JPS63140323A - Control system for hard copy of display picture - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To print hard copy at high speed and with fidelity, by masking an output to a display bit map memory and a hard copy bit map memory by performing write on a mask register corresponding to the kind of a plotting data. CONSTITUTION:When a value is set at the mask register 10 corresponding to the color of a data to be plotted, it is designated whether a plotting on the hard copy bit map memory is masked or not simultaneously. In such way, it is possible to eliminate an unrequired plotting data like the background color of a picture plane at the time of printing, and to leave only a required plotting data for hard copy in the memory 12. And when a request of hard copy is issued, by outputting the content of the memory 12 as it is to a black-and-white printer 16, it is possible to print the hard copy at high speed and with fidelity at any time.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] In a computer system equipped with a color display and a monochrome printer, there is a problem in that it takes time to make a hard copy of the display screen, and the result of the hard copy is not faithful to the content on the screen. In order to solve this problem, by providing a hard copy bitmap memory and a mask register for selecting the bitmap to be drawn, hard copies can be taken at high speed and faithfully to the screen.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention provides nine examples, such as a terminal device, a personal computer,
The present invention relates to a display screen hard copy control method that allows a computer system having a display device such as a workstation and a printing device to make a hard copy of the display screen at high speed and faithfully to the screen.

Display devices used in workstations and the like tend to be inexpensive Rusk Scan type bitmap display devices.

The number of items that can be displayed in multiple colors is increasing. Regarding printing devices (printers), there are devices that can make hard copies from video output that are relatively faithful to the content on the screen, but they are expensive, so I decided to use a conventional monochrome printer.

There is a need for a method that can print the contents of the screen at high speed and with high fidelity.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, one of the methods for making a hard copy of a color display screen is a device that prints a hard copy in color by inputting RGB analog data to the display. However, since the equipment is very expensive, it is not suitable for ordinary workstations.

It is difficult to use it generally.

To output a hard copy to a monochrome printer in a black and white pattern, the characters and figures displayed on the display are stored as code data or vector data, and when a hard copy is needed, it is converted to a bitmap again. Regardless of the development method, single display color, or background color, a method is used in which each color is replaced with an appropriate shade and printed.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

The conventional method of storing display data as a single-character code or vector data and re-deploying it to a bi-notoma-knob at the same time as a hard copy has the problem that there is a limit to the amount of vector data that can be held, and it takes time to print. There is a problem.

In addition, when printing by converting the display color to an appropriate shade, it is impossible to distinguish between the displayed color and the background color, so valid characters and lines may be printed blurry, or the background color may cause the entire page to be printed. There is a problem that it may be filled in.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems and provides a method that allows a monochrome printer to make a hard copy of a color display screen at high speed and faithfully to the screen.

[Means for solving problems]

FIG. 1 shows a detailed illustration of the invention.

In Fig. 1, 10 is a mask register for selecting the bitmap to be drawn, and 11-1, 11-2, and 11-3 are display registers in which display data corresponding to R, G, and B colors is stored in bitmap format. 12 is a bitmap memory for hard copy; 13 is a display controller;

14 is a color display, 15 is a printer controller, and 16 is a monochrome printer that prints in a single color.

A value is set in the mask register 10 in advance according to the color of the drawing data to be displayed, and the mask register 10 sets the display bitmap memory 1 to which the drawing data should be transferred.
Selection from 1-1.11 to 2.11-3 is made. As a result, the drawing data.

Each display bitmap memory 11-1 corresponding to the designated color
．． 11-2. Stored in 11-3.

The display controller 1-roller 13 sequentially scans the data in each display bitmap memory 11-1.11-2.11-3, and scans the data in accordance with the data.

A display signal for the color display 14 is output.

The above control regarding the display can be considered to be similar to the conventional method. In the case of the present invention, a hard copy bitmap memory 12 corresponding to the display bitmap memory is further provided. Further, the mask register 10 is provided with a circuit that masks the transfer of drawing data to the hard copy bitmap memo IJ12 according to a set value.

As a result, for valid drawing data other than the background color, for example, each display bitmap memory lkl, 112,
113, and at the same time, it is also stored in the hard copy bitmap memory 12. Furthermore, drawing data that is unnecessary for hard copying, such as background color, is masked by a mask register 10, and 1, for example, "0" is written in hard copy bitmap memory 12. Alternatively, if necessary, control is performed to inhibit writing to the hard copy bitmap memory 12.

When a hard copy request is issued, the hard copy bitmap memory 1 is sent via the printer controller 15.
The contents of 2 are output to the monochrome printer 16 as they are.

This will give you the hard copy you need.

[Effect]

When setting a value in the mask register IO according to the color of the data to be drawn, it is also specified whether or not the drawing to the hard copy bitmap memory 12 is to be masked. This makes it possible to exclude unnecessary drawing data when printing a hard copy, such as the background color of two screens, and leave only the drawing data necessary for the hard copy in the hard copy bitmap memory 12.

