Method and system for displaying data in a second display area

• US 6,966,036 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2002
• Issued: 11/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ostendo Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: xSides Corporation
• Inventors: Nason, D. David, O'Rourke, Thomas C., Campbell, J. Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US10/114,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20020149593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764, 715/778, 715/788, 715/790, 715/791, 715/781, 715/806, 715/779, 719/321, 719/324, 719/310, 719/319, 719/323, 719/327, 719/328
• US Class Current: 715/778
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 1/16 the pattern of rectangular co-ordinates extending over the whole area of the screen, i.e. television type raster
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/08 Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A method for creating and accessing a graphical user interface in the overscan area outside the area of the display normally visible to users of the common operating systems. This normal display area is generally known as the “desktop”. The desktop serves as the graphical user interface to the operating system. The desktop displays images representing documents and applications available to the user (icons). The desktop is restricted in the common environments to a predetermined set of resolutions (e.g., 640×480, 800×600, 1024×768) as defined by VGA and SuperVGA standards. Displayable borders outside this area are the overscan.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for displaying data on a video display system in conjunction with a user interface that is controlled by a computer operating system and that occupies a portion of a first display area, comprising:

determining whether the video display system has been set to a non-standard or a standard resolution;

when it is determined that the video display system has been set to a standard resolution,

adjusting the resolution of the video display system to include a second display area; and

modifying the retrace parameters of the video display system to accommodate the second display area; and

writing data to the second display area so that it is displayed on the video display system in conjunction with the user interface.

2. A method in a computer system for displaying data on a video display system in conjunction with a user interface that is controlled by a computer operating system and that occupies a portion of a first display area, the data comprising a displayable image, the method comprising:

adjusting the display parameters of the video display system to create a second display area that is outside the control of the computer operating system display interface;

writing data to the second display area; and

after adjusting the display parameters to create a second display area, writing at least a portion of the image to a portion of the first display area such that the image appears to be displayed over at least a portion of the user interface.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein writing the portion of the image to the portion of the first display area obscures the user interface.

4. A method in a computer system for displaying an image on a video display system in conjunction with the display of a user interface in a portion of a first display area of the video display system, the user interface controlled by a computer operating system, the video display system having a primary display, comprising:

using an application programming interface to create a second virtual display surface on the primary display thereby creating a second display area of the video display system that is outside of the control of the computer operating system; and

writing the image to the second display area so that it cannot be obscured by the user interface.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the application programming interface can be used to manipulate at least one of a display device driver and video display hardware.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the application programming interface is Microsoft'"'"'s DirectX.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein writing the image to the second display area obscures the user interface.

8. A method in a computer system for displaying an image on a video display system in conjunction with the display of a user interface in a portion of a first display area of the video display system, the user interface controlled by a computer operating system, comprising:

using a virtual device driver to create a second display area of the video display system that is outside of the control of the computer operating system; and

writing the image to the second display area so that it cannot be obscured by the user interface.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein writing the image of the second display area obscures the user interface.

10. A method in a computer system for displaying an image on a video display system in conjunction with the display of a user interface in a portion of a first display area of the video display system, the video display system having a video device driver that is modified to enable creation of a second display area, the user interface controlled by a computer operating system, comprising:

using the modified device driver to create a second display area of the video display system that is outside of the control of the computer operating system; and

writing the image to the second display area so that it cannot be obscured by the user interface.

11. A method in a computer system for displaying an image on a vide display system in conjunction with the display of a user interface in a portion of a first display area of the video display system, the user interface controlled by a computer operating system, comprising:

adjusting the display resolution parameters of the video display system to create a second display area of the video display system that is outside the control of the computer operating system; and

writing the image to the second display area so that it cannot be obscured by the user interface.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the adjustment manipulates control registers of a cathode ray tube display.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein writing the image to the second display area obscures the user interface.

