[0001] The present invention concerns the display of alphanumeric data for data processing,
and relates more specifically to methods and apparatus for displaying character images
in accordance with sets of display attributes.
[0002] Conventional alphanumeric (A/N) data terminals have provision for attaching attributes
to character data. In a general sense, attributes can specify any extrinsic property
to be associated with one or more codes representing character data to be displayed.
Some terminals, for example, allow certain characters to be designated as "protected
fields"; character codes within these fields cannot be modified or replaced from the
keyboard.
[0003] The present invention concerns one type of attributes, denoted "display attributes".
Display attributes specify the manner in which character images are to be displayed.
That is, they provide visually perceptibly different or distinct images each corresponding
to the same character code in the terminal. (Protected fields, therefore, are not
display attributes, since the associated characters appear the same as in unprotected
fields). For the present purposes, display attributes are divided into two species,
color display attributes and monochrome display attributes. "Color display attributes"
specify the colors in which character images and/or their background areas are to
be shown. They are usually expressed in terms of intensities of a set of three or
more primary colors such as red, green, and blue. "Monochrome display attributes"
(or "color-independent display attributes") affect the appearance of character images
irrespective of color. That is, they would be visible in a black-and-white image of
the character image and its surround. Examples of monochrome display attributes are
reverse image (dark character images on light backgrounds) and column separators (vertical
bars or dots on each side of the characters, to mark the extent of a data field).
[0004] Color adds an entirely new dimension to data-entry terminals in electronic data processing
applications, and high-quality color displays are becoming technically and economically
feasible. Existing applications software, however, is mostly designated for terminals
with only monochrome attributes. It would be desirable to allow the use of color terminals
without requiring any reprogramming of applications designed for monochrome terminals.
A straight substitution of monochrome to color attributes is possible, but would produce
garish or bizarre effects for some attribute combinations. In addition, at least some
monochrome attributes remain useful in a color environment.
[0005] IBM TDB, Vol. 20, No. 10, March 1978, pages 4167 and 4168 discloses a color display
which translates three monochrome display attribute bits into a code specifying different
colors. An important drawback of this method is that it does not retain the previous
display attributes.
[0006] The present invention provides a meaningful enhancement of an already defined. input
set of monochrome display attributes by translating them into both a set of color
display attributes and an output set of monochrome display attributes, then controlling
the display in accordance with both these sets. For example, a monochrome "blink"
attribute by itself is used to attract attention, and may appear in a color display
as a "red" image. An "intensify" attribute may appear as "white" (red plus green plus
blue) in color. A character having both "blink" and "intensify", however, appears
as a blinking red image, for maximum attention value. Further, if the "column separators"
attribute is activated, "intensify" causes the character images to shift from turquoise
to yellow, although the column-separator shapes themselves appear in blue for both
cases. The individual monochrome display attributes may be the same for both the input
and output sets, they may overlap, or one may be a subset of the other.
[0007] The object of the invention is to provide a method of operating a color display terminal
as defined in claim 1 and a color display terminal as defined in claim 8.
[0008] The invention can also be conceptualized as a translation or conversion of a smaller
set of attributes including only monochrome display attributes to a larger set of
attributes including both color and monochrome display attributes. The conversion
between sets of attributes is performed by an attribute translator which may comprise
a memory, and by monochrome and color logics for controlling the color display.
[0009] Other objects and advantages of the present invention, as well as extensions and
changes obvious to those skilled in the art, will become apparent from the following
description of a preferred embodiment.
Fig. 1 is a high-level block diagram of an alphanumeric color display terminal according
to the invention.
Fig. 2 is a more detailed logic diagram of the color display control of Fig. 1 for
carrying out the invention.
Fig. 3 is a logic diagram of a conventional video-signal serializer useful in the
control of Fig. 2.
Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a microprocessor-controlled alphanumeric color-display
terminal 10. A conventional parallel bus 11 contains address, data, and control lines
for interconnecting a microprocessor 12, read-only memory (ROM) 13 holding machine-language
microcode for driving the microprocessor; and read-write memory (RAM) 14 for holding
working data of various types. Communications adapter 15 transfers data to and from
a host data processor over a bit-serial communications link such as a twinaxial cable.
