Patents Examined by Marshall M. Curtis
  • Luminescent display device
    Patent number: 4710765
    Abstract: A luminescent display cell comprising a glass envelope having a front panel, a side wall, and a rear plate. Plural luminescent display segments are formed on the front panel of the glass envelope, the display segments being supplied with an anode voltage. Plural cathodes are arranged on the rear panel side of the glass envelope in corresponding relation to the display segments. Plural control grid electrodes are arranged between the display segments and the cathodes in corresponding relation to the display segments. A common accelerating electrode is disposed between the display segments and the control grid electrodes. The voltage applied to each control grid electrode is controllable for electron emission from the cathodes so as to render each display segment corresponding to each control grid electrode selectively luminous for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Ohkoshi, Koji Tsuruta, Hideaki Nakagawa, Satoshi Shimada
  • Liquid crystal display with switching transistor for each pixel
    Patent number: 4710768
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device comprising display picture element electrodes connected to switching transistors formed at each crossing of the row and column electrodes of a matrix array with the opposite electrodes being opposite from the display picture element electrodes and across from the interfacing liquid crystal layer. Video signals are inverted into alternating positive/negative polarities for every field and applied to the column electrodes. A specific voltage that inverts its polarity in the same timing as the video signals is applied to the opposite electrodes. The drive method thus embodied by the present invention effectively minimizes the power consumption and allows for compensation of uneven display contrast effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Takeda, Keisaku Nonomura, Kunihiko Yamamoto
  • Device for displaying symbols by means of a liquid crystal matrix
    Patent number: 4710766
    Abstract: A method and device for displaying symbols by means of a liquid crystal matrix. The device comprises an automation driven by a clock which feeds cyclically to the control circuit of a liquid crystal matrix the bits representative of the elementary images contained in a random access memory. The memory has a capacity greater than k (n+m) bits, k being the multiplexing coefficient and n and m being respectively the number of lines and columns of the liquid crystal matrix. The memory is refreshed by a central computer during the interval of emission of the bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Assignee: Societe Francaise d'Equipements pour la Navigation Aerienne
    Inventors: Marcel Dubois, Pierre Fagard
  • Adaptive thresholding scheme for optically-based touch screens
    Patent number: 4707689
    Abstract: The sensitivity of an optically-based touch screen is substantially impro by adaptively establishing the detection threshold based on the peak trapped light measured over a number of frames on the screen being painted. In accordance with one feature of the invention, the peak trapped light from a target area painted on the screen is compared with a priorly established threshold as a way of determining that a target area is being touched by the user. In accordance with another feature of the invention, the threshold is modified in a way that compensates for possible erroneous touch indications due, for example, to bright spots on the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1987
    Assignee: AT&T Information Systems Inc. American Telephone & Telegraph Company
    Inventors: Philip S. DiPiazza, Dale E. Lynn, Donald J. Weber
  • Video display control method and apparatus having video data storage
    Patent number: 4707690
    Abstract: To improve data storage efficiency in a video display system having a video data memory (4) data for display is read out from the memory in a time shared manner. Addressing of the memory is controlled by an address multiplexer (7) in turn controlled by an address converting circuit (21) that generates, successively, memory addresses and memory addresses modified by an offset value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1987
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keizo Higuchi
  • Apparatus for displaying the layout of text
    Patent number: 4706078
    Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus and process for displaying the layout of text in a text preparing apparatus. In order to save the space on the display during layout display, the characters, symbols etc. are converted into plural display elements in compressed form to enable the operator to identify the species of the printed characters, symbols etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1987
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinichi Kimura
  • Circuit arrangement and method for moving characters superimposed on an image represented by a video signal
    Patent number: 4706075
    Abstract: A composite video signal is processed for superimposing characters on an image represented by the video signal, where a memory (33) and a character generator (31) used for superimposing the characters at an appropriate position are both controlled by a control unit having an odd-field detector (38), a shift pulse generator (44), a rewrite pulse generator (45) and a window pulse generator (54). The odd-field detector (38) produces an odd-field pulse each time a coming odd field is detected, and the number of the odd-field pulses is counted so as to be compared with the number of H sync pulses of the composite video signal. The number of H sync pulses fed to the character generator (31) is reduced by the number of detected odd-field pulses thereby smoothly naturally moving or scrolling displayed characters vertically starting from an odd field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1987
