JPH06250623A - Video display equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reproduce video through the same interface circuit regardless of a kind of display, etc., by connecting the device to an external device by means of a general purpose interface and delivering the video signal by means of a page description language. CONSTITUTION:An interpreter I decodes a video signal 3a according to decryption software 41 are every time when the signal is given. A signal Ba is supplied to a CRT driver 5a based on the decoded video signal 3a according to control software 40. The CRT driver 5a forms control signals 6-8 for an electron gun, generates a vertical sweep signal 9 and a horizontal sweep signal 10, these signals are supplied to a high definition cathod-ray tube and the video is reproduced. Also, a signal Ca is given to the interpreter I. The interpreter I converts the signal Ca to a signal 4a according to the control software 40 and returns it to the interpreter I through an interface 2. The interpreter I decodes the signal 4a to initialize an external device 1a.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a first conventional example, a video display device 39a
A block diagram of the above will be described with reference to FIG. Video display device 39
As the high-definition cathode ray tube 11 which is the display part of a, there is, for example, one having a mask pitch of 0.15 mm and a diagonal of 20 inches, which is driven by the non-interlaced scanning method and the number of scanning lines at that time. Is about 1000, the horizontal resolution is 1300, and the frequency of the horizontal synchronizing signal is 60 kHz. The signal waveforms at this time are shown in FIG.

The interface circuit 18a is shown in FIG.
A luminance signal 23 relating to a pixel having a waveform as shown in (a) and exhibiting a red color (hereinafter referred to as “R”), and a pixel having a waveform as shown in FIG. 4 (b) and exhibiting a green color (hereinafter referred to as “G”) A luminance signal 24, a luminance signal 25 regarding a pixel having a waveform as shown in FIG. 4C and exhibiting a blue color (hereinafter referred to as “B”), a horizontal synchronization signal 26 having a waveform shown in FIG. The vertical synchronizing signal 27 having the waveform shown in () is fetched from the external device 1a.

Further, the interface circuit 18a is
Luminance signals 23, 24, 2 for each of the three RGB colors
4 to generate electron gun control signals 6, 7, and 8 having waveforms as shown in FIGS. 4 (f), (g), and (h), and based on the horizontal synchronizing signal 26 and the vertical synchronizing signal 27, FIG. (I),
An image is reproduced by generating a vertical sweep signal 9 and a horizontal sweep signal 10 having the waveforms shown in (j) and supplying them to a cathode ray tube 11. The brightness signals 23, 24,
Reference numeral 25 is a signal having a continuous analog value from 0 V to 5 V, and based on these signals, video is reproduced in full color display.

As a second conventional example, a block diagram of a video display device 39b will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, the TFT
The LCD 19 is a liquid crystal display device that is equipped with a thin film transistor (hereinafter referred to as “TFT”) and performs 8-gradation RGB three-color display, and functions as a display unit of the video display device 39b. Pixels of the TFT-LCD 19 are arranged in a matrix, and 640 pixels are arranged on one scanning electrode line in the horizontal direction, and each pixel is composed of display elements of RGB three colors, and four pixels in the vertical direction.
When 80 scanning electrode lines are arranged, the source signal is for applying a signal voltage to the liquid crystal electrodes of the display elements arranged on each scanning electrode line, and therefore 640 × 3 are required.
Further, since the gate signal is for switching on / off the TFTs functioning as analog switches in the display elements arranged on each scanning electrode line, 480 gate signals are required.

The interface circuit 18b has a brightness signal 28 for selecting the brightness of a pixel exhibiting R, a brightness signal 29 for selecting the brightness of a pixel exhibiting G, and a brightness signal for selecting the brightness of a pixel exhibiting B. The signal 30, the luminance signal synchronizing clock 31, the vertical synchronizing signal 32, and the horizontal synchronizing signal 33 are received from the external device 1b.