[0010] Refresh buffer 16 contains a two-port RAM which receives data bytes from bus 11 under
the control of microprocessor 12, and which also transmits these bytes to color display
20 in a predetermined sequence for maintaining the evanescent image on a cathode-ray
tube (CRT). The memory, timing and gating logic for buffer 16 are of conventional
design. In the embodiment described herein, buffer 16 transfers a single data byte
at a time to display 20. A data byte may represent either an alphanumeric character
whose image is to be displayed, or a display attribute. The display attributes are
of two kinds, color and monochrome. Color attributes specify the colors in which a
character or its background are to be shown. In this embodiment, red, green and blue
primaries have either of two intensities, on or off; thus seven colors (plus black)
are available. Monochrome attributes affect the appearance of a character irrespective
of color; that is, they would be visible in a black-and-white image of the character
and its background area.
[0011] The set of five input monochrome attributes in this embodiment are those previously
used in the IBM5250 family of monochrome data-entry workstation terminals. The "column
separator" (COLS) attribute marks the beginning and end of each character position,
so that an operator entering data into a fixed-length field can see the field extent
as characters are placed into it. This attribute is displayed as two dots in the last
raster scan of the character box, one dot just to the left of the character, the other
just to the right. The "blink" (BLNK) attribute causes the character image to blink
on and off about two times per second. "Underscore" (UNSC) places a horizontal line
in the last scan of the character box. "Intensify" (INT), sometimes called "highlight",
brightens the entire character image. "Reverse video" (REV) changes the display from
the normal light character on a dark field to a dark character on a light field. REV
remains a monochrome attribute even in the environment of the present color display:
it reverses the state of a single binary video signal having values representing "character"
and "background"; also, all of the color attributes can be controlled independently
of REV.
[0012] . Other monochrome display attributes could be included, such as italic or other
fonts, and sub- or super-scripting. Obviously, other color display attributes could
also be incorporated. Attributes other than display attributes could be utilized as
well, if desired. Attributes other than display attributes do not enter into the present
context; hence, the term "attribute" by itself shall be taken to refer to display
attributes only.
[0013] The remaining major components of Fig. 1 are input/output (t/01 adapters 17 and a
keyboard 18. The keyboard may be of any conventional design, having either a parallel
or serial interface. Adapters 17 receive character bytes or other codes from keyboard
18, and also interface to other internal or external elements not relevant to the
present invention, such as curser-position registers or dot-matrix printers. The lines
from adapters 17 to display 20 specify certain operating modes, explained below.
[0014] Fig. 2 shows the portions of color display 20 which pertain to the present invention.
Other, conventional functions are not shown; these include, for example, raster-scan
generation and timing, color-beam convergence, and video-signal amplification. By
way of background, the present implementation employs a horizontal raster having interlaced
"even" and "odd' scan fields, as in television practice. Each character position is
12 scans high (SD-S11, six from each scan field) with 9 possible dot positions along
each scan, numbered TO-T8. Most character images occupy dots Tl-T7 of scans S1-S9,
the other dots and scans being used for borders. Codes for character images have values
X40-XFF ("X" indicates hexadecimal notation), while attributes have values X20-X3F.
The attributes are coded as follows (bit 7 is the most significant bit of the code
byte):
[0015]
[0016] Attributes themselves occupy a character position on the display, but no image is
normally displayed for them; they appear as a blank or space character. Thus, for
example, the attribute code 0010 1110 (YX2E) specifies that the characters following
that position shall blink, have an underscore, and be intensified.
[0017] A new data byte is input from refresh buffer 16 and is received on line 21 each character
time of every scan in both scan fields. A conventional character generator 22 receives
the data byte and a repetitive scan count on line 23, also as in conventional practice.
Lines 24 contain nine bits DO-D8 in parallel representing dot positions TO-T8 of the
current scan of a character. (All attributes codes X20-X3F are normally blanked out
by logic subsequent to generator 22). Lines 24 are latched in register 25 by the previously
mentioned clock 26 occurring every character time. Serializer 27 converts these parallel
scan bits into serial video bits on line 28 by means of a dot clock 29 occurring nine
times, TO-T8, during each character clock 26. In addition, a true/complement (T/C)
input controls the selective inversion of the serial binary (light or dark) video
signals on line 28.
