Computer with separate display plane and user interface processor

• US 5,260,697 A
• Filed: 11/13/1990
• Issued: 11/09/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wang Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Wang Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Huntington, Jonathan T. II, Douthart, Robert M., Martin, Patricia A., Barrett, David M., McNally, J. Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Weldon, Ulysses
• Assistant Examiner(s): FATAHI YAR, MAHMOUD
• Application Number:
  US07/613,325
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 340/706, 340/707, 340/710, 340/711, 340/712, 178/18, 382/3, 382/13
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A computer system having a digitizing tablet overlaying the display screen. The tablet serves as a user'"'"'s primary input device. Various features of the system make it possible for the user to run and interact with standard programs designed for keystroke and mouse input and not designed for use with a tablet. In addition to the main processor, on which the user'"'"'s programs are executed, there is an interface processor. In addition to a standard display buffer, there is an ink plane buffer for interface display data that is combined with the data from the standard display buffer on a pixel-by-pixel basis according to data from a mask plane buffer. The interface processor manages input from the tablet, presents feedback to the user by means of the ink and mask planes, and provides keystroke and mouse data to the main processor as if from a standard keyboard controller. The interface processor presents the user with a collection of simulated devices, including standard devices such as a keyboard and a mouse. A nonstandard simulated device performs character recognition, permitting handwritten characters to be used for program input. During interaction with one of the user'"'"'s programs, the user can activate and deactivate simulated devices (by removing them from and returning them to a device tray) and can make adjustments in their operation and location on the screen.

Claims

1. A computer system capable of running pre-existing keyboard-based programs from tablet input instead of a physical keyboard, comprising:

(A) a main processor for running the pre-existing programs,

(B) a digitizing tablet and stylus,

(C) a display screen,

(D) a first display buffer connected to receive display data from the programs running on the main processor,

(E) interface processor, including means by which the interface processor can emulate, with respect to the main processor, a standard keyboard controller, in response to the digitizing tablet and stylus,

(F) a second display buffer, connected to receive display data from the interface processor, which includes an ink plane and includes a mask plane, and

(G) a display multiplexer for providing data to the display screen which combines, on a pixel-by-pixel basis, data from the first display buffer with data from the ink plane according to data in the mask plane.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein second display buffer comprises a plurality of memory chips and further comprising memory access control circuitry connected to the interface processor, to the memory chips, and to the display multiplexer and controlling access to the memory chips such that the interface processor can access the ink plane data as one continuous block of data and the mask plane data as a second continuous block of data.

3. The computer system of claim 2 wherein the memory chips each include a plurality of multi-bit memory locations, the memory access control circuitry being arranged to store ink and mask data in alternating locations.

4. A computer system comprising:

(A) a main processor for running pre-existing programs;

(B) an interface processor;

(C) a pointer-type input device that provides input signals to the interface processor;

(D) a keyboard port emulator connected to the interface processor and to the main processor and by means of which the interface processor can provide input to the main processor in a manner that a standard keyboard controller would provide input to the main processor;

(E) a display device;

(F) a main display buffer connected to the main processor for storing data representing a main image; and

(G) an overlay controller for providing data to the display device so that an image is displayed on the displayed device that is a combination of the main image and a second image provided by the interface processor;

the system further comprising,

a first display controller for reading the main display buffer and producing a first stream of display data, and wherein the overlay controller includes a user interface display buffer, includes a second display controller for reading the user interface display buffer and providing a second stream of display data, and includes a multiplexer for selecting on a pixel-by-pixel basis data from either the first or second steam of display data and sending a resulting multiplexed display data stream to the display device, and wherein

the user interface display buffer includes storage for mask plane data and further comprising means by which the mask plane data is provided to the multiplexer to direct the multiplexer'"'"'s selection.

5. A computer system for running pre-existing programs with a stylus, the system comprising:

(A) a main processor for running the pre-existing programs;

(B) a display screen;

(C) a pointer-type input device for generating pointer data;

(D) a main display buffer for storing data representing a main image generated by the pre-existing programs;

(E) an ink plane buffer for storing data representing a second image to be overlaid on the main image;

(F) a mask plane buffer for storing data indicating how data in the ink plane buffer is to be combined with data in the main display buffer;

(G) a display multiplexer for receiving data from the main display buffer, from the ink plane buffer, and from the mask plane buffer and for providing data to the display screen to generate a display that is a composite of the main image and the second image; and

(H) means for receiving pointer data from the pointer-type device, providing, to a user of the computer system, by means of the ink and mask plane buffers, feedback concerning the user'"'"'s manipulation of the stylus.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein a user interface facilitating the adaptation of pointer input into keystroke input is presented on the display screen by means of the ink plane buffer and the mask plane buffer.

7. A system for running pre-existing programs, such programs being arranged to receive input from a keyboard and to provide output on a display screen, wherein the display data generated by the pre-existing programs is stored in a main video memory, and said programs not being arranged to receive input from a digitizing tablet, and for providing input to these programs from a digitizing tablet, the system comprising:

(A) a main processor for running the programs,

(B) a display screen

(C) a digitizing tablet for generating X-Y coordinate data,

(D) an interface processor including

(1) means for receiving X-Y coordinate data from the tablet,

(2) means for converting X-Y coordinate data to keystroke data,

(3) means for presenting the keystroke data to the main processor as if the keystroke data was being presented by a standard keyboard controller,

(4) means for generating user interface display data,

(E) overlay means for combining the user interface display data generated by the interface processor with display data generated by the pre-existing programs and presenting the combined result on the display screen the overlay means comprising;

(1) an ink plane video memory,

(2) a mask plane video memory, and

(3) a video multiplexer for selecting on a pixel-by-pixel basis based on data from the mask plane video memory, whether to refresh the display screen with data from the ink plane video memory or data from the main video memory.