JPH03273293A - Multiwindow display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily distinguish the contents of a lower window from that of an upper window by forming a transmission display mode and displaying the lower window part overlapped to the upper window by a display attribute different from that of other parts in the case of the transmission display mode. CONSTITUTION:A transmission area discriminating part 4 is provided with a transmission type window display function for displaying the overlapped part of the lower window to the upper window by the display attribute different from that of other parts and a mode switching function for switching a normal display mode for executing clipping processing and the transmission display mode. When the upper and lower windows are partially overlapped, a transmission display mode specifying command is outputted to a display control part 2, the normal window display mode is switched to the transmission display mode and the overlapped part of the lower window is displayed by the attribute different from that of other parts. Consequently, the contents of the upper window can easily be distinguished from that of the lower window.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] "Field of Industrial Application" The present invention relates to a screen display of a computer system having a bitmap display as an interface with a user, and particularly to a multi-window display device characterized by overlapping window display. It is something.

"Prior Art" FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration example of a conventional display device of this type disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 60-188983. 1) is a bitmap memory section, which stores, for example, a plurality of various rectangular image patterns. 2) is a display control section, which stores bitmap memory sections ( 1), the display priority for superimposed display, and the position on the screen memory section (3) to which the plurality of rectangular image patterns are to be transferred are held as display control information. (3> is the screen memory section, and the cathode ray tube (
Image patterns corresponding to the display screen dots of (7) (hereinafter abbreviated as CRT) are stored. (8> is an area discriminating unit that determines the area that needs to be changed in the screen memory unit (3) according to the display control information and area type in the display control unit (2) and the bitmap memory unit (8) corresponding to the area. 1), and performs an image pattern transfer operation for the identified area using a direct memory access controller (hereinafter abbreviated as DMAC) (5).
), the DMAC (5>) performs data transfer from the bitmap memory section (1> to the screen memory section (3)) and transfers data from the bitmap memory section (1>) to the screen memory section (3) according to instructions from the area determination section (8>). > Partially fills in a predetermined area.

Reference numeral (6) denotes a video control section, which serves to generate a video signal corresponding to an image pattern to be displayed read out from the screen memory section (3) according to a predetermined operation timing.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which, for example, two rectangular image patterns P1 and IP are held in the bitmap memory section (1), and these rectangular image patterns IP, IP, Let the position of the top left corner vertex in the bitmap memory section (1) be (XI, Yl
＞, this is the bitmap memory part (1〉
Let it represent the position of a rectangular image pattern IP, within. In addition, the X-direction sizes of the rectangular image patterns I P + and IP are expressed by bl and hz, respectively,
In addition, the size in the y direction is expressed as Vl-V2, and using these, the sizes of the rectangular image patterns IP, IP2 are (h,, Vl), (hi, V2), respectively.
It shall be expressed as Further, the display priority of each rectangular image pattern IP, , IP, in the case of overlapping display is set as PR, , PR, respectively.

Then, when PR, < PR2, the rectangular image pattern IP is displayed below IP2, and as a result, a part of the rectangular image pattern IP is displayed as being hidden by IP2. ing.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the rectangular image patterns IP and IP2 shown in FIG. 6 are displayed in a superimposed manner according to a predetermined display priority. Now, these image patterns are PR, < PR
In the case where the display priority is 2, the rectangular image patterns IP and IP are transferred to predetermined positions in the screen memory section (3) in descending order of display priority, and are transferred to the screen memory section (3) in descending order of display priority. The state in (3) is shown in FIG. 7.Then, the positions of the upper left corners of the rectangular image patterns IP+ and IPz in the screen memory section (3) are (al, bl), respectively.
, (a2.b2 >), and by these, the rectangular image pattern IP in the screen memory section (3)
+ indicates the location of IP2. Also, O
Let represent the rectangular image pattern IP and the overlapping area of IP.

FIG. 8 shows how to control the display in order to generate the state of the screen memory section (3) shown in FIG. 7 from the state of the bitmap memory section <1> shown in FIG. 6 above. It is a figure which illustrates the said control information which a part (2) holds.

Here, the display control section (2) is used to generate the state of the screen memory section (3) shown in FIG. 7 above from the state of the bitmap memory section (1) shown in FIG. 〉, area determination unit (8), and DMAC (5)
Explain the operation.

The display priority PR of the rectangular image patterns PI and Pl held in the bitmap memory section (1),
When and PR, have the relationship PR, < PR2 as described above, the area determination unit (8) transfers the rectangular image pattern IP, which has a low display priority, from the bitmap memory unit (1>) to the screen memory unit. (3). At this time, among the control information regarding the rectangular image pattern IP, the above position (Xy+), size (h+, v+), and screen memory section (3> Information regarding the upper digit 1111! (at, bz) is given to DMAC (5), and this DMA
C(5) transfers the rectangular image pattern IP in the bitmap memory section (1) to a predetermined position (aI, b+) in the screen memory section (3).

Rectangular image pattern I P 2 with the next highest display priority
The screen memory section <3
> is transferred to a predetermined position (a2.bi).

The screen memory unit <3> holds the previously transferred rectangular image pattern IP, and the rectangular image pattern IP is placed at a position partially overlapping with this rectangular image pattern IP.

is transferred, regarding the overlap area O,
The rectangular image pattern IP is given priority, and the portion corresponding to the overlapping area ◯ of the image pattern I P + is newly replaced by the rectangular image pattern I P 2.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Conventional multi-window display devices that allow overlap simply overlap the contents of an upper window and the contents of a lower window and display them in the same color tone (transparent window). It was difficult to distinguish between both windows.

