Video display control system

Abstract

A video display control system for displaying a video image on a screen of a video display unit. This video display control system basically comprises a VRAM (video RAM) and a video display processor (VDP). The VRAM has memory locations corresponding to display elements on the screen. The VDP includes a first register for receiving area information identifying a display area on the screen, an address generator for generating addresses of memory locations corresponding to the display area in accordance with the area information, and a memory accessing circuit for accessing the memory locations having the addresses. Therefore, the memory accessing operation through this VDP does not need a complicated support by a central processing unit. The VDP further comprises a second register for storing a color code supplied from an external device or read from the VRAM. Through this second register, the memory accessing circuit performs a memory accessing operation such as a transfer of color code between the external device and the VRAM, whereby color painting on a display area such as a rectangular area, dot and a line can easily be achieved. The VDP further comprises an operation circuit for effecting a certain operation on a color code in the second register and a color code in the VRAM and generating a new color code in accordance with the operation result. The operation-related color change on a display area can be achieved by storing the new color code in a corresponding memory location of the VRAM.