Abstract: A system is disclosed which reduces significantly the time for processing multi-bit two-color data for display. The system generates multi-bit two-color data by expanding single-bit monochromatic data, and provides three types of output data: a first expanded multi-bit color data, a second expanded multi-bit color data, and a third unchanged multi-bit data, the unchanged data being combinable with other data for producing data overlays.The system comprises a data expansion circuit for maintaining selected data unchanged and for expanding selected single-bit data to multi-bit two-color data, a memory for storing multi-bit data, and a data compression circuit for compressing selected multi-bit data to single-bit data.

Abstract: A display control such as a virtual display adapter allows the advanced functions of a display controller to be utilized in a large area of memory in addition to the normal use in display memory. This large area of memory includes system memory, and efficient access to this large area of memory is permitted for normal system use. The display controller also functions with non-contiguous and non-resident bitmaps. The flexibility of demand-paged virtual memory is utilized for display tasks, as display bitmaps may be written to the large area of memory as well as the display memory.

Abstract: A display system for enabling a pilot in an aircraft to simultaneously view an image of selected display information and a scene external to the aircraft during low visibility conditions, such as the night-time, is provided. An image intensifier tube is mounted on the side of a pilot's helmet, preferably a Helmet Display system, so that the image sensed coincides with the pilot's field of view. The image intensifier tube intensifies light from the external scene and outputs voltages representative of the scene to a converter. The output voltage is converted to a video signal having a format which is compatible to the display system in use. A Combining Circuit combines the compatible video signal with video signals from other display sources, such as instrumentation panel displays. The combined electrical signals are input to a display driver which drives the display system to cause the selected display information to be superimposed on the external scene viewed by the pilot.

Abstract: The viewing angle of a liquid crystal display may be controlled by storing a digital code which represents the viewing angle, and converting the stored digital code to an analog voltage which is applied to the bias input of the liquid crystal display. To adjust the viewing angle, a new digital code is stored using keypad input. The invention is particularly suitable for microprocessor controlled displays, and eliminates the need for a hinged or pivoted display, or a viewing angle adjustment knob.

Abstract: Disclosed is an address producing circuit for zoom function in which horizontal and vertical addresses are to make more free selection of a partial picture around a plurality of locations disposed on a screen of a monitor device, and image data stored in a predetermined address region according to the selection is read out to display on the screen, so that the picture of the selected partial region can be magnified to a whole screen picture.

Abstract: A video processing system for use in combining a first video image sequence comprising a number of image frames and a second sequence of video image frames to create a composite video image sequence is disclosed. The system comprises a stylus and touch tablet combination and is arranged to define on a frame-by-frame basis at least four reference points representing corners of a keyframe in three dimensional space notionally projected onto a monitor screen. A transforming circuit transforms the addresses of pixels in a frame of the first video image sequence so as to cause the pixels to represent the frame as projected onto the display screen from the same location in three dimensional space as the keyframe. A combiner combines the transformed frame with a corresponding frame of the second video sequence to produce the composite video image sequence.

Abstract: Electronic image processing for manipulating data representing a three dimensional object. The three dimensional object. The three dimensional position and color of surface elements of an object are stored wherein the data for each surface element represents characteristics of a finite elemental area of the surface or skin of an object. The data may be displayed in two dimensions to provide real time manipulation of the three dimensional data.

Abstract: An electronic transparency device is provided with a memory in which a plurality of frames of video data ("slides") can be stored. The apparatus includes a control microprocessor which can cause predefined sequences of slides to be presented on the LCD panel automatically. These slide "shows" are defined by the user using a hand held remote control unit in conjuntion with menus displayed on the LCD panel in window fashion by the microprocessor. The user can specify the duration that each slide in a sequence is to be shown, the video transition by which it is to be introduced, the degree of "windowshading" with which it is to be displayed, etc. Once a show is defined, it can be instituted and controlled from the remote control unit. Among other numerous features, the transparency also includes a pointer that can be superimposed on the display and controlled by the remote control unit. This pointer can be used to define certain portions of the screen that are to be displayed in highlighted fashion.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for forming an outline character by making a character, numeral, mark, or the like black at the periphery thereof and white at the inner portions thereof. When the original character data exists at at least one upper or lower end in a dot display space, the character data at the end is removed and shortened. The shortened character dot pattern is periphally expanded by at least one dot, and the expanded character is removed to form white space within the shortened character. In another aspect, the character dot pattern is periphally expanded by at least one dot. When the original character exists at at least one upper or lower end in the dot display space, the expanded character is removed to form white spaces within the original character dot pattern except for an upper or lower end in the dot display space. Thus, if the original character dot pattern exists at at least one upper or lower end, a character completely enclosed within a black periphery can be obtained.

