JP2719355B2 - Image memory device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus having image data display means, which stores a plurality of image data and displays the plurality of image data on an image display such as a CRT. The present invention relates to an image memory device having a function of superimposing display on a device.

(B) Conventional technology When a secondary image such as binary image data such as a character is superimposed on a main image based on main image data displayed on a screen, the plurality of image data are collectively stored in an image memory. As a method, for example, pages 257 to 281 of Nikkei Electronics Magazine published on May 20, 1985.
There is a method of providing an overlay plane in addition to a color image plane as shown in the page article "Color bitmap display having a frame buffer that can be accessed similarly to the main memory". In this example, for one pixel (pixel) corresponding to the display position on the display screen, color image data of a 6-bit color image plane and overlay of a 2-bit overlay plane
It is represented by a total of 8 bits of data. That is, it is possible to collectively read or write three types of completely independent image data for each pixel by combining color image data of 6 bits and two pieces of image data.

(C) Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the above-mentioned conventional method, image data is converted to CRT.
And so on, the same image memory group as that at the time of reading / writing is selected, so that the overlay plane and the color image plane cannot be displayed in any combination. Therefore, a frame in which a color image plane and an overlay plane are paired
An image memory device having a plurality of buffers for a plurality of screens has a drawback that an overlay image that can be superimposed and displayed on one color image screen is uniquely determined. That is, for example, when the color image data of a specific screen is displayed on the display device, the overlay data that can be superimposed on the screen is limited to that of the specific screen. It cannot be superimposed on this specific screen. For this reason, when it is desired to superimpose and display the same figure on various images, the same figure must be written on a plurality of overlay planes.
The use efficiency of the memory was very poor.

(D) Means for Solving the Problems The image memory device of the present invention is provided with a control register for controlling the display output of the image data stored in the image memory, so that the display of the color image plane and the overlay
The display of planes is controlled independently of each other.

That is, the image memory unit of the present invention is constituted by a plurality of image memories for storing a plurality of image data independent of each other, and is commonly used so that data can be read or written to the plurality of image memories collectively. Read / write address bus is connected. When reading or writing image data, an address is provided from the address bus, and data can be read / written from the data bus.

On the other hand, display address generating means is provided for displaying image data stored in the image memory. The display address is given to each memory by selecting the display address by a multiplexer, and a control signal from a control register is provided. Accordingly, each display is controlled by independently controlling reading of image data in each image memory, thereby enabling superimposed display of each image data in an arbitrary combination.

(E) Function According to the image memory device of the present invention, a plurality of independent image data that can be written or read in a batch in the image memory can be displayed independently, and therefore, display of arbitrary image data can be performed. Another arbitrary image data can be superimposed on the screen.

(F) Embodiment Specific examples of the image memory device according to the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 1 shows an example of an image processing device incorporating the image memory device [IM] of the present invention. The image memory device [IM] shown in FIG. 1 is connected to a microprocessor [MP] connected via an address bus and a data bus. The image data obtained from the main memory [MM] is stored and displayed on the display means, and is used, for example, in a medical tomography system. FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of an embodiment of an image memory according to the present invention. (1) is a drawing display control unit, (2) is a multiplexer, (3) is a display address generation unit, (4) is a control register, (5) indicates an image memory, (6) indicates data conversion means, and (7) indicates display means. As shown in FIG. 3, the image memory (5) used in the present apparatus has two independent image memories (5) of a color image memory (51) and an overlay memory (52) each for four screens. , The memory control information from the control register (4) is decoded by the decoders (53), (54), and (55), and these memories (51), ( 52) It is transmitted to each screen.

The operation will be described below with reference to these figures. When writing data to the image memory (5), first, the position of a pixel to be written is given in the form of an address using a read / write address bus (9). At this time, the same address is given to the screens 1 to 4 of the respective image memories (51) and (52), and which screen is to be written is given by a control signal from the control register (4). The content of the control register (4) is decoded by the decoder B (54) to become a write / read control signal (58), and any one of the screens 1 to 4 in both the color image memory (51) and the overlay memory (52). Is write enabled. As a result, writing can be performed collectively to both the color image memory (51) and the overlay memory (52).
The data to be written is given through the data bus (8).

Similarly, when reading data from the image memory (5), the read / write address bus (9) and the data bus (8) are used. At this time, the write / read control signal (58) from the decoder B (54) is selected by the multiplexers (561) to (568), and the screens 1 to 52 of both image memories (51) and (52) are similarly similarly. 4 is now read enabled. The read data is sent to the drawing / display control means (1) through the data bus (8).

On the other hand, when displaying the image data stored in the image memory (5) on a display means (7) such as a CRT, a display address in the screen is generated by a display address generation means (3), and the multiplexer (2) is used. ) Is selected and given to each image memory (51) (52). Control register (4)
Are decoded by the decoder A (53) and the decoder C (55), and the overlay display control signals (57),
It is sent out as a color image display control signal (59).
Each of these two control signals is a multiplexer (561)
(564), (565) to (568), and one of the screens 1 to 4 of each of the image memories (51) and (52) is read out and enabled. Each image memory (51)
The data read from (52) is sent together through a data bus (8) to a data conversion means (6), converted into information suitable for a display means (7), and sent to a display means (7). . This makes it possible to superimpose and display image data stored in two different memories, the color image memory (51) and the overlay memory (52), in any combination.

Therefore, when the image memory device having the above configuration is employed in a medical tomography system, when a plurality of tomographic images of the same person are taken on the same day, a plurality of tomographic images are stored in the color image memory (51). Photos are stored, but a composite image in which personal names and dates are added to all tomographic photographs can be displayed only by storing one character name and date character image in the overlay memory.

(G) Advantages of the Invention As described above, the image memory device of the present invention can independently perform display on a plurality of image memories that can be read / written collectively, so that image data of different screens can be transferred. Superimposed display is possible in any combination, and effective use of the image memory can be expected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an example of an image processing apparatus incorporating the present invention, FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of an embodiment of an image display memory of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an image memory in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. (1) ... Drawing display controller, (2) ... Mux, (3) ... Display address generating means, (4) ... Control register, (5) ... Image memory, (6) ... Data conversion Means (7) display means (8) data bus
(9) ... read / write address bus, (51)
…… Color image memory, (52) …… Overlay memory,
(53) to (55): decoder, (57): overlay display control signal, (58): read / write control signal,
(59)... Color image display control signal.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An image memory device provided with image data display means for storing a plurality of main image data for storing a plurality of main image data, and a plurality of sub image data respectively corresponding to the respective main image data. A plurality of sub-image memories, image data writing means for simultaneously writing main image data and corresponding sub-image data to the corresponding main image memory and the sub image memory, and the corresponding main image memory Image data reading means for collectively reading the main image data and the corresponding sub image data from the sub image memory, and main image data of a desired combination independently of the main image memories and the sub image memories Of the main image data and the image of the sub image data are superimposed and displayed on the display means. Image memory apparatus comprising the out display unit.