JPH02165323A - Multiwindow display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve processing efficiency by executing application programs respectively corresponding to two multiwindows having different user interfaces in parallel and displaying respective multiwindows by switching. CONSTITUTION:In respective multiwindow programs A, B, application programs formed correspondingly to respective user interfaces are executed and controlled by an input instruction and drawing control displayed on a multiwindow for respective display requests is applied to respectively corresponding frame memories 23a, 23b. Respective displays on the multiwindow are displayed on a CRT 26 by switching an input. Consequently, the processing efficiency can be improved.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] This invention relates to a multi-window display device that can display multiple windows with different user interfaces by switching them. With the aim of improving processing efficiency by using multiple frame memories, each one processes multiple jobs in parallel, and one of the frame memories is specified to display multiple displays for each job processing. a plurality of window management units that control the expansion of pixel data so that they are divided and displayed by windows; and Hii! that expands the pixel data into the frame memory under the control of each window management unit. ii a control unit, a display unit that displays the pixel data developed in the frame memory, a display switching unit that switches the display on the display unit to any one of the frame memories, and a display unit that displays input data to the window management unit. an input control section that monitors the input from the input control section and switches the input from the input control section to any one of the window management sections; It is constituted by a screen switching control section that controls switching of the display switching section and the input switching section according to the selection.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a multi-window display device, and particularly to a multi-window display device that can display a plurality of multi-windows with different user interfaces by switching.

In recent years, multiple jobs (j.

In the display of a multi-job processing device that processes tasks (b) in parallel, multiple windows are displayed on the screen at the same time, and various media such as text, graphs, table data, etc. can be displayed and edited at the same time. has been realized. The software that realizes this multi-window on a computer is located between the O3 (operating system) and application programs such as user programs, and it handles settings from input devices such as creating window frames and assigning application programs to windows. Many different user interfaces are provided for specifying display data for a multi-window program from an application program.

Users who use one multi-window have application programs created to match that user interface, so they are unable to use application programs created for other multi-windows with different user interfaces at the same time. be. Under these circumstances, there is an increasing demand to use multiple multi-window application programs with different user ink faces simultaneously on one device.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a conventional multi-window display device. In the figure, reference numeral 41 denotes a window management unit that realizes multi-windows, and includes, for example, a central processing unit, an OS, a multi-window program, etc. in a combination unit capable of processing multiple jobs. Reference numeral 42 denotes a drawing control unit that expands the drawing data, 43 a frame memory in which the drawing data is expanded, 44 a display unit consisting of a display screen control unit that displays the drawing data, and a display screen such as a CRT, and 45 a window management unit 41. This is an input control unit such as a keyboard or mouse that generates human input data.

The 4-window management unit 41 manages a plurality of jobs (Job, Job, Job, etc.) such as application programs.
c, .

The drawing control unit 42 develops drawing data in the frame memory 43 under the control of the window management unit 41. The drawing data developed in the frame memory 43 is read out and displayed by the display section 44. Furthermore, for the window management section 41, the input control section 45 creates a window frame.

Settings such as assignment of jobs to windows, data input to jobs, etc. are performed.

In such conventional multi-window display devices,
The jobs that can be executed are those created to correspond to the user interface of the window management section.If you are trying to execute a job created for another window management section, you must use the window management section itself (for example, the multi This was done by replacing the software (window programs, etc.).

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In this way, with conventional multi-window display devices, only a limited number of jobs can be run in parallel at the same time.For example, it is possible to run different application programs on the same data and compare the results. If the application program cannot be run in parallel, the user will have to replace the multi-window program, etc., and will not be able to perform real-time comparative studies due to data changes, making it extremely difficult for the user to use. It was becoming inefficient.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and provides a multi-window display device that allows multiple windows with different user interfaces to operate in parallel, effectively utilizes application programs, etc., and improves processing efficiency. The purpose is to

[Means to solve the problem]

Means in the present invention for achieving the above object are as follows:
As shown in the figure, a plurality of frame memories 3a, 3b, . . . each holding pixel data corresponding to a display screen are provided.
- Each of them processes a plurality of jobs in parallel, and specifies one of the frame memories 3a+3b, . A plurality of window management units 1a, lb, . . . . a drawing control unit 2 that develops pixel data, and the frame memory 3a.
+3b+..., a display section 4 that displays the pixel data developed in . , 1b,...
an input control unit 6 that generates input data for the window management unit 1a;
Input switching unit 7 that switches to any one of tb, . . .
and a screen switching control section that monitors the input from the input control section 6 and controls switching of the display switching section 5 and the input switching section 7 according to the selection of one of the window management sections fat 1b+... A multi-window display device consisting of 8 is used.

[Effect]

In the input control unit 6, window management unit 1a+tb.

... is selected, the screen switching control section 8 switches the input switching section 7 so that the input from the input control section 6 is transmitted to the selected window management section, and at the same time switches the display. The section 5 is also switched so that the pixel data on the frame memory corresponding to the selected window management section is displayed on the display section 4. Each of the window management units 1a+, 1b+, . . . sequentially accesses and controls the drawing control unit 2, and draws the display contents in their own dedicated frame memories. For example, if the device is waiting for an input, a message or the like prompting the input may be displayed.

