Abstract: An improved discrete media display apparatus and a method for quickly drawing high quality lines on discrete media displays where only pixels are rendered in the line drawing of a vector generator and then individual element intensities within a pixel are generated in response to predetermined pixel configuration and pixel distance and angle information from the desired line.

Abstract: The foot pedal assembly of the present invention generates and provides three inputs to a personal computer. Each of the two foot pedals of the foot pedal assembly pivot and generate an input in the form of an electrical signal in proportion to the pivoted position of the foot pedal. Each foot pedal is connected to a slidable foot pedal support, which pivotally supports the foot pedal and which allows the foot pedal to slide in forward and reverse directions. A connecting member rotatably and slidably connects the two foot pedal supports, and rotates about an axis located between the two foot pedal supports. A signal generator is operably connected to the connecting member for generating a third axis of input in the form of an electrical signal in proportion to a rotated position of the connecting member.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and device for driving an electroluminescence matrix display. According to the method succeeding images are formed on the display (1), whereby to form one image all the row electrodes (r1-r6) of the display are scanned through one by one with a constant voltage, and a column voltage corresponding to the desired instantaneous combination of luminance levels is formed for the column electrodes (c1-c2) in synchronism with the scanning of the row electrodes (r1-r6). According to the invention a voltage corresponding to the average modulation voltage (AV) of the column electrodes (c1-c6) is connected to at least a part of the non-selected row electrodes (r1-r6) to capacitively raise the column electrodes (c1-c6) by the amount of the average modulation level, and only the required column electrodes (c1-c6) are driven to the difference voltage in reference to the average modulation voltage (AV).

Abstract: Described is a backlighting module that may be used in an electronic liquid crystal display device. The backlighting includes one or more lamps within a cavity of the module. The lamps are capable of a wide range of luminance including low-level luminance achieved by a unique burst modulation scheme for driving the lamps.

Abstract: Apparatus for manipulating numerical values stored in a memory comprises a modify device for receiving numerical values from the memory and returning numerical values to the memory. The modify device has at least a first state in which it modifies a numerical value received from the memory in a predetermined fashion before returning the numerical value to the memory and a second state in which it does not modify a numerical value received from the memory in the predetermined fashion before returning the numerical value to the memory. The apparatus also comprises a characterizing device for examining at least some of the numerical values and calculating at least one number that defines a property of the examined numerical values. The characterizing device is connected to the modify device for placing the modify device in the first state or the second state depending on the value of the calculated number.

Abstract: The present invention makes it possible for unskilled to inspect the total surface of a liquid crystal panel accurately in short time. It is defined that a liquid crystal panel can be divided into a single part which is a constituent, isolable, and an inspectable area, and that the single part to be "unit area of image" which is defined as a pattern to be inspected. Before the inspection, a unit area of an image without defect is selected from a liquid crystal panel to be inspected. The upper limit reference pattern and the lower limit reference pattern are generated by giving the maximal brightness in a convolution and adding the predetermined brightness and by giving the minimal brightness in the convolution and subtracting the predetermined brightness, respectively, to each pixel of the convolution.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for driving an AC-excited thin-film electroluminescent display based on a display matrix of rows and columns, in which method each row of the display matrix is alternately driven by positive (Vwrp) and negative (Vwrn) row drive pulses in which the magnitudes of successive pulses are different, each column of the display matrix is driven individually by modulation voltage pulses synchronized to the row addressing sequence, said pulses having a maximum amplitude (Vm) and an "ON"-state polarity equal to that of the larger-magnitude row drive pulse.

Abstract: A three degrees of freedom interactive display controller device is disclosed, comprising a hand manipulable housing unit having an opening for the passage of a mouse ball, two motion detectors for detecting the movement of the mouse ball and converting that motion to output signals controlling the translational movement of an object on the display of a computer and at least one finger operated wheel or roller for controlling the translational motion of the object with respect to a third translational axis. All translation controls are operable to be physically moved in a direction which corresponds to the desired simulated direction of movement of the object on the display. The physical motion of each control is unbounded and the actual physical position of the housing unit is independent of the simulated position of the object on the display.

Abstract: A new display panel system includes a stacked display panel and drive units therefor. The drive units include a computer for adjusting for the individual gamma characterics of each one of the display panels for color balancing purposes and for causing the luminance of each panel to be maximized, or at least greatly increased for each intensity level or shading of each color.

Abstract: A new display panel system includes a stacked display panel and drive units therefor. The drive units include a computer for adjusting for the individual gamma characterics of each one of the display panels for color balancing purposes and for causing the luminance of each panel to be maximized, or at least greatly increased for each intensity level or shading of each color.

