Computer display systems

A method for displaying a sequence of video images on a computer display system in at least a portion of a graphic display comprising the steps of:

• receiving the sequence of video images;
• receiving data defining a predetermined size and position of the portion of the graphic display into which the video images are to be inserted;
• selectively intercepting the data defining the video image portion of the graphic display;
• selectively modifying the intercepted data defining the size and position of the video image portion of the graphic display;
• scaling the video image to a modified size defined by the modified data;
• and
• inserting the video images into a portion of the graphic display based on the modified data defining the size and position of the video image portion in the graphic display as modified by the modifying means.

A method for automatically switching between first and second display modes for video images on a graphic display comprising the steps of:

• displaying a video image in a first mode;
• monitoring changes in data in the video image to determine whether playback of a sequence of images has commenced or ceased;
• switching to a second mode of display in response to commencement of playback of the sequence;
• and
• switching back to the first mode of display in response to termination of playback of a sequence of video images.

A computer display system for displaying a sequence of video images in at least a portion of a graphic display comprising:

• means for receiving data containing the video images;
• means for receiving a first set of image placement commands defining a predetermined size and position of the portion of the graphic display in which the video images are to be displayed;
• modifying means for receiving the first set of image placement commands and modifying the first set of image placement commands to produce a second set of image placement commands that define a video image size or a video image position for the video images that is different from the size or the position defined by the first set of image placement commands;
• scaling means for receiving the video image data and the second set of image placement commands defining the video image size and for scaling the video image data to produce scaled video image data representative of the size of the video images defined by the second set of image placement commands defining video image size;
• and
• insertion means for receiving the scaled video image data and the second set of video image placement commands defining image position and inserting a scaled video image based on the scaled video image data into a select position in a data set defining the graphic display based on the second set of image placement commands defining video image position;
• and
• display means for receiving the data set defining the graphics display for producing the graphic display including the selectively sized or selectively placed video image therein.

A computer display system for displaying a sequence of video images in at least a portion of a graphic display comprising:

• means for receiving the sequence of video images;
• means for receiving data defining a predetermined size and a predetermined position of a video image portion of the graphic display in which the video images are to be displayed;
• user input means;
• intercepting means responsive to said user input means for selectively intercepting the data defining the size and the position of the video image portion of the graphic display;
• modifying means responsive to said user input means for selectively modifying the data defining the size and the position of the video image portion of the graphic display;
• means for scaling the sequence of video images to a modified size based on the modified data defining the size of the video image portion;
• and
• means for inserting the sequence of video images into a portion of the graphics display as defined by the modified data defining the position of the video image portion in the graphics display.