Abstract: A gray scale display, which is provided with a liquid crystal panel consisting of switching elements and a liquid crystal layer superposed thereon; a digital-time function transforming device for transforming digital signals including gray scale information into time function signals; and a time function-gray scale transforming device for sampling a brightness reference signal varying with respect to time, responding to the time function signals and generating gray scale signals corresponding to the signal voltage applied to the switching elements. The time function-gray scale transforming device, in which the brightness reference signal is inputted, samples the signal, responding to time function signals such as a pulse phase signal, a pulse width signal, etc., to obtain a signal voltage. In this way it is possible to reduce the size of a signal voltage generating circuit and to lower signal speed of the operation of the circuit.

Abstract: A multiple color imaging device such as a beam index CRT (FIG. 3a/b), with red, green and blue phosphor stripes arranged in triplets each defining one color image pixel in the line scan direction having at least the red and green phosphor stripes coated with an electrically insulating barrier layer 38 on which is formed a thin layer 39 of blue emitting phosphor. In color display mode the beam energy is sufficient to penetrate the barrier layer and excite the principal stripe phosphor to give the desired color emission but also excites the blue phosphor, blue emissions being perceived at lower luminance than the red and not detrimental to perceived color purity. In monochrome mode the beam energy is reduced to excite only the blue phosphor. As each stripe is able to emit blue when excited the image resolution for monochrome is increased from color triplet dimensions to individual stripe dimensions or better.

Abstract: In image data display apparatus and method, code data stored in a memory is converted to image data, which is then cyclically stored into a plurality of image memories for displaying on a display as display data. Overrun of image screen which is caused by a difference between a recognition time and a response time of an operator when a continuous paging mode of the display for data retrieval is terminated is corrected by a hardware implemented circuit or a software implemented computer program so that a desired image screen is displayed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing graphical information in a manner such that 1) accesses to a frame buffer in which the graphical information is to be stored result in a minimum of page crossings in the frame buffer; and 2) time spent processing graphical information outside a predetermined clip window is minimized. These two goals are sometimes conflicting and the present invention determines how the graphical information should be processed so that frame buffer accesses are always performed with the least overhead. For a given object which is to be displayed within a defined window, by determining the portions of the object which are inside the window and the portions which are outside the window, it frequently is possible to determine whether the object should be drawn from top to bottom, bottom to top, left to right or right to left so as to minimize page crossings and minimize the time spent processing portions of the object outside a predetermined clip window.

Abstract: A variable magnification copier capable of copying an original document in a zoom magnification change mode when the size of the document and a desired copy size are entered on keys. The copier has an operation board which is provided with a dimensional magnification change mode key, a document size key, a copy size key, and a magnification change ratio and size data display. In a dimensional magnification change mode, the data display shows a document size and a desired copy size which are entered on the document size and copy size keys, respectively. Such size data are automatically provided with a decimal point, whereby the operation board does not need an exclusive decimal point key. Data appearing on the data display is switched over to size data without a decimal point, depending on the unit of the entered size.

Abstract: A technique for achieving read-time animation in bit-map data displays in apparatus having a display memory in which digital codes are stored to give the color and/or luminance of each pixel of the display and the display memory is accessed repeatedly in a recurrent display scan cycle to read-out the digital codes to produce the display. The time available for modifying the contents of the display memory to achieve animation of an object against a fixed background is very small and access to the display memory for the display scan and for writing-in new digital codes must not be in conflict. The present invention proposes a method of continually modifying the display memory content, to achieve object animation, in which the shape of an object is coded into a machine code program (e.g.

Abstract: A very large display screen which is made up of a curtain of suspended optical fibers of different lengths. The fibers are illuminated by light emitting diodes. The light emitting diodes are grouped in triads emitting the three primary colors to produce a colored display.

Abstract: A joystick for moving a cursor on a display screen uses an infrared transmitter (34) radiating into a transparent handle (14). As the handle is moved by an operator, infra-red light is directed to one of four optical detectors (31) covering up, down, left and right directions respectively. The device can also detect movement at 45 degrees to any of these directions since light is then directed to two detectors (31). A further four optical detectors (31a) are provided, each arranged adjacent one of the first four detectors (31), so that further movement of the handle in the same direction can be detected. An additional optical detector (37) is arranged to detect downward movement of the handle (14) against a spring (24). The handle is translatably mounted, rather than pivotally mounted as in a stand joystick.

Abstract: The present invention provides unique methods and apparatus for shading curves, polygons and patches, implementing Phong, Gouraud and other shading techniques in the rendering of images on a cathode ray tube or other display device. The present invention also includes a unique method and apparatus for shading patches by rendering a series of adjacent curves such that no pixel gaps exist between each rendered curve.

Abstract: A display device of a type for displaying in two levels is so controlled as to display images of different colors by hatching according to different patterns such that images of different colors can be distinguished. In order to prevent distortion of image caused by hatching, hatching corresponding to any particular color can be selectively prevented. With a binary conversion circuit with adjustable reference voltages, an image with various combinations of analog color signals can also be displayed.

Abstract: There is disclosed a window display control device for display of a window image on a CRT image plane or the like. This device enables high speed data display in a virtual window region on renewal of the image plane thereof, and also enables preferential data display in the virtual window region without waiting for renewal of the entire body of an output data text thereof.