Bitmapped graphics workstation
First Claim
1. A bitmapped graphics workstation comprisinga host processor, a visual output display device having a raster scanned display screen, and means for defining a plurality of independent window areas on the screen and for controlling the display of data in each of the windows, said means for defining and controlling further comprisinga plurality of bitmap storage areas each having contiguous storage words addressable by the host processor for storing display data associated with a different said window,means for storing definitions of window boundaries on the screen,means responsive to the window definition storing means for determining when the screen raster is refreshing an area of the screen associated with a defined window,means responsive to the determining means for identifying a highest priority window at the location of the raster,means activated by the identifying means for retrieving display data from one of the bitmap storage areas associated with the highest priority window at a generated address thereof corresponding to the screen position of the raster,means for reading the data at the generated address, andmeans for transmitting the retrieved display data to the display device in synchronism with the raster.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A bitmapped graphics workstation comprising a host computer, window managing circuitry, a display memory, visual display device and multiplexing circuitry connecting the display memory to the display device. The window managing circuitry allows the display memory to be partitioned into plural individually contiguous bitmaps, each corresponding to a different displayed window. The window managing circuitry is divided into a common control section and individual window sections corresponding to each window that may be defined. The host computer writes data describing the parameters of each defined window into the individual window managing circuits. It also stores data to be displayed in the windows (including hidden data) in appropriate addresses of each of the bitmaps. As the display device is refreshed, the common and the window circuits of the manager cooperate to select window "winners", i.e., the foremost window at each pixel of the screen. The appropriate contents of the bitmap corresponding to the winner at any given time is read under control of the winning window circuit sent to the display device via the multiplexing circuitry.
44 Citations
46 Claims
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1. A bitmapped graphics workstation comprising
a host processor, a visual output display device having a raster scanned display screen, and means for defining a plurality of independent window areas on the screen and for controlling the display of data in each of the windows, said means for defining and controlling further comprising a plurality of bitmap storage areas each having contiguous storage words addressable by the host processor for storing display data associated with a different said window, means for storing definitions of window boundaries on the screen, means responsive to the window definition storing means for determining when the screen raster is refreshing an area of the screen associated with a defined window, means responsive to the determining means for identifying a highest priority window at the location of the raster, means activated by the identifying means for retrieving display data from one of the bitmap storage areas associated with the highest priority window at a generated address thereof corresponding to the screen position of the raster, means for reading the data at the generated address, and means for transmitting the retrieved display data to the display device in synchronism with the raster.
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12. A bitmapped graphics workstation comprising
a host processor, a visual output display device having a raster scanned display screen, and means for defining a plurality of independent display windows on the screen and for controlling the display of data in each of the windows, said means for defining and controlling further comprising a common circuit connected to a plurality of individual window circuits, the common circuit including a plurality of bitmaps individually associated with the window circuits, and the window circuits each including means for storing prescribed types of data defining a window means responsive to the window defining data and to screen synchronization signals for detecting when the screen raster is in a window on the screen, and means responsive to the window defining data to the "in window" detecting means and to the synchronization signals for generating addresses in the bitmap associated with the window and corresponding to the position of the screen raster, and wherein the common circuit further comprises means for retrieving screen display data from the bitmaps responsive to the addresses from the individual window circuits, and means for transmitting the retrieved data serially to the display device in synchronization with the screen raster.
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24. An integrated semiconductor circuit for interfacing with a host processor, and
a visual output display device having a raster scanned display screen, said circuit comprising means for defining a plurality of independent window areas on the screen and for controlling the display of data in each of the windows, said means for defining and controlling further comprising a plurality of bitmap storage areas each having contiguous storage words addressable by the host processor for storing display data associated with a different said window, means for storing definitions of window boundaries on the screen, means responsive to the window defining means for identifying when the screen raster is refreshing an area of the screen associated with a defined window, means activated by the identifying means for retrieving display data from one of the bitmap storage areas associated with the window at locations thereof corresponding to the screen position of the raster, and means for transmitting the retrieved display data to the display device in synchronism with the raster.
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35. An integrated semiconductor circuit for interiacing with a host processor, and
a visual output display device having a raster scanned display screen, said circuit comprising means for defining a plurality of independent display windows on the screen and for controlling the display of data in each of the windows, said means for defining and controlling further comprising a common circuit connected to a plurality of individual window circuits, the common circuit including a plurality of bitmaps individually associated with the window circuits, and the window circuits each including means for storing prescribed types of data defining a window means responsive to the window defining data and to screen synchronization signals for detecting when the screen raster is in an associated window on the screen, and means responsive to the window defining data, to the "in window" detecting means and to the synchronization signals for generating addresses in the bitmap corresponding to the position of the screen raster.
Specification