JPH08190469A - Interface system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve the operability of an input/output device by making it possible to take the distance between the input/output device and an information processor main body large. CONSTITUTION: The data transmission and reception part 30 and interface part 40 of the information processor main body 100a are connected by a cable 51. The data transmission and reception part 30 sends graphic commands to the interface part 40. The interface part 40 receives the graphic commands from the data transmission and reception part 30 by a graphic controller 43 and generates display data to a display device 41 according to the commands. The interface part 40 converts input data of a mouse 52 into input data of a tablet 42, and mixes those data with input data of a keyboard 53 and graphic data return data and sends them to the data transmission and reception part 30.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an interface system for connecting an information processing apparatus main body and an interface section via a communication path and connecting an input / output device to the interface section.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an information processing apparatus has an interface for input / output devices such as a display device, a keyboard, and a pointing device, and the input / output devices are connected via this interface. For example, when a display device is connected to the main body of the information processing device and graphic data is displayed on this display device, the graphic data needs to be transferred via a communication path.

[0003]

However, in the above configuration, the number of signals flowing through the communication path connecting the information processing apparatus main body and the input / output device is large, so that the cable forming the communication path is very thick. Will be things. Moreover, since the signal sent to the display device is very high speed (several tens of MHz or more), it is difficult to make the length of the cable several meters or more. Therefore, it is impossible to separate the input / output device operated by the user from the information processing device main body which the user originally does not have to be aware of, and it is unavoidable to always use it near the information processing device main body. Therefore, there is a problem that the operability of the input / output device is reduced and the work space of the operator is reduced by the information processing device main body.

Therefore, for example, as a solution to the above problem, it is conceivable to make the information processing apparatus main body small and save space. In this case, the expandability (number of expansion slots) of the information processing apparatus is provided. , Main memory capacity, CPU
It couldn't be a real solution.

From the above points, it has been desired to realize an interface system in which the input / output device can be used separately from the information processing apparatus body without impairing the expandability of the information processing apparatus body.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the interface system of the present invention is provided with a data transmitting / receiving unit for transmitting / receiving a graphic command on the information processing apparatus main body side, Connect the interface section. Also, in the interface section,
Based on the graphic command from the data transceiver,
A graphic controller for generating display data for a display device is provided.

[0007]

In the interface system of the present invention,
When displaying on a display device, the data transmitter / receiver
Send a graphic command to the interface unit.
In the interface unit, the graphic controller generates display data for the display device based on the received graphic command, and supplies the display data to the display device. Therefore, not the display data but the graphic command is transferred between the information processing apparatus main body and the interface unit.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of an interface system of the present invention. Prior to this, a general configuration of an information processing device and an input / output device will be described.

FIG. 2 is a general configuration diagram of an information processing device and an input / output device. In the figure, the information processing device main body 1
Reference numeral 00 denotes a central processing unit (CPU) 1, a CPU bus 2, a main storage device 3, a system bus 4, a bus bridge 5, an expansion slot 6, a display board 7, a keyboard controller 8, a mouse I / F 9, a pen device I / F 10 , A network control unit 11 and a file device 12.

The central processing unit 1 is a processor that controls the information processing device, and is connected to the main storage device 3 via a CPU bus. Also, the bus bridge 5
It is a bridge for connecting the CPU bus 2 and the system bus 4. The expansion slot 6 is provided in the information processing device body 10
0 is a slot for connecting various peripheral devices, and in this example, the display board 7, the keyboard controller 8, the mouse I / F 9, the pen device I / F
10, a network controller 11, and a file device 12 are connected.

Further, the display board 7, the keyboard controller 8, the mouse I / F 9, and the pen device I
/ F10 via cables 13 to 16, respectively,
A display device 17, a keyboard 18, a pointing device (mouse) 19, and a pen device 20 are connected.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the details of the display board 7 and the display device 17 in FIG.
The display board 7 is a display controller 7
a and a graphic memory 7b. The display controller 7a has a function of writing and reading display data to and from the graphic memory 7b based on a command given from the central processing unit 1 via the system bus 4 and generating display data to the display device 17. ing.

