Graphic display system

Claim 2

A graphic display system comprising: display storage tube means, means for receiving digital input data and providing an output to said display storage tube means for providing a stored plot on said storage tube means in accordance with said digital input data, means for providing a nonstored cursor indication on said storage tube means superimposed on said plot including means for adjusting size and position information to which selected size and movement of said cursor indication are related, said cursor being defined by a charge image on said storage tube means of sufficiently low voltage that it is not stored, and means for presenting a new stored display in response to said digital input data and to the size and position information to which the cursor indication was related, said new stored display comprising the region of the previous plot selected by said cursor indication.

Claim 3

The system according to claim 1 including means for remembering the position of a cursor indication for selecting the second stored display according to the remembered position.

Claim 4

The system according to claim 1 wherein said display storage means comprises a bistable cathode ray storage tube provided with a writing gun for writing a display and flood gun means for causing bistable storage through selective secondary emission at the phosphor screen of said cathode-ray tube, said cursor indication being written by said writing gun at a sufficiently high rate and at a sufficiently low intensity so that storage of said cursor indication does not occur.

Claim 5

A graphic display system for providing a plot in response to digital incremental plotting instructions comprising: digital counter means responsive to successive plotting inputs for incrementing an accumulated total, analog display means responsive to said counter means for providing a stored display in accordance with said plotting inputs, signal generator means and means for selectively providing an output from said signal generator means for incrementing said digital counter means for providing a cursor upon said display means relative to stored information, and means for controlling the input to said counter means from said signal generator means, said means for controlling comprising means for selecting the position of said cursor and a digital servomechanism for providing the output of said signal generator means to said counter means until it reaches a function of the cursor position selected by the means for selecting the position of said cursor.

Claim 6

A graphic display system for providing a plot in response to digital incremental plotting instructions comprising: digital counter means responsive to successive plotting inputs for incrementing an accumulated total, analog display means responsive to said counter means for providing a stored display in accordance with said plotting inputs, signal generator means and means for selectively providing an output from said signal generator means for incrementing said digital counter means for providing a cursor upon said display means relative to stored information, and means for controlling the input to said counter means from said signal generator means, said means for controlling comprising means for selecting the position of said cursor and a digital servomechanism for providing the output of said signal generator means to said counter means until it reaches a function of the cursor position selected by the means for selecting the position of said cursor.

Claim 7

The system according to claim 4 wherein said digital servomechanism comprises a register for receiving at least a portion of the input provided by said signal generator means to said counter means, and a comparator mEans for comparing the contents of said register with the contents of said means for selecting the position of said cursor.

Claim 8

The system according to claim 5 including a divider between said signal generator means and said register, and means for controlling the division factor of said divider according to the scale of the display stored by said display means.

Claim 9

The system according to claim 6 further including means for remembering the scale size of the stored plot and controlling said divider means thereby so that cursor movement will be at the scale of the stored plot.

Claim 10

The system according to claim 7 including means for generating a frame attached to said cursor of selectable scale size, and means for adjusting the size of said frame by comparison between the selected scale size thereof and the scale remembered by said means for remembering the scale size of the stored plot.

Claim 11

The system according to claim 4 wherein said servomechanism means includes a register for remembering a function of the accumulated input provided to said counter means in order to position said cursor, and means for subsequently loading a function of the contents of said register into said counter means for a subsequent plot of incremental plotting inputs for selecting the plotting of a portion of the information according to the position selected by said means for selecting the position of said cursor.

Claim 12

The system according to claim 9 wherein said register accumulates a submultiple of the input provided said counter means by said signal generator means according to the scale size of plotted information, and wherein the function of contents of the register loaded into the counter means comprises the complement of the contents of said register plus one.

Claim 13

A graphic display system comprising: an up-down counter for receiving serial digital plotting inputs from a computer for accumulating a total representative of the position of a point at which storage is to take place on an analog display, a digital-to-analog converter for receiving information from said up-down counter for providing an output having a level representative of the count in said up-down counter, a bistable cathode ray storage tube having first deflection means responsive to said analog output for producing deflection of an electron writing beam thereof to provide a stored plot, a switching matrix between said up-down counter and said digital-to-analog converter for switching the digit outputs into said converter according to a switchably selected scale, wherein a scale having a greater division factor selects successive higher order digits from said up-down counter while a scale having a lower division factor selects successive lower order digit outputs of said up-down counter, and means for inhibiting said electron beam of said cathode ray storage tube, said means for inhibiting being controlled by higher order digit stages of said up-down counter not selected by said switching matrix for application to said digital-to-analog converter so that only lower order contents of said up-down counter will produce an analog output and not repetitions of lower order digits for a greater accumulation in said up-down counter.

Claim 14

A graphic display system comprising: an up-down counter for receiving serial digital plotting inputs from a computer for accumulating a total representative of the position of a point at which storage is to take place on an analog display, a digital-to-analog converter for receiving information from said up-down counter for providing an output having a level representative of the count in said up-down counter, a bistable cathode ray storage tube having first deflection means responsive to said analog output for producing deflection of an electron writing beam thereof to provide a stored plot, a switching matrix between said up-down counter and said digital-to-analog converter for switching the digit outputs into said converter according to a switchably selected scale, wherein a scale having a greater division factor selects successive higher order digits from said up-down counter while a scale having a lower division factor selects successive lower order digit outputs of said up-down counter, and means for inhibiting said electron beam of said cathode ray storage tube, said means for inhibiting being controlled by higher order digit stages of said up-down counter not selected by said switching matrix for application to said digital-to-analog converter so that only lower order contents of said up-down counter will produce an analog output and not repetitions of lower order digits for a greater accumulation in said up-down counter.

Claim 15

The system according to claim 11 further including a clock signal generator for selectably providing an input to said up-down counter after the plot of digital information from said computer by said cathode ray storage tube, said clock signal generator having the function of providing a write-through cursor frame on said cathode ray storage tube, means for controlling said clock signal generator including a register comprising a second counter for also receiving selected signals from said clock signal generator, switching means for selecting the offset position of said cursor frame, and a comparator for comparing the contents of said register with said switching means and enabling said clock signal generator only when said contents are not the same, said comparator also controlling the direction of accumulation in said register and said up-down counter so that said register accumulates a count in a direction for equaling the setting of said switching means, said digital-to-analog converter providing the positional information from said up-down counter to said storage tube for locating said cursor frame relative to a stored plot, and an analog frame generator for deflecting said electron beam from the cursor position to provide a frame relative to stored information.

Claim 16

The system according to claim 12 further including a divider means for selecting outputs of the clock signal generator for application to said register, and a plurality of last scale latches for remembering the scale selected for the stored plot, which latches operate said divider means so that the cursor frame is positionable by said offset switches with accurate relation to the stored plot.

Claim 17

The system according to claim 12 further including means for storing the setting of said switching matrix and said register and for resetting said switching matrix and said register on command as well as entering a function of the complement of the stored setting of said register to said counter.

Claim 18

The system according to claim 12 further including a plurality of gates for transferring the complement of the information in said register into said up-down counter for accomplishment of the positioning of a new plot, and means for adding one to the contents of said up-down counter, said complement plus one being thereby added to incremental serial plotting inputs received from the computer identical to the inputs received for the last plot, wherein the cathode ray tube electron beam is inhibited by said inhibiting means except for part of the plotting instructions corresponding to the cursor position as selected by said offset switches.

Claim 19

The system according to claim 12 wherein said cathode-ray storage tube is also provided with a second deflection means for electron beam deflection orthogonal to the first deflection means, and a similarly connected up-down counter, switching matrix, digital-to-analog converter, register, comparator, and offset switches for causing deflection of said electron beam in the orthogonal direction.

Claim 20

The system according to claim 16 wherein said frame generator provides a pair of waveforms coupled to orthogonal deflection means for providing a rectangular frame on the screen of the cathode-ray storage tube, the amplitude of the waveforms being selected according to scale size selected therefor in comparison to a remembered previous scale size for a stored plot, said waveforms moving said electron beam at a speed fast enough to prevent storage of said frame for a selected beam intensity during the presentation of said frame.

Claim 21

A graphic display system for providing a plot in response to digital incremental plotting instructions comprising: digital counter means responsive to successive plotting inputs for incrementing an accumulated total, display means for providing a plot in response to said total, means for simultaneously changing the successive digits operating said display means in a first sense providing a digital sequence from less significant bit positions for expanding the scale of the display and in the second sense providing digital information from more significant bit positions for compressing the scale of the display, means for blanking said display for digital counts accumulated in excess of those selected by said means for simultaneously changing said digits, and means for adding a digital input to said counter means for changing the portion of the incremental plotting input which does not inhibit said display for selection of a portion of said display.

Claim 22

A graphic display system for providing a plot in response to digital incremental plotting instructions comprising: digital counter means responsive to successive plotting inputs for incrementing an accumulated total, display means for providing a plot in response to said total, means for simultaneously changing the successive digits operating said display means in a first sense providing a digital sequence from less significant bit positions for expanding the scale of the display and in the second sense providing digital information from more significant bit positions for compressing the scale of the display, means for blanking said display for digital counts accumulated in excess of those selected by said means for simultaneously changing said digits, and means for adding a digital input to said counter means for changing the portion of the incremental plotting input which does not inhibit said display for selection of a portion of said display.

