Multi-window display control system

• US 4,954,818 A
• Filed: 10/20/1986
• Issued: 09/04/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Micro Software SYST
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Micro Software SYST
• Inventors: Suzuki, Kazunari, Kuwabara, Tadashi, Nonaka, Naomichi, Nakane, Keiichi, Ikeda, Naoya, Koreeda, Hiroyuki, Aotsu, Hiroaki, Kawase, Masaki, Tatsuno, Yujiro
• Primary Examiner(s): OBERLEY, ALVIN E
• Application Number:
  US06/920,425
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 340/721, 340/724, 340/747, 340/750, 340/799, 340/798, 340/734, 340/712
• US Class Current: 715/790
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A central processing unit, a main memory for storing graphic or character data, an external memory, an input device for inputting the graphic or character data, a shared memory for temporarily storing the graphic or character data read by the central processing unit, a display processing means for preparing a plurality of display data displayed on a display from the graphic or character data on the shared memory, and a display memory for storing the plurality of display data are connected to a bus. The display memory, the shared memory, and the external memory have first, second and third save areas for temporarily saving the overlapped display data when the plurality of display data are overlapped. The main memory is provided with a first control table for controlling display position, mutual priority for display, and a save area during overlap, regarding each of the plurality of display data stored in the display memory. The display processing means controls to display the plurality of display data on the display using the first table, the first, second and third save areas, and the display memory. In the first, second and third save areas, the first save area has highest priority and the third save area has lowest priority.

Claims

1. A multi-window display control system which is composed of a central processing unit, a main memory, a shared memory, an external memory, an input means, a display means and a display memory for storing a plurality of display data being overlapped and displayed, said system comprising:

a display processing means for performing display processing of a plurality of display data;

a first save area installed on the display memory for temporarily saving overlapped data of the plurality of display data;

a second save area installed on the shared memory for temporarily saving overlapped data of the display data;

a third save area installed on the external memory for temporarily saving overlapped data of the plurality of display data;

a first control table installed on the main memory for controlling display position, mutual priority for display, and a save area during overlap, regarding each of a plurality of display data stored in the display memory,

wherein said display processing means controls display of the plurality of display data using the first control table, the first, second and third save areas, and the display memory.

2. A multi-window display control system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second control table installed on the main memory for controlling window reservation setting and wait queue for display request regarding data with highest priority among a plurality of display data.

3. A multi-window display control system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a third control table installed on the main memory for controlling wait queue for input completion, wait queue for privileged input request, and current input mode data, regarding the input means,

wherein said first control table also controls the input mode data regarding each of the plurality of display data stored in the display memory.

4. A multi-window display control system according to claim 1, wherein said display processing means supplies the highest priority to the first save area and the lowest priority to the third save area, when overlapped data of a plurality of display data are saved to the first, second and third areas.

5. A multi-window display control system according to claim 1, wherein said first save area comprises a special save area for saving overlapped data by a special data window, and a general save area for saving overlapped data by a general data window.

6. A multi-window display control system according to claim 5, wherein overlapped data by the special data window is a preceding display data at the display position of the special data window.

7. A multi-window display control system according to claim 5, wherein overlapped data by the general data window is a whole display data of a window with highest priority among preceding display windows at the display position of the general data window.

8. A multi-window display control system displaying a plurality of display data in overlapped state on a display means, said system comprising:

a memory means for storing at least graphic or character data to be displayed;

a central processing unit for commanding request to display the plurality of display data based on the graphic or character data;

a display memory for storing at least the plurality of display data;

a display processing means for preparing display data from the graphic or character data based on request from the central processing unit and storing the display data in the display memory;

an input means for inputting at least the graphic or character data into the memory means;

a first save area installed on the display memory for temporarily storing overlapped data of the display data;

a second save area installed on the memory means for temporarily storing overlapped data of the display data; and

a first control table installed on the memory means for controlling display position, mutual priority for display, and a storage area during overlap, regarding each of a plurality of display data stored in the display memory.

9. A multi-window display control system according to claim 8, wherein said display processing means supplies higher priority to the first save area, when the overlapped data are stored in the first and second save areas.

10. A multi-window display control system according to claim 8, wherein said first save area comprises a special save area for saving overlapped data by a special data window, and a general save area for saving overlapped data by a general data window.

11. A multi-window display control system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a second control table installed on the memory means for controlling window reservation setting and wait queue for display request regarding data with highest priority among the plurality of display data.

12. A multi-window display control system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a third control table installed on the memory means for controlling wait queue for input completion regarding the input means, wait queue for privileged input request regarding the input means, and input mode data regarding display data at the front surface,

wherein said first control table also controls the input mode data regarding each of the plurality of display data.

13. A multi-window display control system for displaying a plurality of display data in overlapped state on a display means, said system comprising:

a bus;

a memory means connected to the bus for storing at least graphic or character data;

a shard memory connected to the bus for temporarily storing at least the graphic or character data;

a central processing unit connected to the bus for transferring the graphic or character data form the memory means into the shard memory and commanding display request based on the transferred graphic or character data;

a display processing means connected to the bus for exploding the display data from the graphic or character data transferred to the shared memory based on the request from the central processing unit;

a display memory connected to the bus for storing at least the display data;

an input means connected to the bus for inputting at least the graphic or character data;

an external memory connected to the bus;

a first save area installed on the display memory for temporarily saving overlapped data of a plurality of display data;

a second save area installed on the shared memory for saving the overlapped display data and;

a third save area installed on the external memory for saving the overlapped display data.

14. A multi-window display control system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a first control table installed on the main memory for controlling display position, mutual priority for display, and input mode data, regarding each of a plurality of display data stored in the display memory;

a second control table installed on the main

memory for controlling task number of display data with highest priority among the plurality of display data, and wait queue for display request; and

a third control table for controlling wait queue for input completion regarding the input means, wait queue for privileged input request, and input mode data set by the task waiting input completion.

15. A multi-window display control system according to claim 14, wherein said display processing means supplies highest priority to the first save area and lowest priority to third save area, when the overlapped displayed data are saved.