The information processing apparatus main body 1 configured as described above
00 and the display device 17, the display operation is performed as follows. That is, the control command from the central processing unit 1 is written in the display controller 7a of the display board 7 through the route of the CPU bus 2, the bus bridge 5, the system bus 4, and the expansion slot 6, and further controlled by the display controller 7a. It is written in the graphic memory 7b. Further, the display controller 7a refers to the contents of the graphic memory 7b, and the I / F capable of displaying the contents on the display device 17.
Convert to signal. This I / F signal is transferred to the display device 17 via the cable 13 and displayed.

FIG. 4 shows a CRT as the display device 17.
It is explanatory drawing which shows the value of a communication path when using a (cathode ray tube) and LCD (liquid crystal display). For example, CRT
When used as the display device 17, the number of signals is 6, the transfer frequency is 30 to 160 MHz, and the cable 13
Has a diameter of 10 to 20 mm, and the cable 13 has a length of 2 m or less.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a hierarchical structure of software and hardware in the information processing apparatus main body 100. In the figure, 201 is an application and 202 is an OS
(Operating system), 203 is a display driver, 204 is a keyboard driver, 205 is a pointing driver, 206 is a pen driver, and these are software layers.

In such a hierarchical structure, the application 201 has an API (Appric) defined by the OS 202.
application programming interface)
To notify. Then, the OS 202 notifies the display driver 203 by a GDI (Graphics Device Interface) defined by the OS 202. The display driver 203 directly controls the display board 7 by the above-mentioned path. By such a process, the display content requested by the application 201 is displayed on the display device 17.

The input from the keyboard 18 passes through the cable 14 and is notified to the keyboard driver 204 by the keyboard controller 8. The contents are stored in the OS 202 by the keyboard driver 204, and the stored contents are stored in the application 201.
It is read by the key input request API from and is passed to the application 201.

On the other hand, pointing device (mouse)
Input from 19 passes through the cable 15 and mouse I / F
9 to notify the pointing device driver 205. The pointing device driver 205
The contents are converted into information such as cursor coordinates and button press, and the OS 202 is notified. The OS 202 notifies the application 201 of the information, and the application 20
1 determines the state of the pointing device 19 according to the content of the notification from the OS 202 and performs the corresponding process.

Further, the input from the pen device 20 is transmitted via the cable 16 to the pen I / F 10 and the pen driver 2
06, OS 202, and application 201 are notified and processed in this order. The processing after the OS 202 is similar to that of the pointing device 19.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of signals passing through the cables 14 to 16. As shown in the figure, the mouse (pointing device 19) and keyboard 18 are 4
There are six books and tablets (pen devices 20), and therefore, a total of 14 signals are required by these pointing device 19, keyboard 18, and pen device 20.

Next, the number of cables 13 to 16 for connecting the above peripheral devices to the information processing apparatus main body 100 is reduced, and the information processing apparatus main body 100 and the display device 1 are provided.
An embodiment will be described in which a large distance from 7 can be secured.

<< Embodiment 1 >> In FIG. 1, an information processing apparatus main body 100a includes a central processing unit (CPU) 1a and a CPU.
Bus 2a, main memory 3a, system bus 4a, bus bridge 5a, expansion slot 6a, keyboard controller 8a, network controller 11a, file device 12
a and the data transceiver 3 connected to the expansion slot 6a
Consists of zero. An interface unit 40 is connected to the data transmitting / receiving unit 30 via a cable 51, and the interface unit 40 is connected to a pointing device (mouse).
52 and the keyboard 53 are connected. Here, the configurations of the central processing unit 1a to the file device 12a in the information processing apparatus main body 100a are the same as those of the central processing unit 1 to the file device 12 described above, and thus the description thereof is omitted here.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the data transmitting / receiving unit 30. The data transmission / reception unit 30 includes a communication unit 31, a reception data separation unit 32, a graphic data transmission buffer 33, a graphic data reception buffer 34, a tablet data buffer 35, and a keyboard data buffer 36.

The communication unit 31 sends a graphic command to the interface unit 40, and also the interface unit 4
It receives input information from 0. The reception data separation unit 32 is a data separation unit for separating the input information from the interface unit 40 into graphic data, tablet data, and keyboard data. Further, the graphic data transmission buffer 33 is a buffer for filling the speed difference between the communication unit 31 and the information processing apparatus main body 100a, and the graphic data reception buffer 34 sends the separated graphic data to the control software of the information processing apparatus main body 100a. The tablet data buffer 35 for storing the separated tablet data
A data buffer and a keyboard data buffer 36 for transferring to the control software of the information processing apparatus main body 100a.
Is a buffer for sending the separated keyboard data to the keyboard controller 8a.

