JPH10254423A - System and method for controlling display - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To rapidly window-display the optional data in a whole RAM area without rewriting the data on the RAM by providing a storage control means, etc., switching an output of the data from a storage means to a display device to the data of a next window on a window boundary. SOLUTION: The entire RAM area of a computer is constituted of two port RAMs 4-6 for image. Then, the contents of the serial address counters of the two port RAMs 4-6 for image are rewritten by a RAM controller 2 interlocked with the detection of the window boundary by a display controller 3, and the output of the refresh data from the serial input/output ports of the two port RAMs 4-6 for image to a display device 7 is switched to the data of the next window. Thus, the data of an optional-sized area of an optional address in the entire RAM area are window-displayed rapidly.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a display control system and a display control method, and more particularly, to a method for quickly displaying data in an area of an arbitrary size at an arbitrary address in an entire RAM area. The present invention relates to a suitable display control system and display control method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, display of a window on a display device of a computer system is performed by rewriting data in a display RAM by bit block transfer, or by overlay display of window information formed in a non-display area immediately before the display device. Overlay: a method in which information of a non-display area is superimposed and displayed in hardware on a window area).

[0003]

However, the window display of the above-mentioned conventional computer system has the following problems. That is, the data on the memory is rewritten by any of the above-described rewriting method of the data on the display RAM by the bit block transfer and the overlay display method of the window information formed in the non-display area immediately before the display device. Because of the necessity, there is a problem that rewriting requires a certain amount of time.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has been made in consideration of the problems described above.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a display control system and a display control method capable of quickly displaying window data of an area of an arbitrary size at an arbitrary address in an area.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display control system for controlling multi-window display on a display device, comprising: storage means for storing display data at a window boundary; Display control means for detecting a window boundary of the display device, and rewriting the contents of the address counting means provided in the storage means in conjunction with the detection of the window boundary by the display control means; Storage control means for switching data output to data of the next window at a window boundary.

In order to achieve the above object, a second aspect of the present invention is that the storage means comprises a display serial I / O port and a random I / O port which comprises a whole random access memory area of a computer and is equipped with a serial address counter. Wherein the address counting means is a serial address counter of the image two-port random access memory.

In order to achieve the above object, a third aspect of the present invention is a display control method for controlling multi-window display on a display device, comprising: a display control step of detecting a window boundary of the display device; In conjunction with the detection of the window boundary, the contents of the address counting means provided in the storage means storing the display data at the window boundary are rewritten, and the output of data from the storage means to the display device is performed at the next window at the window boundary. And a storage control step of switching to the data.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the storage means comprises a display serial input / output port and a random input / output port which comprises a whole random access memory area of a computer and is equipped with a serial address counter. Wherein the address counting means is a serial address counter of the image two-port random access memory.

[0009]

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

First, a configuration example of a computer system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The computer system according to the present embodiment has C
PU1, RAM controller 2, display controller 3, image 2-port RAM 4, image 2-port RA
M5, a two-port image RAM 6, a display device 7, an input / output control circuit 8, and a BIOS ROM (Basic Input O).
utput system ROM) 15. The configuration of the computer system is not limited to the illustrated one.

The structure of each part will be described in detail.
Is the input / output control circuit 8 stored in the BIOS ROM 15.
It is a general-purpose CPU that executes a basic IO system for control, a RAM controller 2 and a display controller 3 stored in an external storage device, and driver software and application software for control. RAM controller 2
Is a dedicated RAM controller for controlling random access and serial access of the two-port RAMs 4, 5, and 6 for images. The display controller 3 is a dedicated display controller that generates a control signal for the display device 7, detects a window boundary of the display device 7, outputs screen refresh data to the display device 7, and instructs the RAM controller 2 for window information. .

The image two-port RAM 4 is a general-purpose image two-port RAM having two access ports, a random access port and a serial access port, and stores display data at a window boundary. For image 2
Similarly, the port RAM 5 is a general-purpose two-port image RAM having two access ports, a random access port and a serial access port, and stores display data at a window boundary. 2-port RAM for images
Similarly, a general-purpose 2-port RAM 6 having two access ports, a random access port and a serial access port, stores display data at a window boundary. In this embodiment, the entire RAM area of the computer is composed of the two-port image RAMs 4, 5, and 6 described above.

