US5629720A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Display mode processor
Assignee: HTC Corp
•
Filing: 1995-04-24
•
Granted: 1997-05-13
•
Expires: 2015-04-24
Abstract
Abstract A display mode processor which maps pixel inputs into addresses for entries in window-specific color look-up tables in accordance with a predetermined display mode. The display mode processor relieves the central processing unit from video display tasks in a multi-window environment and also supports window-specific attributes such as display mode in addition to window specific color look up tables. This dedicated hardware for video display tasks allows for a more flexible and efficient color display system without sacrificing the overall system performance.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert W. Cherry
- 👤 Erin A. Handgen
- 👤 Brad D. Reak
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 01:27
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09G; G09G5/00; G09G5/14; G09G5/02; G09G5/06; G09G5/08; G09G5/36; G09G5/39; G09G5/395
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
261 words
A computer graphics system having a display device, comprising: means for processing input display data for display on said display device; a window-specific color look-up table for each display window of said display device for storing color values of pixels to be displayed within corresponding display windows of said display device, each window-specific color look-up table having color values stored therein in a format of one of a plurality of display modes for pixels to be displayed within a corresponding display window of said display device; a display mode processor for mapping said processed input display data into addresses to said window-specific color look-up tables, said display mode processor comprising means, responsive to input window index data specifying which display window of said display device said input display data is to be displayed in, for holding window-specific control information for each display window of said display device and for outputting window specific control information including display mode control data specifying in which of said plurality of display modes the display window selected by said window index data will display said input display data, and means, responsive to said window-specific control information for the selected display window, for converting said processed input display data into an addresses to the window-specific color look-up table corresponding to the selected display window in accordance with a display mode format for the selected display window specified by said window-specific control information; and means for providing to said display device the color values at addresses in said window-specific color look-up tables determined by said display mode processor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
261 words
A computer graphics system having a display device, comprising: means for processing input display data for display on said display device; a window-specific color look-up table for each display window of said display device for storing color values of pixels to be displayed within corresponding display windows of said display device, each window-specific color look-up table having color values stored therein in a format of one of a plurality of display modes for pixels to be displayed within a corresponding display window of said display device; a display mode processor for mapping said processed input display data into addresses to said window-specific color look-up tables, said display mode processor comprising means, responsive to input window index data specifying which display window of said display device said input display data is to be displayed in, for holding window-specific control information for each display window of said display device and for outputting window specific control information including display mode control data specifying in which of said plurality of display modes the display window selected by said window index data will display said input display data, and means, responsive to said window-specific control information for the selected display window, for converting said processed input display data into an addresses to the window-specific color look-up table corresponding to the selected display window in accordance with a display mode format for the selected display window specified by said window-specific control information; and means for providing to said display device the color values at addresses in said window-specific color look-up tables determined by said display mode processor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
A computer graphics system as in claim 1, wherein each window-specific color look-up table of each display window of said display device comprises an image color look-up table and an overlay color look-up table.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
A computer graphics system as in claim 2, wherein said converting means of said display mode processor receives cursor data which it converts into addresses to a cursor color look-up table which is common to each display window of said display device.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
85 words
A computer graphics system as in claim 1, wherein said window-specific control information further comprises overlay data for an overlay image and cursor data for a cursor to be displayed in the selected display window, and instruction data for instructing said converting means to convert only predetermined portions of said input display data, overlay data and cursor data into said address to said window-specific color look-up table corresponding to the selected display window for display of color data stored therein in said display mode format.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
A computer graphics system as in claim 4, wherein said display modes comprise 8-bit indexed; 8-bit monochrome; 3 red, 3 green, 2 blue; 8 red, 8 green, 8 blue; 4 red, 4 green, 4 blue; and 12-bit indexed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
A computer graphics system as in claim 4, wherein said converting means comprises means for masking said input display data, said cursor data and said overlay data in response to said display mode control data and input display data, overlay data and cursor data enable signals.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
A computer graphics system as in claim 6, wherein said converting means further comprises a display mode multiplexer for outputting said input display data to the selected display window in accordance with the display mode specified by said display mode control data.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
