Raster display generating system
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorCharles W. R. Hickin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A visual display system and method for use in converting calligraphic symbology information into raster scanned symbology. The system simultaneously generates and displays calligraphic and raster matrix imagery utilizing the same set of software instructions. The imagery is displayed upon a single, hybrid calligraphic/raster matrix display or separate raster matrix and calligraphic displays. A programmable calligraphic symbology generator utilizes digital stroking techniques that successively generates addressing for a matrix arrayed memory and determines the attributes of both the raster matrix generated and calligraphic generated symbology. The information is stored in a single or a plurality of matrix arrayed memories according to desired symbol attributes and system performance.
Claims43
A raster display generating system having means for converting calligraphic symbology information into raster scanned symbology, comprising, in combination:
- a raster scanned matrix display for displaying information to an observer, the matrix display having an input for receiving raster scanned video signals;
- a calligraphic symbology generator for converting information to be displayed on the matrix display into calligraphic symbology by stroking complete symbols, at least one symbol making up a complete display image, the generator having an output;
- and
- a raster image buffer having an input for receiving from the generator output calligraphic symbology and for converting the symbology into raster scanned format and for storing for later display on the matrix display, the buffer having an output providing raster scanned video signals to the input of the matrix display.
A system for converting calligraphic symbology into raster scanned symbology for feeding into a raster scanned matrix display, comprising, in combination:
- a calligraphic symbology generator for converting information to be displayed on the matrix display into calligraphic symbology by stroking complete symbols, at least one symbol making up a complete display image, the generator having an output;
- and
- a raster image buffer having an input for receiving from the generator output calligraphic symbology and for converting the symbology into raster scanned format and for storing for later display on the matrix display, the buffer having an output providing video signals adapted for feeding to the matrix display.
A raster display system including means for converting calligraphic symbology information into raster scanned symbology, comprising, in combination:
- a raster scanned matrix display for displaying information to an observer, the matrix display having an input for receiving raster scanned video signals;
- a calligraphic symbology generator for converting information to be displayed on the matrix display into calligraphic symbology by stroking complete symbols, at least one symbol making up a complete display image, the generator having an output;
- a raster image buffer having an input for receiving from the generator output calligraphic symbology and for converting the symbology into raster scanned format and for storing for later display on the matrix display, the buffer having an output providing raster scanned video signals to the input of the matrix display;
- and
- means for inputting into the system externally generated signals representing real time and reconstituted imagery.
A method for converting calligraphic symbology information into raster scanned symbology for display on a raster scanned matrix display comprising the steps of:
- generating a consecutive series of X and Y addresses corresponding to the line segments of the symbol being stroked;
- and
- converting this consecutive series of addresses into corresponding pixel locations and storing the pixel locations for refreshing the display image at a later time.
A raster display generating system having means for converting calligraphic symbology information into raster scanned symbology, comprising, in combination:
- a raster scanned matrix display for displaying information to an observer, the matrix display having a first input for receiving raster scanning video signals and a second input for receiving stroked calligraphic symbology;
- a calligraphic symbology generator for converting information to be displayed into calligraphic symbology by stroking complete symbols, the generator having an output delivering stroked calligraphic symbology;
- a calligraphic display having an input for receiving stroked calligraphic symbology from the generator;
- and
- a raster image buffer having an input for receiving from the generator output stroked calligraphic symbology and for converting the symbology into raster scanned format and for storing for later display on the matrix display, the buffer having an output providing raster scanned video signals to the first input of the matrix display;
- whereby calligraphic symbology may be stroked into the calligraphic display and the matrix display and may be converted into raster scanned video signals for display on the matrix display, simultaneously or otherwise.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.