[0018] In this implementation, attributes apply to all character positions following them,
in the same or succeeding rows of characters on the display. (These are termined "field
attributes" in the art). Logic 30 ensures that the correct attribute code will be
in force during each character time. Decoder 31 produces a signal on line 32 whenever
an attribute code (i.e., X20-X3F) appears on data lines 21. This signal clocks the
code on lines 21 into current-attribute register 33. When the attribute code appears
during the last scan (S10 in the even scan field or Sl in the odd field), AND gate
34 clocks the code into start-attribute register 35 as well. The last of these attribute
codes is retained in latches 33 and 35 until replaced at the appropriate times for
the next row of characters. These registers are selectively switched to output lines
36 by multiplexer 37, which is controlled by set/reset (SR) latch 38. The presence
of an attribute signal on line 32 causes latch 38 and multiplexer 37 to couple current
register 33 to line 36; at the right end of every scan a standard horizontal-retrace
signal 39 resets latch 38, causing start register 35 to feed lines 36 until latch
38 is again set by line 32. Thus as each scan proceeds from left to right across the
display, each attribute code encountered along the way will be transmitted from register
33 to lines 36 to control the display of all characters to its right, until the next
attribute code is encountered. Start register 35 operates only before the first attribute
code of a scan is encountered, by retaining the last attribute of the preceding row
of characters and transmitting it to lines 36 at the proper times.
[0019] Decoder 40 provides scan-count or location signals used by several other elements
of display 20. Specifically, odd-field location signal on line 41 is active during
the six scans S1, S3, S5, S7, S9, S11 of the second scan field of each interlaced
frame. (The even scan field contains scans numbered S0, S2, S4, S6, S8, S10). Last-scan
location signal on line 42 is active during the last scan of each scan field, i.e.,
during scans S10 and S11.
[0020] From a logical standpoint, the overall functions of attribute translator 50, 60 and
monochrome logic color logic 70 are: (a) to translate an input set of monochrome display
attributes into both a set of color attributes and an output set of monochrome attributes,
(b) to produce color signals in accordance with the set of color attributes, and (c)
to modify the video signals in accordance with the subset of output monochrome attributes.
In practice, each of the elements 50, 60,70 may perform portions of more than one
of these functions, in order to reduce the overall cost of the implementation.
[0021] As previously explained, the five monochrome attributes input to the system are column
separators (COLS), blink (BLNK), underscore (UNSC), intensify (INT), and reverse video
(REV). The subset of these which are actually used by the display are COLS, BLNK,
UNSC and REV. In addition, another output monochrome attribute, "non-display" (NOND)
is produced from certain combinations of the input attributes. NOND causes all following
characters to be blanked out, i.e., to appear as spaces. The color attributes may
be considered to be either the three separate primary-color signals or the seven actual
colors produced by combinations of these signals. The primary-color signals are denominated
as green (G), red (R) and blue (B). However, the CRT phosphors are somewhat different
from the normal television standard colors, to avoid eyestrain and to produce a more
pleasing palette with a limited number of colors. The actual colors are: pink (R+B),
red (R), yellow (R+G), light green (G), turquoise (G+B), light blue or azure (B),
and white (R+G+B). Black, of course, is the absence of all three primary signals.
Table I summarizes the overall translation of the monochrome inputattribute set to
the monochrome output attribute set and the primary color attribute set. For each
vertical column in the table, an attribute code (X20-X3F) is first expanded in terms
of the input monochrome attributes it specifies, shown as "1" entries in the table.
Then, the "1" entries below the horizontal line specify the corresponding output monochrome
and primary color attributes.
