Methods and apparatus for improved display of visual data for point of sale terminals

A point of sale terminal comprising:

• a processor for processing data, the processor being operative to create and process video data, the video data being organized in the form of frames of video data;
• memory for receiving and storing data including the frames of video data;
• a video card for receiving frames of video data and producing primary video data organized for display;
• a primary display for receiving the primary video data from the video card and displaying the primary video data;
• a plurality of external data communication ports to allow transmission of video data to an external device, the plurality of external data communication ports including one or more universal serial bus ports,
• a secondary video generator in the form of a software program executed by the processor for analyzing and processing frames of video data for display by a secondary display, the secondary video generator being operative to (1) receive frames of video data from the memory, (2) analyze the frames of video data to create differential data to allow reconstruction of the frames of video data using the differential data, and (3) transmit one or more frames of video data and the differential data to an external device using one of the plurality of external data communication ports,
• wherein the differential data is created by analyzing pairs of frames of video data, each pair comprising a frame and a preceding frame, and wherein a set of differential data for each frame following a first frame is created and stored, each set of differential data defining differences between the frame for which it is created and stored and the preceding frame;
• a secondary video interface operative to receive the one or more frames of video data and the differential data transmitted by the secondary video generator, and to use the received frames of video data and the differential data to successively reconstruct each frame of video data for which the differential data was created,
• wherein the secondary video interface further comprises a video card, wherein the video card is provided with the reconstructed frames for display;
• and
• a secondary display operative to receive and display video data from the secondary video interface.