JPH0594393A - Image display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To execute a display processing at high speed while sharing image display among plural computers by providing controllers exclusive for communication control and drawing processing and transferring the exchange of data through a storing means between both controllers. CONSTITUTION:Plural transmission lines are connected to plural computers 3-6, data are exchanged with these computers by a communication CPU 13 to individually control the computers, and data from the communication CPU 13 are stored in a dual port memory 14. Drawing data are stored in a VRAM 12 as data corresponding to picture elements for display on a CRT 2. Further, data read from the dual port memory 14 are developed on the VRAM 12 as pixel data by a drawing CPU 11.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image display device that can be shared by a plurality of computers in a workstation network or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, in a workstation network, a plurality of computers are used, but the display is configured to be displayed on an image display device assigned to each computer. It is not considered to display images on the same screen. If you want to display images from multiple computers at the same time, connect multiple computers to one workstation through a communication line, and use the workstation to capture and process the data of the higher-level computer. Take the way to display.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional technique, the CPU (central processing unit) needs to alternately perform operations such as drawing → communication → drawing → communication ... Therefore, there is a problem that the processing speed becomes slow.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image display device capable of high-speed display processing while sharing the image display by a plurality of computers. is there.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention stores a communication control controller for individually controlling the transfer of data to and from a plurality of computers, and the data from the communication control controller. A storage unit, a display memory that stores data corresponding to pixels for displaying the drawing data on a display, and a drawing control controller that expands the data read from the storage unit on the display memory as pixel data. I am trying to provide it.

Further, in order to simultaneously display the data from a plurality of computers on one screen, the drawing data from the plurality of computers are displayed in different display areas for each computer.

Further, a plurality of storage means are considered,
A dual port memory or a first-in-first-out memory can be used.

[0008]

According to the above means, the drawing data from a plurality of computers is stored in the storage means while being controlled by the communication control controller, and is read by the drawing control controller at a predetermined timing and displayed on one screen. Is displayed. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform the processing at high speed while sharing the display device with a plurality of computers.

Then, the window display is performed on the display screen of the image display device, and the display is performed in a different display area for each computer. Therefore, it becomes possible to simultaneously display drawing data of a plurality of computers on one screen.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image display device according to the present invention.

The image display device 1 has a CRT (cathode ray display tube) 2 (for example, a monitor) for displaying dot figures and characters by raster scanning, and computers 3 to 6 (only four units are shown here) for transmitting display information. However, there is no limit to the number) connected. The image display device 1 is a drawing CPU 11 (drawing control controller) that performs control for displaying an image, and data that is connected to the drawing CPU 11 and corresponds to pixels of image information (characters and graphic data) from the computers 3 to 5. VRAM (Video Random Access Memory) 12 (display memory) for storing, a communication CPU 13 (communication control controller) connected to the drawing CPU 11 and controlling communication with each of the computers 3 to 6, the drawing CPU 11 and communication Each of the dual port memories 14 (storage means) is connected to the CPU 13 and stores display information from the computers 3 to 6.

The drawing CPU 11 and the communication CPU 13 are provided with a ROM (random access memory) (not shown), and a program for executing drawing processing and communication processing is written in this ROM. An interrupt signal line 15 is connected between the drawing CPU 11 and the communication CPU 13 in order to execute writing and reading with respect to the dual port memory 14 by interrupting as necessary. The VRAM 12 is configured to include a refresh memory, a character generator, and a parallel / serial conversion circuit (none of which is shown), and a code written in the refresh memory corresponds to drawing data read from the dual port memory 14. Data to be put on the scanning line as a luminance signal is output as a parallel signal from the character generator, is converted into a serial signal by the parallel / serial conversion circuit, is sent to the CRT 2, and the drawing data read from the dual port memory 14 is output. The contents are displayed. Also,
The dual port memory 14 has two address and data input / output units, and is used for exchanging messages between the drawing CPU 11 and the communication CPU 13.