[0022] The major purpose of attribute translator 50 is to translate the set of input monochrome
attributes on lines 36 into signals on lines 51-55 representing the set of output
monochrome output attributes and into further signals on lines 56-58 for the primary
color attributes. Translator 50 may conveniently be implemented as the lower half
of a 1024-byte by 8-bit-wide ROM integrated-circuit module having address lines AO
(least significant bit, LSB) through A8 (most significant bit, MSB). The attribute
lines 51-58 represent the eight data lines DO (LSB) through D7 (MSB). The five input
lines 36 are connected to address lines A2-A6. Lines A7-A8 are mode-control lines
not relevant to the present invention. Originating in I/O adapters 17, Fig. 1, the
"converge mode" line inhibits lines 51-58 while the CRT is being adjusted for color
convergence, while the "2-color mode" line passes the monochrome attributes substantially
unchanged to the output monochrome attributes, using the colors only to the extent
that, for example, normal intensity characters are green (G), while high-intensity
(INT attribute on) characters are in white (R+G+B). Low-order address lines AO-A1
are used to identify the last scan of the odd scan field, i.e., scan S11, for producing
underscores and column separators at the proper times, since these shapes are not
contained in character generator 22.
[0023] Table II shows the complete contents of ROM 50 addressed by lines AO-A8. It should
be noted that the data lines DO (LSB) through D7 (MSB) occasionally deviate from the
values they would be expected to have. This occurs because ROM 50 does more than merely
translate attributes; it also aids logics 60 and 70 in the direct production of some
attributes. For example, the UNSC output line 54 not always be activated when the
UNSC attribute is active, but rather only when both UNSC and COLS attributes are active,
in order to simplify logic 60. Likewise, the UNSC attribute is actually produced by
activating REV line 51 and B line 58 during_scan S11, i.e., when AO and A1 both are
high; this simplifies color logic 70.
[0024] Table 11 shows the contents of ROM 50 for the seven-color mode, located in addresses
128 through 255. The leftmost "ATTR" column of Table II contains hex attribute codes.
The "ADDR" column contains the first address of a four-byte group of data representing
that attribute. The "Data @ A" column is the hexdata contained in each of the four
bytes. In some cases, the last byte of the four differs from the other three; the
"Data @ A+3" column lists those bytes for the appropriate rows of the table.
[0025] Monochrome logic 60 basically modifies the displayed character image in accordance
with the output set of monochrome attributes COLS, BLNK, UNSC, REV, and "non-display"
(NOND). This may be done not only by direct action upon monochrome video signals,
but also in concert with translator 50 and/or color logic 70, as will appear. REV
output line 51 enters a true/complement input of serializer 27. This acts as an exclusive-or
gate on serial video line 28; that is, REV=0 for normal video allows the signal on
line 28 to pass unchanged, while REV=1 for reverse video inverts line 28, making bright
dots dark and vice versa. NOND output line 52 is transmitted through OR gate 61 to
force a reset in register 25, so as to blank out the parallel video signals from lines
24. Leg 32 of OR 61 effectively causes all attribute codes themselves to have an implied
NOND attribute, and thus to appear as blanks on the CRT. A third leg implements the
BLNK attribute by ANDing output line 53 with any convenient clock signal 62 of several
pulses per second in gate 63. COLS line 55 is combined in AND 64 with a signal 65
which is active during dot times TO and T8 of each character of every scan. Translator
50, however, inhibits COLS except during scan S11 of those characters having the underscore
attribute, so that line 66 is active only at the proper dot and scan times of the
proper characters. UNSC line 54, as mentioned above, need be active only during those
characters for which both the underscore and the column-separator attributes are to
be in effect. AND 67 combines lines 54 and 66 to place a signal on line 68 to indicate
this situation. Lines 66 and 68 work their will on the video signal by way of logic
70.
[0026] Color-control logic 70 receives the color-attribute lines 56-58 to specify one of
seven colors in which the appropriate characters are to be displayed. Serial video
signal on line 28 controls AND gates 71-73 for selective enabling of the color signals.
Signals on lines 56-58 are thereby passed unaltered when video signal on line 28 is
high, and are turned off when video signal on line 28 is low. The effect of this is
to paint the video dots belonging to the character image in one of the seven colors
specified by translator 50, and to paint background dots in black, i.e., the absence
of all color. In the reverse-video mode, the background color is specified by lines
56-58, while character images are black. Gates 74-77 are required to control column-separator
color, because the column-separator dots are always displayed in blue, regardless
of the color of the character at that position on the CRT. The inverting inputs of
ANDs 74 and 75 turn off the G and R color signals whenever the previously described
line 66 becomes active. This line also forces the B color on, by means of OR 76. AND
77 cuts off the B color during dot times TO and T8 when line 68-indicates both UNSC
and COLS, so that TO and T8 are always black when both UNSC and COLS are active.