A computer graphics system as in claim 7, wherein said converting means further comprises means responsive to said masking means for resolving display dominance of said cursor data and said overlay data when they correspond to the same display pixel of said display device.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
50 words
A computer graphics system as in claim 8, wherein said converting means further comprises an integrating multiplexer responsive to outputs of said dominance resolving means and said display mode multiplexer for generating said address to the window-specific color look-up table corresponding to the selected display window of said display device.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
80 words
A computer graphics system as in claim 9, wherein said integrating multiplexer outputs a window-specific address, a red color map address, a green color map address, a blue color map address and an overlay color map address, said window-specific address forming a most significant bit portion and said red, green and blue color map addresses forming respective least significant bit portions of said address to the window-specific color look-up table corresponding to the selected display window of said display device.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
A computer graphics system as in claim 1, wherein said holding means of said display mode processor comprises a plurality of window-specific registers organized into a file which is accessed by specifying a window number of the window-specific control information to be accessed.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
A computer graphics system as in claim 1, further comprising means for refreshing said window-specific color look-up tables during a vertical blanking interval of said display device.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
A computer graphics system as in claim 1, further comprising a cyclic redundancy code diagnostic tester for testing said processed input display data for read/write errors.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
208 words
A display mode processor which controls the presentation of pixels to a display window of a display device in any of a plurality of display modes, comprising: a window-specific color look-up table for each display window of said display device in which input display data is to be displayed, each window-specific color look-up table having color values stored therein in a format of one of said plurality of display modes for pixels to be displayed within a corresponding display window of said display device; means, responsive to input window index data specifying which display window of said display device said input display data is to be displayed in, for holding window-specific control information for each display window of said display device and for outputting window-specific control information including display mode control data specifying in which of said plurality of display modes the display window selected by said window index data will display said input display data; and means, responsive to said window-specific control information for the selected display window, for converting said input display data into an address of the window-specific color look-up table corresponding to the selected display window in accordance with a display mode format specified by said window-specific control information for the selected display window.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
208 words
A display mode processor which controls the presentation of pixels to a display window of a display device in any of a plurality of display modes, comprising: a window-specific color look-up table for each display window of said display device in which input display data is to be displayed, each window-specific color look-up table having color values stored therein in a format of one of said plurality of display modes for pixels to be displayed within a corresponding display window of said display device; means, responsive to input window index data specifying which display window of said display device said input display data is to be displayed in, for holding window-specific control information for each display window of said display device and for outputting window-specific control information including display mode control data specifying in which of said plurality of display modes the display window selected by said window index data will display said input display data; and means, responsive to said window-specific control information for the selected display window, for converting said input display data into an address of the window-specific color look-up table corresponding to the selected display window in accordance with a display mode format specified by said window-specific control information for the selected display window.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
A display mode processor as in claim 14, wherein each window-specific color look-up table of each display window of said display device comprises an image color look-up table and an overlay color look-up table.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
A display mode processor as in claim 15, wherein said converting means receives cursor data which it converts into addresses to a cursor color look-up table which is common to each display window of said display device.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
52 words
A display mode processor as in claim 16, wherein said processor further comprises registers having global control information stored therein, said global control information including a cursor enable signal for instructing said converting means to convert only predetermined portions of said cursor data into addresses to said common cursor color look-up table.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
A display mode processor as in claim 17, wherein said converting means comprises means for masking said cursor data in response to said cursor enable signal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
85 words
A display mode processor as in claim 14, wherein said window-specific control information further comprises overlay data for an overlay image and cursor data for a cursor to be displayed in the selected display window, and instruction data for instructing said converting means to convert only predetermined portions of said input display data, overlay data and cursor data into said address to said window-specific color look-up table corresponding to the selected display window for display of color data stored therein in said display mode format.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
38 words
A display mode processor as in claim 19, wherein said display modes comprise 8-bit indexed; 8-bit monochrome; 3 red, 3 green, 2 blue; 8 red, 8 green, 8 blue; 4 red, 4 green, 4 blue; and 12-bit indexed.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
46 words