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Hattori, Akiyoshi Morita
  • Halftoning implementation for interactive image editing
    Patent number: 4706077
    Abstract: A circuit for producing a "knight ordered dither" halftone pattern for a CRT and a "double spiral" halftone pattern for a xerographic printer is described. The circuit comprises a RAM for storing the threshold values, a comparator, and supporting addressing and logic parts. Also described are a program for allowing the operator to interactively generate threshold patterns, and several knight tour patterns specifically designed for a CRT using interlaced rasters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1987
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Allen M. Roberts, Andrew Sangster, Zoltan Stroll
  • Character-based monochromatic representation of color images
    Patent number: 4703318
    Abstract: Forming a character-based monochromatic image from a digital representation of a color image by (1) forming a character-based representation of the color image in which a plurality of color characters each describe the background and foreground color within a defined area of the color image, (2) providing a plurality of color pattern masks each corresponding to a color in the color image and comprised of a pattern of light and dark dots capable of providing, in the monochromatic image, visual discrimination between areas of different color, (3) transforming the color characters to monochromatic characters by replacing the background and foreground color of each color character with the corresponding pattern of light and dark dots, and (4) displaying the monochromatic characters on a character-based output device (e.g., a CRT display driven by a character-based controller).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1987
    Assignee: Wang Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: William T. Haggerty
  • Blinking of a specific graph in a graphic display
    Patent number: 4703317
    Abstract: A graphic display is characterized in that; it provides display memory corresponding to display picture covering a plurality of pictures, and causes a plurality of display memory units to properly distribute a variety of graphic patterns to be displayed on the screen for storage, while the graphic display unit also provides a table memory that holds data indicating either the presence or absence of blinking to be applied to the graphic patterns, and then simultaneously reads display memory containing plural pictures synchronously with the display scan and draws out the blink data from table memory by using each bit of plural pictures as the logic condition, thus causing a specific graph pattern to blink according to the blink data of the table memory, and as a result, blinking can be easily performed at a speed faster than any of the conventional graphic display units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1987
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masuo Shiomi, Takashi Aramaki
  • Select switch box for white on black and black on white CRT data display
    Patent number: 4703319
    Abstract: A three-pole double-throw switch is provided to selectively interrupt the video signal from an input connector to an output connector for display of white characters generated by a microprocessor on a dark screen of a CRT monitor, or vice versa, and route the video signal through an inverter for display of dark characters on white screen. One pole of the switch is used to provide the vertical sync signal to the power input terminal of the inverter, thus powering the select switch box solely from the transmitted vertical sync signal. A capacitor filters the power supply thus provided. The select switch box requires no external power and is virtually free of RF energy radiation while providing noise free data display with equal bandwidth response in both modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1987
    Assignee: High Resolution Sciences, Inc
    Inventor: Jonathan M. Schine
  • Touch panel input apparatus
    Patent number: 4703316
    Abstract: A touch panel input apparatus including two arrays of light detectors placed on the opposite sides of the display device screen and four light sources, each of which is placed at a corner and at angle to illuminate at least the entire array of the light detectors on the opposite side. The light detectors are scanned in synchronization with the selection of the light beam sources. A controlling microprocessor has stored in its memory four sets of data, one for each light source, regarding ambient light condition and beam interrupt thresholds for the light detectors. By software, two equations representing a line are determined and solved to obtain a cross point which corresponds to X-Y position of the finger on the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1987
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventor: Terry G. Sherbeck
  • Character pattern storage and display device
    Patent number: 4703320
    Abstract: A character pattern storage and display device stores information descriptive of a character, information representative of the amount of downward shift to be effected to a character pattern of the character, information representative of the width of the character to be displayed, and, where the character is to be displayed with its width changed, information representative of the start position of an actual character in the information stored. A control circuit is provided for moving the position at which the character is displayed on the basis of such information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1987
