Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Light pen for fluid matrix display panel
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-16
2001-04-17
Sax, Steven (Department: 2173)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Light pen for fluid matrix display panel
C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06219027
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to image display systems and more particularly, to an image display system for displaying images using a plurality of display apparatuses.
Recently, users of a personal computer often run a plurality of programs such as a word processor or a spread sheet simultaneously or have a plurality of sets of data displayed on the screen. In such a type of usage, the content to be displayed may be so voluminous that the display area of a single display device proves insufficient. For this reason, systems provided with a plurality of display devices are sometimes used.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 62-229325 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 62-256125 disclose methods for displaying a cursor in a system provided with a plurality of display device.
FIG. 1
shows a coordinate system used in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 62-229325. As shown in
FIG. 1
, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 62-229325, the position of the pointer is updated within the same coordinate system shared by a CRT
1
and a CRT
2
.
FIG. 2
is a flowchart showing an algorithm of a process according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 62-229325.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, the pointer position is updated in step S
202
without making any distinction between the CRT
1
and the CRT
2
.
FIG. 3
shows a coordinate system used in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 62-256125.
As shown in
FIG. 3
, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 62-256125, the position of a mouse cursor is updated within the same coordinate system (referred to as BMM in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 62-256125) shared by the CRT
1
and the CRT
2
.
FIG. 4
is a flowchart showing an algorithm of a process according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 62-256125.
As shown in
FIG. 4
, the cursor coordinate is calculated in step S
2
without making any distinction between the CRTs.
The related art disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 62-229325 and No. 62-256125 does not assume a case where the number of pixels (pixel count) and a pixel pitch (pixel-to-pixel pitch) differ from one display device (CRT or the like) to another. In other words, the related art does not provide for a process whereby the cursor movement per a mouse input differs from one display device to another in a system where a plurality of display devices characterized by different pixel count and pixel pitch are used. Such an arrangement has a disadvantage in that the cursor cannot be moved smoothly between the plurality of display devices.
One type of problem (first problem) related to movement of the cursor is caused by failure to provide a method for updating a cursor display position for each display device. Another type of problem (second problem) is caused by failure to adapt for a cursor movement between different means of display by updating the cursor depending on the display means and the displayed position.
A description will now be given of these problems, by contrasting the problems with requirements of users operating a pointing device such as a mouse in a system in which a plurality of display devices are used.
The first problems will now be divided into aspects
1
(
a
),
1
(
b
) and
1
(
c
).
The aspect
1
(
a
) of the first problem is caused even when the plurality of display devices have identical characteristics (pixel count, pixel pitch etc.) and concerns a user request that the cursor movement be adapted for the displayed content in respective display devices. The aspects
1
(
b
) and
1
(
c
) concern a user request that the cursor be moved in a regular manner from one display device to another even when the display devices have different characteristics.
A description will now be given of the details of the individual aspects.
According to aspect
1
(
a
), the cursor movement (velocity) cannot be selectively set for individual display devices. In a system using a plurality of display devices, the displayed content may be varied from one display device to another. For example, one display device could be dedicated to display of documents, while another display device could be dedicated to display of diagrams. Finer pointing is required in the display device dedicated to display of diagrams than in the display device dedicated to display of documents. A requirement exists that the mouse cursor be moved slower in the display device dedicated to diagrams than in the display device dedicated to documents in order to enable finer pointing.
However, no technology has been available to vary a relationship between an output signal of a pointing device and a distance between cursor display positions before and after the movement (the number of pixels by which the positions are offset from each other).
According to aspect
1
(
b
), it is impossible to ensure that, given the same physical movement of the mouse, the distance on one display device between cursor display positions before and after the movement is the same as the corresponding distance on another display device. A requirement exists, particularly in those cases where similar tasks are carried out using a plurality of display devices, that the physical distance that the cursor moves on one display device be the same as the corresponding distance on another display device, given the same mouse movement. According to such a requirement, it is desired that the mouse pointer exhibits a 5 cm on-screen movement both in the display device D
1
and in the display device D
2
, when the mouse is moved 15 cm, for example.
FIG. 5
illustrates aspect
1
(
b
) of the related art. Referring to
FIG. 5
, a display system includes display devices D
31
and D
32
, a computer
21
, a keyboard
22
and a mouse
23
.
As indicated by the arrows A
1
and A
2
, a given movement of the mouse
23
do not cause the pointer to move the same on-screen distance on the display device D
31
and on the display device D
32
if the pixel pitches of the display devices D
31
and D
32
are different.
According to aspect
1
(
c
), it is impossible to match the rate of a cursor movement on one display device with the corresponding rate on another display device. A requirement exists, when a plurality of display devices are used, that the rate of a mouse cursor movement be the same from one display device to another. For example, assuming that the cursor can be moved end to end on a display device D
1
when the mouse is moved 15 cm, users may desire that the cursor on another display device D
2
be also moved end to end. While aspect
1
(
b
) concerns matching of the distances, aspect
1
(
c
) concerns the rate of the on-screen pointer movement.
An operator using a mouse may often have an image of how far the mouse should be moved in order to move the pointer from one end of the screen to another. Such an operator may find a system difficult to use if the pointer moves end to end on one display device and only moves ⅓ of the width of the screen on another display device, when the mouse is moved 15 cm. Stated otherwise, such a user may want the pointer to move at a regular rate on the screen instead of wanting the pointer to move the same distance on different display devices in response to the same mouse operation.
FIG. 6
illustrates aspect
1
(
c
) of the related art. In
FIG. 6
, those components that are the same as the corresponding components in
FIG. 5
are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.
Referring to
FIG. 6
, a display system includes display devices D
41
and D
42
characterized by different pixel counts. The display device D
41
is a 640×480 pixel display and the display device D
42
is a 1600×1200 pixel display.
As indicated by the arrows B
1
and B
2
, the same physical movement of the mouse causes the cursor to move end to end in the display device D
41
but causes the cursor to move only a certain distance on the display device D
42
.
A descripti
Noda Tsugio
Shimizu Masayoshi
Suzuki Shoji
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Fujitsu Limited
Sax Steven
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