[0027] Conventional color display head 80 includes a color CRT, video signal amplifiers,
scan-generation circuits, power supplies and so forth to display alphanumeric character
images in the colors specified by color-signal inputs on lines 81-83. Control signals
on lines 81-83 at this point represent both the color and the output monochrome attributes
specified by the original set of input attributes received on data lines 21. Control
signals on lines 81-83 are binary-valued, but could have more than two levels if desired
to present a broader range of hues and intensities on the CRT.
[0028] Also, some conventional color displays are an intensity or luminance control signal
separate from the color control signals.
[0029] As mentioned earlier, the overall attribute-conversion process could be divided differently
among the elements 50, 60 and 70. Also, ROM 50 can be loaded with more than one mapping
of input attributes into output monochrome and color attributes. Moreover, ROM 50
could be totally or partially replaced with read/write (RAM) memory, so as to allow
the loading of custom mappings, either from the host CPU via communications adapter
15, Fig. 1, or from keyboard 18.
[0030] Fig. 3 shows an example of a conventional video serializer 27 useful in connection
with the invention.
[0031] Ring counter 91 outputs a repetitive sequence of dot signals T0T8 in response to
dot clock on line 29. Each dot signal represents one dot interval of the nine horizontal
dots in each character position on the CRT display. TO and T8 are ORed in gate 92
to produce the previously described column-separator signal T08 on line 65. Each dot-time
signal TO-T8 conditions both of a pair of ANDs 93, 94. Each pair of gates also receives
a corresponding one of the parallel video signals VO-V8 from register 25, Fig. 1.
Selection between the gates of each pair is based on the state oftrue/complement input
on line 51: if T/C is high, AND 93 transfers its data to OR 95 unchanged at the appropriate
time; if T/C is low, inverting AND (NAND) 94 inverts the value of its data line. OR
95 merely collects the outputs of all the ANDs 93, 94 and transfers them to serial
video line 28. Many other implementations are possible for serializer 27; this one
happens to be particularly economical as a part of a custom-logic chip for the present
implementation.
1. A method of operating a color display terminal for alphanumeric data in accordance
with a defined input set of monochrome display attributes, said display attributes
representing visually perceptible distinctions among character images of said alphanumeric
data, comprising the steps of receiving input codes representing various combinations
of said input set of monochrome display attributes, translating said input set of
monochrome display attributes into a set of color display attributes and controlling
the display character images of said alphanumeric data in accordance with said set
of color display attributes, characterized in that it comprises the further steps
of:
translating said input set of monochrome display attributes into an output set of
monochrome display attributes, and
controlling the display of said character images of said alphanumeric data in accordance
with said output set of monochrome display attributes simultaneously.
2. The method of Claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of the monochrome display
attributes of said input set are the same as those of said output set.
3. The method of Claim 2, characterized in that said input set of monochrome display
attributes includes a reverse-image attribute, an intensify attribute, an underscore
attribute, and a blink attribute.
4. The method of Claim 3, characterized in that said set of color display attributes
includes individual attributes representing at least three primary colors.
5. The method of Claim 4, characterized in that said output set of monochrome display
attributes includes said reverse-image attribute, said underscore attribute, said
blink attribute, and a non-display attribute.
6. The method of Claim 2, characterized in that both said input set and said output
set of monochrome display attributes include a reverse-image attribute, an underscore
attribute, a blink attribute, and a column-separator attribute.
7. The method of any of Claims 1-6 characterized in that said input codes further
represent said alphanumeric data, said input set of monochrome display attributes
and said alphanumeric data occupying distinct ranges of values of said input codes.
8. A color terminal (20) for displaying character images of alphanumeric data, said
terminal including: input means (21) for receiving character signals representing
a set of alphanumeric characters, and for receiving input attribute signals representing
a predefined first set of monochrome display attributes, said monochrome display attributes
providing visually perceptible different images of the same one of said alphanumeric
characters, independently of the color in which said characters are displayed,
character-generator means (22) for converting said character signals into video signals
representing said character images,
display means (80) responsive to a plurality of control signals for displaying said
character images in different colors,
attribute translator means (50) responsive to said attribute signals for translating
said first set of monochrome display attributes into a set of color display attributes,
and
color logic means (70) coupled to said attribute translator means for producing said
control signals in accordance with said video signals and said set of color attributes,
terminal characterized in that:
said attribute translator means responsive to said attribute signals further translate
said first set of monochrome display attributes into a second set of monochrome display
attributes and in that it further comprises:
monochrome logic means (60) coupled to said attribute translater means for modifying
said video signals in accordance with said second set of monochrome display attributes.
