Multi-channel data color display apparatus

• US 3,978,470 A
• Filed: 07/10/1974
• Issued: 08/31/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Midwest Analog and Digital Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Midwest Analog and Digital Incorporated
• Inventors: McGuire, Lawrence T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trafton, David L.
• Application Number:
  US05/487,010
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 340/324 A, 340/324 AD
• US Class Current: 345/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 13/20 Cathode-ray oscilloscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 1/162 for displaying digital inputs as analog magnitudes, e.g. curves, bar graphs, coordinate axes, singly or in combination with alpha-numeric characters cathode-ray oscilloscopes for displaying analog inputs, singly or in combination with alpha-numeric characters G01R13/20; television receiver circuitry for displaying supplementary, e.g. alpha-numeric, information H04N5/445
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 1/28 using colour tubes tubes therefor H01J31/20

Abstract

A multi-channel display apparatus includes a computer having a random access memory means for storing of the continuous monitored data and for driving of a multiple-channel television unit, with each channel identified by a preselected unique color. Vertical scan lines generate line display segments in each channel. The computer stores line segment definition information which is compared with a beam driver control to activate one color driver which is preset to produce a predetermined color presentation for the channel. Alphanumeric data may be displayed in selected channels through a separate character channel having a character generator with an internal sequence system to read-out the selected character and channel location, with an auxiliary decoder selecting the color driver. A computer processor and a display controller are operated through an interlocking control, with the controller monitoring the computer and allowing computer-memory coupling. During a character display, the computer kills the processing cycle, while during a graphical display, the line segment generation is interrupted at an appropriate time and held in standby. The processing system for line segment display includes buffer and latch registers for each line in each channel. A digital logic comparator driven from a single coordinate count unit, reset at the beginning of each scan line, sequentially reads the register and activates channel related color drivers. A synchronizing signal unit provides horizontal and vertical sync signals for driving of the television unit and processor and the sync clock is coupled to drive the comparator. Each driver includes continuously variable primary color signals which are connected to the television set by suitable mixer to permit preset of each channel to any desired color. The channels can be located on the display screen in separate or superimposed locations and related graphical and character channels can be displayed in corresponding color by suitable logic circuitry.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a multi-channel color display apparatus and particularly to such an apparatus for displaying of different monitored data in channels with individual unique color per channel.

In the monitoring of various functions and processes, it is often desirable to produce a continuous, visual presentation related thereto. For example, in the monitoring of human body functions and the like, such as cardiac conditions, it may be desired to produce an automatic display of various interrelated medical data. A continuous display of the patient'"'"'s ECG trace, blood pressure, temperature and the like, must be, under conditions, monitored on a continuous basis. In manufacturing systems, environmental controls and the like, visual display is often desired. Various systems have been suggested for providing visual display of such monitored information at a remote location. Generally, the various prior art systems have suggested the concept of transmitting of the information to a storage oscilloscope device or the like with scanning means to scan and transmit the signals to various viewing stations, or to one or more viewing stations, through a selective scanning concept. Generally such devices have employed black and white video presentations although color presentations have been suggested, for example, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,634. Generally, where the color concept is employed, each point or individual scan line has been individually color coded to control the related trace. Although such devices provide a means of very satisfactory display concepts, they are generally relatively complicated, expensive and, therefore, of somewhat limited application. More recently, data has been transmitted and stored in shift registers with the information sequentially transferred to a display unit, for example, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,407.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention is particularly directed to a multi-channel data display color display apparatus including a computer having a random access memory means for storing of the continuous monitored data and for driving of a multiple channel display means, with each channel identified by a selected unique color. The present invention particularly in one unique aspect uses a conventional commercial television receiver reoriented to present vertical scan lines and appropriate beam controls to generate line display segments in each channel and thereby generate a total display of the monitored data. The output of the random access memory means is cyclically and repetitively transmitted in time-spaced relation through a color display control for separating of the signals for display in related display channels and coupling them to a common color driver means. In accordance with the present invention, the computer stores the defintion of line segment for each scan line in a storage means and the information is compared with a beam driver control to activate the color driver means accordingly. The color driver means is preset to produce a predetermined color presentation in each channel and thereby provide a color-coded presentation. The position of each channel can be controlled to produce separate or superimposed graphical displays with the color distinction between the channels. The display apparatus may, in accordance with another aspect of this invention, also include means to display alphanumeric data in selected channels. In this aspect of the invention, a character memory bank is provided having means to output to a character generator having an internal sequence system to readout the selected character and channel location with an auxiliary decoder to select the color and channel identification. The present invention provides a system which can employ the various standard presentation techniques associated with commercial television such as split screen presentation with alphanumeric information. The combined computer-display system with a time shared memory provides for programmed version and storage of the monitored information with the necessary versatility in use and processing of the information. Thus, the sampling of information is essentially independent of the output processing and display. The medical or any other monitored data is sampled at any desired reasonable rate and stored in computer memory which establishes a record of the channel and the display line. The computer processing means and the display means are operated through an interlocking control, with the computer establishing the overriding control of the transfer of information to and from memory. A horizontal and vertical sync signal generator drives the television display means to cyclically transfer the data from memory into an auxiliary processing system for display. The computer, however, may terminate the operation of the processing system at any time and establish access to the memory bank for processing. During a character display, the computer kills the processing cycle, while during a graphical display, the computer request is anticipated and the line segment generated interrupted at an appropriate time.

