JPS6026985A - Sprite adder - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field] The present invention relates to an apparatus having a sprite function, that is, a function capable of moving only a predetermined figure regardless of a background image on a display.

[Background Art] FIG. 1 shows a conventional personal computer 10 and a display 20 in a perspective view.

Personal computer 10 has bit map graphics. A background image 22 and a figure 21 are displayed in a display area 23 of the display 20, and the figure 21 moves relative to the background image 22. In addition, the code 21C is a corner of the figure 21,
Code 244. This is the border, which is the part where the image cannot originally be displayed.

To move the figure 21 with respect to the background image [1122,
The process is performed by software, but first erases the figure 21 at the current position, and then erases the corner 21 of the figure 21.
The position of c is set to the next position to be moved, the figure 21 that has reached the new position is erased, and the position of corner 21c is set to the position to be moved further. Repeat this many times. By doing so, the figure 21 appears to be moving relative to the background image 22. This function is called bitmap graphics.

In the above case, the distance traveled per time is very small, but by repeating the above operation many times, the figure 21
appears to be moving smoothly.

[Problems with the Background Art] However, when trying to move the figure 21 using bitmap graphics as in the conventional device described above, 1
The position of the figure 21 must be specified for each bit, and the figure 21 must be displayed.

Since erasing must be repeated, the program becomes complicated and there is a problem in that the burden on the software is extremely large.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made by focusing on the above-mentioned conventional problems, and can greatly reduce the burden on software when moving a predetermined figure with respect to a background image. Even when using a general personal computer,
The object of the present invention is to provide a device that can perform a sprite function.

[Summary of the Invention] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention generates a predetermined graphic signal and provides a display position input means for specifying the position of the graphic on the display. A device for mixing the two is provided separately from the personal computer.

[Embodiments of the invention] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

The graphic generating means 30 generates a graphic signal for displaying a predetermined graphic based on a synchronizing signal received from the synchronizing signal output terminal 13 of the personal computer 11.

The display position input means 40 is for specifying the display position of the graphic on the display 20.

The signal mixing means 50 mixes the video output signal sent from the video output terminal 12 of the personal computer 11 and the graphic signal and sends the mixture to the display 20.

This signal mixing means 50 mixes a video output signal and a graphic signal from a macro perspective, but from a micro perspective, it selects a video output signal and a graphic signal for each dot. From this point of view, the signal mixing means 50 can also be considered as signal selection means.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the above embodiment in more detail. A mouse 41 is used as display position input means 40. This mouse 41 has a ball inside it,
It has a member that separates and detects the amount of rotation of the ball into the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. Then, if you roll the ball while applying the exposed part 5- of the ball to a flat surface such as a desk,
Pulses corresponding to the moving distance are output separately in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. In this case, one pulse per unit length in each direction is output.

A counter 42 counts pulses output from the mouse 41 in the X-axis direction, and a counter 43 counts pulses output in the Y-axis direction.

The inside of the graphic generating means 30 is mainly composed of a graphic generating circuit 31 consisting of a memory and the like. The dot counter A33 counts the clocks from the clock generation circuit 32 during the -horizontal scanning period, and is reset by the horizontal synchronizing signal. The comparison circuit 34 outputs a count permission signal when the output of the dot counter A33 and the output of the counter 42 in the display position input means 40 match, and the dot counter B35 counts the clocks up to this point. The result is sent to the graphic generation circuit 31 as horizontal position information. On the other hand, the line counter 36 counts the horizontal synchronizing signal from the personal computer 6-picoter 11 during the vertical scanning period, and is reset by the vertical synchronizing signal. The comparison circuit 37 outputs a count permission signal when the output of the line counter 36 and the output of the counter 43 in the display position input means 40 match, and calculates the number of horizontal synchronization signals up to this point.
The line counter 38 counts and sends the result to the graphic generation circuit 31 as vertical position information.

In this way, the graphic generation circuit 31 generates the display 2.
Outputs a graphic signal that displays a graphic whose position on 0 is specified. This figure 21 can be moved on the display 20 independently of the background image 22.

The operation for specifying the position of the figure 21 in the above explanation is an example of specifying one position, but to specify another display position, the mouse 41 can be moved in the desired direction.
Corresponding to this movement, the figure 21 moves independently in the same direction. During this time as well, operations similar to those described above are performed. Also, if you repeat these operations, for example, the fourth
As shown in the figure, the figure 21 can be gradually moved from right to left. The direction of movement is arbitrary, and the figure 21 can be moved along a desired trajectory.

In this case, the graphic 21 can also be moved to the area of the border 24 and can be displayed in the border 24 as well. This is very convenient in practice. That is, in the conventional case, it would be desirable to display the figure 21 of the arrow pointing downward to the right at the left end position in FIG. 4, but since that position is within the border 24, it cannot be displayed.

Therefore, it has to be displayed one position to the right. However, in this case, as shown in Figure 5, the direction of the arrow must be directed to the lower left, so the figure itself must be changed to form figure 25 pointing downward to the left. I was forced to. However, in the case of the above embodiment, since up to the border 24 can be displayed, there is no need to worry about this, and from this point of view, the above embodiment has the advantage of being easy to operate.

In addition, in the above case, the figure 21 can be moved freely simply by moving the mouse 41, so there is no need for complicated programming as in the conventional example, which has the advantage that the burden on the software is extremely reduced. There is. Further, even if the personal computer 11 does not have a sprite function, it can perform the sprite function as described above.

The figure generating circuit 31 stores a plurality of figures, and which figure to select from among them can be selected by the pattern switching device @39.

In the above embodiment, the clock generation circuit 32 is included in the graphic generation means 30, but the clock in the personal computer 11 may be used instead of this.

In addition, although FIG. 3 shows an example in which RGB signals are used as the video output signal and the graphic signal, a composite signal in which a synchronization signal and a video signal are combined may be used instead. good.

In this case, each horizontal and vertical synchronization signal is separated from the composite signal output from the personal computer,
These synchronization signals may also be used.

On the other hand, in FIG. 3, H from counters 42 and 43,
The V preset output may be taken in by the personal computer 11, and by doing so,
Currently, since the personal computer can grasp the current position of the figure 21, there is an advantage that programming etc. can be made easier.

Furthermore, instead of the mouse 41, a trackball, joystick, digitizer, light pen, cursor key,
Alternatively, a program for the personal computer 11 may be used. When using the program for the personal combination coater 11, among the output signals of the personal computer at that time, the signal 111 placed at the display position of the figure 21 is latched by a latch circuit (not shown), and the horizontal and vertical directions of the signal are latched. The components may be respectively input to comparison circuits 34 and 37.

10-Also, it may be possible to specify the priority order between the figure 21 and the image 22, as to whether the figure 21 or the image 22 should be drawn with the gong facing down (that is, which one should be drawn as the background).

Alternatively, a plurality of figures may be generated by the figure generation circuit 31, and a means for specifying the priority order between these figures and the image 22 may be added.

Further, FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing another implementation of the present invention. This embodiment differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 in that the display position input means is connected to the graphic generation means via a personal computer. That is, mouse 4
1 output signal is input to the personal computer 11a. This position input signal is transmitted to the personal computer 11.
a, and the H preset output and V preset output are sent from the output terminal 14a to comparison circuits 34 and 37, respectively. The other configurations are similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. That is, the counter 42 in the embodiment of FIG.
, 43 are exhibited by the personal computer 11a of the embodiment shown in FIG. In this case, the mouse 41 may be replaced by other input means described above.

[Efficacy of invention! l! ] As described above, the present invention can greatly reduce the burden on software when moving a predetermined figure with respect to a background image on a display, and even when using a general personal computer. , it has the effect of being able to exhibit the sprite function.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional personal computer main body and a display, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing FIG. 2 in more detail. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the display in the above embodiment, FIG. 5 is a front view showing a conventional display in the same state as FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. be. 11.118...Personal computer, 20 1
2-...Display, 21...Graphic, 22...Background image, 30...Graphic generation means, 40...Display position input means, 50...Signal mixing means. 13- Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] (1) Graphic generation means for generating a graphic signal for displaying a predetermined graphic based on a synchronization signal from a personal computer; Display position input means for specifying a display position of the graphic on a display; a sprite adding device comprising a signal mixing means for mixing the video output signal of the personal computer and the graphic signal and sending the mixed signal to a display. (2. In claim 1, the display position input means is any one of a mouse, a trackball, a joystick, a digitizer, a light pen, a cursor register, and a personal computer program. (3) In claim 1, the display position input means is directly connected to the graphic generation means without the intervention of the personal converter. A sprite adding device.