Further, the interface circuit 18b is RG
Luminance signal 2 composed of 3-bit digital signals (3 to the power of 2 and 8 combinations) for each of the B3 colors
Externally given 8 (2
(Third power of 3) types of voltages are selected and supplied to the TFT-LCD 19 as a source signal 20. At the same time, a gate signal 21 and a counter electrode signal 22 are also generated and these are TFT.
-Supply to the LCD 19 to reproduce the image. Each of the RGB three-color display elements forming one pixel exhibits a brightness of 8 gradations by the source signal 20, so that the RGB composite color present in one pixel is a cube of 8 to 512, so that 512 color display is possible. Is possible.

As a third conventional example, a block diagram of a video display device 39c will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, STN
-LCD 17 is a liquid crystal display device that performs two-gradation monochrome display, and is a display unit of video display device 39c. STN-LC
When the pixels of D17 are arranged in a matrix, and 640 pixels are arranged on one horizontal scanning electrode line and 480 scanning electrode lines are vertically arranged, it is involved in driving the pixels located in the upper half of the screen. 640 X drive signals 13 for driving the pixels located in the lower half of the screen are required for both the upper and lower sides, and a Y drive signal 15 for driving the pixels located in the upper half of the screen, the screen The Y drive signals 16 involved in driving the pixels located in the lower half are required to be 240 in each of the upper and lower sides.

The interface circuit 18c takes in the luminance signal 34 in the upper half of the screen, the luminance signal 35 in the lower half of the screen, the luminance signal synchronizing clock 36, the vertical synchronizing signal 37, and the horizontal synchronizing signal 38 from the external device 1c, and based on them. The X drive signals 13 and 14 and the Y drive signals 15 and 16 are generated and supplied to the STN-LCD 17 to reproduce an image.
The duty ratio is 1/240, the upper and lower halves of the screen are driven separately, and 1-bit digital signals are used as the brightness signals 34 and 35, respectively.

Generally, a page printer (not shown)
Is driven by an external device (not shown) having a page description language as software, so that a page printer of another model can be easily driven by the same external device.

[0011]

As described above, since the conventional video display devices 39a, 39b, 39c differ in the type of display, the driving method, the resolution, and the number of display colors, the dedicated interface circuits 18a, 18b, 1
8c must be designed and manufactured separately, which increases the manufacturing cost.

Therefore, on the side of the external devices 1a, 1b, 1c, it is necessary to separately develop software for transmitting the video signal 3 and the signal 4 by the dedicated interface circuits, which increases the development cost.

Further, an external device (not shown) for driving the page printer (not shown) has software developed based on the page description language and can easily drive other types of page printers. , The image display devices 39a, 39b, 39 which are external devices for this page printer.
It was also impossible to drive c.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and is software that can be easily developed based on the same language. Through the same interface circuit, the type of display, the driving method, the resolution, and the number of display colors are displayed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a video display device capable of reproducing a video regardless of the above, and also to drive a page printer in the same manner.

[0015]

The video display device of the present invention is connected to an external device by a general-purpose interface,
It is characterized in that a video signal is delivered in a page description language.

Further, at this time, the general-purpose interface is bidirectional.

[0017]

When the external device is connected by the general-purpose interface and the video signal is transferred by the page description language as described above, the compatibility of the video data is generated between the page printer and the video display device, and the same general-purpose interface and the same page description language are used. Using the same external device, you can drive various video display devices regardless of display type, driving method, resolution, and number of display colors.
Similarly, it becomes possible to drive the page printer.

Further, if the general-purpose interface is bidirectional, the data transfer rate can be increased and error processing can be performed, so that the display speed can be increased.

[0019]

[Embodiment] Video display device 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention
A block diagram of 2a is shown in FIG. The high-definition color cathode-ray tube 11 which is the display unit of the image display device 12a in FIG.
5 is the same as the high-definition color cathode-ray tube 11 shown in FIG. 5 as a first conventional example, and the other parts that are the same as those shown and described in FIG.

The image display device 12a includes a high-definition color cathode-ray tube 11 and a CRT driver 5a for driving the same.
And the PostScript interpreter I connected to this, and this and PostScript on the external device 1a side.
It is composed of a SCSI interface 2 which is connected to the pt interpreter I and which exchanges signals between them.