14. A method in a computer system for creating a second display area on a video display system that is independent of a first display area, the first display area displaying a user interface of a computer operating system, the second display area not controlled by the computer operating system, the method comprising:

using a virtual device driver, adjusting the display parameters of the video display system to create the second display area.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising writing an image to the second display area.

16. Th method of claim 15 wherein writing the image to the second display area obscures the user interface.

17. A computer-readable memory medium that contains instructions for controlling a computer processor to display data on a video display system in conjunction with a user interface that is controlled by a computer operating system and that occupies a portion of a first display area, by:

determining whether the video display system has been set to a non-standard or a standard resolution;

when it is determined that the video display system has been set to a standard resolution,

adjusting the resolution of the video display system to include a second display area; and

modifying the retrace parameters of the video display system to accommodate the second display area; and

writing data to the second display area so that it is displayed on the video display system in conjunction with the user interface.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein writing the data to the second display area obscures the user interface.

19. A computer-readable memory medium that contains instructions for controlling a computer processor to display data on a video display system in conjunction with a user interface that is controlled by a computer operating system and that occupies a portion of a first display area, the data comprising a displayable image, by:

adjusting the display parameters of the video display system to create a second display area that is outside the control of the computer operating system display interface;

writing data to the second display area; and

after adjusting the display parameters to create a second display area, writing at least a portion of the image to a portion of the first display area such that the image appears to be displayed over at least a portion of the user interface.

20. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 19 wherein writing the portion of the image to the portion of the first display area obscures the user interface.

21. A computer-readable memory medium that contains instructions for controlling a computer processor to display an image on a video display system in conjunction with the display of a user interface in a portion of a first display area of the video display system, the user interface controlled by a computer operating system, th video display system having a primary display, by:

using an application programming interface to create a second virtual display surface on the primary display thereby creating a second display area of the video display system that is outside of the control of the computer operating system; and

writing the image to the second display area so that it cannot be obscured by the user interface.

22. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 21 wherein the application programming interface can be used to manipulate at least one of a display device driver and video display hardware.

23. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 21 wherein the application programming interface is Microsoft'"'"'s DirectX.

24. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 21 wherein writing the image to the second display area obscures the user interface.

25. A computer-readable memory medium that contains instructions for controlling a computer processor to display an image on a video display system in conjunction with the display of a user interface in a portion of a first display area of the video display system, the user interface controlled by a computer operating system, by

using a virtual device driver to create a second display area of the video display system that is outside of the control of the computer operating system;

and

writing the image to the second display area so that it cannot be obscured by the user interface.

26. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 25 wherein writing the image to the second display area obscures the user interface.

27. A computer-readable memory medium that contains instructions for controlling a computer processor to display an image on a video display system in conjunction with the display of a user interface in a portion of a first display area of the video display system, the video display system having a video device driver that is modified to enable creation of a second display area, the user interface controlled by a computer operating system, by:

using the modified device driver to create a second display area of the video display system that is outside of the control of the computer operating system; and

writing the image to the second display area so that it cannot be obscured by the user interface.

28. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 27 wherein writing the image to the second display area obscures the user interface.

29. A computer-readable memory medium that contains instructions for controlling a computer processor to display an image on a video display system in conjunction with the display of a user interface in a portion of a first display area of the video display system, the user interface controlled by a computer operating system, by:

adjusting the display resolution parameters of the video display system to create a second display area of the video display system that is outside the control of the computer operating system; and

writing the image to the second display area so that it cannot be obscured by the user interface.

30. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 29 wherein the adjustment manipulates control registers of a cathode ray tube display.

31. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 29 wherein writing the image to the second display area obscures the user interface.

32. A computer-readable memory medium that contains instructions for controlling a computer processor to create a second display area on a video display system that is independent of a first display area, the first display area displaying a user interface of a computer operating system, the second display area not controlled by the computer operating system, by:

using a virtual device driver, adjusting the display parameters of the video display system to create the second display area.

33. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 32 further comprising computer instructions for causing the computer processor to write data by writing an image to the second display area.

34. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 33 wherein writing the image to the second display area obscures the user interface.

