EP0349455B1 - Verfahren zum Steuern der Anzeige von verschachtelten Auflageschichten - Google Patents

Verfahren zum Steuern der Anzeige von verschachtelten Auflageschichten Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0349455B1
EP0349455B1 EP89480077A EP89480077A EP0349455B1 EP 0349455 B1 EP0349455 B1 EP 0349455B1 EP 89480077 A EP89480077 A EP 89480077A EP 89480077 A EP89480077 A EP 89480077A EP 0349455 B1 EP0349455 B1 EP 0349455B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
overlay
overlays
display
windows
mixing
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP89480077A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0349455A2 (de
EP0349455A3 (de
Inventor
Barbara Ann Barker
Thomas R. Edel
Jeffrey A. Stark
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
International Business Machines Corp
Original Assignee
International Business Machines Corp
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by International Business Machines Corp filed Critical International Business Machines Corp
Publication of EP0349455A2 publication Critical patent/EP0349455A2/de
Publication of EP0349455A3 publication Critical patent/EP0349455A3/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0349455B1 publication Critical patent/EP0349455B1/de
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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
    • G09G5/00—Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators
    • G09G5/22—Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators characterised by the display of characters or indicia using display control signals derived from coded signals representing the characters or indicia, e.g. with a character-code memory
    • G09G5/30—Control of display attribute
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
    • G09G5/00—Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators
    • G09G5/14—Display of multiple viewports

Definitions

  • This invention relates in general to the presentation of layered or nested overlays and in particular to the utilization of layered overlays to provide an effective three-dimensional image with a two-dimensional display medium. Still more particularly, this invention relates to the provision of an overlay function which permits the simultaneous display of a large number of overlays to form a composite display.
  • a second display technique for viewing layered viewports or windows which involves the utilization of a pseudo-three-dimensional cursor wherein the operator may "drive" the cursor into the display to view a layer beneath the layer being displayed. While this technique permits the user to separately view a selected one of multiple overlayed windows, it will not permit the merging or mixing of multiple overlays to form a composite display.
  • a system which permits the controlled display of multiple layers of display by allowing a user to select a particular layer. For example, an architectural display of a building may be presented which depicts an outer elevation of the structure. The user may then select a second display which may depict the electrical distribution system or the plumbing system associated with the building, or some additional display which is associated with the primary display. As with the previously discussed systems, this system permits the selective presentation of one of a plurality of layered presentations.
  • An overlay function resource is provided in accordance with the method of the present invention which includes its own environment specification, which is independent of space and data environment specifications. Mixing attributes are associated with each overlay and are utilized to determine which overlay space and data are to take precedence and be visible when the overlay spaces are imaged together on a display medium.
  • the invention consists in a method of displaying an image including a plurality of overlayed windows on a computer screen comprising the steps of dividing the image into areas each incorporating a selected combination of overlayed windows, associating with each of said areas a mixing attribute between each pair of overlayed windows for controlling the combination of said pair in said area, and presenting the image for display on the computer screen.
  • the foreground and background of each overlay are separately controlled by the mixing attributes which define the mixing rules for the layered presentation of multiple overlays. Additionally, the order or precedence for displaying multiple overlays may be selectively altered, or varied by the operator, to provide multiple displays and to permit the utilization of a particular layer in multiple applications.
  • computer screen 10 which includes multiple nested overlays which are selectively combined to form a composite presentation 12 in accordance with the method of the present invention.
  • computer screen 10 includes a composite presentation 12 which is divided into nine separate display areas: upper left quadrant 14; upper leg 16; upper right quadrant 18; left leg 20; midsection 22; right leg 24; lower left quadrant 26; lower leg 28; and, lower right quadrant 30.
  • each display area within composite presentation 12 incorporates a selected combination of four separate overlays.
  • the actual data within overlay 1 is depicted within upper left quadrant 14, overlay 2 is depicted within upper right quadrant 18, overlay 3 is depicted within lower left quadrant 26 and overlay 4 is depicted within lower right quadrant 30.
  • the display within each of the remaining display areas is a result of selected combinations of these four overlays in a manner which will be explained in greater detail herein.
  • FIG 2 there is depicted a graphic representation of the overlay function which controls the mixing of the multiple overlays to form composite presentation 12 (see Figure 1).
  • row 32 depicts the visual result present in each display area of Figure 1 with "b" indicating a blank space in the display.
  • rows 34, 38, 42, 46 depict the content of each of the four overlays which are utilized to form composite presentation 12.
  • rows 36, 40, and 44 depict the mixing attributes for each display area within composite presentation 12 which may be utilized, in accordance with the method of the present invention, to combine or merge the multiple overlays into the resultant display.
  • each display area includes a mixing attribute between each pair of overlays which controls the combination of that pair of overlays.
  • each mixing attribute includes two portions, the first of which applies to the background of an overlay and the second of which applies to the foreground of the overlay.
  • each mixing attribute is applied to the background of the appropriate overlay and may consist of one of the characters: "I”; “O”; and “T” or a blank space.
  • the "I” character signifies “Ignore”, indicating that the entire content of the upper overlay is to be considered invisible and does not appear.
  • the "O” character signifies “Opaque”, indicating that anything below the upper overlay will not be seen through the upper overlay.
  • the "T” character signifies "Transparent”, indicating that anything below the upper overlay will show through the background or holes in the foreground.
  • a blank space is utilized where an "O" character above renders anything below not visible and no mixing attribute is required although in practice mixing attributes may actually be specified.
  • These indications are also utilized as the second character in each mixing attribute and are applied in that position to the foreground of each appropriate overlay.
  • the overlay function resource depicted herein it is possible to efficiently describe a three-dimensional view of a space on a two-dimensional medium.
  • global overlay modifications are facilitated by providing a local identifier for global overlay name mapping making it simple to add or delete overlays and to change their order by localizing the changes to the name mapping function.
  • the use of an overlay function resource permits individual overlays to be repetitively utilized for different purposes within a single display.
  • the content of lower left quadrant 26 is generated by applying the mixing attributes "II" of row 36 between overlay 1 and overlay 2, mixing attributes "II” of row 40 between overlay 2 and overlay 3 and mixing attribute "OO" of row 44 between overlay 3 and overlay 4. That is, overlays 1 and 2 are ignored and overlay 4 is not visible since it is below an opaque mixing attribute for overlay 3.
  • the content of midsection 22 is generated by reviewing the mixing attributes "TT" of rows 36, 40, and 44 indicating that all four overlays are to be combined with transparent backgrounds.
  • Block 54 determines whether or not the image area includes an overlay. If not, the image area is presented, as depicted in block 62 and the program ends, as illustrated in block 64.
  • block 56 depicts the calling of a mixing routine which is specified in the manner depicted in Figure 2.
  • the results of the application of a mixing routine are then stored, as illustrated in block 58, and block 60 is utilized to determine whether or not an additional overlay is present within the image area. If an additional overlay is present, the program returns to block 56 and the next mixing routine is called. This process continues until the last overlay has been evaluated. Thereafter, the resultant composite image is presented, as depicted in block 62 and the program ends.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Processing Or Creating Images (AREA)
  • Digital Computer Display Output (AREA)
  • Image Generation (AREA)
  • Controls And Circuits For Display Device (AREA)

