Patent · US Expired

Converter device for a computer terminal

US4601010A · kind A · utility

2Cited by
1References
11Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 19, 1983
Grant dateJul 15, 1986
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 19, 2003

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG09G1/16
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A converter device which enables a computer terminal having text display capability only to be used for displaying either graphics or text and graphics simultaneously in addition to text is disclosed. The device connects in series between the video output port of the terminal electronics section of the computer terminal and the video input port of the CRT electronics section of the computer terminal and in parallel with the RS232 port of the computer terminal to an external source of serial data signals and includes a microprocessor controlled relay which allows either video signals generated by the control electronics section of the computer terminal or internally generated video signals to be transmitted to the CRT electronics section, a fail-safe switch which allows the computer terminal to function normally in the event of a malfunction in the device, a data processing system having a microprocessor, a character generator read-only memory and video refresh memory section containing random access memory elements for storing graphic data and random access memory elements for storing ASCII code signals representative of characters and selection circuitry for selecting which memory…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.