Text processing and display system with means for rearranging the spatial format of a selectable section of displayed data

Abstract

This text processing and display system has the capability of effectively defining and rearranging the format of any selectable section of the block or page of alphanumeric data being displayed. The system involves the combination of a display device for simultaneously displaying a block or page comprising a plurality of lines of alphanumeric characters in ordered display position, with sequentially accessible storage means for storing coded data representations of the displayed characters in a sequence of storage positions spatially corresponding to the positions of the characters in the display block. Repetitive display scanning means are provided for traversing the character display positions in successive lines on the display device together with means for sequentially accessing the data representation for each character to be displayed from the storage means in synchronization with the display scanning means, and means for applying to the display device, signals representative of a whole character to be displayed at a display position prior to the movement of the display scanning means to the next display position whereby each whole character in the display block is refreshed before the next character is refreshed. The spatial limits for a section of stored data corresponding to the selected spatial limit of a section of alphanumeric character in the displayed block are defined by inserting coded data designating the initial character into the storage means immediately preceding the initial character data and inserting the coded data designating the final character immediately succeeding the final character data.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.