Method of and apparatus for controlling a display

• US 4,794,388 A
• Filed: 02/12/1982
• Issued: 12/27/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Summagraphics Corp.
• Original Assignee: Summagraphics Corp.
• Inventors: Matthews, Henry G.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/348,518
• Time in Patent Office: 2,510 Days
• Field of Search: 340/709, 340/739, 340/740, 340/365 RA, 340/706, 340/365 E, 340/731, 178/18-20, 273/DIG. 28, 200/6 A, 358/22, 358/183
• US Class Current: 345/661
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability

Abstract

Information presented on a visual display is varied in content and size through the use of a single operator-manipulated input device. The foregoing is accomplished through the use of a novel command signal generator which includes a pivotally mounted rotatable shaft, high-resistance switches operatively associated with the shaft and logic circuitry responsive to command signals provided by the switches and by shaft rotation sensors for generating display control signals.

Claims

1. A display function control signal generator comprising:

handle means comprising a shaft which is movable generally radially with respect to its axis;

means responsive to the application of a force to said handle means in a first direction for generating first command signals;

means responsive to the application of a force to said handle means in a second direction opposite to said first direction for generating second command signals;

means responsive to the application of a force to said handle means in a third direction for generating third command signals;

means responsive to the application of a force to said handle means in a fourth direction opposite to said third direction for generating fourth command signals;

means responsive to said first and second command signals for storing a first value corresponding to the quantity of the information to be presented on a display and generating a first control signal corresponding to said first value for varying the quantity of the information to be presented on a display; and

means responsive to said third and fourth command signals for storing a second value corresponding to the scale of the information to be presented on a display and generating a second control signal corresponding to said second value for varying the scale of the information to be presented on the display, wherein the format of the information to be presented on the display changes in response to the generation of said command signals.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means responsive to the application of an axial force to said handle means in a fifth direction for generating a third control signal for altering a further characteristic of the display.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said shaft of said handle means is rotatable about its axis and wherein said apparatus further comprises means responsive to rotation of said shaft for generating third and fourth control signals for causing movement of the information on the display in either direction along a coordinate axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said command signal generating means comprising a switch means.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said command signal generating means comprises a high-resistance switch.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each of said command signal generating means comprises switch means operable in response to radial movement of said shaft.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein each of said swtich means comprises a high-resistance switch.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said means for generating third and fourth control signals comprises:

means for sensing the direction of rotation of said shaft and generating said third control signal commensurate therewith; and

means for sensing the degree of rotation of said shaft and generating said fourth control commensurate therewith when a predetermined degree of rotation has been exceeded.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein each of said switch means comprises:

logic circuit means having an input terminal and an output terminal, said logic circuit means providing either a first or second signal level at its output terminal;

means applying a bias signal to said logic circuit means input terminal to cause said logic circuit means to output said first output signal level, said bias signal applying means including a dc voltage source; and

means for varying said bias signal to cause said logic circuit means to switch to outputting said second output signal level, said bias signal varying means including a selectively establishable resistive path to a potential which differs from that of said dc voltage source, wherein said resistive path is established by radial movement of said shaft. PG,30

10. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein each of said first and second control signal generating means comprises an up/down counter responsive to said command signals.

11. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein each of said command signal generating means comprises:

gate circuit means having an input terminal, an output terminal, and first and second output states;

means applying a bias signal to said gate circuit means input terminal to cause said gate circuit means to assume said first output state, said bias signal applying means including a dc voltage source; and

means for varying said bias signal to cause said gate circuit means to switch to said second output state, said bias signal varying means including a selectively establishable resistive path to a potential which differs from that of said dc voltage source, wherein said resistive path is established by radial movement of said shaft.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein each of said first and second control signal generating means comprises an up/down counter responsive to the establishment of said resistive paths.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said means for generating third and fourth control signals comprises:

means for sensing the direction of rotation of said shaft and generating said third control signal commensurate therewith; and

