Video raster display with foreground windows that are partially transparent or translucent
US5896131A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 30, 1997 |
| Grant date | Apr 20, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 30, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG09G2340/12
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A graphical display system in which a background graphical image is at least partially visible within a foreground window. Examples of foreground windows include pull-down menus or pop-up dialog boxes. In a specific example embodiment, the background image is digitized waveform data for a digital oscilloscope, and the foreground window is an interactive dialog box for control. Digitized waveforms are at least partially visible in parts of the dialog box. The system has separate memories for the dialog box and the waveform data. A dual-path video controller chip can switch between the two memories for any pixel. The video chip is programmed to switch when the data from the dialog box memory is a particular programmed color. For translucent areas, a checkerboard pattern is defined in the dialog box memory in which alternate pixels in the dialog box memory are the programmed color. As a result, in the translucent areas, digitized waveforms are displayed in half the pixels in a checkerboard pattern. For transparent areas, the pixels in the dialog box memory are the programmed color so that only the waveform data is displayed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.