Claims (6)

  1. Verfahren zur Anzeige eines eine Vielzahl von überlagerten Fenstern enthaltenden Bildes auf einem Rechnerbildschirm, das die folgenden Schritte umfaßt:
    - Unterteilen des Bildes in Bereiche, von denen jeder eine ausgewählte Kombination von überlagerten Fenstern enthält,
    - Zuordnen eines Mischattributs zwischen jedem Paar überlagerter Fenster zu jedem der Bereiche, um die Kombination des Paares in dem Bereich zu steuern, und
    - Übergeben des Bildes zur Anzeige auf dem Rechnerbildschirm.
  2. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß es des weiteren den Schritt der selektiven Änderung der Reihenfolge einschließt, in der die Fenster überlagert sind.
  3. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß es des weiteren die Angabe eines sichtbaren Merkmals des Hintergrunds von Teilen von Fenstern einschließt, die in einem jeden der Bereiche vorhanden sind.
  4. Verfahren nach Anspruch 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß es des weiteren bewirkt, daß der Hintergrund transparent wird.
  5. Verfahren nach Anspruch 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß es des weiteren bewirkt, daß der Hintergrund undurchsichtig wird.
  6. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß es des weiteren die Angabe eines sichtbaren Merkmals des Vordergrunds von Teilen von Fenstern einschließt, die in einem jeden der Bereiche vorhanden sind.
EP89480077A 1988-06-30 1989-05-23 Verfahren zum Steuern der Anzeige von verschachtelten Auflageschichten Expired - Lifetime EP0349455B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US21342788A 1988-06-30 1988-06-30
US213427 1988-06-30

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0349455A2 EP0349455A2 (de) 1990-01-03
EP0349455A3 EP0349455A3 (de) 1991-03-20
EP0349455B1 true EP0349455B1 (de) 1995-11-08

Family

ID=22795086

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP89480077A Expired - Lifetime EP0349455B1 (de) 1988-06-30 1989-05-23 Verfahren zum Steuern der Anzeige von verschachtelten Auflageschichten

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0349455B1 (de)
JP (1) JPH0786821B2 (de)
BR (1) BR8903217A (de)
CA (1) CA1329282C (de)
DE (1) DE68924731T2 (de)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA2044931C (en) * 1990-06-19 2000-08-01 Hajime Kamata Multiwindow display control method and apparatus
GB2352601A (en) * 1999-07-26 2001-01-31 Pixelfusion Ltd Graphical data-processing
US8896896B2 (en) 2011-09-13 2014-11-25 Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC Preprinted form overlay
US8860994B2 (en) 2012-08-10 2014-10-14 Ricoh Production Print Solutions Electronic replacement of pre-printed forms

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2048624B (en) * 1979-05-02 1982-12-15 Ibm Graphics display apparatus
US4574364A (en) * 1982-11-23 1986-03-04 Hitachi, Ltd. Method and apparatus for controlling image display
JPS61270786A (ja) * 1985-05-27 1986-12-01 三菱電機株式会社 画像表示装置
JPS62269275A (ja) * 1986-05-19 1987-11-21 Hitachi Ltd 多重画面制御方法
JPS62274370A (ja) * 1986-05-21 1987-11-28 Fujitsu Ltd マルチウインドウ制御方式
JPS6324474A (ja) * 1986-07-17 1988-02-01 Toshiba Corp マルチウインドウ表示装置

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0349455A2 (de) 1990-01-03
DE68924731T2 (de) 1996-06-20
CA1329282C (en) 1994-05-03
BR8903217A (pt) 1990-02-13
EP0349455A3 (de) 1991-03-20
JPH0232483A (ja) 1990-02-02
JPH0786821B2 (ja) 1995-09-20
DE68924731D1 (de) 1995-12-14

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