PostScript Interpreter I
Is a control software 40 and a decoding software 4 developed based on the page description language PostScript.
1 and operates according to this control software 40. The signals output at this time are all Pos on the receiving side.
It is decrypted by the decryption software 41 included in the tScript interpreter I. Generally, the page description language is used to describe software for driving a page printer (not shown).

The external device 1a supplies a signal Aa corresponding to the luminance signals 23, 24, 25, the horizontal synchronizing signal 26, and the vertical synchronizing signal 27 in the first conventional example to the PostScript interpreter I incorporated in the external device 1a.

PostSc incorporated in the external device 1a
The ript interpreter I generates a video signal 3a based on the signal Aa for the high-definition color cathode-ray tube 11, and transmits the video signal 3a through the SCSI interface 2 to the video display device 1.
2a is supplied to the built-in PostScript interpreter I.

PostScr with built-in video display device 12a
According to the decoding software 41, the ipt interpreter I sends the video signal 3a each time PostS is applied.
Decrypt based on the grammar of script. Further, according to the control software 41, the PostScript interpreter I outputs the signal Ba corresponding to the luminance signals 23, 24, 25, the horizontal synchronizing signal 26, and the vertical synchronizing signal 27 in the first conventional example based on the decoded video signal 3 to the CRT driver. Supply to 5a.

The CRT driver 5a for each of R, G and B based on the signal Ba is shown in FIGS.
An electron gun control signal 6 having a waveform as shown in (h),
7 and 8 are formed to generate a vertical sweep signal 9 having the waveform shown in FIG. 4I and a horizontal sweep signal 10 having the waveform shown in FIG. To play. Further, the CRT driver 5a gives a signal Ca to the PostScript interpreter I incorporated in the video display device 12a in order to transmit the fact that the display unit to be controlled is the high-definition color cathode-ray tube 11 and the operation status such as error.

PostScript of the video display device 12a
The t interpreter I follows the control software 40
The signal Ca is converted into a signal 4a, which is transmitted via the SCSI interface 2 to the PostScri on the external device 1a side.
Return to pt interpreter I.

The PostScript interpreter I of the external device 1a uses the decoding software 41 to output the signal 4
It decodes a and performs initial setting and error processing of the external device 1a.

A block diagram of the video display device 12b of the second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. In the figure, SCS
The I interface 2 is the same as that described in the first embodiment. With respect to other points, the same parts as those shown in FIG. 6 and described in the second conventional example and those shown in FIG. 1 and described in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The image display device 12b is a TFT-LCD1.
9, an LCD driver 5b for driving the LCD driver 5b, and a PostScript interpreter I connected to the LCD driver 5b,
And a SCSI interface 2 connected between this and a PostScript interpreter I on the external device 1b side for exchanging signals between the two.

The external device 1b is a signal Ab corresponding to the luminance signals 28, 29, 30, the luminance signal synchronizing clock 31, the vertical synchronizing signal 32, and the horizontal synchronizing signal 33 in the second conventional example.
With PostScript installed in the external device 1b
Give to interpreter I.

PostSc incorporated in the external device 1b
The ript interpreter I generates a video signal 3b based on the signal Ab for the TFT-LCD 19 and outputs it to the SCS.
It is supplied to the PostScript interpreter I built in the video display device 12b through the I interface 2.

PostScr with built-in video display device 12b
According to the decoding software 41, the ipt interpreter I sends the video signal 3b each time PostS is applied.
Decrypt based on the grammar of script. Further, according to the control software 41, the PostScript interpreter I is based on the decoded video signal 3b, and the luminance signals 28, 29 and 30, the luminance signal synchronizing clock 31, the vertical synchronizing signal 32 and the horizontal synchronizing signal 33 in the second conventional example.
The signal Bb corresponding to is supplied to the LCD driver 5b.

The LCD driver 5b outputs R based on the components of the signal Bb corresponding to the luminance signals 28, 29 and 30.
For each of the three colors of GB, eight kinds of voltages given from the outside are selected and used as the source signal 20, and the gate signal 21 and the counter electrode signal 22 are generated based on the other components of the signal Bb, and these are generated. To play the video.