9. The color terminal of Claim 8 characterized in that said display means produces
said character images as a plurality of video scans.
10. The color terminal of Claim 9 characterized in that said attribute translator
means (50) comprises a memory addressed by said input attribute signals.
11. The color terminal of Claim 10 characterized in that it further comprises decoding
means (40) for producing location signals for certain of said scans in said plurality
of scans, said location signals being effective to address said attribute-translator
memory.
12. The color terminal of Claim 11 characterized in that said attribute-translator
memory (50) is responsive to said location signals for modifying said color display
attributes transmitted to said color logic means (70).
13. The color terminal of Claim 11 characterized in that said attribute-translator
memory is responsive to said location signals for modifying at least one of said second
set of monochrome display attributes.
1. Methode zum Betrieb eines Farbbildschirmterminals zur Darstellung von alphanumerischen
Daten in Übereinstimmung mit einem definierten Eingabesatz von monochromen Darstellungsattributen,
wobei diese Darstellungsattribute visuell wahrnehmbaren Unterschieden der Zeichenbilder
der genannten alphanumerischen Daten entsprechen, Schritte für den Empfang der Eingabecodes
umfassen welche verschiedene Kombinationen des genannten Eingabesatzes monochromer
Darstellungsattribute darstellen, die Übersetzung des genannten Eingabesatzes monochromer
Darstellungsattribute in einen Satz von Farbdarstellungsattributen bewirken und die
Zeichenbilder der Darstellung der genannten alphanumerischen Daten in Übereinstimmung
mit dem genannten Satz von Farbdarstellungsattributen steuern, dadurch gekennzeichnet,
dass sie folgende weitere Schritte aufweist:
Übersetzen des genannten Eingabesatzes monochromer Darstellungsattribute in einen
Ausgabesatz monochromer Darstellungsattribute, und
gleichzeitiges Steuern der Darstellung der gennanten Zeichenbilder in Übereinstimmung
mit dem genannten Ausgabesatz der monochromen Darstellungsattribute.
2. Methode nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass eine Vielzahl der monochromen
Darstellungsattribute des genannten Eingabesatzes dieselben wie die des genannten
Ausgabesatzes sind.
3. Methode nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der genannte Eingabesatz
monochromer Darstellungsattribute ein Seitenumkehrattribut, ein Bildverstärkungsattribut,
ein Unterstreichungsattribut und ein Blinkattribut umfasst.
4. Methode nach Anspruch 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der genannte Satz von Farbdarstellungsattributen
einzelne Attribute aufweist, die zumindest drei Grundfarben darstellen.
5. Methode nach Anspruch 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der genannte Ausgabesatz
monochromer Darstellungsattribute das genannte Seitenumkehrattribut, das genannte
Unterstreichunngsattribut, das Blinkattribut und ein Nicht-Darstellungsattribut umfasst.
6. Methode nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass sowohl der genannte Eingabesatz
als auch der genannte Ausgabesatz monochromer Darstellungsattribute ein Seitenumkehrattribut,
ein Unterstreichungsattribut, ein Blinkattribut und ein Spaltentrennattribut aufweisen.
7. Methode nach allen Ansprüchen 1 bis 6, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die genannten
Eingabesätze weiter die genannten alphanumerischen Daten darstellen, wobei der genannte
Eingabesatz monochromer Darstellungsattribute sowie die alphanumerischen Daten getrennte
Wertbereiche in den genannten Eingabesätzen einnehmen.