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keisuke Okano
  • Variable loadable character generator
    Patent number: 4703322
    Abstract: A Loadable Character Generator whose operation can be changed to suit various needs, such as foreign language requirements, without hardware change and with minimum hardware. The character generator translates the character code of a character to be displayed to the dot pattern for that particular character, utilizing a minimum of hardware. The loadable character generator of the invention replaces the ROM/PROM by a RAM utilizing 2K and 8 RAM memories, a 4K by 8 memory, 4 MUX chips, and a Motorola 6845 CRT Controller with various registers and is loaded through the attribute buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1987
    Assignee: Honeywell Information Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Gary J. Goss, Thomas O. Holtey, James C. Siwik
  • Graphics display system
    Patent number: 4700181
    Abstract: A system for the storage, retrieval and manipulation of data for producing a display, in which inter alia, color availability is in the form of appropriately pre-selected palettes, three-dimensional or planar objects are composed of patterns or elements which are individually stored, the display image is made up in buffers which alternate as construction and display buffers by data accessed in memory by lists linking them in ascending order of visible priority, the data then being written into the buffers, the nature of the data storage varying in predetermined fashion for different types of objects, all so that highly complex and visually pleasing graphics can be displayed and manipulated within the time constraint of a full motion video raster scanning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1987
    Assignee: Computer Graphics Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Maine, Duncan Harrower, Abraham Mammen
  • Format for improving the readability of numeric displays
    Patent number: 4700183
    Abstract: A new format for numerical displays is provided wherein open portions or notches occurring in the ordinary display are closed. By such arrangement, the present invention enables a complete arrangement of numbers ranging in value from 0 to 9 to all have the same height and width. Such numbers are especially useful in electrophoretic or liquid crystal displays, as well as active displays using light emitting diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1987
    Assignee: North American Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Rogers P. White
  • Method for storing graphic information in memory
    Patent number: 4700182
    Abstract: A graphic information processing system is capable of developing graphic display information stored in data memory into graphic dot display pattern which is then written into dot map memory. Since the graphic display segments are memorized into designated areas of data memory upon being split into variable length, memory capacity can be reduced. By providing additional address memory area related to either the graphic display segment or these groups, additional graphic display information can be selected from additional addresses, and as a result, editing can be implemented very easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1987
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuya Ohgami
  • High resolution dot-matrix character display
    Patent number: 4697177
    Abstract: Resolution of a dot-matrix character display system for a CRT is enhanced by storing two bits for each dot space, thus storing qMxn bits, where M is the number of dot spaces in a row, and N is the number of rows. The clock for reading M bits of a character in a row is increased by a factor q to generate q dots per dot space, while the CRT beam is sinusoidally modulated at the clock rate. The phase and amplitude of the modulation is selected to place the q dots displayed in a dot space at maxima of the modulation within a dot space of an MxN matrix, with a vertical displacement of .+-.1/4 raster scan width of the CRT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1987
    Assignee: High Resolution Television, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan M. Schine
  • Lightpen control circuit
    Patent number: 4697175
    Abstract: A control circuit for a lightpen of a random scanning computer graphics sem (10) enabling the detection of lightpen interrupts or hits on contiguous vectors having drawing periods shorter than the response time of the lightpen (13). The lightpen interrupts are temporarily held in a peripheral circuit (31,32,34,36) and are selectively released to the computer system (via 29,21) at the end of its INTERPRET phase, i.e., at the end of a period during which the display processor decides how to handle the next display instruction. The present arrangement, which prevents the arrival of the lightpen interrupt signal during the INTERPRET phase, achieves a computer graphics system exhibiting maximum use of the information furnished by lightpen hits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1987
    Assignee: American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: John B. Macdonald
  • Computer graphics system for real-time calculation and display of the perspective view of three-dimensional scenes
    Patent number: 4697178
    Abstract: A computer graphics system and process for displaying three-dimensional scenes as perspective views on the view reference plane of a display device is disclosed which removes hidden lines and surfaces from the display. The system and process utilizes a scan line algorithm which minimizes storage requirements and is efficiently implementable in hardware.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1987
    Assignee: Megatek Corporation
    Inventor: Todd A. Heckel