Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Plural display systems
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-28
2003-02-18
Wu, Xiao (Department: 2774)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Plural display systems
C345S002100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06522309
ABSTRACT:
OVERVIEW
A computer user working with an application program that produces one or more screens of information may enter a selection of an immediate screen. The processed video data signal delivered by the computer to the primary monitor that relates to the selected screen is concurrently written into a memory. The application program may next-advance to display another screen, or another application program. Meanwhile the previously selected screen of processed video signal data is stored in a digital memory and continues to be read-out from the memory and reconstituted as a replication of the processed video data signal selected by the user. This replicated signal is subsequently presented to a secondary monitor for viewing as a predecessory document.
The user may then move ahead to view or edit subsequent portions of the same document or a different document on the primary video monitor. In addition, different software originated windows of information are maximizable and separately displayable on each the primary and secondary video monitors. The device performance stands absolutely independent from operating system constraints. It has been found to be equally valuable for use with programs running under Windows®, MS-DOS, Unix, Linux, CP/M86, OS/2, Apple-OS, Macintosh® and other operating systems where a processed video signal either in graphical or ASCII format is coupled between the computer and a monitor. A current screen data signal is also obtainable through the computer's parallel LPT ports or serial COM ports. A SHIFT+PRINT_SCREEN keyboard command is ordinarily submitted through keyboard entry to initiate an export of pertinent video data by way of the computer's printer port. This video data is stored in memory and readout on the secondary video monitor. A primary display video screen selection is made by actuation of an auxiliary key-switch associated with the adapter, by a “third” mouse button entry or by a unique keyboard sequence entry processed by a TSR program to enable the necessary function. Expansion to several secondary video monitors is obtainable through usage of additional memory and control circuitry whereby several preceding document pages or windows of information are simultaneously displayed, enabling more efficient editing or comparison between disparate document portions.
BACKGROUND OF MY INVENTION
Computers are much used in offices and other business settings, as well as for personal use, in preparing documents, writing letters, completing forms and searching data. Computers also find substantial application in desktop publishing of newsletters, brochures and advertising literature. In each of these cited usages, it is often desirable if not absolutely necessary to reference against another document page, or even another class of document. In the earlier text-based computers running MS-DOS, UNIX, etc. it was common practice to “print out” a hard copy of the reference page. This approach was superceded by Windows® software that allowed the layering of two or more related pages. None of these earlier approaches gave a truly concurrent view of a “before” and “current” document. Real time concurrency between two disparate screens has not been practicable, at least not until now.
Windowing OS Application
Common practice in contemporaneous computers is to utilize windowing-capable Operating System “OS” software. Windowing type Graphical User Interfaces “GUI”, initially developed by Xerox Corporation and first appearing commercially on early Apple Macintosh® computers provides a user with a near-concurrent view of two or more screens of data/derived from one or more separately running programs. Subsequently the windowing GUI was further developed and more importantly, popularized as a defacto standard of the personal computer industry by Microsoft Corporation. Recognize that Microsoft Windows® appears in one version or another in a vast majority of the worlds desktop, personal and portable computers. A current trend is a rapid increase in the installation of a Linux OS, an open architecture freeware version of Unix, in commercial network and workgroup systems. This suggests that Linux (and Unix) may command a substantial portion of the client workstation applications in the near future. Linux provides a GUI having most of the GUI features of other competitive windowing format OS software. A most popular Linux GUI is “X Window Systems”, a freeware program available from Red Hat Software Inc. and others. In addition Corel Corporation supplies “WordPerfect-8” for Linux, which extends the potential for Linux applicability to many more critical usages, such as intranet applications within law firms and the like. A primary advantage afforded by Linux in such critical applications, for example, is the “crash resistance” Linux (or Unix) affords over a typical Microsoft Windows Operating System, while maintaining a goodly degree of compatibility between Microsoft Windows based files and Linux. In contrast, negligible compatibility exists between an Apple OS based applications file and either Microsoft Windows or Linux. Further Linux information may be determined at the Linux website: www. linux.org and the Corel Corporation's website:
www.linux.corel.com.
Word processors, spread sheet programs, data base programs and other applications oriented software programs frequently include various windows of related data information which is brought up to full screen size for viewing. These windows are used like a reference, usually viewed in a passive state. That is to say, they are not necessarily subject to immediate editing efforts.
In concurrent application operation, where two or more file editor programs (e.g., word processor, data base, spreadsheet, etc.) are running at the same time, disparate displays are produced which may indirectly relate to one-another via dissemination to the computer's user through a video display and subsequent keyboard entry into an instant program data stream by the user. Letters or other documents stored in more than one word processor or database file are frequently needed to tie together a user's thought process.
Multiple Window Displays
Popular windowing graphical user interface GUI “operating system” software, such as Microsoft Windows® 3.11, Windows98®, Windows2000®, Unix and Linux (and lesser used Apple-Macintosh, iMac® and IBM-OS/2 software), is known to do a heretofore acceptable job of enabling cross-document examination by enabling a user to open one or more additional document windows. This prior art approach is fraught with a major shortfall manifesting itself as an practicable difficulty in providing a user with a quick ease of readability. This objectionable usability factor arises due to a fragmented screen appearance introduced by subwindow layers and an implicit and distracting need for switching back and forth between one or more subwindows typically introduced by the necessitous window partitions situate on the main display screen. As a practical result, the user is frequently “jumping back and forth” between the top window and one or more individual under-layers of sub-windows, with an attendant distraction from the central work effort of editing or assembling a principal document's text and associated train of thought.
Microsoft Word® or Corel WordPerfect® running rounder an appropriate version of Microsoft's Windows®, (viz, Windows-3.1,-3.11,-95,-98,-2000,-NT, etc.) as well as Corel WordPerfect® running under a version of Linux (such as Red Hat Linux 5.2) typify this class of wordprocessor editors. An inevitable result of awkward multi-window editing which routinely occurs while using these (and similar) types of programs frequently drives the user to make a print-out of a temporary hard-copy support document. This obvious expedient, while wasteful of time and paper, is also less efficient to use than what an eye-level “on screen” presentation of an immediate predecessory document could provide. The intermediate hardcopy is sometimes produced through expedient use of the
Savry Stuff Property Trust
Wu Xiao
LandOfFree
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