Display control apparatus and method of using same

• US 5,499,036 A
• Filed: 09/01/1993
• Issued: 03/12/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Proxima Corporation (Ask ASA)
• Inventors: Hauck, Lane T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saras, Steven J.
• Application Number:
  US08/115,310
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 345/87, 345/88, 345/150, 345/153, 345/1, 345/2, 345/3
• US Class Current: 345/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/745 Control circuits therefor

Abstract

A method and display control apparatus includes a display controller for supplying display information indicative of images to be displayed, to a display device, which, in turn, displays images in accordance with the display information. The controller is arranged to receive selectively control commands encoded in the display information received from a remote video signal producing system, such as a personal computer, for control purposes. In one form of the invention, the control commands are used to freeze the image being displayed by the display device, so that the personal computer can determine the next images to be displayed by the display device.

Claims

1. In combination with a liquid crystal display unit and means for producing video signals, a data display control apparatus, comprising:

discriminating means responsive to a predetermined sequence of the video signals for decoding them and generating a data command signal so that the liquid crystal display unit using the video signals can respond thereto for display utilization purposes;

means responsive to said data command signal for enabling the liquid crystal display unit to receive selectively the video signals generated by the means for producing video signals for display utilization purposes; and

wherein said discrimination means is differential comparator means for establishing a video information signal and for generating a clock signal to sample said information signal to facilitate the generation of said data command signal.

2. In combination with a liquid crystal display unit and means for producing video signals, a data display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for enabling includes gating means for enabling only a single frame of video information to be sent to the liquid crystal display unit for display purposes.

3. In combination with a liquid crystal display unit and means for producing video signals, a data display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said liquid crystal display unit includes a liquid crystal display panel for displaying video images;

wherein the means for producing video signals includes a video monitor for displaying video images; and

wherein said means for enabling includes gating means for enabling a single frame of video information in a sequence of consecutive frames of video information produced by the means for producing video signals to be sent to the liquid crystal display panel so that different frames of video information may be displayed at the same time by said liquid crystal display panel and said video monitor.

4. A data display control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for conveying said data command signal or the video signals via a video signal path to facilitate controlling the display unit; and

wherein

said discrimination means is coupled to the means for producing video signals via the video signal path for receiving the video signals;

means responsive to said discrimination means for generating a signal indicative of a data command to control the display unit; and

wherein said means for enabling includes gating means responsive to said data command signal for enabling the display unit to receive selectively the video signals generated by the means for producing video signals for display purposes.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data command signal is indicative of a HOLD FRAME data command for preventing the liquid crystal display unit using video signals from displaying more than a single frame of video information repetitively.

6. A display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal display unit is in combination with a display system for producing a plurality of independent data displays from video information;

wherein said means for producing video signals is a single video signal producing device;

wherein said discrimination means includes;

means for receiving encoded pixel information signals indicative of a data display command for preventing more than a single frame of video information from being displayed by individual ones of the plurality of independent data displays;

said encoded pixel information signals being arranged in a predetermined series of pixel information signals included in the video information produced by the single video signal producing device; and

means for preventing more than a single frame of video information from being displayed by individual ones of the plurality of independent data displays;

whereby the plurality of independent data displays in response to the single video signal producing device are enabled to display different frames of video information simultaneously.

7. A system according to claim 6, further comprising:

analog to digital converter means responsive to the video information produced by the single video signal producing device for generating a series of digitized video information signals indicative of a plurality of frames of video information to be displayed by the plurality of independent data displays simultaneously.

8. A data display apparatus, according to claim 4, wherein said discrimination means includes synchronization means responsive to said predetermined sequence of video signals for generating synchronizing signals to synchronize the display unit with the video signals generated by the means for producing video signals.

9. A method of utilizing the apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

controlling the liquid crystal display unit via said data command signal;

detecting said predetermined sequence of video signals generated by the means for producing video signals;

responding to said predetermined sequence of video signals by sending said data signal to facilitate controlling the liquid crystal display unit.

10. A data display control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said data command is an OVERLAY FRAME data command for enabling the equipment using video signals to display respectively on at least one frame of video information overlay video information.

11. A data display control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said data command is a MODIFY data command for enabling the equipment using video signals to modify a portion of at least one frame of displayed video information.

12. A data display control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said data command is a CHANGE DISPLAY data command for enabling the equipment using video signals to change substantially a currently displayed frame of video information.

13. A data display control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said data command is a BLANK command for preventing the equipment using video signals from displaying video information generated by the video signal producing device.

14. A data display control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said data command is a DISPLAY data command for enabling the equipment using video signals to display video information generated by the video signal producing device.

15. A data display control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said data command is an IGNORE COMMAND data command for enabling the equipment using video signals to ignore subsequent data commands.

16. A data display control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said data command is a RESTORE data command for enabling the equipment using video signals to respond to subsequent data commands.

17. A data display control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

signal processing means for selectively encoding control commands in the video signals for display control purposes; and

wherein said means for enabling includes;

controller means responsive to said data command signal for enabling certain ones of the video signals to be utilized by the controller means independently of the display unit for other than displaying images.

18. A data display control apparatus for equipment using video signals generated by a video signal producing device, comprising:

discrimination means responsive to the video signals for decoding them and for generating a signal indicative of a data command so that equipment using video signals can respond thereto for data display utilization purposes; and

gating means responsive to said data command signal for enabling the equipment using video signals to receive selectively the video signals generated by the video signal producing device for display purposes; and

wherein said discrimination means is differential comparator means for establishing a video information signal and for generating a clock signal to sample said information signal to facilitate the generation of said data command signal.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said differential comparator means includes a pair of differential comparators.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein one of said differential comparators compares at least two video signals indicative of pixel information for producing two different colored pixel images.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the other one of said differential comparators compares another video signal indicative of pixel information for producing a pixel image having another color and a differential pixel information signal indicative of one half the absolute value of the last mentioned two video signals.