means for sensing the degree of rotation of said shaft and generating a fourth control signal commensurate therewith when a predetermined degree of rotation has been exceeded.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means responsive to axial movement of said handle means for generating a fifth control signal for altering a further characteristic of the display.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said handle means further comprises:

grip means affixed to a first end of said shaft; and

flexible support means for the second end of said shaft, and flexible support means normally positioning said shaft in a central orientation and enabling radial movement of said first end of said shaft with respect to said central orientation thereof.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said flexible support means comprises:

a sheet of resilient plastic material; and

means supporting said sheet at a plurality of points spaced from said second end of said shaft.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said shaft is rotatable about its axis and wherein said apparatus further comprises means responsive to rotation of said shaft for generating third and fourth control signals for causing movement of the information on the display in either direction along a coordinate axis, said means for generating third and fourth control signals being supported on said sheet of resilient plastic material.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said command signal generating means comprises:

a common stationary contact;

first through fourth stationary switch contacts spacially displaced from said common stationary contact;

a common movable contact means mounted on said shaft for slidably engaging said stationary contacts; and

first through fourth means for generating a command signal commensurate with the bridging of said first through fourth stationary contacts respectively and said common stationary contact by said movable contact means pursuant to radial movement of said shaft.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said shaft is rotatable about its axis and wherein said apparatus further comprises means responsive to rotation of said shaft for generating third and fourth control signals for causing movement of the information on the display in either direction along a coordinate axis, said means for generating third and fourth control signals being mounted on said second end of said shaft.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said means for generating third and fourth control signals comprises:

means for sensing the direction of rotation of said shaft and generating said third control signal commensurate therewith; and

means for sensing the degree of rotation of said shaft and generating said fourth control signal commensurate therewith when a predetermined degree of rotation has been exceeded.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein each of said means for generating a command signal commensurate with the bridging of said stationary contacts by said movable contact means comprises:

gate means having an input terminal and an output terminal, said gate means being capable of being switched to provide either a first or second output voltage level;

means applying a bias signal to said gate means input terminal to cause said gate means to provide said first output voltage level, said bias signal applying means including a dc voltage source; and

means for varying said bias signal to cause said gate means to switch to said second output voltage level, said bias signal varying means including said movable contact means which selectively establishes a resistive path from said gate means input terminal to a potential which differs from that of said dc voltage source.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein each of said first and second control signal generating means comprises an up/down counter responsive to the switching of a respective pair of said gate means between said first and second output voltage levels.

23. A display system comprising:

a random access memory for storing digital data;

a display means for displaying said stored data;

means for generating timing signals for controlling the position of said stored data along a first axis during display;

means for generating first analog signals commensurate with the position of said stored data along said first axis during display in response to said timing signals;

digital to analog convertor means connected between said random access memory and said display means for converting said stored data into second analog signals, said convertor means having a variable gain whereby the amplitude of said second analog signals being displayed along said first axis may be varied along an axis transverse to said first axis;

a control means comprising a shaft which is rotatable about its axis and radially movable;

first switch means operatively coupled to said shaft and responsive to movement of a first end of said shaft in a first direction to generate a first command signal for proportionately increasing the amplitude of said second analog signals;

second switch means operatively coupled to said shaft and responsive to movement of said first end of said shaft in a second direction opposite to said first direction to generate a second command signal for proportionately decreasing the amplitude of said second analog signals;

first counter means responsive to said first and second command signals for generating an output signal commensurate with the desired gain of said convertor means;

means for delivering the output signal of said first counter means to said convertor means to vary the gain of said convertor means;

third switch means operatively coupled to said shaft and responsive to movement of said first end of said shaft in a third direction to generate a third command signal for reducing the quantity of stored data to be displayed along said first axis;

fourth switch means operatively coupled to said shaft and responsive to movement of said first end of said shaft in a fourth direction opposite to said third direction to generate a fourth command signal for increasing the quantity of stored data to be displayed along said first axis;

second counter means responsive to said third and fourth command signals for generating an output signal commensurate with the desired quantity of stored data to be displayed along said first axis;

means responsive to rotation of said shaft for generating signals for actuating the sequential scanning of the addresses of said random access memory;

