Hardware animation of a bouncing image

• US 20070126748A1
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 138 East LCD Advancements Limited (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Jeffrey, Eric, Rai, Barinder
• Granted Patent: US 7,492,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/559
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0435 Change or adaptation of the frame rate of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/36 characterised by the display of a graphic pattern, e.g. using an all-points-addressable [APA] memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/393 Arrangements for updating the contents of the bit-mapped memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/397 Arrangements specially adapted for transferring the contents of two or more bit-mapped memories to the screen simultaneously, e.g. for mixing or overlay G09G5/02 takes precedence

Abstract

A graphics controller for animating an overlay is described. The graphics controller includes a host interface for communicating with an external processor and a plurality of registers in communication with the host interface. Logic is configured to periodically change coordinates of an overlay image. The logic responds to values stored in the registers to cause display registers containing the coordinates to be updated every x number of frame refreshes, wherein x is a positive integer.

Claims

1. A graphics controller, comprising:

a host interface for communicating with an external processor;

a plurality of registers in communication with the host interface; and

logic circuitry, the logic circuitry configured to periodically change coordinates of an overlay image;

the logic circuitry responding to values stored in the registers to cause display registers storing the coordinates to be updated every x number of frame refreshes, wherein x is a positive integer.

2. The graphics controller of claim 1, further comprising:

image memory for storing image data, the image data comprising background image data and overlay image data, wherein the background image data defines a background image and the overlay image data defines the overlay image;

a display pipe for reading the image data; and

a display interface for driving an external display, the display pipe reading display data selected from the background image data and the overlay image data based on the display registers.

3. The graphics controller of claim 1, further comprising:

a multiplexer selectively placing one of the logic circuitry or the host interface in electronic communication with an external RAM-integrated display panel, the display registers being located in the RAM-integrated display panel.

4. The graphics controller of claim 1, wherein:

the coordinates include an X coordinate indicating a current horizontal position of the overlay image and a Y coordinate indicating a current vertical position of the overlay image;

the registers include a Δ

X value, a Δ

Y value, and an n value,

when n is greater than zero, the logic circuitry increments the X coordinate by Δ

X and increments the Y coordinate by Δ

Y every x frame refreshes, x being equal to n;

when the overlay image reaches a left edge or right edge of a display region of the external display, Δ

X is multiplied by negative one; and

when the overlay image reaches a top edge or bottom edge of the display region, Δ

Y is multiplied by negative one.

5. The graphics controller of claim 4, wherein, when n is zero, the X coordinate and the Y coordinate are not changed.

6. The graphics controller of claim 4, wherein:

the registers further include an X₀ value and a Y₀ value; and

the logic circuitry initializes the X coordinate to X₀ and the Y coordinate to Y₀.

7. The graphics controller of claim 4, wherein:

the registers further include values defining a width and a height of the display region and values defining a width and a height of the overlay image.

8. The graphics controller of claim 1, wherein the graphics controller is integrated into a battery operated device incorporating the external processor, the battery operated device further including a graphical display having a two dimensional matrix of pixels.

9. A hardware-implemented method for animating a bouncing image, the method comprising:

reading a plurality of registers containing values defining an animation; and

periodically changing coordinates of an overlay image in response to the values, the coordinates being changed by updating display registers storing the coordinates every x number of frame refreshes, wherein x is a positive integer.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing image data in an image memory, the image data comprising background image data and overlay image data, wherein the background image data defines a background image and the overlay image data defines the overlay image;

reading the image data selectively from the background image data and the overlay image data to generate a composite image wherein the overlay image is positioned at the coordinates over the background image; and

driving an external display via a display interface to display the composite image.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the display registers are incorporated into a RAM-integrated display panel, the method further comprising passing the coordinates to the display registers via a multiplixer.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the coordinates include an X coordinate indicating a current horizontal position of the overlay image and a Y coordinate indicating a current vertical position of the overlay image, the registers further including a Δ

X value, a Δ

Y value, and an n value, the method further comprising;

incrementing the X coordinate by Δ

X and incrementing the Y coordinate by Δ

Y every x frame refreshes, x being equal to n when n is greater than zero;

multiplying Δ

X by negative one when the overlay image reaches a left edge or right edge of a display region of the external display;

multiplying Δ

Y by negative one when the overlay image reaches a top edge or bottom edge of the display region.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, when n is zero, the X coordinate and the Y coordinate are not changed.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the registers further include an X₀ value and a Y₀ value, the method further comprising initializing the X coordinate to X₀ and the Y coordinate to Y₀.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the registers further include values defining a width and a height of the display region and values defining a width and a height of the overlay image.

16. A method for causing an animation wherein overlay image moves over a background image, the method comprising:

loading background image data into an image memory of a graphics controller, the background image data defining a background image;

loading overlay image data into an image memory of a graphics controller, the overlay image data defining an overlay image;

loading values into a plurality of registers, the values defining an animation;

reading the plurality of registers; and

periodically changing coordinates of the overlay image in response to the values, the coordinates being changed by updating display registers storing the coordinates every x number of frame refreshes, wherein x is a positive integer;

reading the image data selectively from the background image data and the overlay image data to generate a composite image wherein the overlay image is positioned at the coordinates over the background image; and

driving an external display via a display interface to display the composite image.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the coordinates include an X coordinate indicating a horizontal position of the overlay image and a Y coordinate indicating a vertical position of the overlay image, the registers further including a Δ

X value, a Δ

Y value, and an n value, the method further comprising;

incrementing the X coordinate by Δ

X and incrementing the Y coordinate by Δ

Y every x frame refreshes, x being equal to n when n is greater than zero;

multiplying Δ

X by negative one when the overlay image reaches a left edge or right edge of a display region of the external display;

multiplying Δ

Y by negative one when the overlay image reaches a top edge or bottom edge of the display region.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, when n is zero, the X coordinate and the Y coordinate are not changed.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the registers further include an X₀ value and a Y₀ value, the method further comprising initializing the X coordinate to X₀ and the Y coordinate to Y₀.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the registers further include values defining a width and a height of the display region and values defining a width and a height of the overlay image.