35. A system for displaying data on a video display system in conjunction with a user interface that is controlled by a computer operating system and that occupies a portion of a first display area, comprising:

a display parameter adjustment mechanism that adjusts the display parameters of the video display system to create a second display area that is outside the control of the computer operating system by;

determining whether the video display system has been set to a non-standard or a standard resolution;

when it is determined that the video display system has been set to a standard resolution,

adjusting the resolution of the video display system to include a second display area; and

modifying the retrace parameters of the video display system to accommodate the second display area; and

a data writing mechanism that enables data to be written to the second display area so that it is displayed on the video display system in conjunction with the user interface.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the data writing mechanism enables data to be written to the second display area so that it obscures the user interface.

37. A system for displaying data on a video display system in conjunction with a user interface that is controlled by a computer operating system and that occupies a portion of a first display area, the data comprising a displayable image, comprising:

a display parameter adjustment mechanism that adjusts the display parameters of the video display system to create a second display area that is outside the control of the computer operating system; and

a data writing mechanism that enables data to be written to the second display area so that it is displayed on the video display system in conjunction with the user interface by, after adjusting the display parameters to create a second display area, writing at least a portion of the image to a portion of the first display area such that the image appears to be displayed over at least a portion of the user interface.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the data writing mechanism enables data to be written to the first display area so that it obscures the user interface.

39. A system for displaying an image on a video display system in conjunction with the display of a user interface in a portion of a first display area of the video display system, the user interface controlled by a computer operating system, the video display system having a primary display, comprising:

a display creation mechanism that uses an application programming interface to create a second virtual display surface on the primary display thereby creating a second display area of the video display system that is outside of the control of the computer operating system; and

a data writing mechanism that writes the image to the second display area so that it cannot be obscured by the user interface.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the application programming interface is used to manipulate at least one of a display device driver and video display hardware.

41. The system of claim 39 wherein the application programming interface is Microsoft'"'"'s DirectX.

42. The system of claim 39 wherein the data writing mechanism enables data to be written to the second display area so that it obscures the user interface.

43. A system for displaying an image on a video display system in conjunction with the display of a user interface in a portion of a first display area of the video display system, the user interface controlled by a computer operating system, comprising:

a display creation mechanism that uses a virtual device driver to create a second display area of the video display system that is outside of the control of the computer operating system; and

a data writing mechanism that writes the image to the second display area so that it cannot be obscured by the user interface.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein the data writing mechanism writes the image to the second display area so that it obscures the user interface.

45. A system for displaying an image on a video display system in conjunction with the display of a user interface in a portion of a first display area of the video display system, the video display system having a video device driver that is modified to enable creation of a second display area, the user interface controlled by a computer operating system, comprising:

a display creation mechanism that uses the modified device driver to create a second display area to the video display system that is outside of the control of the computer operating system; and

a data writing mechanism that writes the image to the second display area so that it cannot be obscured by the user interface.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein the data writing mechanism writes the image to the second display area so that it obscures the user interface.

47. A system for displaying an image on a video display system in conjunction with the display of a user interface in a portion of a first display area of the video display system, the user interface controlled by a computer operating system, comprising:

a display creation mechanism that creates a second display area of the video display system that is outside of the control of the computer operating system by adjusting the display resolution parameters of the video display system; and

a data writing mechanism that writes the image to the second display area so that it cannot be obscured by the user interface.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein the adjustment manipulates control registers of a cathode ray tube display.

49. The system of claim 47 wherein the data writing mechanism writes the image to the second display area so that it obscures the user interface.

50. A system for creating a second display area on a video display system that is independent of a first display area, the first display area displaying a user interface of computer operating system, the second display area not controlled by the computer operating system, comprising a display area creation facility that uses a virtual device drive to adjust the display parameters of the video display system to create the second display area.

51. The system of claim 50 further comprising a data writing mechanism to write an image to the second display area.

52. The system of claim 51 wherein the data writing mechanism writes the image to the second display area so that it obscures the first display area.