small memory.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A workstation connected to a plurality of other workstations via a transmission path, comprising: 
 a font server including a font data storage device which stores a plurality of first font data, wherein said font server converts said first font data stored in said font data storage device to second font data according to a request data sent from one of said plurality of other workstations via a transmission path; and    a control unit which outputs said second font data to said one of said plurality of other workstations via a transmission path.    
     
     
         2 . A workstation according to    claim 1   , wherein said first font data includes at least one of stroke font data, outline font data and meta font data, and wherein said second font data includes dot font data.  
     
     
         3 . A workstation connected to another workstation having a font storage apparatus via a transmission path, for processing font data from said font storage apparatus, said font storage apparatus for converting stored font data therein to required font data having a font format, comprising: 
 a font cache memory for storing font data having font format and    a font data control unit for controlling access to said font cache memory, for detecting whether said font cache memory has required font data with required font format, for generating and outputting to said font storage apparatus a request signal to access the required font data with required font format if said font cache memory does not have the required font data with the required font format, for receiving said required font data with the required font format from said font storage apparatus, for outputting stored or received font data with the font format according to a result of said detecting.    
     
     
         4 . A computer connected to a plurality of other computers via a transmission path, comprising: 
 a font server including a font data storage device which stores a plurality of first font data, wherein said font server converts said first font data stored in said font data storage device to second font data according to a request data sent from one of said plurality of other computers via a transmission path; and    a control unit which outputs said second font data to said one of said plurality of other computers via a transmission path.    
     
     
         5 . A computer according to    claim 4   , wherein said first font data includes at least one of stroke font data, outline font data and meta font data, and wherein said second font data includes dot font data.  
     
     
         6 . A computer connected to another computer having a font storage apparatus via a transmission path, for processing font data from said font storage apparatus, said font storage apparatus for converting stored font data therein to required font data having a font format, comprising: 
 a font cache memory for storing font data having font format and    a font data control unit for controlling access to said font cache memory, for detecting whether said font cache memory has required font data with required font format, for generating and outputting to said font storage apparatus a request signal to access the required font data with required font format if said font cache memory does not have the required font data with the required font format, for receiving said required font data with the required font format from said font storage apparatus, for outputting stored or received font data with the font format according to a result of said detecting.    
     
     
         7 . A letter data centrally controlling method in a system which comprises a font server and a plurality of workstations connected to each other by a transmission path, comprising the steps of: 
 storing a plurality of first font data in said font server;    converting, with said font server, said first font data stored therein to second font data according to a request data sent from one of said plurality of other workstations via said transmission path; and    outputting, from said font server to said other workstation, said second font data via said transmission path.