Controlled delay devices, systems and methods

A computer graphics system comprising:

• a digital computer operable to produce a video control signal;
• a video memory connected to said digital computer and operable to store color codes for information in a video image;
• and
• a palette device connected to said video memory for transfer of color codes to the palette device, said palette device including:
• a mode circuit responsive to said digital computer to establish one of a plurality of different operating modes, said mode circuit having a programmable register to adjust a video resolution by varying a clock frequency, to configure said mode circuit according to an amount of said video memory available, and to control operation of said palette device, each of said operating modes determined by a selectable bit length of the color codes and a selectable bus width for receipt of the color codes from said video memory;
• color code processing circuitry operable according to a mode established by said mode circuit and responsive to the color codes from said video memory to supply color data words that are convertible to analog form, wherein said color code processing circuitry established different time intervals between input of the color codes to said color code processing circuitry and supplying of said color data words depending on said bus width for and said bit length of the color codes;
• a digital to analog converter connected to said color code processing circuitry to receive said color data words and convert said color data words to an analog vide signal;
• and
• a variable delay circuit responsive to said mode circuit to delay said video control signal by a time interval depending on said mode established by said mode circuit, said variable delay circuit connected to control said digital to analog converter with said video control signal thus delayed.

A computer graphics system for use with a digital computer supplying control information and a video control signal, comprising:

• a video memory having an input for connection to the digital computer and operable to store color codes for graphics information;
• and
• a palette device connected to said video memory for transfer of said color codes from said video memory to said palette device, said palette device including:
• a mode circuit responsive to the control information to establish one of a plurality of different operating modes said mode circuit having a programmable register to adjust a video resolution by varying a clock frequency, to configure said mode circuit according to an amount of said video memory available, and to control operation of said palette device, each of said operating modes determined by a selectable bit length of the color codes and a selectable bus width for receipt of the color codes from said video memory;
• color code processing circuitry operable according to a mode established by said mode circuit and responsive to said color codes from said video memory to supply color data words that are convertible to analog form, wherein said color code processing circuitry establishes different time intervals between input of said color codes to said color code processing circuitry and supplying of said color data words depending on said bus width for and said bit length of the color codes;
• a digital to analog converter connected to said color code processing circuitry to receive said color data words and convert said color data words to an analog color signal;
• and
• a variable delay circuit responsive to said mode circuit to delay the video control signal by a time interval a length of which differs in at least two different modes established by said mode circuit, said variable delay circuit connected to control said digital to analog converter with the video control signal thus delayed.

A facsimile system comprising:

• a light sensing device adapted to produce an electrical input signal in response to an image presented to said light sensing device;
• a processing circuit connected to said light sensing device to generate a display control signal and color codes representing color information in response to said image;
• a palette device connected to said processing circuit for transfer of said color codes to said palette device, said palette device including:
• a mode circuit responsive to said processing circuit to establish one of a plurality of different operating modes, said mode circuit having a programmable register to adjust a video resolution by varying a clock frequency, to configure said mode circuit according to an amount of available memory, and to control operation of said palette device, each of said operating modes determined by a selectable bit length of the color codes and a selectable bus width for receipt of the color codes;
• color code processing circuitry operable according to a mode established by said mode circuit and responsive to said color codes from said processing circuit to supply color data words that are convertible to analog form, wherein said color code processing circuitry establishes different time intervals between input of said color codes to said color code processing circuitry and supplying of said color data words depending on said bus width for and said bit length of the color codes;
• a digital to analog converter connected to said color code processing circuitry to receive said color data words and convert said color data words to an analog color signal;
• and
• a variable delay circuit responsive to said mode circuit to delay said display control signal by a time interval a length of which differs in at least two different modes established by said mode circuit, said variable delay circuit connected to control said digital to analog converter with said display control signal thus delayed;
• said facsimile system further comprising a color display device connected to said palette device and responsive to said analog color signal to produce a color display;
• and
• a modem circuit connected to said process circuit to couple said color information in said color data words to a communications path.

A printer system comprising:

• a processing circuit adapted to generate a display control signal and color codes representing color information in an image;
• a palette device controllable by said processing circuit so that said color codes are transferable to said palette device, said palette device including:
• a mode circuit responsive to the processing circuit to establish one of a plurality of different operating modes, said mode circuit having a programmable register to adjust a video resolution by varying a clock frequency, to configure said mode circuit according to an amount of available memory, and to control operation of said palette device, each of said operating modes determined by a selectable bit length of the color codes and a selectable bus width for receipt of the color codes;
• color code processing circuitry operable according to a mode established by said mode circuit and responsive to said color codes from said processing circuit to supply color data words that are convertible to analog form, wherein said color code processing circuitry establishes different time intervals between input of said color codes to said color code processing circuitry and supplying of said color data words depending on said bus width for and said bit length of the color codes;
• a digital to analog converter connected to said color code processing circuitry to receive said color data words and convert said color data words to an analog color signal;
• and
• a variable delay circuit responsive to said mode circuit to delay said display control signal by a time interval a length of which differs in at least two different modes established by said mode circuit, said variable delay circuit connected to control said digital to analog converter with said display control signal thus delayed;
• said printer system further comprising a color display device connected to said palette device and responsive to said analog color signal and said display control signal thus delayed to produce a color display;
• and
• a color printer assembly responsive to said processing circuit to make a print of the image with the color information.

A method of operating a palette device controllable by a digital computer with a video memory supplying color codes and the digital computer supplying a video control signal to the palette device to produce signals representing color for a video monitor, the method comprising the steps of:

• programming the device to control the signals produced for the video monitor;
• processing the color codes according to different modes established by the digital computer to supply color data words, each of said modes determined by a selectable bit length of the color codes and a selectable bus width for receipt of the color codes, wherein said processing step establishes different time intervals between input of the color codes for processing and supply of said color data words depending on said bus width for and said bit length of the color codes;
• variably delaying the video control signal concurrently with said processing step by time intervals correlated in at least two of said different modes to said time intervals of said processing step thereby to supply the video control signal thus delayed;
• converting said color data words to an analog video signal;
• and
• blanking said analog video signal in response to the video control signal thus delayed.

A palette device for use with circuitry that produces color codes and a blanking signal, the palette device comprising:

• color code processing circuitry responsive to the color codes to supply color data words that are convertible to analog form;
• a digital to analog converter connected to said color code processing circuitry to receive said color data words and convert said color data words to an analog signal, said converter having a blanking input for driving said analog signal to a blank level;
• and
• a blanking circuit having the blanking signal as an input and having a plurality of serially connected flip-flops clocked to sample said blanking signal at progressively higher time resolutions in order to feed said blanking input of said digital to analog converter;
• and
• a programmable register to control operation of the palette device.

A computer graphics system comprising:

• a digital computer for producing a blanking signal;
• a video memory connected to said digital computer and operable to store color codes for color information in an image;
• and
• a palette device connected to said video memory for transfer of color codes to said palette device, said palette device including:
• color code processing circuitry responsive to said color codes to supply color data words that are convertible to analog form;
• a digital to analog converter connected to said color code processing circuitry to receive said color data words and convert said color data words to an analog signal, said converter having a blanking input for driving said analog signal to a blank level;
• a clock circuit connected to provide clock pulses for operating said palette device and further connected to said digital computer to supply clock pulses to said digital computer;
• and
• a blanking circuit having said blanking signal as an input and having a plurality of serially connected flip-flops clocked by said clock circuit to sample said blanking signal at progressively higher time resolutions in order to feed said blanking input of said digital to analog converter;
• and
• a programmable register to control operation of the palette device.