start address signal generator means responsive to the output signal from said second counter means and to said signals for actuating sequential scanning for generating a start address signal commensurate with the memory address of the stored data to be displayed at a first end of said first axis; and

memory address counter means responsive to said start address signal and to timing signals generated by said timing signal generating means for generating memory address signals which cause said random access memory to be sequentially addressed beginning at the memory address commensurate with said start address signal and continuing through a number of addresses commensurate with the output signal of said second counter means, wherein the digital data stored in said sequentially addressed locations is outputted to said digital to analog convertor means, and said digital to analog convertor means converts said outputted digital data into said second analog signals of said desired amplitude, and outputs said second analog signals to said display means.

24. A method for the interactive exercise of control over the display of data on a cartesian coordinate system comprising the following steps:

changing the amplitude of the displayed data in the x direction by applying a force in the x direction to a control knob for generating a first control signal; and

then

changing the amount of data presented on the display by applying a force in the y direction to said control knob, thereby generating a second control signal.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of subsequently rotating said control knob to generate a signal for causing the displayed data to be moved intact in a direction which is a function of the direction of knob rotation.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the rate of movement of the displayed data is a function of the degree of knob rotation.

27. In a display system having a display device, a memory for storing data at a plurality of addressable locations, and means for sequentially addressing said memory to provide data for sequential display on said display device;

the improvement comprising a first counter, means responsive to the count of said first counter for controlling the number of locations of said memory that are to be sequentially addressed, and first manual control means for controlling the count of said first counter;

a second counter, means responsive to the count of said second counter for controlling the proportionality between the addressed data and the amplitude of the display responsive thereto, and second manual control means for controlling the count of said second counter; and

third manual control means connected to control the initial address to be sequentially addressed.

28. The display system of claim 27 wherein said display device is a cathode ray tube, said memory stores data corresponding to deflection in the x direction on said cathode ray tube, and said improvement further comprises display timing means for controlling said means for sequentially addressing said memory and for controlling the y deflection of said cathode ray tube.

29. The display system of claim 28, further comprising digital to analog convertor means for displaying the data of said memory on said cathode ray tube in analog form, said means for controlling the proportionality of the addressed data and the amplitude of the display being connected to control the output of said digital to analog convertor means.

30. The display system of claim 27 wherein said first, second and third manual control means are formed as a single manually movable element.

31. The display system of claim 30 wherein said improvement further comprises means for inhibiting change of said initial address to be sequentially addressed in response to movement of said third manual control means by less than a predetermined amount.

32. The display system of claim 27, further comprising a fourth manual control means connected to selectively intensify a predetermined portion of the display presented on said display device.

33. The display system of claim 32 wherein said first, second, third, and fourth manual control means are formed as a single manually movable element.

34. A display system including a memory for storing digital data corresponding to a plurality of lines of an image, a display device, digital to analog convertor means connected to receive digital data from said memory and output said data to said display device in the form of analog signals, scanning means for cyclically reading out items of data sequentially from said memory while scanning said display device along a first axis, whereby a pattern of a plurality of points corresponding to said data is displayed by said display device, first control means for manually controlling the gain of the output of said converter means to control the amplitude of the analog signal corresponding to the item of data to be displayed, said amplitude corresponding to the transverse distance from said first axis at which the point corresponding to said item of data will be displayed, second control means for manually controlling the number of items of data to be sequentially read out of said memory for each scan of said display device, thereby controlling the number of points of data displayed on said display device, and third control means for manually selecting the item of data in said memory correspond to the initial position along said first axis of the display of said display device.

35. The display system of claim 34 wherein said first control means comprises a first counter, means for manually controlling the count in said first counter, and means for controlling the gain of said digital to analog converter means as a function of the count of said first counter.

36. The display system of claim 35 wherein said digital memory comprises an addressable memory, said scanning means comprises means for scanning said display device at a predetermined repetition rate, and said second control means comprises a second counter means for manually controlling the count in said second counter, and means for controlling the number of items of data to be read out of said memory as a function of the count of said second counter.