Image display apparatus capable of combining image displayed with high resolution and image displayed with low resolution

• US 5,844,545 A
• Filed: 11/18/1996
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Kumon, Toshihiko, Suzuki, Katsunori, Ikenoue, Yoshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, XIAO MIN
• Application Number:
  US08/751,696
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 345/132, 345/112, 345/118, 345/119, 345/121, 345/127, 345/128, 345/129, 345/130, 345/131, 345/173, 345/157, 345/156, 345/163, 345/149, 345/147, 345/152, 345/146, 345/145
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/047 Fisheye or wide-angle transformations
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 1/167 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a CRT details suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/006, specific for a flat panel G09G3/2096
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/04 Display device controller operating with a plurality of display units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/08 Cursor circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/391 Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/397 Arrangements specially adapted for transferring the contents of two or more bit-mapped memories to the screen simultaneously, e.g. for mixing or overlay G09G5/02 takes precedence

Abstract

An image display apparatus according to the present invention includes an image data memory for storing image data to be displayed, an image plane for displaying an image, a low resolution image display unit for displaying an image based on image data on the image plane with low resolution, a mouse for designating a position in a particular region in the image plane, and a high resolution image display unit for displaying an image based on image data of the particular region designated by the mouse on the image plane with high resolution of a resolution level higher than the resolution level of the low resolution.

Claims

1. A display control unit, comprising:

input means for inputting input data;

an image data processing unit;

editing processing means for performing editing processing on image data inputted thereto from said image data processing unit on the basis of input data inputted thereto from said input means when the display control unit is operating in a first mode;

image data outputting means for outputting the image data on which editing processing has been performed by said editing processing means therefrom to a display unit; and

input data outputting means for outputting the input data inputted from said input means intact therefrom to said image data processing unit when the display control unit is operating in a second mode in which the image data from said image data processing unit is inputted intact to the display unit without the editing processing of said editing processing unit.

2. The display control unit according to claim 1, wherein said input means includes a mouse.

3. The display control unit according to claim 1, wherein said input data includes data for designating a region to be edited.

4. The display control unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

mode switching means for switching between a mode for performing said editing processing and a mode for outputting said inputted input data intact.

5. The display control unit according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is capable of displaying images at a variety of image pixel densities.

6. The display control unit according to claim 1, wherein the editing processing means includes means for changing a resolution of at least a portion of the image data.

7. An image display system, comprising:

a host computer for executing various applications and outputting image data to be displayed;

a display control unit for editing image data inputted from said host computer and outputting edited image data;

a display unit for displaying an image corresponding to image data inputted from said display control unit; and

input means for inputting input data to said display control unit;

wherein the image display system is operable in a first mode in which the image data from the host computer is edited by said display control unit and then inputted to said display unit and in a second mode in which the image data from the host computer is inputted to said display unit without editing of image data by said display control unit;

wherein said display control unit includes

editing means for editing image data inputted from said host computer on the basis of input data inputted from said input means in the first mode;

image data output means for outputting image data edited by said editing means to said display unit; and

input data output means for outputting input data inputted by said input means intact to said host computer in the second mode; and

wherein said host computer executes applications in the second mode by using input data inputted through said input data output means from said input means.

8. The image display system according to claim 7, wherein the editing means includes means for changing a resolution of at least a portion of the image data.