Character generator for cathode ray tube display device

Claim 1

A display device composed of a cathode ray tube and a character generator coupled thereto for generating characters on the face of the cathode ray tube, the character generator including: a plurality of character planes, selection means coupled to the plurality of character planes for selecting any one of the character planes, each character plane including a matrix array of vertical lines and horizontal lines, said horizontal lines including first, second, third, fourth, and fifth horizontal lines, a plurality of storage elements, said storage elements being disposed only at such coordinate intersections of the vertical and horizontal lines where a change in the horizontal deflection, a change in the vertical deflection, or a change in intensity are required for controlling the electron beam of the cathode ray, pulse generator means connected to the vertical lines for applying timing pulses sequentially to the vertical lines of a selected character plane, each storage element responding to a timing pulse on the associated vertical line to provide a control pulse on the corresponding horizontal line, first, second, third, fourth and fifth bistable storage devices, means interconnecting the first and second bistable storage devices to inhibit operation of both of these bistable storage devices at the same time, means interconnecting the third and fourth bistable storage devices to inhibit operation of both of these bistable storage devices at the same time, means coupling the first, second, third, fourth and fifth horizontal lines of each character plane to the respective first, second, third, fourth and fifth bistable storage devices, first, second, third, and fourth gates, means connecting the first, second, third, and fourth bistable storage devices to the respective first, second, third, and fourth gates, means connected between the pulse generator means and said gates for supplying each timing pulse delayed in time to each of said gates, said cathode ray tube having vertical deflection means and horizontal deflection means, first means connected between the horizontal deflection means and the first and second gates for controlling the horizontal deflection of the electron beam of said cathode ray tube, second means connected between the vertical deflection means and the third and fourth gates for controlling the vertical deflection of the electron beam of the cathode ray tube, and intensity control means connected between the cathode ray tube and the fifth bistable storage device for controlling the intensity of the display on the face of the cathode ray tube.