8. Ein Farbterminal (20) zum Darstellen von Zeichenbildern alphanumerischer Daten,
wozu dieses Terminal aufweist:
Eingabemittel (21) zum Empfang von Zeichensignalen, die einen Satz alphanumerischer
Zeichen darstellen, und zum Empfang von Attributsignalen, die einen vordefinierten
ersten Satz monochromer Darstellungsattribute darstellen, wobei die genannten monochromen
Darstellungsattribute visuell als unterschiedlich wahrgenommene Bilder desselben alphanumerischen
Zeichens erstellen und zwar unabhängig von der Farbe, in der die genannten Zeichen
dargestellt werden,
Zeichengeneratormittel (22) zum Umwandeln der genannten Zeichensignale in Videosignale,
die dasselbe Zeichenbild darstellen,
Darstellungsmittel (8), die auf eine Vielzahl von Steuersignalen ansprechen, um die
genannten Zeichenbilder in verschiedenen Farben darzustellen,
Attributübersetzmittel (50), das auf die genannten Attributsignale anspricht, um den
genannten ersten Satz monochromer Darstellungsattribute in einen Satz Farbdarstellungsattribute
zu übersetzen, und
Logische Farbmittel (70), mit dem genannten Attributübersetzmittel verbunden, um die
genannten Steuersignale in Übereinstimmung mit den genannten Videosignalen und dem
Satz Farbattribute zu erzeugen, wobei das Terminal dadurch gekennzeichnet ist, dass:
das genannte Attributübersetzmittel, das auf die genannten Attributsignale anspricht,
weiter den genannten ersten Satz monochromer Darstellungsattribute in einen zweiten
Satz monochromer Darstellungsattribute übersetzt und das es noch folgende Elemente
umfasst:
Monochrome Logikmittel (60), mit dem genannten Attributübersetzmittel verbunden, um
die genannten Videosignale gemäss dem genannten zweiten Satz monochromer Darstellungsattribute
zu modifizieren.
9. Farbterminal nach Anspruch 8, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das genannte Darstellungsmittel
die genannten Zeichenbilder für eine Vielzahl von Sichtgeräten erstellt.
10. Farbterminal nach Anspruch 9, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das genannte Attributübersetzmittel
(50) einen Speicher aufweist, der von den genannten Eingabe-Attributsignalen adressiert
wird.
11. Farbterminal nach Anspruch 10, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass es weiter noch ein
Dekodiermittel (40) aufweist, um Positionssignale für verschiedene der genannten Sichtgeräte
zu erstellen, wobei die genannten Positionssignale gültig sind, um den genannten Speicher
der Attributübersetzung zu adressieren.
12. Farbterminal nach Anspruch 11, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der genannte Attributübersetzspeicher
(50) auf die genannten Positionssignale anspricht, um die Farbdarstellungsattribute,
die dem genannten logischen Farbmittel (70) übertragen werden, zu modifizieren.
13. Farbterminal nach Anspruch 11, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der genannte Attributübersetzspeicher
auf die genannten Positionssignale anspricht, um zumindest einen der monochromen Darstellungsattribute
des zweiten Satzes zu modifizieren.
1. Une méthode d'actionnement d'un terminal d'affichage en couleurs pour des données
numériques selon un ensemble d'entrée défini d'attributs d'affichage monochrome, lesdits
attributs d'affichage représentant des différences visuellement perceptibles parmi
des images de caractères desdites données alphanumériques, comprenant les étapes de
réception de codes d'entrée représentant diverses combinaisons dudit ensemble d'entrée
d'attributs d'affichage monochrome, de translation dudit ensemble d'entrée d'attributs
d'affichage monochrome en un ensemble d'attributs d'affichage en couleurs et de commande
des images de caractères d'affichage desdites données alphanumériques selon ledit
ensemble d'attributs d'affichage en couleurs, caractérisée en ce qu'elle comprend
les autres étapes suivantes:
la translation dudit ensemble d'entrée d'attributs d'affichage monochrome en un ensemble
de sortie d'attributs d'affichage monochrome, et
la commande de l'affichage desdites images de caractères desdites données alphanumériques
selon ledit ensemble d'entrée d'attributs d'affichage monochrome, de manière simultanée.
2. La méthode de la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce qu'une pluralité d'attributs
d'affichage monochrome dudit ensemble d'entrée, sont les mêmes que ceux dudit ensemble
de sortie.
