JPS63216126A - Hard copy device in multi-window system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To operate an optional job program in parallel with the hard copy processing by providing a hard copy memory separately from a display memory, and storing only a display data being an object of the hard copy output once into the hard copy memory. CONSTITUTION:A display data of a window being an object of hard copy processing is actually converted into a copy output size from the display size and stored in the hard copy memory 5. In the hard copy processing, the data stored in a hard copy memory 5 is copied and in the display processing, the data stored in a display memory 4 is displayed and outputted by the processing by the operation of the operator and the job program. Thus, an optional job program is processed while one window state display is being copied to output.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a multi-window system in an engineering workstation such as CAD or CAE, and particularly to a screen output (hard copy) device in the multi-window system.

[Conventional technology]

A conventional example of a hard copy of a front screen, for example, a printing device, is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-90230. In this conventional example, only information displayed in an arbitrary color among the color display contents is output by combining the contents stored in the screen memory.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

The above conventional technology does not give any consideration to the operating rate of the central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU) during hard copy processing. etc., there was a problem in that all programs were stopped (in order to avoid updating the screen, all programs had to be stopped) until the hard copy process was completed.

This will be explained using FIG. 9. three windows W
l, W2. Consider a window system with W3. As shown in FIG. 9(b), it is assumed that the process a for one window W1 is being executed. If the hard copy instruction switch is turned ON during execution of process a, process a is interrupted and hard copy process is started instead (see FIG. 9(a)). Waiting for the completion of this Bartkovini process, process a starts at the 9th stage.
Restart as shown in Figure (b). Next, (c).

As shown in (d), processing of bl and processing of cl are performed in that order. As is clear from this figure, processing a is
The intervention of the hardcopy process necessitated an interruption during the hardcopy process.

As a result, processing step c is also processed with a delay.

Also, in a multi-window system, when making a hard copy of a certain window screen, first expand the relevant window to fill the entire display screen (hide all other windows), and then restore the window size to the original size after the hard copy is completed. There was a problem that this work was required.

This drawback will be explained in FIG. 10. 6 In FIG. 10, there are three windows W 1 on the display screen.

W2. Assume that W3 is set. I would like to make a hard copy of window W1 under this window arrangement. To do this, first, only the window W1 is enlarged and displayed on the screen (at the same time, the display of the other windows W2 and W3 is erased from the screen), and this enlarged screen is made a hard copy. After completing the hard copy, return to the original window W
l, W2° Return to the initial arrangement state of W3.

As is clear from this figure, in order to make a hard copy, it was necessary to enlarge the screen and reduce it after the hard copy was completed.

Note that windows Wl, W2. W3 corresponds to business programs I, II, and III, respectively. That is, window W
1 is a business program! W2 is a window for ■, and W3 is a window for ■.

An object of the present invention is to provide a hard copy device that can make a hard copy of any window displayed on the screen without changing the display state of the screen, and that can run any business program in parallel with the hard copy process. It is about providing.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention provides a hard copy memory in addition to a display memory, stores only display data to be output as a hard copy in the hard copy memory,
It was decided that hard copy processing and business program processing would be performed independently.

[Effect]

The display data of the window targeted for hard copy processing is converted from the actual display size to the copy output size and stored in the hard copy memory. The hard copy process copies and outputs the data stored in the hard copy memory, and the display process displays and outputs the data stored in the display memory, which consists of operations by an operator and processing by a business program. This makes it possible to proceed with any business program processing while copying and outputting the status display of one window.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is an embodiment of a multi-window system according to the present invention.

CPUI: A processor that performs bus management and performs processing as a computer.

Display 2: Has a multi-window display screen. Consists of CRT.

Display memory 4: stores the screen to be displayed on the display 2.

Hard copy section 6...Performs hard copy (for example, printing).

Hard copy memory 5: Stores a screen for hard copy 6.

Controller 3: Manages various data transfers.

Keyboard 10: Performs various instructions and data input.

Mouse 11: Specifies coordinates on the display 2.

Private memory 8...window Wl, W2゜W
It has business programs a, b, and a corresponding to 3.

Furthermore, it has a window management table, a hard copy memory management table, and a display memory management table.

Program memory 7: System program (management program) that manages window display and processing priorities
, has a data conversion processing program (including an enlargement ratio calculation routine) for hard copy processing.

Input controller 9...keyboard 10. mouse 11
Transfer input information from.

Bus 12: Consists of a data bus carrying various data and an address bus. In addition, various tag lines are included.

FIG. 2 shows the contents of the window management table 81 in the private memory 8. In FIG.
) several examples are shown. Each window has window information, and this window information consists of rectangle information A and B, status information M2 display rectangle information address pointer N, and other information P.

Rectangle information: consists of the X+y coordinates A of the lower left point of the rectangle and the Xyy coordinates of the upper right point of the rectangle. Since a rectangle can be identified by specifying two opposing points among its four corners, the coordinates A and B of the two points, the lower left point and the upper right point, were specified.