A display mode processor as in claim 19, wherein said converting means comprises means for masking said input display data, said cursor data and said overlay data in response to said display mode control data and input display data, overlay data and cursor data enable signals.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
42 words
A display mode processor as in claim 21, wherein said converting means further comprises a display mode multiplexer for outputting said input display data to the selected display window in accordance with the display mode specified by said display mode control data.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
44 words
A display mode processor as in claim 22, wherein said converting means further comprises means responsive to said masking means for resolving display dominance of said cursor data and said overlay data when they correspond to the same display pixel of said display device.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
50 words
A display mode processor as in claim 23, wherein said converting means further comprises an integrating multiplexer responsive to outputs of said dominance resolving means and said display mode multiplexer for generating said address of the window-specific color look-up table corresponding to the selected display window of said display device.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
80 words
A display mode processor as in claim 24, wherein said integrating multiplexer outputs a window-specific address, a red color map address, a green color map address, a blue color map address and an overlay color map address, said window-specific address forming a most significant bit portion and said red, green and blue color map addresses forming respective least significant bit portions of said address of the window-specific color look-up table corresponding to the selected display window of said display device.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
38 words
A display mode processor as in claim 14, wherein said holding means comprises a plurality of window-specific registers organized into a file which is accessed by specifying a window number of the window-specific control information to be accessed.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
27 words
A display mode processor as in claim 14, further comprising means for refreshing each window-specific color look-up table during a vertical blanking interval of said display device.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
25 words
A display mode processor as in claim 14, further comprising a cyclic redundancy code diagnostic tester for testing said input display data for read/write errors.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
224 words
A method of mapping input display data into an address of a window-specific color look-up table of a display window of a display device in which said input display data is to be displayed, said window-specific color look-up table having color values stored therein in a format of one of a plurality of display modes for pixels to be displayed within said display window of said display device, comprising the steps of: masking said input display data in accordance with window-specific control data including window index data specifying which display window of said display device said input display data is to be displayed in so as to pass only predetermined portions of said input display data; generating an address to said window-specific color look-up table of said display window of said display device from said predetermined portions of said input display data in accordance with a display mode format specified by said window specific control data for said display window; resolving a dominance among a cursor input, an overlay input and said input display data when they correspond to the same address for a pixel in said display window; and outputting the generated address to said window-specific color look-up table of said display window as input thereto in accordance with said display mode format specified by said window-specific control information for said display window.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
224 words
A method of mapping input display data into an address of a window-specific color look-up table of a display window of a display device in which said input display data is to be displayed, said window-specific color look-up table having color values stored therein in a format of one of a plurality of display modes for pixels to be displayed within said display window of said display device, comprising the steps of: masking said input display data in accordance with window-specific control data including window index data specifying which display window of said display device said input display data is to be displayed in so as to pass only predetermined portions of said input display data; generating an address to said window-specific color look-up table of said display window of said display device from said predetermined portions of said input display data in accordance with a display mode format specified by said window specific control data for said display window; resolving a dominance among a cursor input, an overlay input and said input display data when they correspond to the same address for a pixel in said display window; and outputting the generated address to said window-specific color look-up table of said display window as input thereto in accordance with said display mode format specified by said window-specific control information for said display window.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 29, wherein said window-specific control data further includes cursor data for a cursor to be displayed in said display window and overlay data for an overlay image to be displayed in said display window.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 30, wherein said masking step comprises the steps of masking said input display data, said cursor data, and said overlay data in accordance with a display data enable signal, a cursor data enable signal and an overlay data enable signal, respectively.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method of claim 30, wherein the dominance resolving step comprises the steps of first determining the priority between said cursor data and overlay data in accordance with the display mode specified by said window-specific control data and, and based upon the determined dominance, superimposing the data with priority over the data without priority and over said input display data.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4668947A
Cited
US4559533A
Cited
US4769762A
Cited
US4710806A
Cited
US4772881A
Cited
US4954819A
Cited
US5061919A
Cited
US5025249A
Cited
US5091717A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-05-12 | 2000-11-11 | 2001-05-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-05-12 | 2004-11-11 | 2005-05-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-05-12 | 2008-11-11 | 2009-05-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |