FR2544114A1 - METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING WITH A ZOOM EFFECT ON A COMPUTER TERMINAL - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION RELATES TO A DISPLAY SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY FOR A LAPTOP COMPUTER PROVIDED WITH A SMALL SCREEN, DESIGNED TO ALLOW A USER TO EXPLOIT A TOO LARGE DOCUMENT TO BE POSSIBLE IN FULL DISPLAY ON THE SCREEN. THIS SYSTEM INCLUDES MEANS FOR DISPLAYING PARTIALLY ON THE SCREEN 17 A PART OF THE DOCUMENT AND, ON THE ORDER OF THE USER, A REDUCED IMAGE 51 REPRESENTING, IN AN ILLISIBLE COMPRESSED FORM, THE FORM AND CONTOUR OF THE INFORMATION OF THE DOCUMENT SURROUNDING THE READABLE PART DISPLAYED WITH THE REPRESENTATION ON THE REDUCED IMAGE SURROUNDED BY A CURSOR FRAME 53. THE SYSTEM INCLUDES OTHER MEANS FOR MOVING THE CURSOR THEN DISPLAYED, IN A READABLE FORM, THE NEW FRAMED PART, UNDER THE ORDER OF THE USER.

Description

The present invention relates generally

  rale, techniques and systems used to display and manipulate information on a computer terminal and relates, in particular, to systems used to manage data files which are too large to be displayed in one times in their entirety on

a terminal screen.

  The most common technique used by a user

  computer tutor to examine a recorded data file

  stored in the computer memory and which is too large to be displayed at one time on the screen of the display device, or visu, of the computer consists in scrolling through the data file by displaying parts of the file on the screen This capacity is normally provided for in word processing, database management, graphics processing and in

  many other types of computer application programs

  nators. When using a small display screen, such as

  used in portable computers running on batteries

  terie, it is only possible to display at one time

  some lines and / or parts of line It is particular-

  It is desirable in such circumstances to provide for a

  any system allowing the user of the computer

  tor to examine parts of the document other than those which can be displayed at one time without having to scroll through the entire document Therefore, one of the main objects of the present invention is to provide

  a method and apparatus for achieving this

result.

  This object of the present invention as well as other objects and advantages obtained by virtue of the various aspects of the present invention is achieved, in short, by allowing the display of an illegible representation of a larger part of the

  document that can be displayed in a li-

  visible on the visu of a computer terminal When the do-

  cument contains alphanumeric characters and related symbols, such display indicates in the simplest way

  the existence of unreadable solid lines depending on the length

  lines of text and having a very low height.

  Preferably, this capacity is combined with this display.

  showing with the display cursor the part of the illegible miniature representation which is currently displayed or was last displayed in full form

  readable Another desirable characteristic is the ability to

  move the cursor over the illegible representation of another part of the document so that the computer, when controlled by the user who gives the signal, provides a fully readable display of the document lines on which the cursor has been repositioned

in the illegible display.

  Other aims, characteristics and advantages of the various aspects of the present invention will appear on reading

  of the description of a preferred embodiment of the in-

  vention, considered in the light of the attached drawings in the-

  which: Fig 1 shows, by way of example, a computer

  portable for which the various aspects of this in-

  vention have particular advantages;

  Fig 2 is a general block diagram of the computer

  shown in Fig 1; Fig 3 A shows the formation of letters on the visu of the computer system of Fig 1 and 2 while Fig 3 B represents a memory configuration in point mode used to generate part of the display data of Fig 3 AT;

  Fig 4 shows an example of alpha information

  digital presented on the computer visu of Figs 1 and 2; Fig 5 shows the image displayed on the visu of Fig 4 on which is superimposed an illegible outline of a larger part of the document displayed; FIG. 6 A represents the illegible document image superimposed on the image of FIG. 5 and the cursor of which has been moved to a different position and FIG. 6B represents an enlarged part of the image configuration of FIG. 6 A; Fig 7 shows an image representative of another part of the document as chosen by moving the cursor to the position shown in Fig 6 A; and Fig 8-is a flowchart which represents the main execution steps executed by the computer to create

the displays in Figs 4 to 7.

  The present invention will be described with reference to its

  application to an embodiment of a laptop computer

  improved tif shown generally in Fig 1 Although the various aspects of the present invention are extremely useful in a terminal configuration

  arbitrary, they are particularly advantageous in a sys-

  portable teme which includes a display or visu device

  with small screen Referring to Fig 1, a casing 11 con-

  holds an ordinary keyboard 13 on its front part which is

  closed by a cover 15 when the device is transported.

  The cover 15 has been shown in FIG. 1 in a position

  vertical tion and it contains a visu 17 of a suitable type

  required The preferred type of visu 17 is a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen due to its low current consumption The visu is of the pixel type and is capable

  display multiple lines, for example eight or more, of information

  single-spaced alphanumeric training or information

  graphic mations with similar dimensions.

  A touch-sensitive contact panel 19 which is divided into several regions is immediately disposed

  adjacent to keyboard 13 Largest region 21 is connected

  tee to control the movement of a cursor 23 on the display 17 in response to the movement of the user's finger on the surface Several regions 21 of touch keys are arranged adjacent to the large region 21 to perform other functions when the computer user

finger touch.

  In Fig 2 to which we will now refer, a general block diagram of the system has been shown which shows

  the electrical interconnection of the various elements of the computer

  FIG. 1 A common bus 25 of the system interconnects a central processing unit (UTC) 27, a read only memory (MM) 29, a selective access memory (MAS) 31,

  a disk drive <Disc) 33 and various input devices

  input / output (I / O) 35, such as the keyboard 13, the control panel

  tact 13 and various external peripheral devices which can be connected to the computer 11 A memory 37 in

  point mode is also connected to the bus to set tempo-

  The information displayed on the display 17 is usually stored in memory via a display control circuit 39. The computer system is powered by

  rechargeable batteries (not shown).

  In FIG. 3A to which reference will be made, a small angle region of a characteristic type of visualization has been represented on a larger scale. A two-dimensional array of individually excitable pixels, a representative pixel being designated by the reference 41 constitutes the screen

  visu Each of the ACL pixels can be controlled by

  gnals of memory 37 in bit mode so as to be in

  its transparent state, as is the case of the pixel represented

  sentative 41, or to be in its opaque state, as is the case of the representative pixel 43 Most often, such a visual is ordered to form various letters, numbers and symbols each of which is 5 pixels (points) wide by 7 pixels from above, as shown in the screen part of the

  visu shown in Fig 3 A Naturally, the configuration

  particular tion used for the formation of these charac-

  tères and spacings between them is under the control of the electronics which controls the visu and it can vary according to

  the various particular applications.

  For example, in the case of a computer of the type

  shown in Fig 1, the small visu 17 contains a ta-

  white 400 pixels wide by 64 pixels high This makes

  puts to form about 65 characters in a line that extends

  transversely to the screen of the visu 17 and to form approxi-

  ron 8 such lines one below the other when

  uses the character format of 5 pixels by 7.

  As is customary, each of the characters or symbols which must be displayed is stored in the memory MAS 31 by means of a specific code byte for each character.

  tere or symbol, preferably in normal ASCII format

  sé When a faceplate has been established from a certain number of such characters organized in the memory

  MAS 31, ASCII codes are converted by consul-

  table table, preferably contained in the software,

  to generate a series of bytes in a different format

  rent which are then saved in memory 37 in mode

  point for a single faceplate The content of a

  tie of the memory 37 which is used to display the letters of Fig 3 A is represented in Fig 3 B As we can see in Fig 3 B, the bytes of information recorded

  in memory 37 can be considered as orient-

  tees horizontally adjacent to each other to form the pattern of characters or symbols to be displayed The capacity of memory 37 is preferably chosen large enough to control a larger display device such as a CRT screen

  usual which can be externally connected to the computer 11.

  In order to illustrate the display characteristic with zoom effect of the present invention, it will be assumed that the MAS memory 31 or the disk drive 33 contains all the ASCII codes for the characters and symbols of a particular document which contains more lines that visu 17 does

  can display at once A full display of whatever

  the lines in the middle of the document have been

  shown in Fig 4 As shown in Fig 5, a

  representation on a considerably reduced scale of the

  cument is formed simultaneously on the screen This image 51 of the document, reduced by a zoom effect, is formed on the display 17 in an area in which the displayed image has been erased Alternatively, the screen could be erased completely so only the reduced image 51 is displayed

  but the arrangement shown in Fig 5 allows the utility

  reader to continue to refer to the part of the document

  in progress or most recently posted.

  As can be seen in Fig 5, each line of the do-

  cument is represented in image 51 in the form of a solid unreadable line which has a pixel high and whose length is proportional to the length of the line A cursor 53 has the shape of a rectangle and surrounds the lines of information

  which are at the relevant time displayed in a readable form.

  This provides the computer user with a glo-

  bale of the document of which only a few lines are affi-

  checked in a readable form It is preferable that the image 51 represents approximately the same number of lines

  before and after the part of the document that is displayed in large

  normal deur but, naturally, one can modify this provision

  to meet certain other specific objectives.

  Naturally, if the user is looking at the very beginning or the very end of the document, the image 51

  will represent more lines of the document after and, respec-

  tively, before the part which is observed.

  The user can move the cursor 53 up and down inside the displayed part 51 by means of part 21 of the panel 19 with control contact of the

  X-Y cursor, keys dedicated to the movement functions-

  cursor or other standard devices and techniques

  sics used to move a cursor on a screen

  computer file Fig 6 A represents the image 51 on which the cursor 53 has been moved down the part of the document relative to that which has been represented in Fig 5 When the user thinks he has spotted a part of a document that he wishes to examine, he applies an execution signal to the computer system either by means of the keyboard

  13, either by means of the panel 21, signal which causes the affi-

  chage the part of the document contained in the new cur-

  sor 53, as shown in Fig 6 A, in a form

  full readable, as shown in Fig 7 When the a-

  Fig. 7 is in progress, the operator can again

  return to "zoom" mode by giving the appropriate input command

  requested by means of the keyboard 13 or the contact panel 19 and

the process is repeated.

  In Fig 6 B to which we will refer, we have represented

  tee an enlarged view of part 51 of the display screen 17 Each of the representative lines of the docu-

  is represented by a continuous line of excited pixels

  tees, each of these lines being formed vertically immediately

  adjacent to the neighboring lines with no white pixels between them Naturally, if the document itself includes a space or a white line, there will be in image 5 a white line of pixels corresponding to

the blank line of the document.

  Although it is considered that the organization of the affi-

  particular pixel range used for the image of a do-

  representative document 51 is preferable because it saves space and provides a symmetrical representation of the document, there are other illegible representations

  specific, as is clear from this

  cription, which could be satisfactory For example, each character of the document to display could be simply represented by a single pixel or point, this

  technique with the advantage of simplicity for furnace-

  image 51 in reduced format but not showing the

  advantages of the specific example described here mentioned above

  above Other possible variants of specific techniques

  fiques described consist in representing several characters by a single point or several rows of characters by a single row of points In addition, although solid lines have been represented in the image reduced by zooming effect, white intervals may be left , Ei particular in the case where the text which is represented is arranged in columns. We will now describe in more detail,

  referring to Fig 8, the operating process of the system

  computer tem of Figs 1 to 3 used to produce the results shown in Figs 4 to 7 The process of

  controls data that forms a document or other form

  shred of data contained in the memory of a computer

  can be executed by special wired electronic circuits

  specialized but it is certainly preferable to execute it by means of a universal system under the control of the software of the computer The Fig 8 represents the process used

  to manipulate the data stored in memory and to control

  der the various elements of the computer and which is particu-

  fully adapted to software control.

