Apparatus and method for providing modular reconfigurable multi-function displays for computer simulations

• US 6,232,932 B1
• Filed: 07/16/1998
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Craig A. Thorner
• Original Assignee: Craig A. Thorner
• Inventors: Thorner, Craig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jimmy H.
• Application Number:
  US09/116,359
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1-3, 345/903, 345/112, 345/115, 345/502, 340/717, 434/29, 434/37, 434/69, 348/121, 348/123
• US Class Current: 345/1.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1612 Flat panel monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2352/00 Parallel handling of streams of display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/122 Tiling
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/045 using multiple communication channels, e.g. parallel and serial
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/06 using colour palettes, e.g. look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/395 Arrangements specially adapted for transferring the contents of the bit-mapped memory to the screen G09G5/399 takes precedence

Abstract

A modular and reconfigurable Multi-Function Display (MFD) system allows a computer system to drive one or more Multi-Function Displays that display information independently of other display screens driven by a computer simulation. Video channels generated by a computer simulation are carried in parallel to one or more MFD modules. A channel selector on each MFD determines which single video channel is to be displayed on that MFD. Each MFD consists of a relatively small and flat color display screen that displays images supplied by the computer simulation. Each MFD provides a plurality of user input devices that are connected to the computer host via a digital I/O bus. The MFDs are modular such that a first MFD is attached directly to the computer system, and an optional second MFD is attached to the first, and a third optional MFD is attached to the second, and so on, thereby providing every MFD thus attached a parallel connection to the digital I/O bus of the computer simulation system and to the available video channels.

Claims

1. A multi-function display system comprising:

a host computer having its own primary video display system or systems;

a secondary video display system within the host computer, with frame buffer memory that is independent of the primary video display system or systems;

a means for dividing the frame buffer memory of the secondary video display system into predetermined subsections, where each subsection serves as a specific video channel'"'"'s frame buffer;

a means for executing a compatible software application on the host computer for rendering independent, self-contained images within each video channel'"'"'s frame buffer;

a means for converting the digital data within each video channel'"'"'s frame buffer into an independent video channel output signal, thereby generating a plurality of independent video channel output signals;

a plurality of multi-function displays;

and a means within the host computer for interpreting a transmitted code from the plurality of the multi-function displays and then carrying out a course of events on the host computer that had been preassigned to the transmitted code;

wherein each of said plurality of the multi-function displays comprises a means for transmitting the plurality of the independent video channel output signals to one or more multi-function displays for the purpose of being displayed;

a plurality of user input devices attached to the display;

a means for examining a state of the user input devices on each display;

a means for generating an output code indicative of both the examined state of the user input devices on a selected display, and a selected video channel to which the selected display was set by the user input devices when the state of the user input devices was examined;

a means for transmitting said output code to said host computer;

and a channel selection means for selecting one of the plurality of the independent video channel output signals to be displayed on the display in response to a user input via the user input devices.

2. The multi-function display system according to claim 1 wherein the frame buffer of the secondary video display system is divided into 4 subsections, thereby providing 4 video output channels.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the frame buffer of the secondary video display system has a resolution of 640 by 480 pixels which provides 4 video channels with 320 by 240 pixels of useful resolution each, or has a resolution of 1280 by 1024 pixels which provides 4 video channels of 640 by 480 pixels of useful resolution each.

4. The multi-function display system according to claim 1 wherein the frame buffer of the secondary video display system is divided into 16 subsections, thereby providing 16 video output channels, where all or a subset of the 16 available video channels may be utilized.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the frame buffer of the secondary video display system has a resolution of 1280 by 1024 pixels which provides 16 video channels of 320 by 240 pixels of useful resolution each.

6. The multi-function display system according to claim 1 wherein each multi-function display can be oriented in a landscape or portrait fashion, and can transmit a state of its orientation to the host computer, such that the orientation of the image to be displayed on its screen can be made to match the orientation of the physical display.

7. The multi-function display system according to claim 1, wherein the course of events to be carried out on the host computer occurs via a device driver, which transmits a predetermined keyboard sequence into a keyboard buffer of the host computer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the predetermined keyboard sequences that are to be transmitted into the keyboard buffer of the host computer are determined by using a software application that allows said user input device and corresponding video channel to be designated, where the software application then records the desired keyboard sequence that is to be repeated upon subsequent activation of the designated user input device when its multi-function display is in the prescribed video channel.

9. The multi-function display system according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one video channel which contains a rear view perspective of a simulated world generated by a software application executing on a host computer;

at least one video channel which contains a left view perspective of a simulated world generated by a software application executing on a host computer;

and at least one video channel which contains a right view perspective of a simulated world generated by a software application executing on a host computer.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising three multi-function displays arranged such that:

a display showing a rear view channel is situated below or above a centerline of a primary display screen;

a display showing a left view channel is situated to the left of a centerline of the primary display screen;

and a display showing a right view channel is situated to the right of a centerline of the primary display screen.

11. The multi-function display system according to claim 1, wherein each multi-function display is substantially identical to additional multi-function displays that it can share connections with, such that each multi-function display is a single component of a modular system.

12. The multi-function display system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of user input devices attached to each display comprises:

a row of horizontally aligned push-button switches above the display screen;

a row of horizontally aligned push-button switches below the display screen;

a row of vertically aligned push-button switches to the left of the display screen;

and a row of vertically aligned push-button switches to the right of the display screen.

13. The multi-function display system according to claim 1, wherein the course of events to be carried out on the host computer occurs via a device driver, which emulates some predetermined manipulation of some specific component of the host computer system.

14. A multi-function display system according to claim 1, wherein transmitting codes representing the states of the user input devices of one or more multi-function displays to a host computer occurs via the Universal Serial Bus (USB).

15. The multi-function display system according to claim 1 wherein the host computer is IBM compatible.

16. The multi-function display system according to claim 1 wherein the secondary video display system within the host computer is provided by a video card which utilizes standard screen sizes.

17. A multi-function display system according to claim 1 wherein the compatible software application executing on the host computer is a flight simulation.

18. A multi-function display system according to claim 1 wherein the compatible software application executing on the host computer is a driving simulation.