Multi-window system and display method for controlling execution of an application for a window system and an application for a non-window system

• US 5,367,628 A
• Filed: 10/15/1992
• Issued: 11/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Okayama, Masataka, Hashio, Masanori, Sano, Makoto, Kitahara, Jun, Ote, Ichiro, Hirata, Sunao, Takanashi, Katsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Dale M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M.
• Application Number:
  US07/961,393
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 395/157, 395/162-166, 395/700, 395/500, 345/119, 345/120, 345/185, 345/201
• US Class Current: 345/501
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A multi-window system in multi-window environment includes a CPU for executing an application program for a window system and an application program for a non-window system for producing a display using the whole display screen, a standard-resolution display hardware for the non-window system, a high-resolution display system for the window system, and a window display component for displaying a picture of the application program for the non-window system corresponding to the standard-resolution hardware in window. High-speed graphics display of an existing application program can be attained in the window. The entire display picture of the existing application program can be displayed in the window at one time and the application program can be operated without scrolling thereof.

Claims

1. A multi-window system comprising:

a display;

an operating system for controlling execution of an application program of a first type for displaying data on an entire display screen of said display and an application program of a second type forming a multi-window display to display data in a format defined for the multi-window display;

a CPU connected to said display and said operating system for performing processes to display data required to be displayed by said application programs of the first and second types in said display;

said operating system including;

a scheduler for scheduling an application program to be executed by said CPU, and

picture switching control means for producing a picture switching signal in accordance with whether the data required to be displayed by a user is designated by the format defined for the multi-window display;

first display hardware including a first VRAM in which data is stored for converting the data into an image signal having a first resolution;

second display hardware including a second VRAM in which data is stored for converting the data into an image signal having a second resolution higher than the first resolution;

first selection means connected to said scheduler for selecting one of said first and second display hardwares in accordance with an application program to be executed next;

data designated to be displayed by an application program started to be executed by said scheduler being input in either of said VRAMs of either one of said selected first display hardware and second display hardware;

second selection means connected to said picture switching control means for connecting one of said first and second display hardwares to said display in accordance with the application program required to display by a user; and

window display means, being operated repeatedly at intervals of a predetermined time when a predetermined application program runs in said CPU, for transferring data in said first VRAM into said second VRAM to display the data in multi-window manner;

said picture switching control means controlling so that said second selection means connects said second display hardware to said display when said predetermined application program runs.

2. A multi-window system according to claim 1, wherein said window display means includes a timer which is repeatedly started at intervals of 10 to 500 ms;

a graphics function for the window system; and

a buffer for holding data from said first VRAM;

wherein said data is converted into a format for said graphics function in said buffer to be sent to said second VRAM at said intervals of 10 to 500 ms.

3. A multi-window system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second display hardwares include a high-resolution image structure of 1024×

768 dots or more and a standard-resolution image structure of about 640×

480 dots, respectively.

4. A multi-window system comprising:

a display;

an operating system for controlling execution of an application program of a first type for displaying data on an entire display screen of said display and an application program of a second type forming a multi-window display to display data in a format defined for the multi-window display;

a CPU connected to said display and said operating system for performing processes to display data required to be displayed by said application programs of the first and second types in said display;

first display hardware including a first VRAM in which data is stored for converting the data into an image signal having a first resolution;

second display hardware including a second VRAM in which data is stored for converting the data into an image signal having a second resolution higher than the first resolution;

first selection means connected to said scheduler for selecting one of said first and second display hardwares in accordance with an application program to be executed next;

data designated to be displayed by an application program being input in either of said VRAMs of said either one of said selected first display hardware and second display hardware; and

second selection means for connecting one of said first and second display hardwares to said display in accordance with the application program to be displayed next;

wherein data required to be displayed by said application program of said first type is displayed in one of the multi-windows.

5. A multi-window system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a timer which is repeatedly started at intervals of 10 to 500 ms;

a graphics function for the window system; and

a buffer for holding data from said first VRAM;

wherein said data is converted into a format for said graphics function in said buffer to be sent to said second VRAM at said intervals of 10 to 500 ms.

6. A multi-window system according to claim 5, wherein said first and second display hardwares include a high-resolution image structure of 1240×

768 dots or more and a standard-resolution image structure of about 640×

480 dots, respectively.

7. A multi-window system according to claim 4, wherein said first and second display hardwares include a high-resolution image structure of 1240×

768 dots or more and a standard-resolution image structure of about 640×

480 dots, respectively.

8. A multi-window display method in multi-window environment, said method comprising the steps of:

executing an application program for a window system having high-resolution display hardware and an application program for a non-window system having standard resolution display hardware for producing a display by directly accessing the standard resolution display hardware using entire display picture in parallel in a time slice manner; and

transferring and displaying a part or all of a picture, including text and graphics data, of said application program for the non-window system corresponding to the standard-resolution display hardware into a window of a window system operated by the high-resolution display hardware.

9. A multi-window display method according to claim 8, wherein when a window system program and the application program for the window system operated by the high-resolution display hardware access to display hardware, the window system program and the application program for the window system are adapted to access the high-resolution display hardware, while when the application program for the non-window system accesses display hardware, the application program for the non-window system is adapted to access to the standard-resolution display hardware, so that the window system and the application program for the window system operated by the high-resolution display hardware and the application program for the non-window system operated by the standard-resolution display hardware are executed in parallel.

10. A multi-window display method according to claim 8, wherein text data and graphics data established by access of said application program for the non-window system to the standard-resolution display hardware are periodically developed as graphics image and transferred and displayed by the window of the window system operated in high-resolution display hardware.

11. A window system for executing an application program for a window system and an application program for a non-window system simultaneously, comprising:

a CPU for executing said application program for the non-window system, said application program for the window system and a window system program;

high-resolution display hardware corresponding to said application program for the window system;

standard-resolution display hardware corresponding to said application program for the non-window system;

a CPU selection circuit for selecting either one of said first display hardware and second display hardware to be accessed from said CPU;

first display hardware selection means for controlling said CPU selection circuit;

a display common to both said display hardware;

a display selection circuit for supplying an output of any one of both said display hardwares to said display independent of the selection operation of said CPU selection circuit;

second display hardware selection means for controlling said display selection circuit; and

window display means for periodically transferring and displaying display data established by access of said application program for the non-window system to the standard-resolution display hardware in window of the window system operated by said high-resolution display hardware.

12. A window system according to claim 11, wherein said second display hardware selection means selects to always display an output of said high-resolution display hardware in said display by means of said display selection circuit regardless of control of said first display hardware selection means when the window system is displayed.