Texas Instruments Corporation

Mark F Novak

Karl M Guttag

Michael D Asal

Neil Tebbutt

Donald J Redwine

Raymond Pinkham

Jerry R Van Aken

Andrew L Heilveil

Thomas Preston

Jerry R Vanaken

Jerry R VanAken

John Victor Moravec

Robert C Thaden

Jeffrey C Bond

Mike Asal

Ray Pinkam

Karl W Guttag

The graphics data processor of the present invention offers as a single instruction in its instruction set a draw and advance operation. A first data register stores a set of X and Y coordinates. In a first embodiment, a predetermined color code is stored at the pixel address of a bit mapped display memory indicated by the X and Y coordinates the first data register upon execution of the the draw and advance instruction. The X and Y coordinates stored in the first data register are then advanced by addition of X and Y coordinates stored in a second data register. A second embodiment is similar except that the color code stored at the X and Y coordinates of the first date register is recalled for combining with the predetermined color code and the combined result stored at that pixel location. The predetermined color code is preferrably stored in another data register. By proper selection of the X and Y coordinate data stored in the second data register either the X or the Y coordinate may be altered alone or both may by simultaneously changed. Provision of signed X and Y coordinate values in the second register enables either the X or Y coordinate to be incremented of decremented. This instruction serves to inhance the speed at which a line or computed curve may by drawn in the bit mapped display.

Process of processing graphics data

The graphics data processor of the present invention offers as a single instruction in its instruction set a draw and advance operation. A first data register stores a set of X and Y coordinates. In a first embodiment, a predetermined color code is stored at the pixel address of a bit mapped display memory indicated by the X and Y coordinates the first data register upon execution of the draw and advance instruction. The X and Y coordinates stored in the first data register are then advanced by addition of X and Y coordinates stored In a second data register. A second embodiment is similar except that the color code stored at the X and Y coordinates of the first data register is recalled for combining with the predetermined color code and the combined result stored at that pixel location. The predetermined color code is preferably stored in another data register. By proper selection of the X and Y coordinate data stored in the second data register either the X or the Y coordinate may be altered alone or both may be simultaneously changed. Provision of signed X and Y coordinate values in the second register enables either the X or Y coordinate to be incremented or decremented. This instruction serves to enhance the speed at which a line or computed curve may be drawn in the bit mapped display.

Graphics computer system, a graphics system arrangement, a display

In a video-type computer system and the like, an improved memory circuit is provided for adapting the system to CRT screens having different resolutions. The memory circuit includes a bit-mapped RAM unit or chip having sufficient cells to accommodate any CRT screen sought to be used, and also a serial shift register having taps at a plurality of different locations corresponding to different columns of cells in the RAM unit. When the RAM unit is in serial mode, a row of data is transferred into the serial shift register. Then the column address applied to the RAM unit is used to instruct and actuate a suitable decoder circuit to select the tap appropriate to unload the portion of the serial shift register containing the data bits of interest.

Video display system using memory with a register arranged to present an

The present invention is a graphics data processor which includes the capability of determining whether a defined pixel location in a graphics display is within a window in an X Y coordinate system. The respective X and Y coordinates of the selected pixel are separately compared with the window limits. The window limits are preferable expressed as the X and Y coordinates of two diagonally opposite vertexes of a rectangular window. The results of this comparison are preferable available in two forms. In a first embodiment a single data processing instruction enables the generation of a digital data word which indicates the relation of the pixel to the window. This digital word includes a separate indication of the relationship of the pixel to the vertical and horizontal window limits. This indication can be used to generate a 'trivial rejection' in determining whether a line or line segment passes through the window by ANDing the results for two points on the line. In a second embodiment the window compare capability is employed to determine whether or not a destination pixel is within the window. This is useful in array move instructions in which an entire array of pixels is moved to a location in the display. The array move may be aborted if a window violation is found or the move may be modified to plot to the display only those pixels within the window. This capability enables saving a great deal of time in graphics applications in which windows are employed by reducing the overhead needed for window determinations.

Process for performing a windowing operation in an array move, a

The graphics processing apparatus of the present invention utilizes individual registers of a register file to store the X and Y coordinates of pixels. These X and Y coordinates though formed into a single data word are separable by, for example, having the most significant bits specifying the Y coordinate and the least significant bits specifying the Y coordinate. The graphics processing apparatus supports instructions which provide separate and independent data manipulation of these X and Y coordinates. These X Y coordinate manipulation instructions can provide for separate X Y arithmetic operations on two data words, separate X and Y compare operations, separate X and Y data move operations and a conversion between the X Y address form to the linear address form. This technique is highly useful for manipulation of X Y address coordinates in a visual display system employing bit mapped graphics.

Graphics processing apparatus having instruction which operates

The graphics data processor of the present invention offers as a single instruction in its instruction set a draw and advance operation. A first data register stores a set of X and Y coordinates. In a first embodiment, a predetermined color code is stored at the pixel address of a bit mapped display memory indicated by the X and Y coordinates the first data register upon execution of the the draw and advance instruction. The X and Y coordinates stored in the first data register are then advanced by addition of X and Y coordinates stored in a second data register. A second embodiment is similar except that the color code stored at the X and Y coordinates of the first date register is recalled for combining with the predetermined color code and the combined result stored at that pixel location. The predetermined color code is preferrably stored in another data register. By proper selection of the X and Y coordinate data stored in the second data register either the X or the Y coordinate may be altered alone or both may be simultaneously changed. Provision of signed X and Y coordinate values in the second register enables either the X or Y coordinate to be incremented of decremented. This instruction serves to inhance the speed at which a line or computed curve may by drawn in the bit mapped display.

