Graphics display system with window soft horizontal scrolling mechanism

• US 7,911,483 B1
• Filed: 11/09/1999
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tang, Chengfuh Jeffrey, Kranawetter, Greg A., Patterson, James T., Xie, Xiaodong, MacInnis, Alexander G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kevin M
• Application Number:
  US09/437,580
• Time in Patent Office: 4,151 Days
• Field of Search: 345/613, 345/682, 345/603, 345/604, 345/231, 345/555, 345/522, 345684-688, 345/538, 345 23- 28, 345/531, 715783-787, 715/790, 715/830
• US Class Current: 345/684
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/60 Memory management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/00 Image coding bandwidth or redundancy reduction for static pictures H04N1/41; coding or decoding of static colour picture signals H04N1/64; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/007 Transform coding, e.g. discrete cosine transform
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0224 Details of interlacing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0247 Flicker reduction other than flicker reduction circuits used for single beam cathode-ray tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/02 Graphics controller able to handle multiple formats, e.g. input or output formats
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/121 using a cache memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/125 using unified memory architecture [UMA]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/126 The frame memory having additional data ports, not inclusive of standard details of the output serial port of a VRAM
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/128 Frame memory using a Synchronous Dynamic RAM [SDRAM]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/001 Arbitration of resources in a display system, e.g. control of access to frame buffer by video controller and/or main processor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 : characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/024 : using colour registers, e.g. to control background, foreground, surface filling G09G5/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/026 : Control of mixing and/or overlay of colours in general G09G5/022 and G09G5/024 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/06 : using colour palettes, e.g. look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 : Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 : Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/28 : for enhancement of character form, e.g. smoothing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/346 : for systems having a bit-mapped display memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/36 : characterised by the display of a graphic pattern, e.g. using an all-points-addressable [APA] memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 : Graphics controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 11/143 : Encoding means therefor H04N11/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 11/20 : Conversion of the manner in which the individual colour picture signal components are combined, e.g. conversion of colour television standards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/42 : characterised by implementation details or hardware specially adapted for video compression or decompression, e.g. dedicated software implementation H04N19/635 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/423 : characterised by memory arrangements H04N19/433 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/436 : using parallelised computational arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/44 : Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/59 : involving spatial sub-sampling or interpolation, e.g. alteration of picture size or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 : in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 : User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 : Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42653 : for processing graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 : Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 : for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 : Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 : by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 : Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 : Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/126 : whereby the synchronisation signal indirectly commands a frequency generator
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/14 : Picture signal circuitry for video frequency region cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44504 : Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 : for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 : the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0135 : involving interpolation processes interpolation-based image scaling G06T3/4007; interpolation for video coding H04N19/587, H04N19/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/45 : Generation or recovery of colour sub-carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/641 : Multi-purpose receivers, e.g. for auxiliary information H04N9/642 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/642 : Multi-standard receivers

Abstract

A graphics integrated circuit chip is used in a set-top box for controlling a television display. The graphics chip processes analog video input, digital video input, a graphics input and an audio input simultaneously. A soft horizontal scrolling mechanism preferably enables placement of the contents of graphics windows on arbitrary positions on a display line. By blanking out one or more pixels aligned to the start address, the content of a graphics window may be shifted to the left. By accessing graphics data of an address just prior to the start address and blanking out one or more pixels aligned to that address, the content of a graphics window may be shifted to the right.

Claims

1. A method for horizontally scrolling a window to the left by one or more pixels, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of pixels defining the entire window comprising graphics, wherein a portion of the window and the graphics are displayed and a portion of the window and the graphics are not displayed, in a memory;

receiving a first numerical value indicating how many pixels are to be blanked out;

receiving a first address of a start of the window;

receiving a first portion of the graphics, wherein the first portion of the graphics is associated with the received first address, from the memory;

blanking out how many pixels are indicated by the first numeric value of the first portion of graphics;

displaying the first portion of graphics such that the blanked out pixels of the plurality of pixels are not displayed and a first non-blanked pixel of the plurality of pixels is displayed;

receiving a second numerical value for indicating how many pixels are to be blanked out;

receiving a second address of a second start of the window, the second address pointing to the right of the first start address by one or more graphic memory words;

receiving a second portion of the graphics, wherein the second portion is associated with the received second address, the second plurality of graphics data being from the memory;

blanking out how many pixels are indicated by the second numerical value of the second portion of graphics; and

displaying the second portion of the graphics such that the blanked out pixels of the plurality of pixels are not displayed and a first non-blanked pixel of the plurality of pixels is displayed; and

wherein the plurality of pixels defining the entire window comprising the graphics are stored in the memory while blanking out how many pixels are indicated in the first numerical value and how many pixels are indicated in the second numerical value.

2. The method of horizontally scrolling the display window to the left of claim 1, wherein the first numerical value and the second numerical value are included in a window descriptor.

3. The method of horizontally scrolling the display window to the left of claim 1, wherein the first numerical value and the second numerical value are respectively included in first and second fields of a plurality of window descriptors.

4. The method of horizontally scrolling the display window to the left of claim 1, wherein the first numerical value is included in a first window descriptor and the second numerical value is included in a second window descriptor.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first numerical value indicates how many pixels are to be blanked out at a horizontal edge of the display window.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein pointing to the right of the first start address by one or more graphic memory words further comprises pointing to the right and one of above or below the starting address.