Returning to FIG. 1, the interface section 40 is
Commonly called a pad, it is an MMI (Man-Machine Interface) in which only a pen device, a mouse interface, a display device and a keyboard interface are integrated, and a display device 41 and a pen device (hereinafter referred to as a tablet) 42 are integrally provided. In addition, a graphic controller 43 for transmitting display data to the display device 41 based on the graphic command transmitted from the data transmitting / receiving unit 30 is provided.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the details of the interface section 40. The interface unit 40 includes the display device 41, the tablet 42, and the graphic controller 43 described above, and also includes the communication unit 44 and the processor 4.
5, graphic memory 46, keyboard I / F 47,
It consists of a tablet I / F48 and a mouse I / F49. The display device 41 is a liquid crystal display, and is a display for displaying the display data from the graphic controller 43. The tablet 42 is the display device 4
1 is a pen input device provided on the device 1.

The graphic controller 43 stores graphic data in the graphic memory 46 based on the display command input via the communication unit 44, and
It has a function of taking out graphic data from the graphic memory 46 and generating display data. The communication unit 44 has a function of performing data communication with the data transmission / reception unit 30, and the processor 45 controls the interface unit 40. Processor 4
5 includes an input device data transmission control unit 45a. The input device data transmission control unit 45a will be described later. The keyboard I / F 47 is an interface for the keyboard 53 connected via the interface unit 40. Also, tablet I / F4
7 and mouse I / F 49 are pointing devices I
/ F, and the tablet I / F 47 is an interface unit for connecting the tablet 48, and a mouse I / F 49.
Is an interface unit for connecting the mouse 52.

The input device data transmission control section 45a is
It is composed of a processor and a program executed by the processor. The graphic data from the interface section 40 to the data transmitting / receiving section 30 is provided with identification symbols for identifying the keyboard data and the pointing device data. However, it has a function of transmitting graphic data, keyboard data, and pointing device data in a mixed manner. Further, the input device data transmission control unit 45a takes out the cursor coordinate information displayed on the display device 41 based on the graphic command to the display device 41,
The difference between the cursor coordinate information and the coordinate of the movement amount of the relative coordinate type pointing device (= mouse 52) is calculated, and based on this difference, the coordinate information of the relative coordinate type pointing device is converted into the absolute coordinate type pointing device. It has a function of converting into coordinate information of the device (= tablet 42) and outputting.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a hierarchical structure of software and hardware in the information processing apparatus main body 100a for controlling the interface section 40. In the figure,
The application 201, OS (operating system) 202, and keyboard driver 204 have the same configurations as those shown in FIG. The virtual display driver 207 has a function of transmitting a display request from the host to the data transmission / reception unit 30, and the pointing device driver 20.
A driver 8 transmits pointing device information from the data transmitting / receiving unit 30 to the OS 202 and the application 201.

Next, the operation of the interface system thus constructed will be described. When displaying on the display device 41 of the interface unit 40, the data transmitting / receiving unit 3
0 sends a graphic command to the interface unit 40 as digital data, and the interface unit 40 performs the display according to the command.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a graphic command. That is, the basic format of the graphic command is “command code 1 byte + parameter (+ image data) required by the command”. For example, in the case of a command that displays a line segment, the command code is "0
0 "and the parameters are" x0, y0, y1, c1 ". In the case of a command for displaying rectangular image data, the command code is "01", the parameter is "x0,
y0, xs, ys ", image data is" d0 ... d
n ”.

The operation will be described with reference to the hierarchical structure shown in FIG.
The display request from 1 is converted into the GDI format by the OS 202 and passed to the virtual display driver 207. The virtual display driver 207 receives the passed GD
The I format request is converted into the graphic command format described with reference to FIG. The data transmitting / receiving unit 30 converts the command into a signal and transfers it to the interface unit 40.