Graphics data processing apparatus with draw and advance operation

The present invention presents a process of moving an array of pixel data representing an image to be displayed from a source memory space to a destination memory space. The array of pixel data is arranged in words containing a plurality of individual pixel datum. The process includes transforming each pixel datum in the word fetched from the source memory space to a colorized pixel datum by individually attaching color information to each pixel datum. The transforming occurs substantially in parallel on all of the pixel data in each word. This technique permits storage of commonly used images such as alphanumeric characters of various fonts or icons in a compressed form with one bit per pixel. These images are formed in color using the color expand operation at the time of drawing into the color display memory. Otherwise these images would need to be stored in multiple bit per pixel color form for all desired colors requiring considerable memory for redundant data. This color expanded image may then be combined with the color image stored in a selected part of the display memory and the combined image stored in that selected part of the display memory. Thus monochrome images may be expanded into color images and then combined with color images already in the display in a single operation.

Graphics processing apparatus having color expand operation for drawing

A graphics data processor which includes the capability of determining whether a defined pixel location in a graphics display is within a window in an X Y coordinate system. The respective X and Y coordinates of the selected pixel are separately compared with the window limits. The window limits are preferable expressed as the X and Y coordinates of two diagonally opposite vertexes of a rectangular window. The results of this comparison are preferable available in two forms. In a first embodiment a single data processing instruction enables the generation of a digital data word which indicates the relation of the pixel to the window. This digital word includes a separate indication of the relationship of the pixel to the vertical and horizontal window limits. This indication can be used to generate a 'trivial rejection' in determining whether a line or line segment passes through the window by ANDing the results for two points on the line. In a second embodiment the window compare capability is employed to determine whether or not a destination pixel is within the window. This is useful in array move instructions in which an entire array of pixels is moved to a location in the display. The array move may be aborted if a window violation is found or the move may be modified to plot to the display only those pixels within the window.

Process for effecting an array move instruction, a graphics computer

The graphics data processor of the present invention offers as a single instruction in its instruction set a draw and advance operation. A first data register stores a set of X and Y coordinates. In a first embodiment, a predetermined color code is stored at the pixel address of a bit mapped display memory indicated by the X and Y coordinates the first data register upon execution of the the draw and advance instruction. The X and Y coordinates stored in the first data register are then advanced by addition of X and Y coordinates stored in a second data register. A second embodiment is similar except that the color code stored at the X and Y coordinates of the first date register is recalled for combining with the predetermined color code and the combined result stored at that pixel location. The predetermined color code is preferrably stored in another data register. By proper selection of the X and Y coordinate data stored in the second data register either the X or the Y coordinate may be altered alone or both may be simultaneously changed. Provision of signed X and Y coordinate values in the second register enables either the X or Y coordinate to be incremented of decremented. This instruction serves to enhance the speed at which a line or computed curve may by drawn in the bit mapped display.

Video display system using memory with parallel and serial access

A monochrome image becomes expanded into a color image for storage in a bit mapped color display memory. The color expand operation substitutes color data of one of two designated colors for the '1' or '0' monochrome data of a stored monochrome image. The first color code is substituted for all pixels of the monochrome image represented by a '1' and the second color code is substituted for all pixels of the monochrome image represented by a '0'. This color expanded image is then stored in the color display memory which controls the color picture shown to the user. This technique permits storage of commonly used images such as alphanumeric characters of various fonts or icons in a compressed form with one bit per pixel. These images are formed in color using the color expand operation at the time of drawing into the color display memory. Otherwise these images would need to be stored in multiple bit per pixel color form for all desired colors requiring considerable memory for redundant data. This color expanded image may then be combined with the color image stored in a selected part of the display memory and the combined image stored in that selected part of the display memory. Thus monochrome images may be expanded into color images and then combined with color images already in the display in a single operation.

A graphics data processor which includes the capability of determining whether a defined pixel location in a graphics display is within a window in an X Y coordinate system. The respective X and Y coordinates of the selected pixel are separately compared with the window limits. The window limits are preferable expressed as the X and Y coordinates of two diagonally opposite vertexes of a rectangular window. The results of this comparison are preferably available in two forms. In a first embodiment a single data processing instruction enables the generation of a digital data word which indicates the relation of the pixel to the window. This digital word includes a separate indication of the relationship of the pixel to the vertical and horizontal window limits. This indication can be used to generate a 'trivial rejection' in determining whether a line or line segment passes through the window by ANDing the results for two points on the line. In a second embodiment the window compare capability is employed to determine whether or not a destination pixel is within the window. This is useful in array move instructions in which an entire array of pixels is moved to a location in the display. The array move may be aborted if a window violation is found or the move may be modified to plot to the display only those pixels within the window. This capability enables saving a great deal of time in graphics applications in which windows are employed by reducing the overhead needed for window determinations.

Graphics data processor with window checking for determining whether a

The graphics data processing apparatus which can logically combine the color data for two image arrays on a pixel by pixel basis, according to a nonlinear saturating function. Two examples of such functions are addition with saturation at the maximum value and subtraction with saturation at the minimum value. These functions can be employed to obtain computer graphics effects not feasible using other function, such as simulating spray painting and light mixing.

Graphics data processing apparatus having non-linear saturating

In a video-type computer system and the like, an improved memory circuit is provided for adapting the system to CRT screens having different resolutions. The memory circuit includes a bit-mapped RAM unit or chip having sufficient cells to accommodate any CRT screen sought to be used, and also a shift register having taps at a plurality of different locations corresponding to different columns of cells in the RAM unit. When the RAM unit is in serial mode, column address to the RAM unit is also used to instruct and actuate a suitable decoder circuit to select the tap appropriate to unload the portion of the shift register containing only the data bits of interest.

Growing community of inventors

Ypsilanti, MI, United States of America

Mark F Novak