The display device 7 has a multi-window function, and displays display refresh data output from the serial ports of the two-port RAMs 4, 5, and 6 under the control of the display controller 3. In this case, the display position of the window is represented by the XY address, the width in the X direction, and the width in the Y direction of the window display start position on the display surface of the display device 7. The addresses of the image 2-port RAMs 4, 5, and 6 at which the display data at the window boundary are held are the display start address at which the window display data is stored, the XY address of the display surface, the width in the X direction, and the Y direction.
Calculated based on width in direction. The input / output control circuit 8 includes, for example, an external storage device, a keyboard, a printer, an ISDN
(Integrated Services Digital Network: integrated digital communication network) and other various input / output devices other than the display device 7 are controlled. The BIOS ROM 15 includes an input / output control circuit 8
The basic I / O system that performs the basic control of is stored.

The signal line 9 is connected between the CPU 1 and the BIOS ROM 1
5, RAM controller 2, display controller 3, two-port image RAMs 4, 5, and 6, necessary for controlling input / output control circuit 8 and executing programs stored in ROM, RAM, and external storage device Signal lines to which various address, data, and bus control signals are supplied. The data line 10 is a data line connected to the serial ports of the two-port RAMs 4, 5, and 6 for the image, and to which serial port output data used for refreshing the display device is supplied.

The data line 11 is a data line to which a control signal for driving the display device 7 and refresh data are supplied. The control line 12 is a two-port RAM for images 4, 5, 6,
Is a control line to which a RAM control signal used for accessing the RAM is supplied. The control line 13 is a control line to which an input / output device control signal for the various input / output devices is supplied from the input / output control circuit 8. The control line 14 is connected to the RAM controller 2
And a control line for supplying a window control signal for exchanging information on a window boundary between the display controller 3 and the display controller 3.

Next, the operation of the computer system according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. First, when display of one frame on the display device 7 is started, the display controller 3 instructs the RAM controller 2 on a base screen display start position. When the RAM controller 2 receives the instruction of the base screen display start position from the display controller 3, the RAM controller 2 stores the addresses of the memories holding the display contents of the base screen in the two-port image RAMs 4, 5,.
6 is written to the serial address counter. With this operation, the serial data registers of the two-port image RAMs 4, 5, and 6 contain the data corresponding to the written address.
One column of data in the partial matrix (for example, 512
Data) are transferred.

The serial data pointers of the two-port RAMs 4, 5, and 6 for the image are two-port RAMs 4 for the image that include data corresponding to the written address therein.
Points are sequentially advanced from the serial data registers 5 and 6. Pointed image 2-port RAM 4, 5, 6
2 port RA for image
The data is output from the serial ports M4, M5, M6, and the display of the screen on the display device 7 is started.

During the display of one frame after the start of display on the display device 7, the display controller 3 continues detecting the window boundary position specified by the XY address in the pixel unit, the width in the X direction, and the width in the Y direction. When the display controller 3 detects the coincidence of the window start boundary on the display device 7, the RAM controller 2 sets the image 2-port RA.
The address of the memory holding the display contents of the window is written to the serial address pointers of M4, M5 and M6. By this operation, one column of data (for example, 512 data) in the matrix of the DRAM portion including the designated address is transferred to the serial data registers of the two-port RAMs 4, 5, and 6 for images.

The serial data pointers of the two-port image RAMs 4, 5, and 6 sequentially advance points from the specified address. 2 port R for pointed image
The contents of the serial data registers of AM4, AM5, AM6 are output from the serial ports of the two-port RAM for images 4, 5, 6 to form a window on the display device 7.

By the way, two-port RAMs for images 4, 5,
The serial data pointer 6 returns to the head of the column when the data of one column has been pointed to the end. For this reason,
In order to display one window on the display device 7, if the count values of the serial address counters of the two-port RAMs 4, 5, and 6 for the image have reached the end of 512 columns, display information of the window is stored. An operation of writing the next address to the serial address counters of the two-port image RAMs 4, 5, and 6 is required.

When the display controller 3 detects the boundary position of the start of the next window during the display of one window on the display device 7, the RAM controller 2 transmits the serial addresses of the two-port RAMs 4, 5, and 6 for the image. The address of the memory holding the display contents of the next window is written to the counter. With this operation, the serial data registers of the image 2-port RAMs 4, 5, and 6 store the image 2-port RA including the designated address.
One column of data (for example, 512 data) in the matrix of the DRAM portion of M4, M5, M6 is transferred.

The serial data pointers of the two-port image RAMs 4, 5, and 6 advance the point sequentially from the designated address. 2 port R for pointed image
The contents of the serial data registers of AM4, AM5, AM6 are output from the serial ports of the two-port RAM for images 4, 5, 6 to form a new window on the display device 7.