On the other hand, at the time of data input, the tablet 4
2. Input information of the mouse 52 and the keyboard 53 is sent from the interface section 40 to the data transmitting / receiving section 30 as digital data. The data sent from the interface unit 40 to the data transmitting / receiving unit 30 may be graphic data as a response to an arbitrary graphic command (such as reading a graphic screen) in addition to the input information. In such a case, the input device data transmission control unit 45a of the interface unit 40
Adds an identifier indicating data identification to each data, mixes them, and sends them to the data transmitting / receiving unit 30.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a data format when the data is transmitted from the interface section 40 to the data transmitting / receiving section 30. That is, the data stream from the interface unit 40 is a mixture of graphic data Gi, tablet data Ti, and keyboard data Ki, and an identifier is added to each data.

Next, the operation of the interface section 40 will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the operation. First, in the main loop, the interface unit 40 performs initialization processing (step S1), and then the processor 45 repeats a loop for interpreting and executing a graphic command passed from the data transmitting / receiving unit 30 via the communication unit 44. (Steps S2 to S4). Step S
In the determination processing of 4, when the command is to change the cursor position, the cursor display position (coordinates) is stored in the work memory (not shown) of the processor 45 (step S5).

On the other hand, the input from the keyboard 53 is detected as an interrupt from the keyboard I / F 47. During this interrupt processing, the input device data transmission control unit 45
The a extracts keyboard information from the keyboard I / F 47 (step S11), adds the above-mentioned keyboard code (Kx) (step S12), and passes it to the communication unit 44 (step S13). As a result, the communication unit 44
The data is sent to the data transmitting / receiving unit 30. The input from the tablet 42 is detected as an interrupt from the tablet I / F 48. During this interrupt process, the input device data transmission control unit 45a causes the tablet I / O
Take out the tablet information from F48 (step S2
1), add the tablet code (Tx) (step S22), and pass it to the communication unit 44 (step S23). Accordingly, the communication unit 44 transmits the data to the data transmission / reception unit 30.
Send to.

Further, the input from the mouse 52 is the mouse I
It is detected as an interrupt from / F49. During this interrupt processing, the input device data transmission control unit 45a extracts the mouse information from the mouse I / F 49 (step S
31). Since the mouse information fetched here indicates the amount of change (relative coordinates) of the cursor position, the cursor position stored in the work memory described above is added to that information to convert it into absolute coordinates (step S32). Then, add a tablet code (Tx) (step S
33) and passes it to the communication unit 44 (step S34), and the communication unit 44 sends the data to the data transmitting / receiving unit 30.

As described above, since the interface section 40 holds the data of the cursor position on the display device 41, the absolute coordinates similar to those of the tablet 42 to which the change of the mouse 49 is added are obtained using this cursor position. be able to. As a result, it is possible to unify two different pointing devices such as the mouse 49, which is a relative coordinate type pointing device, and the tablet 42, which is an absolute coordinate type pointing device.

Next, the data transmitting / receiving unit 3 when data is transmitted from the interface unit 40 to the data transmitting / receiving unit 30.
The operation of 0 will be described. When data is generated from the interface unit 40, the data transmitting / receiving unit 30 separates the data by the internal received data separating unit 32. If the data is graphic return data, the data is passed to the virtual display driver 207. If the data is keyboard data, the data transmitting / receiving unit 3
0 passes the data to the keyboard driver 204. Further, when the data is pen information, it is passed to the pointing device driver 208.

FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 are a flow chart and an operation explanatory view of the data separating operation in the data transmitting / receiving unit 30, respectively. Upon receiving the return data from the interface unit 40 via the communication unit 31, the reception data separation unit 32 first receives the identifier (step S
1), this is determined based on the identifier of FIG. 11 described above (steps S2 to S4).

For example, when the identifier is "Gx", first, information indicating how much data (n) is sent is received (step S2-1), and n bytes are received based on this information. Yes (step S2-2). Then, the received n-byte data is written in the graphic data reception buffer 34 (step S2-3),
Return to step S1. If the identifier is "Tx" in step S3, the tablet data is 5 bytes, so 5 bytes after the identifier are received (step S3-1), and the 5-byte data is transferred to the tablet data buffer 35. To the pointing device driver 208 (step S3-2). Furthermore, when the identifier is “Kx” in step S4,
Since the keyboard data is 3 bytes, 3 bytes after the identifier are received (step S4-1), and the 3 bytes of data are written in the keyboard data buffer 36,
Pass it to the keyboard controller 8 (step S4-
2).