The processing system for graphical display includes data information buffer and latch registers for each line in each channel to be displayed. At the end of the scan of the previous line, the latch registers are outputed or transferred to a corresponding pair of control or latch registers. The output of the control or latch registers are coupled as the inputs to a pair of digital logic comparing units driven from a single coordinate count unit, which is reset at the beginning of each scan line.

The present invention employs the conventional television receiver and interlaced scanning is employed for the graphical display. The sequential entry of information into the several pairs of buffer registers and transfer to the control registers is controlled by the output signals of the television receiver synchronizing signal unit and particularly the horizontal and vertical sync signals and the odd and even frame signals. The coordinate count unit is driven from the sync clock and is reset at the beginning of each scan line.

The digital stored memory signals in the registers are compared with a counter and when a selected comparison with the first register exists the color gun units are driven to illuminate a correspondingly positioned display coordinate of the conventional television set and illumination is maintained until a selected comparison with the second register exists. In this manner, the unit continuously controls the individual coordinates of the respective traces illuminating or presenting a coordinate when in a proper time position in accordance with the data.

The character display processing system includes a suitable readout with its own internal sequence to produce predetermined characters in response to a coded binary input, with the output coupled through a channel decoder.

The color interfacing includes individual preset channels for properly shaping and transmitting of the channel control signals, with the output being interrelated to a suitable position and condition control interlock. The channel output may generate three-gun control signals of a predetermined relationship and thereby establish a predetermined color signal uniquely related to that particular channel. The television sync signals are derived from the same sync signal generator or source as the timing signals for the transfer or interface with the memory unit such that the coordinate signal is predetermined and merely the assignment of its position for the related channel is controlled by the signal processing. Thus the processing of the information for each coordinate is minimized while maintaining the highly desirable color separation control.

The channels can be located on the display screen in separate or superimposed locations and related graphical and character channels can be displayed in corresponding colors by suitable logic circuitry.

Further, to ensure a continuous appearing color graph, the initial coordinate is emphasized by generating of a pulse signal in response to each channel signal. The pulse signal is applied to the color driver circuits in synchronism with the initial turn-on of the channel.

An alarm control can be incorporated into the system to change from one color to a different color under certain alarm or preset conditions.

Thus, the present invention provides a highly simplified basic concept in producing of a preset color channel with means for sequentially coupling of the data to the color drivers of an associated channel at an appropriate time to produce the multi-channel display on a conventional television unit or the like. The present invention provides a relatively simple reliable means of collecting and visually displaying various interrelated or separate data on a single drive or display unit in a relatively simple and inexpensive construction.

Claims

1. A multiple channel data display apparatus for individual display of a plurality of monitored data as separate single line function graphs on a separate data channel, comprising a computer means having input means to receive the data and processing means for analyzing the monitored data and storing such data in a graphical memory means in accordance with a segment of the related single, line function, a color display means having a variable driver means, one driver means for each of said channels, said display means being connected to said memory means and including a controller means for sequentially withdrawing of said information and applying said information to said individual color driver means to actuate the color drivers in accordance with the line segment data of the related channel, whereby said multiple channels are displayed with preset identifying color for each of said channels.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of color driver means includes adjustment means for adjusting the color related presentation established for said channel.