If the boundary of the end of the current window on the display device 7 is detected, the two-port R
The address written to the serial address counters of AM4, AM5, AM6 is the address of the memory holding the display contents of the window immediately before the current window. Further, the address at this time must be added by the size of the current window.

This operation is repeated each time a window end boundary is detected on the display device 7, and each time the window end boundary is detected,
The address obtained by adding the size of the window to the window display start address holding the display data of the previous window is returned to the serial address counters of the image two-port RAMs 4, 5, and 6. When the boundary of the end of the last window on the display device 7 is detected, the address obtained by adding the current XY coordinates to the start address of the base screen of the display device 7 is used as the serial address counter of the image 2-port RAMs 4, 5, and 6. And the display of the window on the display device 7 ends.

As described above, according to the present embodiment,
2-port RAM for images in the entire RAM area of the computer
4, 5, and 6, and rewrites the contents of the serial address counters of the image 2-port RAMs 4, 5, and 6 by the RAM controller 2 in conjunction with the detection of the window boundary by the display controller 3.
By switching the output of the refresh data from the serial input / output ports 4, 5, and 6 to the display device 7 to the data of the next window at the window boundary, all data is not rewritten in the RAM as in the related art. It is possible to quickly display data in an area of an arbitrary size at an arbitrary address in the RAM area.

Thus, the conventional method of rewriting the data in the display random access memory by bit block transfer or overlay display of the window information formed in the non-display area immediately before the display device as in the prior art can be used. Since it is necessary to rewrite the data, it is possible to solve the problem that the rewriting requires a certain amount of time.

The present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices or an apparatus composed of one device. A storage medium storing software program codes for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or an apparatus, and a computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or the apparatus executes the program code stored in the storage medium. Needless to say, this can also be achieved by executing the reading.

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD
-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized, but also an OS or the like running on the computer is actually executed based on the instructions of the program code. It goes without saying that a part or all of the above-described processing is performed, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, based on the instruction of the program code, It goes without saying that the CPU included in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

[0032]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in a display control system for controlling multi-window display on a display device, a storage means for storing display data at a window boundary, Display control means for detecting a window boundary, and rewriting the contents of the address counting means provided in the storage means in conjunction with the detection of the window boundary by the display control means;
Storage control means for switching the output of data from the storage means to the display device to data of the next window at a window boundary. It is possible to quickly display the data of an area of an arbitrary size at an arbitrary address in a window.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the storage means constitutes an entire random access memory area of the computer and has a serial I / O port for display and a random I / O port equipped with a serial address counter. A port random access memory, and the address counting means is a serial address counter of the image two-port random access memory. It is possible to quickly display the data of an area of an arbitrary size at an arbitrary address in a window.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the display control method for controlling multi-window display on a display device, a display control step of detecting a window boundary of the display device; In conjunction therewith, the contents of the address counting means provided in the storage means storing the display data at the window boundary are rewritten, and the output of data from the storage means to the display device is switched to the data of the next window at the window boundary. Control step, so that it is possible to quickly display data in an area of an arbitrary size at an arbitrary address in an area of all the storage means without rewriting data on the storage means as in the related art. Become.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the storage means constitutes the entire random access memory area of the computer and has a display serial I / O port equipped with a serial address counter and an image 2 having a random I / O port. A port random access memory, and the address counting means is a serial address counter of the image two-port random access memory. It is possible to quickly display the data of an area of an arbitrary size at an arbitrary address in a window.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a computer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 CPU 2 RAM controller 3 Display controller 4, 5, 6 2-port RAM for images 7 Display device 8 I / O control circuit 15 BIOSROM

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A display control system for controlling multi-window display on a display device, comprising: storage means for storing display data at a window boundary; display control means for detecting a window boundary of the display device; Storage control means for rewriting the contents of the address counting means provided in the storage means in conjunction with the detection of a window boundary, and switching output of data from the storage means to the display device to data of the next window at the window boundary; A display control system comprising: 2. The storage means is a two-port image random access memory having a serial I / O port for display and a random I / O port, which constitutes an entire random access memory area of a computer and has a serial address counter. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the address counting means is a serial address counter of the image two-port random access memory.
Display control system as described. 3. A display control method for controlling multi-window display on a display device, comprising: a display control step of detecting a window boundary of the display device; A storage control step of rewriting the contents of the address counting means provided in the storage means storing the display data, and switching output of data from the storage means to the display device to data of the next window at a window boundary. Characteristic display control method. 4. The image storage device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit is a two-port random access memory for images having a display serial I / O port and a random I / O port, which constitutes an entire random access memory area of the computer and has a serial address counter. 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the address counting means is a serial address counter of the image two-port random access memory.
Display control method described.