As described above, according to the first embodiment, since only the portion of the information processing apparatus that the user actually operates is integrated as the interface section 40, it can be separated from the information processing apparatus main body 100a. Becomes FIG.
Is an implementation example in the first embodiment. When the communication path connecting the information processing apparatus main body 100a and the interface unit 40 is realized by the cable 51, the cable 5 is used.
Since there are 5 signals flowing in 1, the diameter is several mm
Can be realized with a cable. That is, in this embodiment, the data of the mouse 52 in the relative coordinate form is converted into the coordinates of the tablet 42 in the absolute coordinate form, and the pointing device data, the graphic data, and the keyboard data are mixed to obtain the data from the interface 40. Since the signal is transmitted to the transmission / reception unit 30, the number of signals can be reduced, and the cable can have a small diameter.

Moreover, since the transfer speed of the signal may be a relatively low speed (several hundred KHz to several MHz), the length of the cable 51 can be extended by several tens of meters. That is, in this embodiment, the data transmitting / receiving unit 30 to the interface unit 40 are
Since it is a graphic command that is sent to, the transfer speed can be made slower than the conventional method of transferring the full screen information.

Furthermore, since the data transmission / reception section 30 and the interface section 40 on the information processing apparatus main body 100a side use digital data communication and data is unified,
It is also possible to make these communication paths wireless.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram when the communication path between the information processing apparatus main body 100a and the interface section 40 is made wireless. That is, the wireless communication devices 30a and 40a are respectively provided on the data transmitting / receiving unit 30 side and the interface unit 40 side.
The wireless communication devices 30a and 40a are used to transmit and receive data.

Next, an embodiment in which a plurality of interface parts are provided will be described as a second embodiment. << Second Embodiment >> FIG. 17 is a block diagram of an interface system according to a second embodiment. In the figure, an information processing apparatus main body 100b includes a central processing unit (CPU) 1b, a CPU bus 2b, a main storage device 3, a system bus 4b, a bus bridge 5b, an expansion slot 6b, and a keyboard controller 8.
b, network control unit 11b, file device 12b
And a data transmitter / receiver 60 connected to the expansion slot 6b
Consists of An interface unit 70 is connected to the data transmitting / receiving unit 60 via a cable 51, and a pointing device 52 and a keyboard 53 are connected to the interface unit 70. Also, the interface unit 7
0 is the master setting, and the slave setting interfaces 70-1 and 70-2 are daisy chain connected.

Here, the configurations of the central processing unit 1b to the file device 12b in the information processing apparatus main body 100b are the same as those of the central processing unit 1a to the file device 12a in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.
Further, the master interface unit 70 is connected to the position closest to the information processing apparatus main body 100b, and one master information processing unit is always provided for one information processing apparatus. Also, the slave interface units 70-1 and 70
-2 is connected in a daisy chain from the interface unit 70 of the master. The number of slave interface units 70-1 and 70-2 having such a configuration has no theoretical limit.

FIG. 18 shows an interface section 70 (70-
It is a block diagram of 1, 70-2). The illustrated interface unit 70 (70-1, 70-2) includes a display device 71,
Tablet 72, graphic controller 73, communication unit 74, processor 75, graphic memory 76, keyboard I / F 77, tablet I / F 78, mouse I
/ F79. Here, the graphic memory 76,
The configuration other than the communication unit 74 and the graphic controller 73 is the same as the configuration of the interface unit 40 in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 8, and therefore, the corresponding parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

The graphic memory 76 has a capacity that is a multiple of the screen that can be displayed by the display device 71 in the interface section thereof, and the graphic controller 73 presets the display data stored in the graphic memory 76. It is configured to transfer only the selected portion as display data to the display device 71.

The communication unit 74 is also configured to send and receive data to and from other interface units. FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram of a data flow of the communication unit 74. As illustrated, the communication unit 74 includes the data receiving units 74a and 74a.
b, a data transmission unit 74c, an AND circuit 74d, and a transmission data buffer 74e. The pads 1, 2, and n correspond to the master interface unit 70, the slave interface units 70-1, 70-2, ....

