Method and Apparatus for Providing Backup Font Support for Missing Device Glyphs

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus in a data processing system for printing characters. Data received includes glyphs for output on an output device, wherein the glyphs are to be output using a selected device font. Monitoring for unsupported glyphs in the selected device font is performed. In response to detecting a glyph unsupported by the selected device font, a back up system font is used to output the glyph to the output device.

1 - 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . A method in a data processing system for printing characters, the method comprising the data processing system implemented steps of:
 receiving data including glyphs for output on an output device, wherein the glyphs are to be output using a selected font;   monitoring for glyphs unsupported by the selected font; and   responsive to detecting a glyph unsupported by the selected font, using a backup font to output the glyph to the output device, while remaining glyphs are output using the selected font.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the output device is a printer. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the output device is a display device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the receiving, monitoring, and using steps are implemented in a printer driver. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the receiving, monitoring, and using steps are implemented in a video driver. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein a set of information about the selected font and the backup font is created for use in monitoring for glyphs unsupported by the selected font and for using a backup font to output the glyph to the output device. 
     
     
         11 . A method in a computer system for presenting glyphs using an output device, the method comprising:
 responsive to detecting a selection of font, determining whether the font is able to output all glyphs in a range of glyphs that may be used;   selecting a backup font based on the range of glyphs;   responsive to receiving a data stream for output on the output device, determining whether particular glyphs are present that are outside of the range of glyphs; and   responsive to a determination that the glyph is present, using the backup font to send the particular glyphs to the output device.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the using step includes:
 breaking up the data stream into a first set of glyphs containing glyphs within the range of glyphs and into a second set of glyphs containing glyphs outside of the range of glyphs;   sending the first set of glyphs using the selected font; and   sending the second set of glyphs using the backup font.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the output device is a printer. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the output device is a video display device. 
     
     
         15 . A printer system comprising:
 a printer; and   a device driver, wherein the device driver includes:
 receiving means for receiving data including glyphs for output to the printer, wherein the glyphs are to be output using a selected font; 
 monitoring means for monitoring for glyphs unsupported by the selected font; and 
 printing means, responsive to detecting a glyph unsupported by the selected font, printing glyph using a backup font to print a character at the printer. 
   
     
     
         16 . The printer system of  claim 15 , wherein the printing means comprises:
 requesting means for requesting the glyph in the backup font; and   printing means for printing the glyph in the backup font.   
     
     
         17 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A computer system for performing a method for printing characters, the method comprising the computer system implemented steps of:
 receiving means for receiving data including glyphs for output on an output device, wherein the glyphs are to be output using a selected font;   monitoring means for monitoring for glyphs unsupported by the selected font; and   using means, responsive to detecting a glyph unsupported by the selected font, for using a backup font to output the glyph to the output device, while remaining glyphs are output using the selected font.   
     
     
         21 . The computer system of  claim 20 , wherein the output device is a printer. 
     
     
         22 . The computer system of  claim 20 , wherein the output device is a display device. 
     
     
         23 . The computer system of  claim 20 , wherein the receiving means, monitoring means, and using means are implemented in a printer driver. 
     
     
         24 . The computer system of  claim 20 , wherein the receiving means, monitoring means, and using means are implemented in a video driver. 
     
     
         25 . The computer system of  claim 20 , wherein the receiving means, monitoring means, and using means are implemented in a software component called by a device driver when glyphs are to be output on the output device by the device driver. 
     
     
         26 . The computer system of  claim 20 , wherein a set of information about the selected font and the backup font is created for use by the monitoring means. 
     
     
         27 . The computer system of  claim 26 , wherein the set of information is created for a print job. 
     
     
         28 . The computer system of  claim 26 , wherein the set of information is created for an application. 
     
     
         29 . The computer system of  claim 28 , wherein the set of information created for the application is present while the applications is active. 
     
     
         30 . A computer system for performing a method for presenting glyphs using an output device, the method comprising:
 determining means, responsive to detecting a selection of font, for determining whether the font is able to output all glyphs in a range of glyphs that may be used;   selecting means for selecting a backup font based on the range of glyphs;   determining means, responsive to receiving a data stream for output on the output device, for determining whether particular glyphs are present that are outside of the range of glyphs; and   using means, responsive to a determination that the glyph is present, for using the backup font to send the particular glyphs to the output device.   
     
     
         31 . The computer system of  claim 30 , wherein using means includes:
 breaking means for breaking up the data stream into a first set of glyphs containing glyphs within the range of glyphs and into a second set of glyphs containing glyphs outside of the range of glyphs;   first sending means for sending the first set of glyphs using the selected font; and   second sending means for sending the second set of glyphs using the backup font.   
     
     
         32 . The computer system of  claim 30 , wherein the output device is a printer. 
     
     
         33 . The computer system of  claim 30 , wherein the output device is a video display device. 
     
     
         34 . A method in a computer system for printing comprising:
 receiving a string of glyphs for printing at a printer driver in a computer system, wherein the string of glyphs includes glyphs to be printed using a selected font;   determining whether glyphs within the string of glyphs are unsupported by the selected font;   responsive to a determination that a specific glyphs in the string of glyphs are unsupported absent by the selected font, dividing the string of glyphs into a plurality of substrings, each substring containing either only glyphs supported by the selected font or only glyphs unsupported by the selected font;   printing the substrings containing glyphs supported by the selected font using the selected font; and   printing the substrings containing glyphs unsupported by the selected font using a backup font containing a specific character.   
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . A computer program product in a computer readable medium for printing characters, the computer program product comprising:
 first instructions for receiving data including glyphs for output on an output device, wherein the glyphs are to be output using a selected font;   second instructions for monitoring for glyphs unsupported by the selected font; and   third instructions, responsive to detecting a glyph unsupported by the selected font, for using a backup font to output the glyph to the output device, while remaining glyphs are output using the selected font.   
     
     
         37 . A computer program product in a computer readable media for presenting glyphs using an output device, the computer program product comprising:
 first instructions, responsive to detecting a selection of font, for determining whether the font is able to output all glyphs in a range of glyphs that may be used;   second instructions for selecting a backup font based on the range of glyphs;   third instructions, responsive to receiving a data stream for output on the output device, for determining whether particular glyphs are present that are outside of the range of glyphs; and   fourth instructions, responsive to a determination that the glyph is present, for using the backup font to send the particular glyphs to the output device.