Further, the LCD driver 5b sends a signal Cb to the video display device 12 in order to convey that the display section to be controlled is the TFT-LCD 19 and the operation status such as error.
b Provided to the built-in PostScript interpreter I.

PostScript of the video display device 12b
The t interpreter I follows the control software 40
The signal Cb is converted into a signal 4b, which is passed through the SCSI interface 2 to the PostScri of the external device 1b.
Return to pt interpreter I.

According to the decoding software 41, the PostScript interpreter I of the external device 1b outputs the signal 4
b is decoded and the external device 1b is initialized and error processing is performed.

A block diagram of the video display device 12c of the third embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. In FIG. 1,
The same parts as those shown and described in FIGS. 2 and 7 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The image display device 12c is the STN-LCD1.
7, an LCD driver 5c for driving the same, and a PostScript interpreter I connected to the LCD driver 5c,
And a SCSI interface 2 connected between this and a PostScript interpreter I on the external device 1c side for exchanging signals between the two.

The external device 1c has a luminance signal 34, a luminance signal 35, a luminance signal synchronizing clock 36 in the third conventional example,
A signal A corresponding to the vertical synchronizing signal 37 and the horizontal synchronizing signal 38
PostScript in which c is incorporated in the external device 1c
t Interpreter I.

PostSc incorporated in the external device 1c
The ript interpreter I generates the video signal 3c based on the signal Ac for the STN-LCD 17 and outputs it to the SCS.
It is supplied to the PostScript interpreter I built in the video display device 12c through the I interface 2.

PostScr with built-in video display device 12c
According to the decoding software 41, the ipt interpreter I sends the video signal 3c every time PostS is applied.
Decrypt based on the grammar of script. Further, according to the control software 41, the PostScript interpreter I is based on the decoded video signal 3c, and the luminance signal 34, the luminance signal 35, the luminance signal synchronizing clock 36, the vertical synchronizing signal 37, the horizontal synchronizing signal 3 in the third conventional example.
The signal Bc corresponding to 8 is supplied to the LCD driver 5c.

Based on the signal Bc, the LCD driver 5c has an X drive signal 13 for the upper half of the screen, an X drive signal 14 for the lower half of the screen, a Y drive signal 15 for the upper half of the screen, and a Y for the lower half of the screen.
The drive signal 16 is generated and supplied to the STN-LCD 17 to reproduce the image.

Further, the LCD driver 5c sends the signal Cc to the video display device 12 in order to transmit the fact that the display unit to be controlled is the STN-LCD 17 and the operation status such as error.
c) Provided to the built-in PostScript interpreter I.

PostScript of the video display device 12c
The t interpreter I follows the control software 40
The signal Cc is converted into a signal 4c, and this is converted via the SCSI interface 2 into the PostScri on the external device 1c side.
Return to pt interpreter I.

According to the decoding software 41, the PostScript interpreter I of the external device 1c outputs the signal 4
It decodes c and performs initial setting of the external device 1c and error processing.

As described above, in the first, second, and third embodiments, the development of the control software 40 that can be similarly controlled can be described in PostScript of the same page description language. It's extremely easy. Alternatively, in order to increase the versatility of the PostScript interpreter I, not only the external devices of these three examples and the video display devices of these three examples, but also the video display devices of other models and the page printer and all the software capable of controlling the external devices are installed. It can also be added to the control software 40. The decryption software 41 is the same in all cases.

In order to extend PostScript, which is a page description language developed for a page printer, for a display and facilitate its use in the present invention, a pointing device (not shown) such as a mouse for indicating a position on the screen coordinates. ) May be added to display a cursor based on a signal given by This cursor system consists of commands that define the shape of the cursor, commands that specify the coordinates of the cursor in absolute coordinates, commands that specify the coordinates of the cursor in relative coordinates, and commands that return the current cursor coordinates to an external device. Is.

