Ultra-Large Character Library Font Engine Middleware
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current character libraries are limited in capacity, making it difficult to store and display large numbers of characters, especially beyond the 65535 character limit, and existing font linking methods are inefficient and unable to invoke characters across different planes effectively.
Innovation Solution
Establishing an ultra-large character library in a non-standard format using a boot character library and font engine middleware, which includes a code table, position information table, and glyph table, and intercepts font invoking messages to retrieve and reconfigure character outline data for display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If characters are divided into multiple character library files and linked using font link method, then the number of characters that can be stored is increased, but the efficiency of character retrieval and display deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple character library files into a single unified character library file, eliminating the need for font linking between multiple files. This consolidation maintains the ability to store a large number of characters while improving retrieval and display efficiency by removing the overhead of inter-file linking operations.
2Quantity of substance
If more character library files are linked to accommodate increasing number of characters, then the character storage capacity is increased, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple character library files into one unified file structure, reducing system complexity by eliminating the need to manage multiple separate files and their inter-linking relationships. The unified structure simplifies the system architecture while maintaining expanded character storage capacity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If standard character library data structure is used, then compatibility with system font engine is maintained, but the maximum number of characters is limited to 65535
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the character library data structure by extending the character code from 2 bytes to 4 bytes, changing the parameter of character code length. This parameter change enables the storage of over 65535 characters (supporting Unicode planes 0-15) while maintaining compatibility with the system font engine through the use of a boot character library and font engine middleware.
4Adaptability or versatility
If font link method is used to display characters on planes other than plane 0, then some characters can be displayed, but the method is unable to invoke or display those characters in some occasions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a boot character library and font engine middleware as intermediary components between the system font engine and the ultra-large character library. The boot character library contains basic ASCII symbols and serves as a bridge, while the middleware handles the interpretation and invocation of characters across all Unicode planes, ensuring reliable character display that the standard font link method cannot achieve.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for establishing an ultra-large character library and a method and apparatus for displaying a character are disclosed. The displaying method comprises: intercepting by a font engine middleware a font invoking message sent from a system font engine, the font invoking message comprising a character code and a font name corresponding to a character to be displayed by an application; acquiring outline data corresponding to the character from an ultra-large character library in a non-standard format based on the character code and font name; transmitting the outline data of the character to the system font engine to enable the system font engine to display the character according to the character outline data. With this invention, the capacity of the character library may be increased and characters in the non-standard-format ultra-large character library may be recognized conveniently, thus efficiency of character retrieval and display is improved.