Therefore, if you want to work by referring to a document that has a relatively large area, either make the area occupied by the work window sufficiently small, or switch the vertical relationship between the work window and the reference window. I had to frequently perform window operations such as Additionally, if you need to work on or refer to a window that is completely hidden under another window, you must move multiple windows or switch their vertical relationships through trial and error, and sometimes at least There is a problem in that window operations must be performed more times than necessary.

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and by providing a transparent display mode and displaying the contents of lower-level windows by changing their display attributes, frequent window operations can be avoided. The purpose of the present invention is to obtain a multi-window display device that allows work to be performed without having to perform operations.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A multi-window display device according to the present invention displays the overlapping portion of the lower window with a different display attribute from other portions when there is overlap between the upper window and the lower window display. The apparatus is provided with a transparent window display means and a mode switching means for switching between a normal display mode in which clipping processing is performed and a transparent display mode in which the transparent window display means functions.

[Operation] In this invention, when there is an overlap between the upper and lower windows, the mode is switched from the normal window display mode to the transparent display mode by issuing a transparent display mode designation command to the display control unit. hand,
Overlapping parts of lower-level windows are displayed with different display attributes than other parts.

[Solid line example] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the refinement of one embodiment of the present invention. In this Figure 1, (1) to (3>,
(5> to (7) are equivalent to those shown in the conventional example in FIG. 5. (4) is a transparent area discriminator corresponding to the area discriminator in the conventional example; It holds mask patterns for switching from normal window display mode to transparent display mode and transparent compositing.

FIG. 2 shows the bitmap memory section (
1> is a diagram showing an area corresponding to the overlapping area O shown in FIG. 7 above. In this FIG. 2, 01 represents the area corresponding to the above-mentioned overlapping area O of the rectangular image pattern IP, and 0. represents an area corresponding to the overlapping area O of the rectangular image pattern IP.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram in which a part of an example of a mask pattern for transmission synthesis possessed by the transmission area determination unit (4>) in the above embodiment is shown in an enlarged manner.
Each rectangle represents 1 bit.

FIG. 4 shows that in the above embodiment, the rectangular image patterns IP and IP shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which images are displayed in a screen memory section (3) in an overlapping manner using the illustrated mask pattern for transparent synthesis.

In FIG. 4, the contents of the overlapping area O of the rectangular image pattern IP2 with a high priority are displayed as is, as before, but the contents of the overlapping area O of the rectangular image pattern IP2 with a low priority are displayed as is. , selected by the mask pattern shown in Figure 3 above and displayed with different display attributes.For example, if the upper window is displayed in a dark tone, in the transparent display mode, the lower window will overlap. The area O3 is displayed in a light tone.

In the multi-window display device configured as described above, in the transparent display mode, the state of the bitmap memory section (1) shown in FIG. 2 changes to the state of the screen memory section (3) shown in FIG. ) The operation of the transparent area discriminator (4) for generating the state will be explained.

First, when a transparent display mode designation command is received from a user or a program, the transparent area discriminator (4> is a DMAC
(5) to transfer the rectangular image pattern I P + with a low display priority from the bitmap memory section (1) to the screen memory section (3). Image pattern IP2 is transferred from bitmap memory section (1) to screen memory section (3)
will be forwarded to.

Next, the transparent area discriminator (4>) processes the screen memory (3).
The above rectangular image patterns IP and I within
Parts O1 and O corresponding to the respective overlapping regions O of P,
7, and performs the following raster operation between the mask pattern held by the transmission area discriminator (4) itself and the overlapping areas O3 and 02. However, AN
D represents a logical product operation, OR represents a logical sum operation, and mp represents a mask pattern.

(0+ A N D m p) ORO2 As a result of this calculation, the overlapping area O3 of the rectangular image pattern IP with a low display priority already displayed in the screen memory section (3) is selectively changed to a different display attribute. Replaced.

Note that the operation of the transparent area discriminator in the normal display mode is the same as the operation of the area discriminator (8>) according to the conventional example, and therefore will not be described here.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, a transparent display mode is provided, and under the transparent display mode, the portion of the lower window that overlaps with the upper window is displayed with different display attributes from other portions. Therefore, the contents of the lower window can be very easily distinguished from the contents of the upper window, and even if the entire lower window is hidden by the upper window, the lower window can be moved to the upper level by performing the minimum necessary number of window operations. This has the effect of greatly improving work efficiency.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a window display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an image pattern in the bitmap memory section in the above embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a part of an enlarged example of the mask pattern provided for transparent synthesis in the above embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of this type of display device according to a conventional example, and FIG. 6 shows an example of a state in which two rectangular image patterns are held in a bitmap memory section. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the two rectangular image patterns shown in FIG. 6 are displayed superimposed according to a predetermined display priority, and FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating control information held by the display control unit in FIG. 5; In the figure, (1) is the bitmap memory section, (2) is the display control section, (3) is the screen memory section, (4) is the transparent area discriminator section, and (5> is the direct memory access controller section (D
MAC>, (6) the video control unit (7) is a cathode ray tube (CRT). Note that the same reference numerals in the figures indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A first memory section that holds a plurality of rectangular image patterns; a second memory section that stores image patterns corresponding to display screen dots; the first memory section and the second memory; a direct memory access controller unit inserted between the first memory unit and the second memory unit to transfer a predetermined image pattern in the first memory unit to a predetermined position in the second memory unit; A display control unit that retains control information determines an area in the second memory unit that needs to be changed according to the display control information, and the direct controller so as to transfer a necessary portion from the first memory unit to the area. means for instructing a memory access controller unit; and a video control unit for generating a video signal based on an image pattern to be displayed read from the second memory unit according to a specific timing. A transparent window display function that displays the overlapping part of the lower window with different display attributes from other parts when there is an overlap between the upper window and the lower window in a display device that has a
and a mode switching function for switching between a display mode that performs normal clipping processing and a transparent display mode that performs the transparent window display function.