US 7,120,570 B2Granted

Methods and apparatus for design of dot matrix visual displays

AssigneeNCR Corporation

InventorWilliam Douglas Poynter

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Abstract

A design tool for choosing and modifying features of a dot matrix display. The design tool allows a user to design and save a character set and then to enter and view text to be displayed using the character set. The user is able to modify features of the display and to immediately see the result of any modifications made. The user may further see a representation of a hardware display having features and characteristics selected by the user, and may modify the features as desired. As the modifications are made, they are reflected in the representation of the hardware display. The design tool allows the user to store numerical representations of the selected features and characteristics of the design in order to provide the numerical representations to personnel implementing a hardware embodiment of the design.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A dot matrix display design tool, comprising:

a font designer for creating a character set comprising a plurality of characters and a character design associated with each of the characters, the character design comprising a pattern of selected and deselected pixel positions in a matrix of pixel positions, the font designer creating each character design in response to selections made by a user, the font designer further allowing the user to save and delete characters as desired;
and
a display designer comprising a text input entry interface for text input by a user and a character set selection interface to allow user selection of a selected character set for displaying the text, the display designer further comprising an operating characteristics interface for receiving operating characteristics entries specifying operating characteristics of an operating display to be emulated, the display designer further including a display emulator presenting a representation of the operating display, the representation of the operating display presenting the text input in a format reflecting the selected character set and exhibiting the operating characteristics specified by the operating characteristics entries, the display designer further including a set of editing tools to allow modification of the display in response to selections made by a user, the editing tools supporting modification of the character set and the operating characteristics of the display, modifications made using the editing tools being reflected in the appearance of the text as presented by the display emulator.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.