The selected window management unit analyzes the input from the input control unit 6, executes and manages multiple specified jobs in parallel, and receives display requests for processing each job to create a dedicated window for each job. Control drawing to frame memory so that it is displayed in separate windows,
It is displayed on the display unit 4. If a job managed under each window management section is being executed, the unselected window management section receives a display request from the job and performs drawing in a dedicated frame memory.

As a result, jobs managed by a plurality of window management units are executed in parallel, and display is performed by each window management unit by switching.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 20 is a central processing unit (CPU), 21 is a main memory, and 22 is a drawing control unit, which is composed of an MPU (microprocessor) 221, a CG (character generator) 222, and a memory 223. 23
a is a first frame memory, 23b is a second frame memory, 24 is a display switching section, 25 is a display screen control section, 26
27 is a CRT which is a display screen, 27 is an input control unit, and 2
7a is a keyboard, and 27b is a mouse. 28 is a disk device. The drawing control unit 22 controls the frame memory 23a under the control of the CPU 20.

The display screen control section 25 reads the data on the frame memory, converts it into display information for the CRT 26, and sends it to the CRT 26 for display. 24 consists of a three-state buffer etc. that performs bus switching, and C
The frame memory 23a is controlled by a control signal from the PU20.
, 23b so that any one of the data read out from the display screen controller 25 is transmitted to the display screen controller 25.

In the above configuration, the O3 executes multiple job processing from the disk device 28 under the control of the Cr'U20 at startup.
(operating system) is read into the main memory 21. Then, in response to an input instruction from the keyboard 27a, a plurality of application programs stored in the disk device 28 are read into the main memory 21, and are executed in parallel in a time-sharing manner. A multi-window program, which controls multi-windows in which displays by a plurality of application programs are divided into a plurality of windows and displayed simultaneously, is executed in parallel as one job.

The operation when multi-window programs 8 and B, which have different user interfaces, are executed simultaneously will be described below. At this time, the multi-window programs A, O3 and the CPU 20 form one window management section, and the multi-window programs B, O3 and the CPU 20 form another window management section.

First, each of the multi-window programs A and B obtains access rights to the drawing control unit 22. For example, multi-window program A accesses the first frame memory 23a, and multi-window program B accesses the second frame memory 23a.
Controls the drawing of messages, etc. to the frame memory 23b of the frame memory 23b. At this time, the drawing in the frame memory selected by the display screen switching unit 25 is displayed on the CRT 26.

Also, each multi-window program A.

B is provided with a screen switching control unit that also performs input switching as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3, and monitors input from the keyboard 27a or mouse 27b.

As shown in FIG. 3, the screen switching control section performs the following processing for each input.

■ First, determine whether you are selected.■ If you are selected, determine whether human power is the one that selects others, and if it is not the one that selects others, go to input analysis processing. .

■ If the input is to select something else, switch the subsequent human power so that it does not process anything other than the input that selects itself.

■ If you are not selected in ■, judge whether the human power will select you, and do nothing if it is not selected.

(2) If the input is to select oneself, a control signal is issued to the display switching section 24 so that the data on the frame memory to be drawn by oneself is displayed.

■ Change your input so that it is an instruction for yourself.

In each of the multi-window programs A and B, an application program created corresponding to the respective user interface is executed according to an input instruction.
For each display request, drawing control for multi-window display is performed in the corresponding frame memory.

The display of each multi-window is then displayed on the CRT 26 by manual switching.

In this manner, in the above embodiment, application programs corresponding to two multi-windows with different user interfaces are executed in parallel, and each multi-window is displayed by switching.

In the above embodiment, two multi-windows are displayed by switching, but if the frame memory is increased and switching is possible, it becomes possible to switch and display two or more multi-windows. In addition, a multi-window program, O8, is used as a multi-window management unit.
and a CPU, but this can be done in various ways and is not limited to the above embodiments.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, multiple multi-windows with different user interfaces can be executed at the same time and the display can be switched between them, making it possible to effectively utilize application programs created for each window and processing A multi-window display device with improved efficiency can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention, Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the screen switching control means in the embodiment, and Fig. 4 is a functional block diagram of the prior art. be. 1a, 1b, ..., 41; window management section, 2.2
2, 42; Drawing control unit, 3a, 3b, 23a, 23b, 43; Frame memory, 4.44. ; Display section, 5, 24; Display switching section, 6.
45i manual control unit, 7; input switching unit, 8; screen switching control unit, 20; 21; 7a 28: central processing unit (CPU), main memory, ; microprocessor (MPU), ; character generator (CG') ,;memory,
26, CRT, :keyboard, 27b; mouse, disk device. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention FIG.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A plurality of frame memories (3a, 3b, . . . ) each holding pixel data corresponding to a display screen, each processing a plurality of jobs in parallel; A plurality of window management units (1a, 1b, . . .) control the expansion of pixel data so that each display in each job process is divided and displayed in a plurality of windows. ), a drawing control unit (2) that develops pixel data in the frame memory (3a, 3b, . . .) under the control of each of the window management units (1a, 1b, . . .); A display section (4) that displays the pixel data developed in the frame memory (3a, 3b, . . . );
3a, 3b, . . .); an input control section (6) that generates input data for the window management section (1a, 1b, . . .); an input switching unit (7) for switching the input from the input control unit (6) to any one of the window management units (1a, 1b, . . . ); a screen switching control section (8) that monitors and controls switching of the display switching section (5) and the input switching section (7) according to the selection of any one of the window management sections (1a, 1b, . . . ); A multi-window display device comprising: and.