Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-03
2001-11-20
Bayerl, Raymond J. (Department: 2173)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S182000, C345S215000, C345S440000, C702S067000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06320577
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related to commonly owned U.S. Utility Patent Application entitled “System and Method for Annotating a Graphical User Interface Display in a Computer-Based System,” filed concurrently herewith, (Ser. No. 09/185,369), and naming as inventor Jay A. Alexander.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a graphical user interface and, more particularly, to graphically annotating a measurement display of a signal measurement system.
2. Related Art
Conventional signal measurement systems such as digital oscilloscopes sample, record and display time-varying analog signals. Samples of an input signal are taken and quantized, and the resultant digital representations are stored in a waveform memory under the control of a sampling clock. The acquired data may be subsequently read out as locations in memory are sequentially addressed by a clock signal to provide digital data that can be converted to a time-varying output signal for a waveform display. The sampling clock may be operated at one of several selectable rates depending upon the frequency content of the input signal. The selection of the portion of the analog input signal sampled and stored is determined by appropriate triggering circuitry to enable the operator to display the desired portion of the waveform.
There are many types of display elements that can be presented in signal measurement systems in general and test and measurement instruments in particular. For example, in addition to the waveforms representing the signals currently received at the channel inputs, waveforms referred to as function waveforms may also be displayed. Function waveforms are waveforms created by processing one or more signal waveforms. Such processing may include, for example, performing arithmetic manipulations on a signal waveform or combining multiple input signal waveforms in some predetermined manner. The resulting function waveforms are stored in a display memory for subsequent retrieval and display. In addition, memory waveforms may also be displayed. Memory waveforms are waveforms which have been previously captured and stored in a memory device of the signal measurement system. In addition to the above waveforms, other display elements such as marker indicators, trigger indicators, etc., are typically displayed.
There are various annotation and documentation requirements that arise during the design, test and evaluation, and other development phases of a circuit or system component, as well as during manufacturing and ongoing support phases. In particular, there is a need for accurate and complete documentation related to signal acquisition and analysis, particularly during product development and manufacturing phases. One such need is to provide the operator with the ability to document test conditions (power usage, load, etc.), observations, suspected causes and proposed solutions to observed behavior of the device under test (DUT). Not only does such information facilitate management of the test and evaluation process, it also facilitates communications with others in the diagnosis of the DUT. There is also a significant need to fully document for subsequent referral all aspects of a test and evaluation procedure, including the resulting test data in addition to the above information. Such documentation may be referred to again until some latter phase of the product development cycle, or even after the product or DUT has gone into its manufacturing phase.
With the advent of increasingly sophisticated signal measurement systems, as well as an increase in the complexity of the devices which are to be tested, such annotation and documentation needs far exceed the capabilities of traditional techniques. One conventional approach has been to provide a simple waveform label containing fixed waveform names. Such labels are typically located in a static region on the left or right side of the waveform display adjacent to the location at which the waveform enters or exits the waveform display region. These labels are often simply channel names or number designations such as, for example, 1, 2, 3 or C1, C2, C3 for waveforms received at channels 1, 2 and 3, respectively. This identification information is useful, particularly in monochrome displays where the use of distinguishing colors or gray scales is limited or non-existent.
However, at most, such conventional techniques provide only a simple indication of which signal waveform is currently displayed. There is no additional information presented and the operator cannot modify or otherwise contribute to the location or content of the displayed label. For example, when multiple waveforms are displayed on a signal measurement system, it is important to provide information beyond channel association such as the location of the circuit (pin 3, IC 5, etc.) associated with the waveform as well as the above information (observations, test conditions, suspected causes of behavioral problems, anticipated solutions to such behaviors, calculations, etc.). The above conventional techniques cannot support such information.
Another common approach is simply to record such information in a laboratory notebook, word processor text file, or the like. It is not uncommon for signals to be measured and the resulting waveforms to be digitally stored and printed. Printed copies of the waveforms, annotated with the above information, are often included in the laboratory notes to supplement the above information. Unfortunately, this approach has also been found to be time consuming and insufficient, particularly with the advent of increasingly sophisticated DUTs and corresponding test procedures.
Subsequent evaluation of the waveforms due to, for example, problems identified during the manufacturing of the DUT, requires a comparison to be made between the current performance of the DUT and the previously-documented characterizations made during product design or component qualification. Unfortunately, the information contained in the above laboratory notes is often incomplete or difficult to correlate with the acquired signals obtained during the current test process. Furthermore, this process is often time consuming or not possible due to the misplacement of the original test results and related information. As a result, additional time must be expended to repeat tests which have been performed previously. Oftentimes, a previous test cannot be repeated due to a change in venders, lack of part inventories, etc. This results in further costs being expended to recharacterize the DUT.
Another conventional approach is implemented in the model 54700 series oscilloscope formally available from Hewlett-Packard Company, Colorado Springs, Colo., USA. To document a measurement in such a conventional signal measurement system, numerous operator actions are typically required to be performed. First, the desired function is selected by pressing a multifunction softkey having a currently assigned function of generating text labels. Typically, the softkey is located near a textual or graphical display at which the key's current function is displayed. With this approach, the current function of the softkey must first be assigned through the activation of a ‘menu’ or ‘setup’ key. The menu/setup key may be a fixed function key located on the front panel, or may itself be a softkey having a currently-assigned function of assigning functions to one or more other softkeys.
The operator must first select each letter or phrase from a list of such letters and phrases to create a desired label. Softkeys or rotational knobs are provided to enable the operator to scroll through a series of optional characters or phrases to arrive at the letter or phrase that the operator desires. To select the letter, the operator depresses an additional softkey indicating acceptance and selection of the highlighted letter or phrase. This process is continually repeated until the operator completes the assembly of the desired text label.
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Agilent Technologie,s Inc.
Bautista X. L.
Bayerl Raymond J.
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