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US 5,920,327 AGranted
Multiple resolution data display
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorRobert B. Seidensticker, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorRobert B. Seidensticker, Jr.
Estimating the term…
A relatively large set of image data (e.g. 640.times.480) is mapped onto a relative smaller physical display device (e.g. 320.times.240) by one of a variety of techniques, usually characterized by display of a subset of the data at full resolution (i.e. 1:1). In some embodiments, the entire physical display is dedicated to display of the subset of data at 1:1 resolution; data beyond this subset is not displayed. In other embodiments, only a portion of the physical display is dedicated to 1:1 resolution, with the remainder of the physical display being used to represent some fraction of the remaining data at a lower resolution. In one embodiment, the resolution decreases with distance from the 1:1 resolution area, resulting in a fisheye lens-like geometrical distortion. A variety of other alternatives are possible. Data displayed in these lower resolution portions of the display device are geometrically compressed or distorted, but provide useful context information for the user. Desirably, user-responsive control means are provided by which the user can move the 1:1 resolution window to show different portions of the data set.
A device comprising:
In a computer including a CPU with intercoupled memory and display, the memory having I rows and J columns, and the display having M rows and N columns where the product of MN is less than IJ, an improved method of displaying data from said memory on said display comprising:
A computer executed method of displaying pixel data stored in a memory on a display device, the memory storing I rows by J columns of pixel data, the display presenting M rows by N columns of pixel data, where product IJ is greater than product MN, the method comprising the following steps:
A method of displaying data on a computer comprising:
A computer including a CPU, a memory, and a display device, intercoupled together, the memory having a portion thereof allocated to storing a frame of display data, said portion storing more display data than can be displayed on the display device, the computer further includes a mapping means for mapping a contiguous subset of the frame of display data from said portion of memory to the display device at one-to-one correspondence to completely fill said display device, the computer further including a user interface allowing a user to select different subsets of the data stored in said portion for display at said one-to-one correspondence, said user interface further including means for changing the extent of the contiguous subset of data by changing a pattern of skipped rows or columns, said means including a switch and means for moving an indicia on the display device while said switch is closed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.