In the above configuration, when the drawing data from the computers 3 to 6 are collectively displayed on the CRT 2, for example, when the communication CPU 13 determines that the image display device 1 has issued a transmission request, transmission permission is given to the computer. Send to 3. Thus, the drawing data is transmitted from the computer 3 and stored in the dual port memory 14 via the communication CPU 13. This stored data is read by the drawing CPU 11 at a predetermined timing, input to the VRAM 12, the corresponding code is read, the signal from the character generator is applied to the CRT 2 as described above, and the drawing data from the computer 3 is sent. It is displayed as an image. At this time, the CRT 2 is displaying a window and is displayed, for example, in four divisions, and one division screen area is 1
Assigned to one computer. Therefore, here, the drawing data from the computer 3 is displayed in the first split screen area.

Next, if there is a transmission request from the computer 4, the communication CPU 13 gives a transmission permission to the computer 4 in the same manner as above, and stores the drawing data from the computer 4 in the dual port memory 14. This drawing data is also read by the drawing CPU 11 and displayed in the second split screen area of the CRT 2. Therefore, at this stage, C
Drawing data from two computers is displayed on the RT2 in two divided screen areas. Hereinafter, similarly, drawing data from another computer is sequentially displayed on the CRT 2.

In this way, drawing data from a plurality of computers can be displayed while using one image display device. In other words, it becomes possible for a plurality of computers to share one image display device. Moreover, since the drawing CPU 11 and the communication CPU 13 are individually in charge of drawing control and communication control to execute the processing, time is not taken for the image display processing.

Although one screen is divided into four in this example, the number of divisions can be increased according to the computer. When the number of divisions becomes large and it becomes difficult to read, it is possible to take measures such as alternate display.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as those in FIG. 1, and thus duplicated description will be omitted here.

The present embodiment is characterized in that a FIFO (first in first out) memory is used in place of the dual port memory 14 of the above embodiment.
A communication CPU is provided between the drawing CPU 11 and the communication CPU 13.
A FIFO 16 for transferring drawing data from the drawing CPU 11 to the drawing CPU 11 and a FIFO 17 for transferring drawing data from the drawing CPU 11 to the communication CPU 13 are respectively connected.

In this configuration, the drawing data fetched from any of the computers 3 to 6 by the communication CPU 13 is F
The data is input to the IFO 16 and sequentially stored in the built-in 2-port RAM, and from this 2-port RAM, the drawing CPU
It is sequentially taken out while checking which of the computers 3 to 6 belongs by 11 and transferred to the drawing CPU 11. As in the case of FIG. 1, the CRT 2 is connected via the VRAM 12
Display in the specified display area of the window. on the other hand,
When transferring data from the image display device side to the computer side, the data is sequentially stored in the FIFO 17 under the control of the drawing CPU 11 and simultaneously read out to the communication CPU 13, and the data is transferred to the designated computers 3 to 6 via the line. Transfer to either.

[0021]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects.

According to another aspect of the image display device of the present invention, a controller for communication control for individually controlling the transfer of data to and from a plurality of computers, a storage means for storing data from the controller for communication control, and display of drawing data. Since a display memory for storing data corresponding to the pixels to be displayed on the display unit and a drawing control controller for developing the data read from the storage means as pixel data are provided on the display memory, a plurality of computers are provided. Thus, it becomes possible to perform image processing at high speed while sharing the display device.

In the image display device according to the second aspect, since the display of the drawing data from the plurality of computers is displayed in different display areas for each computer, the drawing data of the plurality of computers can be displayed on one screen. Can be displayed at the same time.

In the image display device of the third aspect, since the storage means is a dual port memory, the image display device corresponding to a plurality of computers can be constructed with a simple configuration.

In the image display device according to the fourth aspect, the storage means is a first-in-first-out memory, so that an image display device corresponding to a plurality of computers can be constructed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the image display device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Image Display Device 2 CRT 3, 4, 5, 6 Computer 11 Drawing CPU 12 VRAM 13 Communication CPU 14 Dual Port Memory 15 Interruption Signal Line 16, 17 FIFO

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification number Internal reference number FI Technical display location G11C 11/401 (72) Inventor Kijio Ando 2-6-3 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo New Nippon Steel Corporation

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A communication control controller for individually controlling transmission and reception of data to and from a plurality of computers, storage means for storing data from the communication control controller, and a pixel for displaying drawing data on a display. An image display device comprising: a display memory that stores corresponding data; and a drawing control controller that expands the data read from the storage unit onto the display memory as pixel data. 2. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the display of the drawing data from the plurality of computers is displayed in a different display area for each computer. 3. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit is a dual port memory. 4. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the storage means is a first-in-first-out memory.