# US 4,623,147 A · Process for displaying a plurality of objects on a video screen

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- Number: US 4,623,147 A
- Document ID: US4623147A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/533,863
- Filed: 1983-09-20
- Granted: 1986-11-18
- Earliest claimed: 1983-09-20
- Assignees: General Computer Corporation
- Inventors: Mark S. Ackerman; Glenn Parker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4623147A

## CPC

- A63F 13/00: Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
- A63F 13/50: Controlling the output signals based on the game progress
- G09G 5/42: characterised by the display of patterns using a display memory without fixed position correspondence between the display memory contents and the display position on the screen
- A63F 2300/203: Image generating hardware
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00)

## Abstract

A process is disclosed for displaying a plurality of objects on a video display screen. A video computer system (VCS) includes a microprocessor unit (MPU), a television interface adapter (TIA) having first and second high-resolution player graphics capabilities, a video display screen in the form of a television set, operator controls, and a video game cartridge in the form of read-only memory (ROM) which contains digital program information including the steps of the present process stored in preselected address locations. The present process uses a first set of data for a high-resolution player graphics original and multiple resets of an associated player graphics register to display greater than three copies of the player graphics original on a single given horizontal scan line of the video display screen. As a result, the remaining high-resolution player graphics original is available to create other high-resolution player graphics copies on the same series of horizontal scan lines. The copies of the player graphics original can be selectively removed from the video display screen. A second embodiment of the present invention includes a process for using sets of data for the two high-resolution player graphics originals and multiple resets of respective associated player graphics registers to create greater than two graphically different high-resolution player graphics copies along a single given series of horizontal scan lines.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for displaying a plurality of objects, used in conjunction with a video computer system (VCS) having a central processing unit (CPU) and a television interface adapter (TIA), comprising the steps of
(a) storing a set of data corresponding to a first high-resolution player graphics original image into first player graphics register means in the TIA;
(b) writing to reset address means in the TIA corresponding to the first high-resolution player graphics original image;
(c) storing into first control register means in the TIA data corresponding to the number of copies of said first high-resolution player graphics original image which is to appear along a series of horizontal scan lines, and storing data corresponding to the horizontal spacing between each of said copies; and
(d) repeating steps (b) and (c) at least once during the active portion of the horizontal scan line to display greater than three copies of the first high-resolution player graphics original image on a given series of horizontal scan lines.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
(a) writing to reset address means in the TIA corresponding to a second high-resolution player graphics original image;
(b) storing into second control register means in the TIA data corresponding to the number of copies and the spacing between each copy of the second high-resolution player graphics original image which are to appear along a series of horizontal scan lines; and
(c) storing a set of data corresponding to the second high-resolution player graphics original image into second player graphics register means in the TIA so that copies corresponding to the second high-resolution player graphics original image can be displayed on the same scan lines as the copies of the first high-resolution player graphics original image.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of loading the set of data corresponding to the first high-resolution player graphics original image into register means in the CPU before storing the same data to the player graphics register means in the TIA.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of loading the set of data corresponding to the number and spacing of copies of the first high-resolution player graphics original image into register means in the CPU before storing the same data to the control register means in the TIA.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of selectively altering the timing of the step of writing during the active portion of the horizontal scan line to the reset address corresponding to the first high-resolution player graphics original image to cause the displayed copies of the first high-resolution player graphics original image to appear to move horizontally along the given scan lines in a subsequent video display frame.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein step (c) further comprises the step of altering the content of the set of data corresponding to the number and spacing of copies of the first high-resolution player graphics original before storing the set of data into the control register means in the TIA.

### Claim 7

A process for displaying a plurality of objects on a video display screen, used in conjunction with a video computer system (VCS) having a central processing unit (CPU), a television interface adapter (TIA) with at least first and second high-resolution player graphics original images, and the inherent capability to generate up to three high-resolution player graphics copies for each original image, and a video game-play program consisting of digital data stored in memory means, the video game-play program including in part the process of:
(a) determining in accordance with game-play objectives possible combinations of the number and spacing of high-resolution player graphics copies which may be required to appear along a given series of horizontal scan lines of the video display screen;
(b) determining the number of write operations to reset address means in the TIA required to be combined with data stored in control register means in the TIA for controlling the number and spacing of the high-resolution player graphics copies in order to display each of the combinations determined in step (a) above;
(c) pre-storing into the memory means of the game-play program for each of the combinations determined at step (a) data corresponding to (i) the required number of write operations to the reset address in the TIA, and (ii) the required data to be stored in the control register means in the TIA after each reset;
(d) monitoring ongoing game-play activities to identify the required number and spacing of the first high-resolution player graphic copies to be displayed on a given series of horizontal scan lines;
(e) storing data corresponding to the first high-resolution player graphics original into first player graphics register means in the TIA; and
(f) repeating in accordance with the number of resets in the pre-stored data of step (c) the steps of (i) resetting the reset address in the TIA and (ii) storing in the control register means in the TIA the portion of the pre-stored data corresponding to the number and spacing of the first high-resolution player graphics copies required to be displayed on the given series of horizontal scan lines.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7, further comprising the step of storing data corresponding to a second high-resolution player graphics original image into a second player graphics register means in the TIA.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7, further comprising the step of selectively altering the timing of the write operation to the reset address in subsequent frames of the video display to cause the position of the displayed first high-resolution player graphics copies to appear to move horizontally along the scan lines.