Status information M: indicates the display method, and indicates either graphics or characters.

Display rectangle information address pointer N: Used in cases of overlapping display of windows.

Display rectangle information 811, 812...This is rectangle information in this overlapping display.

FIG. 3 shows an example of overlapping display of A, B, and C.

Each point of D is designated in the table of FIG.

FIG. 4 shows a hard copy memory management table 82 and a display memory management table 83.

Hard copy management table 82: Consists of hard copy memory rectangle information E and other information.

Display memory management table 83: Consists of display memory rectangle information F and other information.

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of the enlargement ratio calculation routine.

The operation will be explained using the above FIGS. 1 to 5.

First, windows Wl, W2. W3 has a shape as shown in FIG. Therefore, using the system program in the program memory 7 or the keyboard 10, the operator registers the rectangle information of the hard copy memory for the output accuracy of the hard copy 6 in the table 82, and registers the rectangle information of the hard copy memory for the output accuracy of the display 2 in the table 83. Register memory rectangle information. This table 82°8
Registration to 3 is performed by C and P U l.

Here, a case will be described in which a hard copy of window W1 is output.

First, if you need a hard copy of only window W1, use the keyboard 10 or mouse 11 to copy window W1.
input the hard copy command signal. Upon receiving this command signal, the CPUI transfers the display data of the window W1 in the display memory 8 to the hard copy memory 5.
The enlargement ratio calculation routine in the memory 7 is read out and the routine processing is performed. This process is shown in FIG.

In FIG. 5, first, the hard copy memory management table 82
The hard copy memory size E (the size is h) corresponding to the output accuracy of the hard copy 6 in the display memory management table 83 is read (process 121), and then the output accuracy of the display 2 in the display memory management table 83 is read. The display memory size F (the size is assumed to be d) corresponding to the display memory size F is read (processing 122). Furthermore, window management table 81
The rectangular information A and B (the size is W) of the window W1 located in the window W1 are read (processing 123).

Information obtained through the above processes 121 to 123, d.

The figure enlargement ratio γ is determined by W (processing 124).

The calculation formula for this figure enlargement ratio γ is shown below.

γ=hx−...(1) W When the figure enlargement ratio γ is determined, the data within the display rectangle of the window W1 in the display memory 4 is multiplied by the ratio γ, and the data is stored in the hard copy memory 5 as the controller 3. Write via. This writing process is briefly shown in FIG. 6.

Note that when a hard copy is taken, the window in question is usually in a state where the entire area is visible, and "window rectangle information" becomes "window display rectangle information."

Also, if part of the window to be hard copied is hidden by another window (so-called duplicate display)
In this case, it is necessary to multiply the data of the display rectangle information 811 and 812 shown in FIG. 2 by the ratio γ. The processing for this hidden example is shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 shows a time chart of the processing in this embodiment. This figure can be compared with the conventional example shown in FIG. When a switch for hard copy processing is turned on (this switch and 1 refer to, for example, an instruction switch on a keyboard), writing processing to the hard copy memory 5 is performed (FIG. 2). This writing process is performed on a priority basis, and for example, as shown in Figure (C), processing a1 for the business program is
If the process a is being executed, the process a is temporarily interrupted.

This interruption period is only during writing to the hard copy memory 5. When the writing to the memory 5 is completed, the hard copy starts operating under instructions from the CPUI, and at the same time, process a is executed again.

(d), (e) As shown in the figure, if bl and cl processing continues, this bl
, cl are processed.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, hard copy processing can be performed in window units without changing the window size on the display screen, and since hard copy processing and business program execution can be performed in parallel, the CPU utilization rate and This has the effect of significantly improving man-machine performance.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 4 are various tables in the private memory 8, how many times, FIG. 3 is how many times figures are overlapped, and FIG. S is a routine for determining the figure enlargement ratio γ. 6 and 7 are data conversion example diagrams, Figure 8 is a time chart diagram in this embodiment, Figure 9 is a time chart diagram in the conventional example, and Figure 10 is a processing diagram in the conventional example. It is a system diagram. 1... CPU, 2... Display, 4... Memory for display, 5... Memory for hard copy, 7
...Program memory, 8...Private memory.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a multi-window system in which multiple business programs share one screen, there is provided a display memory that stores screen information for display, and a display that receives screen information in the memory and displays it on the screen. and means for specifying an arbitrary window in the display memory during hard copy processing, and means for reading out the window from the display memory related to the specified window while leaving the contents of the memory as they are without destroying them. A hard copy memory for storing screen information corresponding to a specified window,
A hard copy device in a multi-window system comprising: a hard copy section that hard copies screen information in the hard copy memory; 2. A hard copy device for a multi-window system according to claim 1, wherein the information read from the display memory is enlarged or reduced before being stored in the hard copy memory.