US5212770A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Data-handling and display system capable of supporting multiple application programs and output devices
Assignee: ATEX PUBLISHING SYSTEMS Corp
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Filing: 1989-12-06
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Granted: 1993-05-18
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Expires: 2009-12-06
Abstract
Abstract An interface system that facilitates user interaction with a plurality of document-management programs, each of which may require different data formats, and convenient output of data generated by such programs to recording or display devices. The invention includes a "front end", which accepts user commands and channels them to a designated application program; and a "back end", which converts output data into a form compatible with a selected output device or display, and which can simultaneously drive display of data from a plurality of application programs. The system operates using a common set of raster-image instructions; output and display data from an application program are converted into this common set of instructions before being provided to a selected output or display device. The system can store multiple display lists in segregated memory partitions, and then combine the lists according to a user-defined "mapping" procedure to produce a single, integrated display.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert M. Smith
- 👤 David M. T. Ting
- 👤 John Porter
- 👤 Gerald Williams
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 15:33
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T11/00; G06T11/60
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 60
Claim 1
Independent Claim
213 words
An input/output system for enabling a user to interact with a plurality of application programs implemented on one or more computers, the system comprising: a) a system memory; b) a user-responsive display device; c) interface means for transferring, to a specified application program, data and instructions defined on the display device by a user; d) means, operatively coupled to the interface means, for electronically communicating with at least one application program operative on a computer to accept display data generated by each application program; e) memory-partitioning means for defining a plurality of data fields within the system memory, said data fields including: i. at least one application data buffer for storing display data generated by an application program; ii. at least one display buffer for storing a display list consisting of raster-image instructions defining the dimensions, positions, orientation, and contents of a display; f) translation means operatively connected to each application data buffer and each display buffer for converting the data in each application data buffer into a common set of raster-image instructions and storing the instructions in a display buffer; and g) a display driver operatively coupled to each display buffer and capable of generating a visual image on the display device in response to the raster-image instructions in each display buffer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
213 words
An input/output system for enabling a user to interact with a plurality of application programs implemented on one or more computers, the system comprising: a) a system memory; b) a user-responsive display device; c) interface means for transferring, to a specified application program, data and instructions defined on the display device by a user; d) means, operatively coupled to the interface means, for electronically communicating with at least one application program operative on a computer to accept display data generated by each application program; e) memory-partitioning means for defining a plurality of data fields within the system memory, said data fields including: i. at least one application data buffer for storing display data generated by an application program; ii. at least one display buffer for storing a display list consisting of raster-image instructions defining the dimensions, positions, orientation, and contents of a display; f) translation means operatively connected to each application data buffer and each display buffer for converting the data in each application data buffer into a common set of raster-image instructions and storing the instructions in a display buffer; and g) a display driver operatively coupled to each display buffer and capable of generating a visual image on the display device in response to the raster-image instructions in each display buffer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said common set of raster-image instructions is chosen so as to reduce the processing time and/or memory overhead below that necessary for directly converting application display data into a plurality of output device driver command sets.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said common set of raster-image instructions comprises general output attribute commands that specify characteristics applicable to all instructions associated with said common set of raster-image instructions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 3 wherein raster-image instructions specifying the dimensions of a display include page length and clipping boundary.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 3 where raster-image instructions specifying the contents of a display specify characteristics associated with the appearance of rendered output.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 5 wherein said appearance characteristics include color and precision of curve function rendition.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 5 wherein said appearance characteristics include precision of curve function rendition specified by a method of approximation chosen from the set consisting of chord height, chord area and chord curvature.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 3 wherein the raster-image instructions include attributes relating to fill patterns.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 3 wherein the raster-image instructions specify characteristics associated with halftone processing of image data.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said common set of raster-image instructions comprises output attribute commands that specify characteristics applicable to graphic output primitives.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 10 wherein said graphic attribute commands include specification of dash patterns.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 10 wherein said graphic attribute commands include specification of line width.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 10 wherein said graphic attribute commands include specification of line joints.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 10 wherein said graphic attribute commands include specification of line caps.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said common set of raster-image instructions includes output primitives that specify elements of graphic data.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 15 wherein said graphic output primitives include commands that order rendering of curved shapes.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 16 wherein said curved shapes include circles and ellipses.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of claim 16 wherein said curved shapes include shapes of arbitrary curvature specified as comprising at least one element consisting of a) a set of connected vertices; and b) a specification of segment geometry between said vertices.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 15 wherein said output primitives specify shapes to be filled using a specified fill pattern.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
10 words