7. A method for horizontally scrolling a display window to the left by one or more pixels, the method comprising:

receiving a first numerical value for indicating how many pixels are to be blanked out;

receiving a first address of a start of the display window;

receiving a first plurality of graphics data associated with the received first address, the first plurality of graphics data being from a memory;

blanking out how many pixels are indicated by the first numerical value of the first plurality of graphics data, while continuing storing said how many pixels in memory;

displaying the first plurality of graphics data such that the blanked out pixels of the first plurality of graphics data are not displayed and a first non-blanked pixel of the first plurality of graphics data is displayed;

receiving a second numerical value for indicating how many pixels are to be blanked out;

receiving a second address of a second start of the display window, the second address pointing to the right of the first address by one or more graphic memory words;

receiving a second plurality of graphics data associated with the received second address, the second plurality of graphics data being from the memory;

blanking how many pixels are indicated by the second numerical value of the second plurality of graphics data based on the received second numerical value; and

displaying the second plurality of graphics data such that the blanked out pixels of the second plurality of graphics data are not displayed and a first non-blanked pixel of the second plurality of graphics data is displayed,

wherein the second numerical value is greater than the first numerical value; and

storing a plurality of pixels defining the entire display window and the graphics in a memory while blanking the first numerical value and the second numerical value.

8. The method of horizontally scrolling the display window to the left of claim 7, wherein the first numerical value and the second numerical value are included in a window descriptor.

9. The method of horizontally scrolling the display window to the left of claim 7, wherein the first numerical value and the second numerical value are respectively included in first and second fields of a plurality of window descriptors.

10. The method of horizontally scrolling the display window to the left of claim 7, wherein the first numerical value is included in a first window descriptor and the second numerical value is included in a second window descriptor.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the first numerical value indicates how many pixels are to be blanked out at a horizontal edge of the display window.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein pointing to the right of the first start address by one or more graphic memory words further comprises pointing to the right and one of above or below the starting address.

13. A method for horizontally scrolling a window to the right by one or more pixels, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of pixels defining the entire window comprising graphics, wherein a portion of the window and the graphics are displayed and a portion of the window and the graphics are not displayed, in a memory;

receiving a first numerical value indicating how many pixels are to be blanked out;

receiving a first address of a start of the window;

receiving a first portion of the graphics, wherein the first portion of the graphics is associated with the received first address, from the memory;

blanking out how many pixels are indicated by the first numeric value of the first portion of graphics;

displaying the first portion of graphics such that the blanked out pixels of the plurality of pixels are not displayed and a first non-blanked pixel of the plurality of pixels is displayed;

receiving a second numerical value for indicating how many pixels are to be blanked out;

receiving a second address of a second start of the window, the second address pointing to the left of the first start address by one or more graphic memory words;

receiving a second portion of the graphics, wherein the second portion is associated with the received second address, the second plurality of graphics data being from the memory;

blanking out how many pixels are indicated by the second numerical value of the second portion of graphics; and

displaying the second portion of the graphics such that the blanked out pixels of the plurality of pixels are not displayed and a first non-blanked pixel of the plurality of pixels is displayed; and

wherein the plurality of pixels defining the entire window comprising the graphics are stored in the memory while blanking out how many pixels are indicated in the first numerical value and how many pixels are indicated in the second numerical value.

14. The method of horizontally scrolling the display window to the right of claim 13, wherein the first numerical value and the second numerical value are included in a window descriptor.

15. The method of horizontally scrolling the display window to the right of claim 13, wherein the first numerical value and the second numerical value are respectively included in first and second fields of a plurality of window descriptors.

16. The method of horizontally scrolling the display window to the left of claim 13, wherein the first numerical value is included in a first window descriptor and the second numerical value is included in a second window descriptor.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein pointing to the left of the first start address by one or more graphic memory words further comprises pointing to the right and one of above or below the starting address.

18. A method for horizontally scrolling a display window to the left by one or more pixels, the method comprising:

receiving a first numerical value for indicating how many pixels are to be blanked out;

receiving a first address of a start of the display window;

receiving a first plurality of graphics data associated with the received first address, the first plurality of graphics data being from a memory;

blanking out how many pixels are indicated by the first numerical value of the first plurality of graphics data, while continuing storing said how many pixels in memory;

displaying the first plurality of graphics data such that the blanked out pixels of the first plurality of graphics data are not displayed and a first non-blanked pixel of the first plurality of graphics data is displayed;

receiving a second numerical value for indicating how many pixels are to be blanked out;

receiving a second address of a second start of the display window, the second address pointing to the left of the first address by one or more graphic memory words;

receiving a second plurality of graphics data associated with the received second address, the second plurality of graphics data being from the memory;

blanking how many pixels are indicated by the second numerical value of the second plurality of graphics data based on the received second numerical value; and

displaying the second plurality of graphics data such that the blanked out pixels of the second plurality of graphics data are not displayed and a first non-blanked pixel of the second plurality of graphics data is displayed,

wherein the second numerical value is greater than the first numerical value; and

storing a plurality of pixels defining the entire display window and the graphics in a memory while blanking the first numerical value and the second numerical value.

19. The method of horizontally scrolling the display window to the right of claim 18, wherein the first numerical value and the second numerical value are included in a window descriptor.

20. The method of horizontally scrolling the display window to the right of claim 18, wherein the first numerical value and the second numerical value are respectively included in first and second fields of a plurality of window descriptors.

21. The method of horizontally scrolling the display window to the left of claim 18, wherein the first numerical value is included in a first window descriptor and the second numerical value is included in a second window descriptor.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein pointing to the left of the first start address by one or more graphic memory words further comprises pointing to the right and one of above or below the starting address.