Data processing system and apparatus for color graphics display

A data processing system comprising:

• memory means for selectively storing and outputting data signals responsive to a control signal;
• means for transferring said data signals grouped in a first word length into said memory means for storage;
• and
• means for transferring said data signals grouped in a second word length out from said memory means, said second word length being wider than said first word length by an integer multiple.

A data display system comprising:

• means for providing a read control signal and a cursor control signal;
• read register means for selectively storing and outputting a read mode address signal responsive to said read control signal;
• cursor register means for selectively storing and outputting a cursor address signal responsive to said cursor control signal;
• memory means including means for selectively storing coded data signals at the address corresponding to said cursor address signal, and further including means for selectively outputting said coded data signals from the address corresponding to said read address signal;
• and
• means for selectively storing said memory means output of coded data signals including means for selectively outputting mutually-exclusive sub-groupings of said coded data signals responsive to said read address signal.

A data display system comprising:

• means for outputting a control signal, a read signal, and a sequence signal;
• first memory means cycling at a first rate for selectively storing and outputting a video data signal responsive to the control signal;
• second memory means including means cycling at said first rate for selectively storing said video data signal responsive to the read signal, and further including means, cycling at a second rate faster than said first rate, for selectively outputting said video data signals sequentially in sub-groups, wherein said sub-groups are comprised of a word length being a sub-multiple of the video data signal word length as stored, responsive to the sequence signal;
• and,
• display means coupled to said second memory means for selectively providing a visual display responsive to said sub-groups of said video data signal.

A data display system comprising:

• memory means for outputting a video data signal;
• first register means for selectively storing and outputting said video data signal;
• second register means for selectively storing and outputting a blink mask signal;
• comparator means for selectively outputting a mask signal responsive to detecting an equivalence between said blink mask signal and said video data signal;
• means for forcing said first register means to output a pre-defined video data signal responsive to said mask signal;
• display means for providing a visual display responsive to said video data signal as output from said first register means.

A digital color graphic imaging system comprising a control unit (40) and a display monitor (30) characterized in that the system includes:

• a video memory (50) organized as a number of matrixes (M1-M16) for storing binary information units defining different columns in definite points of the monitor (30) and for storing binary units defining write prohibition information in said definite points;
• a circuit arrangement (64) coupled to said video memory for transmitting color information from an external controlling computer (20) to said display monitor;
• an arithmetic and logic unit (436) coupled to said video memory and the controlling computer for producing picture information by combining information from the controlling computer with previously stored information in order to decrease the load on the computer;
• circuit means (300, 304, 308, 312) coupled to said video memory for incrementing or decrementing by "1" the address information in X and/or Y display monitor direction upon receiving said color information from said controlling computer in order to plot a continuous curve on the monitor;
• and,
• circuit means (324) coupled to said video memory for abitrarily selecting addresses defining the starting point of a curve.