Here, the data receiving section 74a receives the transmission signal Txi-1 and outputs the state to the input of the AND circuit 74d. The data receiving unit 74b receives the received signal Rx from the interface units 70-1, 70-2, ...
It has a function of receiving i and transmitting a reception permission signal RxiOK to these interface units 70-1, 70-2, .... The data transmission unit 74c receives the reception permission signal Rxi-1OK from the information processing apparatus main body 100b, and outputs the reception signal Rxi-1. Further, the AND circuit 74d inputs the output of the above-mentioned data receiving section 74a and the transmission permission signal TxiOK from the interface sections 70-1, 70-2, ... Of the latter stage side, performs a logical product operation, The result is sent to the information processing device body 100b.
Further, the transmission data buffer 74e is a buffer for buffering the graphic command from the information processing apparatus main body 100b.

In the communication section 74 thus configured, the data for the data receiving section 74a is transferred from the information processing apparatus main body 100b to all the interface sections 70, 70.
-1, 70-2, ..., The exact same thing is sent by broadcast. Further, the permission signal of the data receiving section 74a is sent to all the interface sections 70, 70- by the AND circuit 74d.
Since all the permissions of 1, 70-2, ... Are logically ANDed, reliable reception of broadcast data is guaranteed for all interface units 70, 70-1, 70-2 ,.

The data from the interface section 70 is transmitted by the data transmitting section 74c. In the case of the master interface unit 70, the transmission destination is the information processing apparatus main body 100b, and the interface unit 70-1 on the downstream side,
In the case of 70-2, ..., Previous interface sections 70, 70-1, ... (closer to the information processing apparatus main body 100b)
Sent to Interface units 70-1 and 70 on the rear side
The information from -2, ... Is received by the data receiving section 74b, and is sent from the data transmitting section 74c as it is. In this way, the interface units 70, 70-1, 70
-2, ... Input information is relayed to the information processing apparatus main body 100b. Note that only the interface unit 70 on the master side makes a response to a command requesting the return of graphic data, and the data sent from the interface units 70-1, 70-2, ... On the slave side to the previous interface unit 70. Is input information only.

FIG. 20 shows a plurality of interface units 70,
.. 70-1, 70-2, ...
It is a principle explanatory view of a large screen display by a combination of a plurality of display devices when connected to 0b. T1: When the information processing apparatus main body 100b is activated, the OS 202
Confirms the screen size that can be displayed on the virtual display driver 207. On the other hand, the virtual display driver 207 responds with a numerical value that is a multiple of the screen size of the display device 71. In the illustrated example, the interface unit 7
The screen sizes of the display devices 71 of 0, 70-1, 70-2, ... Are horizontal x dots, vertical y dots, and the number of interface units 70, 70-1, 70-2, ... Is n. , The answer to the OS 202 is horizontal x × n dots and vertical y dots.

T2: The OS 202 determines that the screen size is x × n dots in the horizontal direction and y dots in the vertical direction according to the response from the virtual display driver 207 in the above T1, and thereafter issues a command for a single screen of that size. T3: The virtual display driver 207 accepts the command as it is from all the interface units 70, 70-1, 70.
-2, ... is broadcast. T4: Each interface unit 70, 70-1, 70-2,
... has a graphic memory 76 corresponding to horizontal x × n dots and vertical y dots, so the result of the command is expanded in the graphic memory 76, but only the horizontal x dots and vertical y dots are displayed. .

As described above, in the second embodiment, the graphic memory 76 is configured to store a plurality of times the data of the display device 71, and the graphic controller 73 generates the display data of a predetermined portion. It is possible to easily display a screen having a size n times as large as that of the single display device 71 without significantly changing the configuration of the first embodiment.

Further, in this way, each interface unit 7
0, 70-1, 70-2, ... Do not display respective parts, but all interface parts 70, 70-
, 70-2, ... Can display the same screen, so that the same material can be presented to a plurality of persons at a meeting or the like. Moreover, when a large screen is displayed as in the second embodiment, the application 201 and the OS 202 need not be changed at all.

Further, an embodiment will be described in which a switch that can be operated by the user is attached to the above-mentioned interface section, and the processor changes the screen size and the like according to the switch operation.

<< Third Embodiment >> FIG. 21 is a block diagram of a third embodiment. The illustrated interface unit 80 includes a display device 81, a tablet 82, and a graphic controller 8.
3, communication unit 84, processor 85, graphic memory 86, keyboard I / F 87, tablet I / F 88,
Equipped with mouse I / F 89 and screen control switch 9
Consists of zero. Here, the display device 81 to the mouse I / F
The configuration of 89 is the same as the configuration of the display device 71 to the mouse I / F 79 in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 18, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

The graphic controller 83 has the same functions as those in the first and second embodiments, is internally provided with a storage unit for the value of the display parameter, and moves the display position and changes the display size according to the value of the display parameter. It has the function of performing display control including changes. Screen control switch 90
Is composed of an enlargement switch 91, a reduction switch 92, scroll switches 93 to 96, a rotation switch 97, and a switch control unit 98. These enlargement switches 91 to rotation switch 97 specify display parameters of the graphic controller 83. In addition, the switch control unit 98
Checks the states of the switches 91 to 97, and when any of the switches 91 to 97 is pressed, a switch pressing interrupt is generated to the processor 85, while a read request from the processor 85 is received. It has the function of returning the information of the pressed switch. Note that the size of the virtual screen stored in the graphic memory 86 is the same vertically and horizontally in order to handle the screen rotation.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing the processing when the screen control switch 90 is pressed. When the screen control switch 90 is pressed, the switch control unit 98 issues a switch interrupt request to the processor 85. In the interrupt process, the processor 85 reads the information of the pressed switch (step S1) and performs each process.

First, in step S2, when the enlargement or reduction switches 91 and 92 are pressed, the processor 85 changes the parameter in the graphic controller 83 to the parameter corresponding to the enlargement or reduction. As a result, the graphic controller 83 performs enlargement / reduction by changing the display resolution and gives it to the display device 81 (step S3).

If the pressed switches are the scroll switches 93 to 96 in step S4, the processor 85 causes the graphic controller 83 to operate in the same manner as when the enlargement / reduction switches 91 and 92 are pressed. Change the parameter to the one that corresponds to the scroll direction. As a result, the graphic controller 83 changes the display position and gives it to the display device 81 (step S5). As a result, it is possible to easily partially enlarge the screen or switch the display screen, etc., at the user's hand.

On the other hand, when the pressed switch is the rotary switch 97 in step S6, the processor 85 exchanges the vertical and horizontal directions of the data in the graphic memory 86. This replacement procedure is possible by exchanging the contents of the coordinates (i, j) and the coordinates (j, i) for both i and j from 1 to the screen size. After the exchange, the X and Y coordinates of all graphic commands are exchanged and interpreted. As a result, the subsequent display has a shape in which the vertical and horizontal directions are interchanged. With such a configuration, it becomes possible to properly use a horizontally long screen / a vertically long screen depending on the application.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, it is possible to easily enlarge a part of the screen and change the aspect ratio of the screen without changing the application. Further, in the case of using a combination of a plurality of interface units 80, it is possible to display one screen and display a part of it on another interface unit 80.

FIG. 23 is a specific example of the interface section of the above-described first to third embodiments, (a) is an external view thereof, and (b) is an internal structural view. The illustrated interface unit 300 is
As shown in (a), an LCD display section and a tablet surface 301 are provided on the upper surface side, and a screen control switch 302 is provided. Further, a power switch 303, an LCD adjustment button 304, a keyboard connector 305, a mouse connector 306, a next pad connecting connector 307, and a communication connector 308 are provided on the side surface thereof.
The internal structure of the LCD 3 is as shown in (b).
10 is provided with a tablet 311, and these modules, and a control board 312 and a battery 313 are installed between a bottom plate 314 and a top panel 315.

FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing a usage example of the interface unit 300. As shown in the figure, in the user's work space, a small and lightweight interface unit 300,
By only placing the keyboard 400 and the mouse 500, it is possible to use the functions of the information processing apparatus main body apart from each other, which saves the work space. Further, as shown in the figure, the display area can be increased by displaying different applications by the plurality of interface units 300. Furthermore, since the interface unit 300 is small and lightweight, it can be used according to the usage situation of the operator, such as placing it at hand when pen input is required.

FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram of a large screen display by a plurality of interface sections (pads). Here, the contents of the graphic memory of each interface unit are all common, but each interface unit displays each part. Therefore, a large-screen display can be easily realized by using a low-priced small display device.

In each of the above embodiments, the display device 4
1, 71, 81 are interface units 40, 70 (70-
1, ...), 80 are integrally formed, but they may be separately formed or may be connected to another display device.

[0070]

As described above, according to the interface system of the present invention, a graphic command is transmitted from the main body of the information processing apparatus, and the graphic controller of the interface section generates display data for the display device based on this graphic command. Therefore, it is possible to increase the distance between the input / output device and the information processing device body without impairing the expandability of the information processing device body, which can contribute to the improvement of the operability of the input / output device. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of an interface system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a general configuration diagram of an information processing device main body and an input / output device.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing details of a display board and a display device in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing values of a communication path when a CRT and an LCD are used as display devices.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a hierarchical structure of software and hardware in the information processing apparatus main body.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of signals passing through cables that connect the information processing apparatus body and the interface unit.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a data transceiver of the interface system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of an interface unit of the interface system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a hierarchical structure of software and hardware in the information processing apparatus body of the interface system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a graphic command in the interface system of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a data format when sending from an interface unit to a data transmitting / receiving unit in the interface system of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is an operation flowchart of the interface unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a data separation operation according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a data separation operation according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of an implementation example of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of a case where the communication path is wireless according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a configuration diagram of an interface system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a configuration diagram of an interface unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram of a data flow of a communication unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating the principle of large screen display according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a configuration diagram of an interface system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing a process when a screen control switch is pressed in the interface system according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a specific example of an interface section in the interface system of the present invention.

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a usage example of an interface unit in the interface system of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram of large screen display by a plurality of interface units in the interface system of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

30, 60 Data transmission / reception unit 40, 70, 80 Interface unit 41, 71, 81 Display device 42, 72, 82 Pen device (tablet) 43, 73, 83 Graphic controller 45a, 75a, 85a Input device data transmission control unit 47, 77, 87 Keyboard I / F 48, 78, 88 Tablet I / F 49, 79, 89 Mouse I / F 52 Pointing device (mouse) 76 Graphic memory 90 Screen control switch 97 Rotation switch 100a, 100b Information processing device body

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An interface system for connecting a main body of an information processing apparatus and an interface section via a communication path, and connecting a display device to the interface section, wherein the main body of the information processing apparatus is connected to the interface section. An interface, comprising: a data transmitting / receiving unit for transmitting / receiving a graphic command; wherein the interface unit includes a graphic controller for receiving a graphic command from the data transmitting / receiving unit and generating display data for the display device. system. 2. The interface system according to claim 1, wherein the interface unit integrally includes a display device. 3. An interface system in which an information processing apparatus main body and a plurality of interface units are connected via a communication path and a display device is connected to the interface unit, wherein the information processing apparatus main body is the display device. The display screen size is a virtual screen having a size equal to or larger than the screen size of one display device, and a data transmission / reception unit that transmits / receives a graphic command to / from the interface unit is provided, and each of the interface units includes the virtual screen. Minute display data to be stored in the display device, based on the display data of any part of the data stored in the graphic memory, which receives the graphic command from the data transmitting / receiving unit. With a graphic controller to generate Interface system, characterized in that. 4. The interface system according to claim 1, wherein the interface section holds the value of the display parameter, and moves the display position and changes the display size according to the value of the display parameter. An interface system comprising: a graphic controller that performs display control including the display controller; and a screen control switch that specifies a value of a display parameter of the graphic controller. 5. The interface system according to claim 1, wherein the interface unit has a rotary switch for designating rotation of a display position, and when the rotary switch is pressed, information about the press of the switch. And a graphic controller that generates rotated display data by exchanging x and y coordinates based on the above. 6. The interface system according to claim 1, wherein the interface section includes a keyboard I / F for connecting a keyboard, and a pointing device I / F for connecting a pointing device. In the graphic data from the interface unit to the data transmitting / receiving unit, the keyboard data and the pointing device data are provided with an identification symbol for identifying them, and the graphic data, the keyboard data, and the pointing device data are mixed and transmitted. The input device data transmission control unit and the data transmission / reception unit separate the data received from the interface unit from data that separates graphic data, keyboard data, and pointing device data based on the identification symbol. Interface system comprising the parts. 7. The interface system according to claim 6, wherein the cursor coordinate information displayed on the display device is taken out based on the graphic command to the display device, and the cursor coordinate information and the relative coordinate type pointing device. Input device data transmission control unit for calculating a difference between the movement amount and the coordinate and moving the coordinate information of the relative coordinate type pointing device into coordinate information of the absolute coordinate type pointing device based on the difference. An interface system characterized by having.