When a hard copy request is made, the contents of the hard copy bitmap memory 12 can be output as is to the monochrome printer 16.

You can print hard copies at high speed at any time.

〔Example〕

Fig. 2 is an example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of mask register control according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of drawing processing and hard copy processing related to an embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention can be applied to terminal devices and workstations controlled by a host processing device, and can also be applied to computer systems such as so-called personal computers that operate stand-alone.

In FIG. 2, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 correspond to those shown in FIG. 20 is a processor (MPU), 21
22 is a main memory where instruction codes and data are stored, and 22 is an address and data bus.

23 is a display adapter, 24 is an address register, and 25 is a bidirectional adapter of Centronics specifications, for example.

The hard copy bitmap memory 12 has an area of the same size as each of the display bitmap memories 11-1, 1i2 and 11-3. Each display bitmap memory 11-
1.11-2, 113 and the addresses of the hard copy bitmanbu memory 12 are stored in the address register 24.
They are commonly controlled by address values set via bus 22.

The processor 20 sequentially fetches instructions stored in the main memory 21 in advance and executes drawing processing. In this drawing process, when outputting a display to the color display 14, the processor 20 sets a mask value in the mask register 10 according to the nine display colors and whether or not a hard copy is required. The drawing data written to the B-7 map is
Under mask control by the mask register 10, the data is transferred to each display bitmap memory 111, 112, 113 and hard copy bitmap memory 12.

The mask register 10 has nine display bitmap memories 11-1, 11-2, .
11-3 and hard copy bitmap memory 12
corresponding to each plane.

A value of “O” or “1” is set.
If this value is "O", regardless of the drawing data,
“0” is output to the corresponding plane. This mask value is “
If the drawing data is "1", "1" is output to the corresponding plane when the drawing data is "1", and "O" is output when the drawing data is "0".

For example, when clearing the screen based on the background color, a mask value "x x x, o" is set in the mask register 10 as shown in FIG. 3 (b). where XXX corresponds to the preselected background color.

It takes a value of "1' or "o". As a result, the output to the hard copy bitmap memory 12 is masked.

In the case of general drawing such as characters and line drawings, the mask value 'XXX1' is stored in the mask register 10 as shown in FIG.
Set. Each X is "1" or "O". As a result, drawing data such as a single character or a line drawing is written not only to each display bitmap memory 11-1, 112, 113 but also to the hard copy bitmap memory 12.

Further, when erasing a figure that has been drawn once, it is necessary to draw the background color, but as in the case of clearing two screens, the mask value "XXX0" is set as shown in FIG. 3(d).

The mask control circuit for the hard copy bitmap memory 12 is connected to each display bitmap memory 11.
1.11-2.11-3 and is conventionally known, detailed explanation will be omitted.

The drawing process and the hard copy process are performed as shown in FIG. 4, for example. In FIG. 4, 30 is a processing unit consisting of an MPU and a main memory, 31 is a drawing processing section, and 32 is a hard copy processing section.

The drawing processing unit 31 interprets the drawing order or drawing command requested by the application processing unit (not shown), and if it is a request for clearing two screens, the drawing processing unit 31 performs the hardware processing using a mask value as shown in FIG. 3(b). Mask the copy plane. If the request is for general drawing, the masking of the five hard copy planes is performed using mask values as shown in FIG. 3(c). If the request is for background color drawing, the hard copy plane is masked using mask values as shown in FIG. 3(d).

When a hard copy is requested, the hard copy processing unit 32 stores only valid pattern data excluding the background color in the hard copy bitmap memory 12. Read the data.

The image is directly output to the monochrome printer 16.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, an independent bitmap memory for hard copy is used.

It becomes possible to print hard copies that are faithful to the display screen at high speed. In particular, in a system that performs so-called multi-window control, the background color is different for each window, so conventional methods are used.

Although it is difficult to obtain a legible hard copy.

According to the present invention, it becomes possible to obtain an effective hard copy with simple control.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram explaining the present invention in detail, FIG. 2 is an example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of mask register control according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of drawing processing and hard copy processing related to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 10 is a mask register, 11-1.11-2.1
1-3 is a display bitmap memory, 12 is a hard copy focus map memory, 13 is a display controller, 14 is a color display, 15 is a printer controller, and 16 is a monochrome printer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Display bitmap memory (11-1, 11-2, 11
-3) A display screen hard copy control system in a device equipped with a color display (14) for displaying data stored in the computer and a monochrome printer (16), the display screen hard copy control system being provided separately from the display bitmap memory. A hard copy bitmap memory (12) in which hard copy data is stored, and a mask register (12) for selecting the display bitmap memory and the hard copy bitmap memory for drawing data for drawing data. 10), when drawing the drawing data, the output to the display bitmap memory and the hard copy bitmap memory is masked by writing to the mask register according to the type of the drawing data. A display screen hard copy control system characterized by a display screen hard copy control method.