Claim 23

The system according to claim 18 wherein said means for adding an input to said counter means for changing the portion of said display comprises means for positioning a cursor relative to a display.

Claim 24

The system according to claim 11 further including a clock signal generator for selectably providing an input to said up-down counter after the plot of digital information from said computer by said cathode-ray storage tube, said clock signal generator having the function of providing a write-through cursor frame on said cathode-ray storage tube, means for controlling said clock signal generator, a register comprising a second counter for also receiving selected signals from said clock signal generator, and an analog frame generator for deflecting said electron beam from the cursor position to provide a frame relative to stored information, said digital-to-analog converter providing the positional information from said up-down counter to said storage tube for locating said cursor frame relative to a stored plot.

Claim 25

The system according to claim 20 further including a divider means for selecting outputs of the clock signal generator for application to said register, and a plurality of last scale latches for remembering the scale selected for the stored plot, which latches operate said divider means so that the cursor frame is positionable by said offset switches with accurate relation to the stored plot.

Claim 26

The system according to claim 20 further including means for storing the setting of said switching matrix and said register and for resetting said switching matrix and said register on command as well as entering a function of the complement of the stored setting of said register to said counter.

Claim 27

The system according to claim 20 further including a plurality of gates for transferring the complement of the information in said register into said up-down counter for accomplishment of the positioning of a new plot, and means for adding one to the contents of said up-down counter, said complement plus one being thereby added to incremental serial plotting inputs received from the computer identical to the inputs received for the last plot, wherein the cathode-ray tube electron beam is inhibited by said inhibiting means except for part of the plotting instructions corresponding to the cursor position.

Claim 28

The system according to claim 20 wherein said cathode ray storage tube is also provided with a second deflection means for electron beam deflection orthogonal to the first deflection means, and a similarly connected up-down counter, switching matrix, digital-to-analog converter, and register for causing deflection of the electron beam in the orthogonal direction.

Claim 29

The system according to claim 24 wherein said frame generator provides a pair of waveforms coupled to orthogonal deflection means for providing a rectangular frame on the screen of the cathode-ray storage tube, the amplitude of the waveforms being selected according to the scale size selected therefor in comparison to a remembered previous scale size for a stored plot, said waveforms moving said electron beam at a speed fast enough to prevent storage of said frame for a selected beam intensity during the presentation of said frame.

Claim 30

A graphic display system for providing a plot in response to digital incremental plotting instructions comprising: digital counter means responsive to successive plotting inputs for incrementing an accumulated total, digital-to-analog converter means coupled to plural stages of said counter means, corresponding to plural bit positions of successively different numerical significance, for transforming the count accumulated into an analog value suitable for causing deflection of an analog display, means for simultaneously changing the coupling of said converter relative to the stages of said counter in a first sense providing a digital input for said converter from less significant bit positions for expanding the scale of the analog display, and in a second sense providing a digital input for said converter from more significant bit positions for compressing the scale of said analog diSplay, signal generator means for selectively providing a cursor input to which said counter means is responsive, offset selection means for selecting the location of said cursor relative to the display, an offset register also responsive to said cursor input from said signal generator means, and comparator means responsive to said offset selection means and said offset register for controlling said signal generator means to provide an output for incrementing said counter means and said offset register until said offset register receives a count selected by said offset selection means.

Claim 31

A graphic display system for providing a plot in response to digital incremental plotting instructions comprising: digital counter means responsive to successive plotting inputs for incrementing an accumulated total, digital-to-analog converter means coupled to plural stages of said counter means, corresponding to plural bit positions of successively different numerical significance, for transforming the count accumulated into an analog value suitable for causing deflection of an analog display, means for simultaneously changing the coupling of said converter relative to the stages of said counter in a first sense providing a digital input for said converter from less significant bit positions for expanding the scale of the analog display, and in a second sense providing a digital input for said converter from more significant bit positions for compressing the scale of said analog diSplay, signal generator means for selectively providing a cursor input to which said counter means is responsive, offset selection means for selecting the location of said cursor relative to the display, an offset register also responsive to said cursor input from said signal generator means, and comparator means responsive to said offset selection means and said offset register for controlling said signal generator means to provide an output for incrementing said counter means and said offset register until said offset register receives a count selected by said offset selection means.

Claim 32

The system according to claim 26 further including means for transferring a function of the complement of the count accumulated by said offset register into said counter means to provide an offset preload relative to repeated incremental plotting inputs.