The system of claim 19 wherein said shapes comprise quadrilaterals.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 20 wherein said shapes further comprise trapezoids and curvezoids.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 19 wherein said shapes comprise circles and ellipses.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of claim 19 wherein said shapes further comprise shapes of arbitrary curvature specified as comprising at least one element consisting of a) a set of connected vertices; and b) a specification of segment geometry between said vertices.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said common set of raster-image instructions comprises output attribute commands that specify characteristics applicable to image output primitives.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 24 wherein said image output attribute commands include specification of an intensity map.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said intermediate instruction set includes output primitives that specify elements of image data.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 26 wherein said image output primitives include copying of raster data from a convex quadrilateral source and transferring said data to a convex quadrilateral destination.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 27 wherein the raster data from the source is transformed with respect to the destination prior to being transferred thereto.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 27 wherein the raster data from the source is combined with raster data in the destination according to a specified arithmetic operation.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 27 wherein the raster data from the source is combined with raster data in the destination according to a specified logical operation.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said compound set of raster-image instructions comprises output attribute commands that specify characteristics applicable to text output primitives.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 31 wherein said text output attribute commands include specification of a character font.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 31 wherein said text output attribute commands include specification of character size.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 31 wherein said text output attribute commands include specification of the angular disposition of text relative to the baseline thereof.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 31 wherein said text output attribute commands include specification of character orientation.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 31 wherein said text output attribute commands include specification of character alignment along a trajectory.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 31 wherein said text output attribute commands include character reflection along a specified axis.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 31 wherein said text output attribute commands include alteration of inter-character spacing by a proportional amount.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 31 wherein said text output attribute commands include alteration of inter-character spacing by a fixed amount.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said common set of raster-image instructions includes output primitives that specify elements of text data.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 40 wherein said text output primitives include drawing of a text character at a specified position.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 40 wherein said text output primitives include drawing of a text string starting at a specified position.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
50 words
The system of claim 40 wherein said text output primitives include drawing of a text string along the contour of a shape of arbitrary curvature specified as comprising at least one element consisting of a) a set of connected vertices; and b) a specification of segment geometry between said vertices.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
176 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the display buffer comprises discrete segments including: a) a virtual display memory segment containing pointers to the first and last display instructions of a selected portion of a display buffer; b) a window memory segment containing pointers to display instructions within the display buffer and defining, with respect to the portion of said display buffer defined by said virtual display memory segment, a bounded rectangular area of arbitrary dimension, orientation and position; and c) a viewpoint memory segment containing display instructions defining, with respect to the portion of said display buffer defined by said window memory segment, a bounded rectangular area of arbitrary dimension, orientation and position; and further wherein: d) the interface mans is configured to transfer to the application program data form only that portion of the display defined by said viewport memory means; and further comprising: e) means for performing transformations between the portions of said display buffer specified by said window memory segment and the portions of said display buffer defined by said viewport memory segment.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system of claim 44 wherein said transformation means further comprises means for performing transformations between the portion of said display buffer defined by said window memory segment and portions of a second display buffer contained in a second viewport segment associated therewith.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
105 words
The system of claim 44 wherein the display buffer further comprises a plurality of virtual terminal memory segments, each for storing an identifier associated with a viewport memory segment and a priority value, and further wherein the display driver includes means for displaying the rectangular area defined by a first viewport memory segment specified by a first virtual terminal memory segment so as to occlude the display of data specified by at least one other viewport, which other viewport is itself specified by another virtual terminal memory means having associated therewith a priority value lower than that stored in said first virtual terminal memory segment.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of claim 44 wherein said virtual display memory segment is specified by data comprising; a) an identifier; b) access mode; c) device code; d) storage code; e) initial values of interior and exterior pixels; and f) dimensions.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
36 words
The system of claim 44 wherein said window memory segment is specified by data comprising: a) an identifier associated with a virtual display memory segment; b) an identifier; c) dimensions; d) position; and e) angular orientation.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
36 words
The system of claim 44 wherein said viewport memory segment is specified by data comprising: a) an identifier associated with a virtual display memory segment; b) an identifier; c) dimensions; d) position; and e) angular orientation.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 49 wherein said viewport memory segment further comprises a pointer to a list of identifiers corresponding to hierarchically superior viewport memory segments.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system of claim 49 wherein said viewport memory segment further comprises a pointer to a description of those data in said viewport memory means corresponding to display areas unoccluded by display areas corresponding to hierarchically superior viewport memory segments.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the memory-partitioning means defines in the system memory an application data buffer in response to a command issued by an application program via the interface means.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising means for subdividing the display into a plurality of overlapping rectangular display regions, each corresponding to display instructions contained in different display buffers.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 53 wherein the overlap among rectangular display regions is determined by hierarchical specifications included in each application data buffer.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the dimensions of a display are defined in terms of x and y coordinates.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising processor means for integrating data from a plurality of display buffers into a single display list by means of a specified mapping procedure.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 56 wherein the mapping procedure comprises point-by-point logic operations.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 57 wherein the logic operations are selected from the group consisting of AND, NAND, OR, XOR, NOR and COMPLEMENT.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 56 wherein the mapping procedure comprises point-by-point arithmetic operations.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-05-17 | 1996-11-16 | 1997-05-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-05-17 | 2000-11-16 | 2001-05-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-05-17 | 2004-11-16 | 2005-05-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |