JPH06289843A - Image display processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the image display processor which can update display data at a high speed without generating any flicker. CONSTITUTION:The image display processor which is equipped with a display memory 10 for storing image data to be displayed on a display unit 2 by one screen and displays a screen where plural component images are arranged on the display unit 2 is equipped with a work memory 20 which stores the image data in addition to the display memory 10 and also equipped with a display update control means 7 which generates an area corresponding to the position on the work memory 20 where a display of component image data for display update are updated on the display unit 2 when the component image data displayed on the display unit are updated and transfers the image data in the area to the display memory 10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an operation panel which functions as a man-machine interface by being connected to various control devices such as factories, plants, construction vehicles, monitoring systems, etc., and particularly to input information from the outside. Based on this, the present invention relates to an improvement in the configuration for display update when displaying component image data consisting of figures, graphs, numbers, characters, etc. on a display.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years,
In the technical field of production lines, disaster prevention / security systems, and plant control / monitoring, etc., a transparent touch panel is laminated on a display such as a liquid crystal display to form an operation panel, and operations to be displayed on the display. A graphic operation panel has been proposed in which display screen data for the panel can be freely created by the user using drawing software.

According to this type of graphic operation panel, it is possible to give an operation instruction to the system by pressing a position on the touch panel corresponding to an operation switch drawn on the display unit, and to display various states of the system. Can be displayed on the display. The display screen data for the operation panel created by the user is registered and stored in the memory built in the operation panel.

The graphic operation panel for which the screen has been created is normally connected to an external control device such as a sequencer, a host computer, various control devices in the system used by various interfaces, Under the instruction of the external control device, for example, the operating status of the plant, the position of the automated guided vehicle,
It functions to visually display information related to data display of various sensors, notification of abnormalities, etc. in figures and graphs, and at the same time, to notify the external control device of switch inputs and the like.

By the way, according to the conventional graphic operation panel of this type, it is possible to register frequently used graphics, characters and marks as a file when creating a display screen, and use the display screen when necessary. To be able to create. In this type of operation panel, a display memory having a capacity of one screen of the display is provided, and image data is written in the display memory to display required data on the display. In some types of image display processing devices, flicker on the screen at the time of image updating has conventionally been a problem.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when it is attempted to update the position of the needle of the meter, conventionally, the process of first erasing the needle and then drawing the needle at a new position is performed. However, at this time, if an image without needles is displayed for a moment, it will appear as flickering.

[0007] In order to avoid this, various methods have been proposed in the prior art in which the synchronization signal of the display control device is used to permit writing to the raster memory only during the vertical erasing period.

Another method is disclosed in JP-A-63-75.
In Japanese Patent No. 784, the raster memory is provided for two or more screens, it is determined which area in the raster memory is currently displaying, and an image is displayed in an area other than the current display area based on the determination result. I am trying to update the data.

[0009]

However, the former technique for updating an image only during the vertical erasing period has a problem that it is not possible to perform drawing that requires a time longer than the vertical erasing time, and the latter technique is also problematic. However, the determination of the non-display area becomes complicated, and moreover, the data for one screen must be updated, so that there is a problem that it takes time to update the data.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image display processing apparatus capable of performing high-speed display data update without causing flicker.

[0011]

According to the present invention, there is provided a display memory for storing one screen of image data to be displayed on a display, and an image for displaying a screen on which a plurality of component images are arranged. In the display processing device, in addition to the display memory, a work memory for storing the image data is provided, and when the display of the component image displayed on the display is updated, the component image data for display update is stored on the work memory. A display update control means for creating an image in the area corresponding to the position where the display is updated on the display and transferring the image data of the area to the display memory is provided.

[0012]

According to the present invention, the component image data for display update is edited and created in the area corresponding to the display update position of the work memory, and only the data of the edited and created area corresponds to the display memory. Transferred to the area.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the present invention is applied to the graphic operation panel described above.

The graphic operation panel 1 includes a display unit 2, a touch switch 3, an image information memory 4, a control unit 5,
It has a screen information table 6, a display processing unit 7, a fixed image memory 8, a moving image memory 9, a display memory 10, an image signal generation unit 11 and a work memory 20, and is connected to a host controller (not shown). There is.
The host controller executes, for example, control / monitoring of a production line, control / monitoring of physical distribution, control / monitoring of a disaster prevention / security system, process monitoring of a plant, and the like.