A window system for controlling another image (hereinafter referred to as "window") displayed in a rectangular frame on the image screen is originally included in PostScript, but the window is enlarged or reduced. A window painting command may be further added to handle the case of moving or moving.

The pixel group in which the cursor or window is located displays only the cursor or window and does not display the original image. At this time, by the cursor system or the window painting command, only the original image of the pixel group is stored and retained in another dedicated memory, and temporarily saved,
After the cursor or window moves or disappears from that position, the original image of the full screen is restored in real time by recalling the saved image to only the address corresponding to the pixel group on the display memory. You can Therefore, it is possible to avoid waste of time such that the video signals of all pixels are recalled again and redrawn on the display memory of all pixels.

Furthermore, in order to support a large number of video display devices, a command for returning the number of pixels of the video display device and the number of displayable colors to the external device side may be added. in this case,
Not only the video display device but also a video display device (not shown) having different display means can be driven.

Furthermore, a command for processing the moving image data may be added so that the moving image can be displayed.

In the first, second and third embodiments, PostScript is used as the unified page description language, but other languages such as LIPS may be used.

[0053]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a general-purpose interface is used to connect to an external device, and a video signal is generated and delivered based on a page description language widely adopted in a page printer, the printer and the video can be transferred. Video data becomes compatible between display devices, and various video display devices can be driven using the same general-purpose interface and the same page description language regardless of the display type, driving method, resolution, and number of display colors. It is possible to drive the page printer as well. Further, if the general-purpose interface is bidirectional, the data transfer rate can be increased and error processing can be performed, so that the display speed can be increased.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a video display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a video display device of a second embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a video display device of a first conventional example.

FIG. 4 shows signal waveforms related to a high-definition color cathode ray tube.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a video display device of a second conventional example.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a video display device of a third conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a External device 1b External device 1c External device 2 SCSI interface I PostScipt interpreter 3a Video signal 3b Video signal 3c Video signal 4a signal 4b signal 4c signal 5a CRT driver 5b LCD driver 5c LCD driver 6 Electron gun control signal 8 Electron gun control signal 7 Electron gun control signal 9 Vertical sweep signal 10 Horizontal sweep signal 11 High-definition color CRT 12a Video display device 12b Video display device 12c Video display device 13 X drive signal 14 X drive signal 15 Y drive signal 16 Y drive signal 17 STN-LCD 18a Interface circuit 18b Interface circuit 18c Interface circuit 19 TFT-LCD 20 Source signal 21 Gate signal 22 Counter electrode signal 23 Luminance signal (for R, analog signal) 2 Luminance signal (for G, analog signal) 25 Luminance signal (for B, analog signal) 26 Horizontal synchronization signal 27 Vertical synchronization signal 28 Luminance signal (for R, digital 3 bit signal) 29 Luminance signal (for G, digital 3 bit signal) ) 30 luminance signal (B, digital 3-bit signal) 31 luminance signal synchronizing clock 32 vertical synchronizing signal 33 horizontal synchronizing signal 34 luminance signals in the upper half of the screen 35 luminance signals in the lower half of the screen 36 luminance signal synchronizing clock 37 vertical synchronization Signal 38 Horizontal sync signal 39a Video display device 39b Video display device 39c Video display device 40 Control software 41 Decoding software Aa signal Ab signal Ac signal Ba signal Bb signal Bc signal Ca signal Cb signal Cc signal

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] July 27, 1993

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] Figure 3

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a video display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention .
Lock figure.

[Procedure Amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] Figure 5

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a video display device of a first conventional example.

[Procedure 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] Figure 6

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a video display device of a second conventional example.

[Procedure amendment 4]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] Figure 7

[Correction method] Added

[Correction content]

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a video display device of a third conventional example.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yoshisuke Shimada 22-22 Nagaike-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Within Sharp Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shigemitsu Mizushima 22-22 Nagaike-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A video display device, which is connected to an external device by a general-purpose interface and delivers a video signal in a page description language. 2. The video display device according to claim 1, wherein the general-purpose interface is bidirectional.