Claim 33

The system according to claim 27 including means for dividing the cursor input from said signal generator means as applied to said offset register according to the scale size selected by said means for simultaneously changing the coupling for the previously plotted display.

Claim 34

The system according to claim 26 further including a frame generator means for providing analog values for said analog display in addition to those provided by said digital-to-analog converter means, said additional analog values causing the presentation of a frame surrounding a portion of the analog display.

Claim 35

The system according to claim 29 wherein said means for simultaneously changing the coupling also adjusts said additional analog values for adjusting the size of said frame relative to a stored display.

Claim 36

A digital servomechanism system for providing a predetermined number of pulse outputs comprising: a signal pulse generator, means for selecting the number of pulses to be produced by said servomechanism means, said means for selecting comprising a plurality of switching means controlling binary bits of a selected quantity, said means for selecting providing a binary output related to a function of the desired number of pulse outputs, a register counter for receiving at least a portion of the output of said signal pulse generator and accumulating the total thereof, and comparator means responsive to said register counter and said selecting means for controlling said pulse generator for continuing operation thereof only so long as the contents of said register counter disagrees with said selecting means, said comparator means comprising an adder having stages thereof connected to stages of said register counter, said selecting means also providing corresponding inputs to the stages of said adder, said comparator means further including means connecting the sum outputs of each of said adder stages to operate said signal pulse generator, and means responsive to carry output from said adder for controlling the direction of accumulation in said register counter.

Claim 37

A digital servomechanism system for providing a predetermined number of pulse outputs comprising: a signal pulse generator, means for selecting the number of pulses to be produced by said servomechanism means, said means for selecting comprising a plurality of switching means controlling binary bits of a selected quantity, said means for selecting providing a binary output related to a function of the desired number of pulse outputs, a register counter for receiving at least a portion of the output of said signal pulse generator and accumulating the total thereof, and comparator means responsive to said register counter and said selecting means for controlling said pulse generator for continuing operation thereof only so long as the contents of said register counter disagrees with said selecting means, said comparator means comprising an adder having stages thereof connected to stages of said register counter, said selecting means also providing corresponding inputs to the stages of said adder, said comparator means further including means connecting the sum outputs of each of said adder stages to operate said signal pulse generator, and means responsive to carry output from said adder for controlling the direction of accumulation in said register counter.

Claim 38

A graphic display system for providing a plot in response to digital incremental plotting instructions comprising: digital counter means responsive to successive plotting inputs for incrementing an accumulated total, analog display means responsive to said counter means for providing a stored display in accordance with said plotting inputs, signal generator means and means for selectively providing an output from said signal generator means for incrementing said digital counter means for providing a cursor upon said display means relative to stored information, and means for presenting a new stored display in response to digital incremental plotting instructions, with said digital counter means again being responsive to successive plotting inputs as well as being responsive to information representative of said cursor, wherein said last-mentioned means includes means for remembering the position of said cursor.

Claim 39

A graphic display system for providing a plot in response to digital incremental plotting instructions comprising: digital counter means responsive to successive plotting inputs for incrementing an accumulated total, analog display means responsive to said counter means for providing a stored display in accordance with said plotting inputs, signal generator means and means for selectively providing an output from said signal generator means for incrementing said digital counter means for providing a cursor upon said display means relative to stored information, and means for presenting a new stored display in response to digital incremental plotting instructions, with said digital counter means again being responsive to successive plotting inputs as well as being responsive to information representative of said cursor, wherein said last-mentioned means includes means for remembering the position of said cursor.

Claim 40

The system according to claim 32 wherein said means for remembering compriSes a register for receiving at least a portion of the input provided by said signal generator means to said counter means.

Claim 41

The system according to claim 33 including a divider between said signal generator means and said register, and means for controlling the division factor of said divider according to the scale of the display stored by said display means.

Claim 42

The system according to claim 34 further including means for remembering the scale size of the stored plot and controlling said divider means thereby so that cursor movement will be at the scale of the stored plot.

Claim 43

The system according to claim 35 including means for generating a frame attached to said cursor of selectable scale size, and means for adjusting the size of said frame by comparison between the selected scale size thereof and the scale remembered by said means for remembering the scale size of the stored plot.

Claim 44

The system according to claim 33 including means for subsequently loading a function of the contents of said register into said counter means for a subsequent plot in response to plotting instructions for selecting the plotting of a portion of the input information according to the position of said cursor.

Claim 45

The system according to claim 37 wherein said register accumulates a submultiple of the input provided said counter means by said signal generator means according to the scale size of plotted information, and wherein the function of contents of the register loaded into the counter means comprises the complement of the contents of said register plus one.