3. La méthode de la revendication 2, caractérisée en ce que ledit ensemble d'entrée
d'attributs d'affichage monochrome comprend un attribut d'image inverse, un attribut
d'intensification, un attribut de soulignement et un attribut de clignotement.
4. La méthode de la revendication 3, caractérisée en ce que ledit ensemble d'attributs
d'affichage en couleurs, comprend des attributs individuels représentant au moins
trois couleurs primaires.
5. La méthode de la revendication 4, caractérisée en ce que ledit ensemble de sortie
d'attributs d'affichage monochrome comprend ledit attribut d'image inverse, ledit
attribut de soulignement, ledit attribut de clignotement et un attribut de non-affichage.
6. La méthode de la revendication 2, caractérisée en ce que ledit ensemble d'entrée
et ledit ensemble de sortie d'attributs d'affichage monochrome, comprennent tous les
deux un attribut d'image inverse, un attribut de soulignement, un attribut de clignotement
et un attribut de séparation de colonnes.
7. La méthode de l'une quelconque des revendications 1-6 caractérisée en ce que lesdits
codes d'entrée représentent en outre lesdits données alphanumériques, ledit ensemble
d'entrée d'attributs d'affichage monochrome et lesdites données alphanumériques occupant
des plages distinctes des valeurs desdits codes d'entrée.
8. Un terminal en couleurs (20) pour afficher des images de caractères de données
alphanumériques, ledit terminal comprenant:
des moyens d'entrée (21) pour recevoir des signaux de caractères représentant un ensemble
de caractères alphanumériques, et pour recevoir des signaux d'attributs d'entrée représentant
un premier ensemble pré-défini d'attributs d'affichage monochrome, lesdits attributs
d'affichage monochrome fournissant des images différentes visuellement perceptibles
du même caractère desdits caractères alphanumériques, indépendamment de la couleur
dans laquelle lesdits caractères sont affichés,
des moyens de génération de caractères (22) pour convertir lesdits signaux de caractères
en signaux vidéos représentant lesdites images de caractères,
des moyens d'affichage (80) répondant à une pluralité de signaux de commande pour
afficher lesdits images de caractères dans des couleurs différentes,
des moyens de translation d'attributs (50) répondant auxdits signaux d'attributs pour
translater ledit premier ensemble d'attributs d'affichage monochrome dans un ensemble
d'attributs d'affichage en couleurs, et
des moyens logiques en couleurs (70) raccordés auxdits moyens de translation d'attributs
pour produire lesdits signaux de commande selon lesdits signaux vidéos et ledit ensemble
d'attributs de couleurs, ledit terminal étant caractérisé en ce que:
lesdits moyens de translation d'attributs répondant auxdits signaux d'attributs transfèrent
en outre ledit premier ensemble d'attributs d'affichage monochrome dans un second
ensemble d'attributs d'affichage monochrome et en ce qu'il comprend en outre:
des moyens logiques monochromes (60) raccordés auxdits moyens de translation d'attributs
pour modifier lesdits signaux vidéos selon ledit second ensemble d'attributs d'affichage
monochrome.
9. Le terminal en couleurs de la revendication 8 caractérisé en ce que lesdits moyens
d'affichage produisent lesdites images de caractères comme une pluralité de balayages
vidéoes.
10. Le terminal en couleurs de la revendication 9 caractérisé en ce que lesdits moyens
de translation d'attributs (50) comprennent une mémoire adressée par lesdits signaux
d'attributs d'entréee.
11. Le terminal en couleurs de la revendication 10 caractérisé en ce qu'il comprend
en outre des moyens de décodage (40) pour produire des signaux de localisation pour
certains desdits balayages de ladite pluralité de balayages, lesdits signaux de localisation
étant effectifs pour adresser ladite mémoire de translation d'attributs.
12. Le terminal en couleurs de la revendication 11 caractérisé en ce que ladite mémoire
de translation d'attributs (50) répond auxdits signaux de localisation pour modifier
lesdits attributs d'affichage en couleurs transmis auxdits moyens logiques en couleurs
(70).
13. Le terminal en couleurs de la revendication 11 caractérisé en ce que ladite mémoire
de translation d'attributs répond auxdits signaux de localisation pour modifier au
moins un attribut dudit second ensemble d'attributs d'affichage monochrome.