Electronic information display systems

• US 4,779,080 A
• Filed: 03/06/1986
• Issued: 10/18/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Coughlin, Bernard J., Turner, Simon R., Penna, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, Sr., John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBERLEY, ALVIN E
• Application Number:
  US06/836,791
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 340/711, 340/712, 340/750, 340/724, 340/721, 340/745, 340/798, 364/900, 364/200, 434/156, 434/169
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9017 using directory or table look-up use of a directory or look-up table in file systems G06F16/13
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/00 Driving, starting, stopping record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor; Control thereof; Control of operating function ; Driving both disc and head
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/65 wherein solid state memory is used for storing indexing information or metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9206 the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

An electronic information display system which is organized as a reference information display system. The system comprises a reference source in the form of a compact disc CD ROM, which constitutes a mass read-only memory for the system. The disc contains text, graphics and/or sound data portions for a plurality of items of information. The disc also contains a list of these items together with addresses for their respective data portions. The system is processor-controlled such that the list and addresses are read from the disc into a programme memory. Using scrolling and/or selection techniques, the list can then be displayed a part at a time until a required item is found. Selection of this item will result in its data portions being transferred from the CD ROM to the programme memory where they can be accessed for use (i.e. visual or audible).

Claims

1. An electronic information display system comprising, a mass read only memory which constitutes an information source from which information can be selected for display, a programme memory for storing programme and other control information, a display memory for storing in digital form a page of information selected from the mass memory for display as an entity on a display screen, a display device having said display screen, a display generator for producing video signals in accordance with the page information stored in the display memory for driving the display device, and processor means and associated user interface devices for controlling the selection and display of discrete pages of information from the mass memory, said mass memory containing a list of items of information and a set of data for each item on the list, each item having associated with it an address code for addressing the appertaining set of data and each set of data comprising further information for its appertaining item, said processor means being programmed for:

(a) under control of an initialisation signal generated by a user interface device, reading the whole list of items and the appertaining address codes from the mass memory and storing them in the programme memory;

(b) under control of a first select signal generated by the user interface device and indicating a region of the list of items, reading from the programme memory and storing in the display memory a fixed number of items from said region of the list including a first item identified by said first select signal;

(c) under control of at least one further select signal generated by the user interface device, selecting one of the displayed items; and

the processor means thereafter;

(i) fetching from the programme memory the address code appertaining to the selected item;

(ii) addressing the mass memory with the fetched address code and reading therefrom the associated set of data and storing said set of data in the programme memory; and

(iii) transferring data from said set into the display memory for display.

2. An electronic information display system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display generator displays a select box and means are provided for causing items of the displayed list to be displayed individually within said select box, and the user interface device comprises switch means to be activated by the user to produce said further select signal identifying the item displayed in the select box.

3. An electronic information display system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the set of data for some items pertains to more than one display page and in that each such display page includes at least one select area which pertains to an alternative page, the display including a cursor which is movable under the control of the user interface device and which when positioned in a select area signifies an operating condition in which activation of switch means on the interface device will produce a command signal for causing the processor means to effect the display of the alternative display page.

4. An electronic information display system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mass memory is physically separable from the system.

5. An electronic information display system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mass memory comprises an optical record carrier in combination with a suitable read apparatus.

6. For use in a system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a compact disc containing reference information serves with a disc player as said information source.

7. An electronic information display system comprising:

a mass read only memory which constitutes an information source from which information can be selected for display containing a list of items of information and a set of data for each item on the list, each item having associated with it an address code for addressing the appertaining set of data and each set of data comprising further information for its appertaining items;

a programme memory for temporarily storing a portion of information stored in said mass read only memory;

a display memory for storing in digital form a page of information selected from the mass memory for display as an entity on a display screen;

a display device having said display screen;

a display generator for producing video signals in accordance with the page information stored in the display memory for driving said display device;

a user interface device for controlling the selection and display of discrete pages of information from said mass memory;

means for reading the whole list of items and the appertaining address codes from the mass memory and storing them in said programme memory in response to an initialization signal generated by said user interface device;

means for reading from the programme memory and storing in the display memory a fixed number of items from a region of the list including a first item, said region and first item being identified by a first select signal generated by said user interface;

means for selecting one of the displayed items by said user interface device, and fetching from said programme memory the address code appertaining to the selected item;

means for addressing said mass memory with the fetched address code and reading therefrom the associated set of data and storing said set of data in the programme memory; and

means for transferring said set of data from said programme memory into said display memory for display.

8. The display system of claim 7 wherein said display generator displays a select box containing said items of said displayed list, and further comprises:

means for individually displaying items of said list in said select box; and

a user activated switch means for producing a further select signal identifying an individual item for display in said select box.

9. The display system of claim 7 wherein said mass memory comprises an optical record and an associated addressing and reading apparatus for locating data on said optical record.