Adjustable overlay display controller
First Claim
1. A video display control system for controlling presentation of varying patterns of pixels on a screen of a display monitor in response to selected commands from a control means directing presentations of such pixel patterns as a sequence of lines of sequential pixels, said pixel patterns comprising a composite of both relatively infrequently changing background pixel patterns based on corresponding background data supplied by said control means, and relatively frequently changing foreground pixel patterns based on corresponding foreground data supplied by said control means, said control means comprising:
- a background data memory means for receiving at data inputs thereof signals from said control means for at least temporary storage therein representing said background data, and, upon receiving corresponding command signals at command inputs thereof from said control means including receiving an indication of a selected line in said sequence of lines, being capable of providing at outputs thereof signals representing a selected portion of said background data corresponding to said selected line sufficient to supply a basis for forming portions of those background pixel patterns that are to appear in said selected line in locations therein devoid of portions of said foreground pixel patterns, said command inputs thereof and said data inputs thereof at least in part being electrically connected to said control means;
a foreground data memory means for receiving at data inputs thereof signals from said control means for at least temporary storage therein representing said foreground data, and, upon receiving corresponding command signals at command inputs thereof, being capable of providing at outputs thereof signals representing a selected portion of said foreground data corresponding to a designation thereof sufficient to provide a basis for specifying in a line in said sequence of lines where, in that line, portions of said foreground pixel patterns for that line are to be provided and where they are to be omitted, said data inputs thereof at least in part being electrically connected to said control means;
a relative position memory means for receiving at data inputs thereof signals from said control means for at least temporary storage therein representing at least one designation of a portion of said foreground data selected to correspond with at least one line of said sequence of lines, and upon receiving corresponding command signals at said command inputs thereof from said control means including receiving said indication of a selected line, being capable of providing at outputs thereof signals representing that designation corresponding to said selected line, said command inputs thereof and said data inputs thereof at least in part being electrically connected to said control means and said outputs thereof at least in part being electrically connected to said foreground data memory means command inputs; and
a display monitor controller means for receiving at data inputs thereof signals, from said background data memory means and said foreground memory means, indicating a pattern of said sequential pixels for said selected line, and being capable of providing at outputs thereof signals for directing a display monitor to provide such a pattern of sequential pixels in said selected line on a screen thereof by providing said portions of foreground pixel data patterns where in said selected line they are specified to be provided and, where they are specified to be omitted, provided corresponding said portions of background pixel patterns, said display monitor controller means data inputs being at least in part electrically connected to said background data memory means outputs and said foreground data memory means outputs.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A video display control system with a relative position memory between a controller and a foreground memory to permit changing the correspondence between a control indicator, indicating a display line on a monitor, and that one of the blocks of foreground memory controlling the foreground characters to be displayed on that display monitor screen line. The controller indicator signal is provided directly to a background memory to indicate which block of data therein is to control the display for the graphics background on that screen line. The relative position memory circuit also sets the first column in a test line which is to display in an allocated portion of the monitor screen. The relative position memory and the foreground memory control a symbol memory, and the outputs from the foreground memory, the symbol memory and the background memory are collected by a display controller capable of operating a display monitor.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A video display control system for controlling presentation of varying patterns of pixels on a screen of a display monitor in response to selected commands from a control means directing presentations of such pixel patterns as a sequence of lines of sequential pixels, said pixel patterns comprising a composite of both relatively infrequently changing background pixel patterns based on corresponding background data supplied by said control means, and relatively frequently changing foreground pixel patterns based on corresponding foreground data supplied by said control means, said control means comprising:
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a background data memory means for receiving at data inputs thereof signals from said control means for at least temporary storage therein representing said background data, and, upon receiving corresponding command signals at command inputs thereof from said control means including receiving an indication of a selected line in said sequence of lines, being capable of providing at outputs thereof signals representing a selected portion of said background data corresponding to said selected line sufficient to supply a basis for forming portions of those background pixel patterns that are to appear in said selected line in locations therein devoid of portions of said foreground pixel patterns, said command inputs thereof and said data inputs thereof at least in part being electrically connected to said control means; a foreground data memory means for receiving at data inputs thereof signals from said control means for at least temporary storage therein representing said foreground data, and, upon receiving corresponding command signals at command inputs thereof, being capable of providing at outputs thereof signals representing a selected portion of said foreground data corresponding to a designation thereof sufficient to provide a basis for specifying in a line in said sequence of lines where, in that line, portions of said foreground pixel patterns for that line are to be provided and where they are to be omitted, said data inputs thereof at least in part being electrically connected to said control means; a relative position memory means for receiving at data inputs thereof signals from said control means for at least temporary storage therein representing at least one designation of a portion of said foreground data selected to correspond with at least one line of said sequence of lines, and upon receiving corresponding command signals at said command inputs thereof from said control means including receiving said indication of a selected line, being capable of providing at outputs thereof signals representing that designation corresponding to said selected line, said command inputs thereof and said data inputs thereof at least in part being electrically connected to said control means and said outputs thereof at least in part being electrically connected to said foreground data memory means command inputs; and a display monitor controller means for receiving at data inputs thereof signals, from said background data memory means and said foreground memory means, indicating a pattern of said sequential pixels for said selected line, and being capable of providing at outputs thereof signals for directing a display monitor to provide such a pattern of sequential pixels in said selected line on a screen thereof by providing said portions of foreground pixel data patterns where in said selected line they are specified to be provided and, where they are specified to be omitted, provided corresponding said portions of background pixel patterns, said display monitor controller means data inputs being at least in part electrically connected to said background data memory means outputs and said foreground data memory means outputs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification