Display control device comprising processing unit for drawing pointer and control system

• US 8,994,655 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2011
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Komeda, Munehiro, Katoji, Takahiro, Otaka, Toshiaki, Naruto, Motofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pappas, Claire X
• Assistant Examiner(s): STONE, ROBERT M
• Application Number:
  US13/053,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20120242574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 345/157
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• 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: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/06 Use of more than one graphics processor to process data before displaying to one or more screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/08 Cursor circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/36 characterised by the display of a graphic pattern, e.g. using an all-points-addressable [APA] memory

Abstract

The prompt responsiveness and operability of pointer display and pointer control is ensured. A display control device has: a first information processing terminal drawing a pointer corresponding to each of input operation devices on a pointer screen on the basis of an operation quantity input from each of the input operation devices; a second information processing terminal drawing a working state of an application on an application screen in accordance with the input instruction information input from each of the input operation devices; and an image synthesis unit that creates a synthesized image by superimposing each of the two screens on the other and that outputs the image to a display device.

Claims

1. A display control system connected to a plurality of input operation units via a network and adapted for moving a pointer displayed on a display unit on the basis of an operation quantity input from the input operation units and changing a working state of an application displayed on the display unit in accordance with input instruction information input from the input operation units, the display control system comprising:

a first processing unit having a first computer and a pointer screen corresponding to a display region of the display unit, the first processing unit drawing the pointer corresponding to each of the input operation units on the pointer screen on the basis of the operation quantity input from each of the input operation units;

a second processing unit having a second computer different from the first computer and an application screen corresponding to the display region of the display unit, the second processing unit drawing the working state of the application on the application screen in accordance with the input instruction information input from each of the input operation units; and

an image synthesis unit that creates a synthesized image in which the pointer screen on which the pointer is drawn and the application screen on which the working state of the application is drawn are superimposed on each other and that outputs the synthesized image to the display unit, wherein;

the first processing unit has a dominating-right table in which identification information of the input operation unit and identification information of the application for which the input operation unit has a dominating right are associated with each other;

when the input instruction information about the application is received from the input operation unit, whether the input operation unit has the dominating right of the application or not is determined by referencing the dominating-right table, and,

if the input operation unit has the dominating right, the identification information of the input operation unit, the identification information of the application, and the input instruction information about the application are associated with each other and are output to the second processing unit; and

the input instruction information is converted to a data format and an interface specification of a window system used by the application when the pointer is on a window of the application, and the input instruction information is ignored when the pointer is not on the window of the application.

2. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein

the first processing unit has a moving-right table in which the identification information of the input operation unit and the identification information of the application for which the input operation unit has a moving right of a window are associated with each other;

and,

when operation information about movement of the window is received from the input operation unit, whether the input operation unit has the moving right of the window of the application or not is determined by referencing the moving-right table, and,

if the input operation unit has the moving right of the window, the identification information of the input operation unit, the identification information of the application, and the movement operation information of the window are associated with each other and are output to the second processing unit.

3. The display control device according to claim 2, wherein

the input operation unit different from the input operation unit having the dominating right of the application can acquire the moving right of the window of the application.

4. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein

the first processing unit has a moving-right table in which the identification information of the input operation unit and the identification information of the application for which the input operation unit has a moving right of a window are associated with each other;

and,

when operation information about movement of the window is received from the input operation unit, whether the input operation unit has the moving right of the window of the application or not is determined by referencing the moving-right table, and,

if the input operation unit has the moving right of the window, the identification information of the input operation unit, the identification information of the application, and the movement operation information of the window are associated with each other and are output to the second processing unit.

5. The display control device according to claim 4, wherein

the input operation unit different from the input operation unit having the dominating right of the application can acquire the moving right of the window of the application.

6. The display control device according to claim 4, wherein each of the pointer screen and the application screen has a coordinate size established by a maximum x value and a maximum y value, and the coordinate size of the pointer screen is the same as the coordinate size of the application screen, and

wherein the image synthesis unit superimposes the pointer screen and the application screen on each other with the coordinates of the pointer screen at the same position as matching coordinates of the application screen.

7. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein each of the pointer screen and the application screen has a coordinate size established by a maximum x value and a maximum y value, and the coordinate size of the pointer screen is the same as the coordinate size of the application screen, and

wherein the image synthesis unit superimposes the pointer screen and the application screen on each other with the coordinates of the pointer screen at the same position as matching coordinates of the application screen.

8. A control system comprising:

a plurality of input operation units;

the display control device according to claim 1 connected to the plurality of input operation units via a network; and

a display unit displaying an image signal output from the display control device.

9. A control system comprising:

a plurality of input operation units;

the display control device according to claim 1 connected to the plurality of input operation units via a network; and

a display unit displaying an image signal output from the display control device.

10. A control system comprising:

a plurality of input operation units;

the display control device according to claim 2 connected to the plurality of input operation units via a network; and

a display unit displaying an image signal output from the display control device.

11. A control system comprising:

a plurality of input operation units;

the display control device according to claim 3 connected to the plurality of input operation units via a network; and

a display unit displaying an image signal output from the display control device.

12. A control system comprising:

a plurality of input operation units;

the display control device according to claim 4 connected to the plurality of input operation units via a network; and

a display unit displaying an image signal output from the display control device.

13. The control system of claim 12, wherein each of the pointer screen and the application screen has a coordinate size established by a maximum x value and a maximum y value, and the coordinate size of the pointer screen is the same as the coordinate size of the application screen, and

wherein the image synthesis unit superimposes the pointer screen and the application screen on each other with the coordinates of the pointer screen at the same position as matching coordinates of the application screen.

14. A control system comprising:

a plurality of input operation units;

the display control device according to claim 5 connected to the plurality of input operation units via a network; and

a display unit displaying an image signal output from the display control device.