The display 2 is a CRT, a liquid crystal display,
A display device such as a plasma display or an EL display, on which a display screen in which elements for various status displays and signal inputs are arbitrarily combined is displayed.
The display memory 10 stores display data to be displayed on the display device as image data, and the stored data and the display content of the display device have a one-to-one correspondence. The image signal generation unit 11 controls to display the display data stored in the display memory 10 on the display 2.

The work memory 20 is also the display memory 10.
Similarly, the display device 2 has a capacity capable of storing image data for one screen, and the image data created in the work memory 20 is transferred to the display memory 10 to update the data in the display memory 10. Be seen.

A touch switch 3 is laminated on the display device 2, and the coordinate position on the operation panel designated by the operator can be known from the information from the touch switch 3.

The image information memory 4 stores user screen data for the operation panel created by the user. Generally, when creating a display screen, the user connects the graphic operation panel 1 to an arbitrary personal computer, creates an arbitrary screen using the attached drawing software, and creates the created screen data. Is registered and stored in the image information memory 4 in advance.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the user screen data stored in the image storage memory 4. In this case, a plurality of (n) screen data created by the user are registered and stored. . Also, for example, like the numeric keypad, various operation switches, and display meter, if you register once, you can call up any display screen and use it when creating a screen. ) Registered and stored.

FIG. 3 shows a storage format of one user screen data stored in the image information memory 4 after the screen is created by the user.

That is, one user screen data contains
It includes (a) screen configuration information, (b) background image creation information, (c) touch panel information, (d) information of parts included in the screen, and the like.

First, the background image creating information is composed of various information for creating the background image of the screen. The touch panel information is information that associates the coordinates of the touch switch 3 with the coordinates of various operation switches drawn on the display screen.

The parts information is information for defining various parts (tenkey, analog meter, menu bar, digital switch, various keys, numerical display, etc.) existing on the screen. . As shown on the right side of FIG. 3, each part information is composed of: a fixed / movable identification flag, a position of the part, a size of the part, information for creating a part image, and the like.

The fixed / movable identification flag is a flag for identifying a movable part (movable part) or a non-movable part (fixed part) of the part on the screen, and the content of this flag is the operator when the screen is created. Registered by.

The part image creating information is composed of various information for creating image data of the part.

The screen configuration information is composed of the screen configuration information, the background image creating information, the touch panel information, the address information indicating the storage position of the component information in the memory 4, etc., which compose the screen.

The control unit 5 stores the data stored in the image information memory 4 in accordance with an external screen display request (command from the host computer, change in state of connected external equipment, input from touch switch 3, etc.). The screen information table 6 corresponding to the screen to be displayed is created by referring to.

In the screen information table 6, the storage addresses in the image information memory of the background image forming information and various parts information which compose the screen are stored in the order of display superposition. FIG. 4 shows the storage format of the screen information table 6. First, the background image creating information address of the screen is arranged, and further, the addresses of various parts are arranged behind it. The addresses of various parts are arranged in the order of superposition on the display screen. That is, the component stored at the last address of the screen information table 6 is displayed on the top of the screen.

The control unit 5 issues a screen display command to the display control unit 7 when the creation of the table data corresponding to the required screen in the screen information table 6 is completed.
The command signal issued from the control unit 5 to the display control unit 7 has a format as shown in FIG.

That is, the ID code indicating the content of the command is arranged, and the search start address of the screen information table 6 is arranged behind it. In the case of the screen display command, an ID code corresponding to the screen display command is placed at the position of the command ID, and a required search start address is placed after the ID code. The search start address is for designating the start address of the portion (background image creating information address and various component addresses) that is the target of drawing update in the screen information table 6, and the portion after this address is the display control unit. 7 will be searched.

Therefore, the search start address becomes the address of the table 6 corresponding to the background image creating information address when a certain screen is displayed for the first time (1 in the case of FIG. 4), and a new part in a certain screen is displayed. Is displayed at the end address of the table 6 (k in the case of FIG. 4).

Upon receiving the screen display command, the display control unit 7 sequentially reads the stored data (address information in FIG. 4) of the screen information table 6 from the search start address specified in the command, and further reads the read address. In accordance with the above, the background image creating information and the part information stored in the image information memory 4 are sequentially read, the required background image and the part image are created according to the background image creating information and the part information, and these are stored in the fixed image memory. 8 or the moving image memory 9.