3. In the data display apparatus of claim 1, said computer processing means selectively monitors the data and transmits the data to the memory means, said display means having means responsive to said processing means to hold the display means in standby with the computer means communicating with the memory means and thereafter releasing the display means.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 including a multiplexer means coupled between the computer processing means and the graphical memory means, said multiplexer means having an output coupled to the display means and said controller means including inhibit means responsive to a computer demand signal decoupling the shared memory means from the display means and coupling the shared memory means to the computer processing means, said computer means generating an anticipatory signal prior to the actual demand time whereby said controller means completes a line segment and then holds till the terminal end of the computer-memory cycle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said graphical shared memory includes data identifying the initiating and terminal points in each line segment for each channel, register means for storing of such point data, said controller means including a sequence means including a channel select means and a memory address means coupled to the memory means to activate transfer of data from the memory means, a clock means for driving said channel select means, a display sync signal generator coupled to activate the channel select means and the memory address means in timed relation to activation of the display means, a register select means coupled to be driven from the channel select means and coupled to selectively activate said register means to sequence the output of the channels to said display means,

a comparing means having a first input connected to said register means and a second input connected to a reference input source means to provide a selective comparison between the output of the register means and the reference means and thereby generate an output in accordance with the comparison therebetween, and logic means selectively connecting the comparing means to said channel color driver means to correspondingly activate one of the color driver means to thereby provide visual display of the related channel.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 including an adder means connected between the memory means and the register means, said adder means including a control input connected to the computer processing means for selective actuation of the adder means for shifting of selected channels.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 including a character generator means, a separate character memory means, means coupling the character memory means and the character generator means to the computer processing means to selectively transmit a character to said channels for character display.

8. The display apparatus of claim 7 including output combining means connected to said character generator means and to said controller means to receive data signals and connected to said color driver means whereby selected graphical display channels and character channels are presented in corresponding identifying color.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 including a character generator means having an internal sequencing means to produce an output related to a selected character for display in any one of said channels, said computing means including a shared character memory means, means connecting said character generator means to said shared character memory means for preselected presentation of characters in predetermined channels.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said computer processing means includes a memory demand means generating an anticipatory demand signal for selection of the graphical or character memory means, said controller having hold means operable to hold the graphical display means in an intermediate hold position, said memory demand means being coupled to the controller means and to the character generator means to selectively effectively decouple the graphical memory means to the computer means and to simultaneously activate said hold means and being coupled to defeat the operation of the character generator for a given channel.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 including shift means to shift the position of at least one of said channels.

28. The color display apparatus of claim 2 including a binary adder connected between the register means and the graphical shared memory means, said adder having an input means connected to the computer processing means and selectively actuated to shift the presentation of said channels.

12. In a multiple channel data color display apparatus having a television display means including a vertically oriented scan line and interrelated beam control means to generate vertically extended line segments for presentation of a plurality of monitored data in graphical form in a related plurality of presentation channels, a computing apparatus including a processing means for manipulation of data and memory means including a graphical shared memory means for storing of said line segment data for each channel means to monitor the data, a multiplexing means connecting the processing means to said graphical shared memory means, a line generator comparing means connected to said multiplexing means to receive the graphical shared memory means, a beam control means connected to the line generator comparing means including individual presettable color channel driver means for each channel, said line generator comparing means including a sequence controller for actuating said color driver means to present each channel on the television display means in accordance with a preselected color and the stored memory under the control of the computer processing means.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said line generator comparing means includes a plurality of pairs of registers for storing the beginning and end information for each of the line segments of each channel for each scan line, means connecting said registers to the graphical multiplexing means for sequential loading of the line segment information, a sequence controller including a channel selection means and a memory address means connected to the multiplexing means for sequential loading of the data regarding the line segments into said register means, a register select means driven from said channel select means and connected to the register means to selectively activate the pairs of registers, and a synchronizing signal generator connected to the channel select means and to the memory address means to sequentially and cyclically operate said sequence controller and the display means in synchronism.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said line generator comparing means further includes a digital comparator connected to the output of said register means and having a clock driven input means, and means connected to said synchronizing signal generator to activate, reset and drive said comparator to sequentially establish outputs related to the data information in said registers and thereby sequentially activate said channel driver means.