Abstract: A computer display control system displays semi-transparent control menus superimposed over other images. The computer system has a central processing unit, a program memory that stores an application or operating system program that generates and displays a first set of images on the display, and a menu generating program that displays a control menu having a list of menu items. The displayed control menu is a stippled image that is partially transparent. When the control menu is superimposed over the first set of images, the first set of images remains visible on the display below the control menu. The menu generating program logically ANDs predefined control menu images with a halftone screen so as to generate a stippled control menu image comprising an array of interleaved transparent and non-transparent pixels. In the preferred embodiment, the menu generating program displays a first version of the control menu when the control menu is unselected and a second version when said control menu is selected.

Abstract: A window clipping method and device for processing data with arbitrarily shaped clipping windows, wherein arbitrarily shaped clipping windows and graphic data are stored in separate bit mapped memories, employing a graphic processor and a controller. The drawing graph is drawn only inside the clipping window, and patterns of the clipping window can also be mixed with the graph. Intersection calculations of the drawing graph and the boundary of the clipping window are not employed.

Abstract: In the case of a multi-function operating device for motor vehicles, a single bidirectional rotary switch having stop positions and axial movability is used to designating function groups and to select them by means of an enter function arrangement and subsequently, within the respective function group, select the pertaining function in the same manner. The sole operating element in the form of the rotary switch can be operated without any problems and permits the desired selection or operating function at any time and without drawing attention away from the traffic situation.

Abstract: A method for displaying a gray scale on a dot matrix type display device divides picture elements on a screen of the display device into partitions with N picture elements per partition. The picture elements correspond to (N+1) degrees of the gray scale display in which a binary level display signal is generated for representing a lighting and a lighting status. The method also upon setting each picture element to a desired degree of the gray scale display, provides that adjacent picture elements, at least in the same partition, have different phases with respect to the gray scale display. The picture elements arrayed at the same position in each partition have the same phase with respect to the gray scale display when their degree is the same.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the storage of display information into a frame buffer is disclosed. A memory means is provided for storing information for controlling the storage of display information into the frame buffer where the memory means contains a plurality of locations each of which corresponds to and controls the storing of display information in one location of the frame buffer. A pass/fail ALU is coupled to the memory means to obtain a value for a particular pixel; this ALU provides a signal indicative of one of a first or second state which state indicates whether storage of display information to the frame buffer will occur. A first function is stored in a register, which function specifies the first signal. A first storage register and a second storage register store a second function and a third function respectively and provide a second value and a third respectively.

Abstract: Sample and hold circuit for a liquid crystal display screen. The circuit comprises two stages, the first with switched capacitance the second with an amplifier device. Application to the control of liquid crystal display screens.

Abstract: A sample-and-hold circuit device includes a plurality of sampling field effect transistors for sampling an input signal in response to sampling pulses sequentially supplied from a sampling pulse transferring section, a plurality of charge-holding capacitors for respectively holding signal charges sampled by the sampling field effect transistors, and a plurality of compensating field effect transistors each having source and drain electrodes connected to a corresponding one of the charge-holding capacitors to save excess charges accumulatively stored together with signal charges in the charge-holding capacitors, wherein there is provided a pulse applying circuit for applying a driving pulse, which is obtained by inverting a sampling pulse applied to the gate of the sampling field effect transistor of one of the succeeding-stage sample-and-hold circuits, to the gate of the compensating field effect transistor of each sample-and-hold circuit.

Abstract: A hand held portable reading unit having a screen capable of presenting characters in variable font sizes is provided for readers, such as the visually impaired, allowing them to read characters in a font size most comfortable to them. The reader effects font size changes by depressing a font size select button, in turn activating a counter incremented the number of times the button has been depressed to generate the corresponding size font desired. The incremented counter may be used to address a particular place in memory where bit-mapped characters of different font sizes are stored or may be used as a scalar inputted into a character scaling algorithm to generate a desired character font size. The stored textual data may further be presented in useable form to the blind wherein an audible processor is utilized to convert the stored character code into audible signals inputted into a speaker.

Abstract: A keyswitch-integrated pointing assembly in which a plurality of substantially planar force sensing elements are disposed on a planar surface adjacent a keyswitch on a keyboard. The keyswitch includes a plunger which extends downwardly from a key cap for actuating a switch at the lower end of vertical key cap travel. The key cap engages an indexing surface when fully depressed which transmits force applied to the key cap to the force sensing elements. The force sensing elements are sandwiched between a pair of opposing plates thereby biasing the elements into a substantially linear operating region when no force is applied to the key cap.

Abstract: A locking mechanism is incorporated in a high-resolution video display system including a monitor, a computer for providing controls signals to said display system and two frame buffers, one for storing computer generated graphics images and one for storing video data both of said buffers being operable under control of said computer for reading out data to the monitor. The locking mechanism includes an output lock functionally located between the output of both of the frame buffers and the monitor for preventing video data from overwriting graphics data on said monitor screen. An input lock is also provided for preventing static video data stored in predetermined regions of the video frame buffer from being continually overwritten by motion video data being continually supplied to the video frame buffer.