TIME-SHARED COMPUTER GRAPHICS SYSTEM HAVING DATA PROCESSING MEANS AT DISPLAY TERMINALS

• US 3,653,001 A
• Filed: 11/13/1967
• Issued: 03/28/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1967
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William H. Ninke
• Original Assignee: William H. Ninke
• Inventors: Ninke, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henon, Paul J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chapnick, Melvin B.
• Application Number:
  US04/682,280
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 235/157 340/172.5,324.1 315/22
• US Class Current: 345/690
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour

Abstract

An interactive computer-driven CRT display system is described. This system features at least one local console for interacting with a large time-shared central computer. Each console includes a small general purpose computer, special purpose display hardware and software, and several input means, including a light pen. The special purpose hardware includes a display processor for performing many processing steps independently of the small computer. Means are also provided for detecting violations of the boundaries of a display device and for controlling signals applied to the display device in response thereto. Processing and display functions proceed concurrently and share computer capabilities on an interrupt basis. Means are also provided for performing data transformations on a cumulative basis.

Claims

1. Apparatus for generating a visual display in response to hierarchically structured graphical data signals comprising A. a memory having a plurality of storage locations for storing said hierarchically structured signals, B. control means for generating control signals, C. a central processor responsive to said control signals for selectively operating on said structured signals to generate a sequence of display identification signals, D. a display processor for transforming applied sequences of signals into corresponding sequences of display command signals, E. means for selectively applying said sequence of display identification signals to said display processor, and F. display means responsive to said command signals for generating a visual display.

2. a plurality of display command words, including one such command word for each of said sequences, B. display means responsive to at least subsets of said words and sequences of signals for generating a visual image corresponding to said subsets of words and sequences of signals, and C. a processor responsive to at least some of said command words for sequentially selecting and presenting to said display means appropriate ones of said sequences of signals and said words.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 additionally comprising means for storing said display identification signals, and wherein said means for selectively applying comprises means for selectively reading signals from a sequence of locations in said memory in response to said display identification signals.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said display identification signals comprise memory address signals identifying locations in said memory, and said means for storing display identification signals comprises a display address register.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 additionally comprising a source of successive incrementing signals, a display buffer register and means for nondestructively transferring signals stored in said memory to said display buffer register, and wherein said means for selectively reading comprises said display buffer register for temporarily storing signals from said memory which are successively specified by said display address register in response to said incrementing signals.

6. Apparatus for generating a visual image comprising A. a memory for storing graphical data signals, B. control means for generating control signals, C. means selectively responsive to said control signals for reading a sequence of certain ones of said data signals from said memory which specify the position and intensity of a corresponding sequence of points on said image, D. means selectively responsive to said control means for generating a sequence of signals specifying the position and intensity of points on said image in response to other ones of said data signals stored in said memory, and E. display means responsive to said sequences of position and intensity signals for generating a visual image.

7. Apparatus comprisiNg A. a memory for storing data signals including control data signals and hierarchically structured graphical data signals, B. a processor responsive to a first group of said control data signals for processing others of said data signals, said processing including transforming a first group of said hierarchically structured data signals into a sequence of display codes, C. a display means responsive to selected ones of said hierarchically structured graphical data signals for generating a visual display, and D. a multiplexor responsive to requests made by said processor and said display means for directing appropriately selected ones of said data signals from said memory to said processor and said display means.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said multiplexor includes means for providing said display means with priority over said processor with regard to accessing data signals stored in said memory.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said processor comprises means for providing, under the control of said selected ones of said control data signals, for the selection of said data signals directed to said display means.

10. Apparatus according to claim 7 additionally comprising A. at least one source of interrupt signals, B. means for identifying the source of an interrupt signal, and C. means responsive to an indication by said identifying means for interrupting the direction of data signals to said display means and for redirecting the selection of said data signals by said processor to a subset of said data signals which is uniquely associated with said source of interrupt signals, said processor being arranged to process said subset of said data signals.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said identifying means comprises a plurality of resetable flags, each flag being uniquely associated with and setable by a particular source of interrupt signals.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising scanning means for scanning said plurality of flags and for providing an indication of any flag which may be set.

13. Apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising means for re-establishing normal display and processing operations subsequent to the completion of the processing of said subset of said data signals.

14. Apparatus comprising A. a memory for storing

15. Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said processor includes means for selecting and presenting to said display means a sequence of increment mode signals in response to at least some of said command words, said display means being responsive to said increment mode signals for generating a visual image.

16. Apparatus for generating a visual image comprising A. a memory for storing graphical data signals, B. means selectively responsive to said data signals for reading a sequence of said data signals from said memory which sequence of signals specifies the position and intensity of points on said image, C. display means responsive to said sequence of signals for generating said image, and D. transforming means sequentially responsive to subsets of said data signals for transforming respective subsets of said sequence of signals with respect to the position or orientation they specify on said image.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said Transforming means comprises means for storing an indication of a first position transformation relationship between a transformed data signal and an untransformed data signal, and means for combining said indication with an indication of a second position or orientation transformation to generate signals indicating a combined position or orientation transformation.

18. Apparatus for generating a visual image comprising A. a memory for storing graphical data signals, B. means selectively responsive to said data signals for reading a first sequence of said data signals from said memory which first sequence of signals specifies the position and intensity of points on said image, C. display means having boundaries, said display means being responsive to said first sequence of signals for generating at least a portion of said image, D. means for generating edge violation signals indicating that a position specified by said first sequence of signals violates said boundaries of said display means and indicating the extent by which said position violates said boundaries, and E. means responsive to said edge violation signals for modifying said first sequence of signals with regard to the specification of intensity of points on said image.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said means for generating said edge violation signals comprises a register associated with each coordinate direction on said image, and said means for modifying comprises a source of inhibiting signals responsive to the contents of said registers, further comprising means for entering information indicative of the position of points specified by said first sequence relative to said boundaries.

20. Apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said boundaries are specified by a sequence of reference signals, and wherein said means for generating said edge violation signal comprises means for generating an indication of the relative position of points specified by said first sequence with respect to said boundaries.

21. Apparatus according to claim 19 further comprising means responsive to said inhibiting signals for increasing the rate of reading said first sequence of data signals from said memory.

22. A graphical display system comprising A. a display device responsive to applied data signals for generating a visual image, B. a memory for storing signals including hierarchically structured display signals, C. means for reading from said memory and applying to said display device a subset of said hierarchically structured signals for generating a first portion of an image on said display device, and D. program controlled computer means responsive to signals stored in said memory for generating and applying to said display device signals for generating another portion of said image.

23. In a system comprising a display device having boundaries, said display device being responsive to an applied sequence of signals for generating a visual image, said sequence of signals for generating a visual image, said sequence of signals comprising position-specifying signals;

means for detecting signals specifying a position which exceeds at least one of said boundaries; and

means responsive to said means for detecting for inhibiting the application to said display device of said signals specifying a position which exceeds at least one of said boundaries, the improvement comprising a source of clock signals capable of generating clock signals at a plurality of selectable frequencies in response to applied selection signals, means responsive to said means for detecting for generating selection signals for selecting one of said clock signal frequencies, a first selection signal being generated when said signals specifying a position which exceeds at least one of said boundaries are detected, and a second selection signal being generated when no signals specifying a position which exceeds at least one of said boundaries are detected, and mEans responsive to said source of clock signals for controlling the rate of application of said sequence of signals.