  The first step, represented by box 61 in FIG. 8, used to trigger the process and the execution of this step is caused by the operator by means of the keyboard 13

  or of the contact panel 19 when a screen image of

  formation, such as that shown in Fig 4 is af-

  file in a complete readable form The following step 63 consists in determining the region of the document or other data file contained in the MAS memory 31 or in the disk drive 33 whose illegible representative image must be

  displayed in the small image 51 It is best to identify

  tify an equal number of lines immediately before and after the displayed part but any other configuration can be alternately chosen according to the specific application Since only one line of pixels on the display screen 17 is used for each line of document information in image 51, from 40 to 60 lines of a document can be represented on this image in the case of a screen having the particular dimensions mentioned in this specific example Whatever the particular number chosen at the time of system design, this number of document lines is identified in memory for the purpose of

further processing.

  The next step 65 is to determine the widest

  part of this region of the document That is to say that the long

  longest line is determined Next, a

  step 67 determines the height of this part of the document.

  Obviously if the document is not as large as

  the number of lines that can be displayed in image 51

  pick by zoom effect or if the document has a large

  white space at one end of the part to be displayed

  file it is not necessary to give the image 51 of the maximum possible dimensions and that it can be made smaller A next step 69 consists in erasing on the screen 17 a region large enough to receive the image

  duite by a zoom effect which is about to be formed

  mé, that is to say that part of the text displayed on the screen is erased so that the image 51 can be displayed in its place.

  The main next step is to train and

  file image 51 A step 71 determines the length of the

  top line of the region of the previously identified document

  tified for display This line length is multi-

  folded by 5/7, in step 73 in order to make the display symmetrical

  trique It will be recalled that, in the specific example described, each character is formed so as to have 7 pixels high by 5 pixels wide so that the multiplication of

  each line length in number of characters by this fac-

  tor gives the resulting image 51 correct proportions.

  Naturally, if other relative dimensions were used

  characters, it would be necessary to use a fac-

  different multiplication tor and, if desired, step 73 can even be omitted Whatever the length of the line to be drawn as part of the reduced image 51, this

  length is plotted in memory 37 in point mode at the

  step 75 A decision step 77 then determines whether the line which has just been drawn is the last line of the

  region of the document previously identified for display.

  If not, the process of steps 71-75 is repeated

  for each line until the last line of the i

mage 51 has been traced.

  After all the lines of the document have been shown

  felt in the image 51, a step 79 calculates which of these lines represent the lines which are currently or have been most recently displayed in full readable form This part of the reduced image is then stored in memory as indicated in step 51 The frame 53 forming a cursor is then drawn around this part of the image, as indicated by step 83 Due to the compact nature of the image 51, the upper and lower horizontal lines of the frame 53 necessarily erase the lines of the document previously formed on these rows of pixels This is mainly the reason for which this part of the reduced image is stored in memory, in accordance with step 81, before drawing the cursor frame Once

  the cursor frame has been formed, image 51 as shown

  Tee in Fig 5 is completely formed.

  In step 85 of Fig 8, the software checks

  relies if a control signal has been issued by the user of

  the computer to move the cursor frame 53 to a location

  ment different from picture 51 If, during a cycle of the

  software, such a signal is not received, the processing program

  go to step 87 to check if an execute signal

  received from the computer user Each of these signals is typically transmitted by means of the panel-21

  contact or keyboard 13, but it can also be generated

  dré in any external device.

  If, in step 85, it is determined that the user

  sator actually wants to move the cursor, process it

  ment goes to step 89 during which the lines of the reduced image 51 which had been overloaded by the lines

  the cursor, as described above, are restored

  blies This image is the one that was stored in memory at

  step 81 The next step 91 consists in calculating the new location of the cursor frame in response to the signals received from

  The user returns to step 81 to save

  keep this part of the image reduced around which the cursor frame must be drawn and the cursor frame is drawn

  during a repetition of steps 83 and following.

  Once the operator has produced an execute signal

  tion and that this signal is detected, in step 87, the cursor

  is no longer moved and a step 93 calculates the part of the

  file data from the document in memory that the cursor

  toure This step is followed by a total erasure of the

1 1

  notch of the visu in step 95, then by writing on the

  notch 17 of this part of the document data file (step 97) This produces a complete readable display of

  8 other lines of the document, as shown in Fig 7.

  The zooming process is then completed but it can be restarted by the operator in the event that the new part

  of the document displayed would not be the one desired.

  Although the various aspects of the present invention have been described with reference to a specific example of a computer system and its own control software, it is

  of course, the invention is only limited to the extent that

  defined by the appended claims.

Claims (7)

  1 - Computer terminal display system for per-   put a user to use a document which is too large to be able to be displayed in its entirety in a form readable on the display or visible device (17) of the terminal, characterized in that it comprises:   means operating in response to electrical computer codes   tronic representing the information contained in the document to display a compressed version (51> which is unreadable by the user but which represents the shape and outline of the information carried by the document,   means operating in response to a first signal from a user   reader to choose a part of the document to display under   a form readable by moving a cursor (53) on the ver-   compressed compressed to mark this part, and functional means   operating in response to a second input signal from a user   tor to display in a readable form this part of the cument.   2 A computer terminal display system, character-   terized in that it comprises: memory means (31) for   electronically store characters and sym-   bowls arranged in lines to form a data file   born in memory; a display screen (17) capable of displaying   normally retrieve a small number of data file lines at most in readable form; means (27) operating in response to the memory means and operatively connected to the display screen for displaying a representation (51) of a number of lines in the data file which is considerably greater than said certain number of normally displayed lines, this   representation showing the existence of lines and their rela-   tion in space in the data file without forming   characters and symbols in readable form on the   display screen; means operating in response to control signals for displaying and moving a cursor (53)   on the displayed image of the representation of the data file   born in order to mark a selected few of these lines; and means operating in response to control signals to cause the display of the selected lines   on the screen in normal readable form.   3 Computer terminal display system according to re-   vendication 2, characterized in that the display means   of the representation display a representative image com-   taking a certain number of lines from the data file which include: the certain small number of lines which are   normally displayed with characters and symbols   if the means of display of the representation   are activated, this certain small number of lines being marked by the cursor (53) and a number of lines in the file   located immediately before and after the   says some small number of lines normally displayed.   4 Computer terminal display system according to re-   vendication 3, characterized in that the means of movement   the cursor produces a cursor (53) of rectangular shape   area surrounding part of the representative image (51) which is marked.   5 Computer terminal display system according to the   vendication 2, characterized in that the display screen (17) has a large number of points (41, 43) of the same shape   which are individually activated by display signals   file to form a desired image, a two-dimensional table   a series of such points forming a character or symbol in response to each character or symbol signal stored in the memory means (31), the means   display of the representation displaying a representation   tion of a line of characters and symbols by means of a display line which has only one point of height and one   number of stitches in length which is proportional to the length line fighter.   6 A portable computer (11) having a small display screen   chage (17) which is capable of displaying in readable form only a certain number of lines of alphanumeric characters, characterized in that it comprises means allowing a user to examine a document having a much larger number of lines recorded in a memory (31), these means operating in response to the information recorded   in the memory so as to display simultaneously on the   notch said number of lines in readable form and an illegible compressed representation (51) of a much larger number of lines in the document, that number comprising   said number of lines that are displayed.   7 A method for identifying a segment of a data file recorded in the form of electronic signals in a memory (31) of a computer system for the purpose of   its display in normal size on a small display screen   chage (17) of the system, this method being characterized in that it consists in: generating from memory signals image signals on a reduced scale of a part of the data file recorded in the memory which is more larger than that which can be displayed in normal size on the screen;   displaying the image (51) on a reduced scale in response to the   reduced-scale image signals; to move a cursor (53)   on the display screen (17) to mark a segment of the   mage on a reduced scale that we want to display in normal size; to identify recorded electronic signals   in memory who are responsible for the formation of the seg-   ment of the reduced scale image which is marked by the cur-   sor (53) on the display screen; and display this segment   of the data file in normal size on the display screen filing.