15. The color display apparatus of claim 12 wherein said color driver means include a plurality of presettable color driver circuits having dual adjustment means for individually and separately establishing preselected colors, logic means connected to said presettable color driver circuits and to the output of said comparator for energizing a corresponding color driver circuit for the preselected channel, said comparator establishing the position of the display of the color segment on the display means with said presettable color providing distinguishing characteristics between channels.

16. The color display apparatus of claim 12 wherein said display means includes means connected to the output of said comparator to shape the signal generating a line segment to thereby present an improved visual color graphical presentation in each channel.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said means emphasizes the initial turn-on of a line segment.

18. The display apparatus of claim 12 having a character generator, a character shared memory means, a character multiplexing means connecting the character shared memory means to the processing unit and to the character generator, means connecting the character generator to the beam control means.

19. The display apparatus of claim 18 wherein said character generator includes an integrated character generator circuit element adapted to establish predetermined output characters, and decoder means connected between the character generator means and the color driver means to selectively connect the output of the character generator including a coupling bus to the character generator multiplexing means, and a defeat means connected to said computer processing unit to terminate the operating of the character generator and reset the character generator to the next starting position.

20. The color display apparatus of claim 12 wherein said television display means includes multiple line interleaving.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said multiplexing means is biased to connect the shared memory to the display means, said computer processing means establishes a memory demand signal a predetermined time prior to actual demand, and said sequence controller including a hold means connected to receive said memory demand signal and responsive to complete a line segment sequence cycle and then establish a hold on the sequence controller.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said plurality of color drivers each include presettable color level controls for individually and separately establishing preselected colors, said display means including means connected to all of the outputs of said comparing means to emphasize the initial turn-on of each line segment to thereby present a continuous appearing color graphical presentation.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said computer processing means controlling said character memory means to introduce channel select coding means into said decoder means to select the color channel.

22. In a multiple channel data color display apparatus having a television display means including vertically oriented even and odd scan lines, a plurality of different color drivers each of which produces a preselected color display, a computing apparatus including a processing means for manipulation of data and having a graphical shared memory means and a character shared memory means, means to monitor the data, an analog-to-digital conversion means coupled to the monitoring means and to the processing means, said processing means generate vertically extended line segment data for presentation of the monitored data in graphical form and to generate related alpha numerized presentations in separate channels, a graphical multiplexing means connecting the processing means to the graphical shared memory means, a character multiplexing means connecting the processing means to the character shared memory means, a character generator connected to the character shared memory means and to said color drivers to establish selected alpha numeric information channels, pairs of registers for storing the beginning and end information for each of the line segments of each of said channels, sequence controller connecting said registers to the multiplexing means for the graphical shared memory means for sequential loading of the line segment information into said registers, said sequence controller including a channel selection means and a memory address means connected to the graphical memory multiplexing means for sequential withdrawal of the data regarding the line segments, incrementing means for sequentially increasing of the address of the memory address means for sequential withdrawal of information from such memory, a register select means driven from said channel select means and connected to the registers to selectively activate the registers, a synchronizing signal generator connected to the channel select means and to the memory address means and to the address incrementing means to sequentially and to cyclically operate said sequence controller and the display means to operate the display means in synchronism with the sequence controller, a digital comparing means connected to the output of said pairs of registers and having a clock driven input means, means to activate said comparing means to establish a plurality of outputs related to the data information in said pairs of registers, logic means connecting said plurality of outputs to said color drivers for selectively establishing colors in accordance with preselected preset outputs, said comparing means establishing the position of the display of the line segments on the display means with said channel colors providing distinguishing characteristics from other channels.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said character generator means includes an integrated character generator circuit element adapted to establish predetermined output characters, a decoder means connected between the character circuit element and the logic means to selectively connect the character generator output to said several channel drivers.

26. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said computer processing means includes a memory demand signal means a predetermined time before actual coupling to the memory means,

said demand signal means being connected to activate such sequence controller to complete a readout sequence for a given line segment and then to remain in stand-by position until the computer completes its processing to the shared memory.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said demand signal means of said computer processing means is connected to the character generator to terminate and reset the character generator.