The fixed image memory 8 stores background image data and image data of fixed parts, and the moving image memory 9 stores image data of moving parts. The fixed image memory 8 is a bitmap memory similar to the display memory 10, and its capacity corresponds to the display screen of the display 2. As shown in FIG. 6, the moving image memory 9 stores the image data in a linear format instead of a bitmap format. Therefore, when the display control unit 7 stores the data in the moving image memory 9, A table in which the start address of the stored data and its data length are written is created. The moving image memory 9 may also be a bitmap memory similar to the fixed image memory.

That is, when the display control unit 7 receives the screen display command, it checks the fixed / movable identification flag in the component information, and the image data of the component whose flag is fixed is stored in the fixed image memory 8. The image data of the part whose flag is moving is stored in the moving image memory 9.

When the storage of the image data in the fixed image memory 8 and the moving image memory 9 is completed, the display control unit 7 causes the fixed image memory 8 and the moving image memory 9 to move.
The storage data is read out, and the image data obtained by combining these is stored in the work memory 20 once.

Further, the display control unit 7 has the work memory 2
The image data stored in 0 is transferred to the display memory 10.

The data transferred and stored in the display memory 10 is displayed on the display device 2 via the image signal generation unit 11, whereby an image corresponding to a screen display request from the outside is displayed on the display device 2. It

It is assumed that a display change request for a certain part is generated while a certain screen is being displayed in this way. The control unit 5 updates the stored contents of the screen information table 6 so as to correspond to the display change command (rearranges the address information of the parts in the order corresponding to the display change command), and then the display processing unit 7 displays A display change command of the format shown in 5 is issued.

Upon receipt of this display change command, the display control unit 7 reads out the required data from the image information memory 4 in accordance with the contents of the updated screen information table 8 and the image data for display change according to the read-out data. Is formed, the stored data in the fixed image memory 8 and the moving image memory 9 is updated with the formed image data, and an area to be changed in display is further defined in the work memory 2.
Secure on 0.

Then, the display control unit 7 stores the image data created by synthesizing the data of the fixed image memory 8 and the moving image memory 9 in the reserved area of the work memory 20.

Further, the display control unit 7 reads the data of the secured area in the stored data of the work memory 20 and transfers it to the area of the display memory 10 where the display should be changed.

In this way, the display changing process is performed.

FIG. 7 shows a specific example thereof, and in this case, it is assumed that the display of the meter 30 of the display memory 10 is changed. In this case, the image data of the meter 30 is created in the moving image memory 9, and then written once in the area of the work memory 20 corresponding to the display position of the meter 30 of the display memory 10, and the written data is displayed. Is transferred to the area corresponding to the display position of the meter 30 of. That is, in the work memory 20, only the component whose display is to be changed is written to the corresponding area, and only the written data is written to the corresponding area of the display memory 10 to perform the display changing process.

In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the graphic type operation panel, but the present invention is applied to an ordinary operation panel which does not have a touch switch but has an input section and a screen display section. You may make it apply. Further, the present invention may be applied to a display device other than the operation panel.

[0046]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Prepare a work memory separately from the raster memory for display,
When the display is changed, only the changed area is once written in the work memory and transferred to the display memory, so that the display data can be updated at high speed without causing flicker.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing stored contents of an image information memory.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing stored contents of user screen data in an image information memory.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing stored contents of a screen information table.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a format of a command signal.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a storage system of a moving image memory.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a data transfer mode when a display is updated.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a conceptual procedure for moving a component according to a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Graphic operation panel 2 ... Display 3 ... Touch switch 4 ... Image information memory 5 ... Control unit 6 ... Image information table 7 ... Display processing unit 8 ... Fixed image memory 9 ... Moving image memory 10 ... Display memory 11 ... Image signal generation Part 20 ... Work memory

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image display processing apparatus comprising a display memory for storing image data to be displayed on a display unit for one screen, and displaying a screen in which a plurality of component images are arranged on the display unit. In addition to the above, a work memory for storing the image data is provided, and at the time of updating the display of the part image displayed on the display unit, the part image data for display update is updated on the display unit on the work memory. An image display processing apparatus, comprising: a display update control unit that is created in an area corresponding to a predetermined position and transfers image data of the area to the display memory.