JPH07146775A - Information processing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide a small-sized, low-cost information processing apparatus having a function of displaying an external video signal of a television or the like in a window on the display of the information processing apparatus. A video signal output of an external video signal source 3 is converted by a signal conversion means 4 and a window processing section 7, and then written in a display memory 11 under the control of a display memory interface 8. The display data in the display memory 11 is read out by a display controller and displayed on the display means 2. [Effect] Only one display control means including the display memory, which was required for two, is sufficient. As a result, it is effective for downsizing and cost reduction of the system. Further, by using only the luminance signal as the external video signal, it is possible to further reduce the number of circuits, and when the external video signal is a TV tuner, there is an effect that noise resistance is improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing device such as a personal computer, and more particularly to a system device for displaying an external video signal such as a television on a window on a display of a main body of the information processing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one of application systems of information processing apparatuses such as personal computers, there is a system that synthesizes information signals such as image information from the outside with information of the information processing apparatus itself and displays the synthesized data. is there. As the external image device, in addition to a television receiver, there are image devices such as a VTR and a video disc player, and also a multimedia device generally called a scan converter, a video overlay board, and a video capture board.

In order to combine the display signal of these external video devices (hereinafter referred to as the external video signal) with the display signal of the main body of the information processing device (hereinafter referred to as the main body display signal), the external video signal can be combined with the main body display signal. Need to be converted to and then synthesized. Conventionally, therefore, an apparatus has been used for converting the signals and controlling and synthesizing the size and position of the image. For example, when considering a TV tuner as an external image device, the output of a general TV tuner module is an analog composite video signal, but in order to combine this with the display of the information processing device, the analog composite video signal of the information processing device is used. It is necessary to have a means for converting the display signal into the same form and a means for switching the signals to synthesize the display.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a conventional example of a system for synthesizing an external video signal and a main body display signal.

In the figure, 1 is a display control means of the information processing apparatus main body, 11 is a display memory in which display data is stored, 2 is a display means, 3 is an external video signal source, 4 is a display signal conversion means,
Reference numeral 5 is an external display control means including a display memory 51 provided for an external display signal, 6 is a signal synthesizing means for switching a display signal to be sent to the display device 2 at high speed, and 7 is a device for converting the size and shape of the external display data. The window processing means for converting into a format suitable for the window is shown. In the conventional system, the video signal 31 output from the external video signal source 3 is converted into the display data format of the information processing apparatus main body by the display signal conversion means 4, and the window processing means 7 processes the data into the window display format. , The same display signal as the main body is input to the external display control means 5. Next, the signal synthesizing means 6 synthesizes the display signal 61 of the information processing apparatus main body and the external video signal 62. The combined display signal 63 is displayed on the display means 2.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a display screen. In the figure, 301 is a main body display screen before composition, 302 is an external video screen, 3
Reference numeral 03 is a composite display screen. On the composite display screen 303, a window 304 is opened on the main body display screen, and the external video screen is reduced and composited therein.

[0007]

The above-mentioned conventional system requires means such as the external display control means 5 and the signal synthesizing means 6 as just described. By the way, since the display signal of the main body of the information processing apparatus and the display signal of the external video signal are generally asynchronous, in order to synchronize these signals, conventionally, a display system was also prepared for the external video signal to perform synchronous reading. . The content of such means is that another display system is prepared in addition to the display system of the information processing apparatus main body, and the outputs of the two display systems are switched and combined and displayed. For this reason, when implementing the window display function, the number of components is increased, which is an obstacle to downsizing and cost reduction.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a system which realizes a combined display of an external video signal and a main body display signal at a smaller size and at a lower cost than ever before.

[0009]

The present invention has been made to achieve the above object, and includes a display memory, display control means for generating a display signal, display means for displaying a display signal, and input from the outside. A display signal converting means for converting the generated video signal into a specification of a display signal of the information processing apparatus main body, a window processing means for performing processing for displaying the converted external video signal in a window, and a display memory of the information processing apparatus main body. This is accomplished by providing interface means.

[0010]

According to the present invention, the external video signal is converted by the display signal converting means so as to meet the specifications of the display signal of the information processing apparatus main body, and then converted by the window processing means for window display, and the main body display memory interface. Write to the display memory of the main body by means. As a result, the window of the external video signal is drawn on the display screen of the information processing apparatus body. The display control means outputs the display data of the display memory to the display means for display.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the basic configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the output of the external video signal 3 is the display signal conversion means 4,
After conversion by the window processing means 7, the main body display memory interface means 8 writes it in the display memory 11. The display data in the display memory is output from the display control means 1 and displayed by the display means 2. The above configuration will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

The display signal converting means 4 comprises a Y / C separation section 41, an A / D
The conversion unit 42, the RGB conversion unit 43, the frame memory 44, and the two-dimensional counter 45 for controlling the reading of the frame memory are provided. The window processing means 7 includes a scaling processing unit 71 and a clipping processing unit 72. The display control means 1 includes a display memory 11, a D / A converter 12, and a display controller 13.

The analog composite video signal 31 output from the television tuner 32 is separated into a color signal and a luminance signal by a Y / C separation section 41, then converted into a digital signal by an A / D conversion section 42, and then an RGB conversion section 43. Are converted into RGB color display signals and stored in the frame memory 44. The display data in the frame memory is subjected to window display processing by the window processing means 7. Specifically, the scaling processing unit 71 performs scaling conversion of the display according to the display size, and the clipping processing unit 72 controls the superimposition, and then the display memory interface 8 writes the data in the main body display memory 11. The display data in the display memory 11 is read out under the control of the display controller 13, and the A / D
After being converted into an analog signal by the conversion unit 12, the display unit 2 displays it.

According to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the display signal synthesizing means which has been conventionally required for drawing the external video signal into the display memory of the main body. Further, since only one display control means including the display memories existing for the external video signal and the display signal for the main body is sufficient, it is effective in downsizing and cost reduction of the device.

The window processing may be executed by software or hardware.

Although this embodiment assumes a television tuner that outputs a composite video signal as an external video signal source, the external video signal may be S-video input, RGB input, or the like. By using the signal converting means corresponding to the input external video signal, the window display of the external video can be realized.

In particular, the display signal converting means 4 is made into an adapter format so that it can be attached to and detached from the information processing apparatus main body, and the window processing is performed by software and the display memory interface is performed by the expansion slot of the information processing apparatus. It is possible to add functions to the device.

By the way, some portable information processing devices such as notebook type personal computers are provided with a monochrome multi-gradation display device as the display means 2. In the case of such a device, since it is not necessary to display in color, it is possible to further reduce the number of parts. Therefore, a second embodiment of the present invention, which is suitable for an information processing device for monochrome multi-gradation display, will be described next.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the second embodiment of the present invention. The display signal converting means 4a includes a color signal removing filter 41a, an A / D converter 42a, and a line memory 4.
4a is provided. The color signal of the analog composite video signal output from the television tuner 3 is removed by the color signal removal filter 41a and converted into an analog luminance signal. The digital luminance signal obtained by digital conversion in the A / D converter 42a is stored in the line memory 44a. The display data in the line memory 44a is read out in units of one horizontal line, subjected to window display processing by the window processing means 7, and then written in the main body display memory 11 by the display memory interface 8. The rest is the same as in the first embodiment. Is displayed in.

In this embodiment, since the display is performed using only the luminance signal, the Y / C separation unit, RGB, and the like existing in the first embodiment are used.
Since the conversion unit is not necessary and the A / D conversion unit only needs one luminance signal system, the number of components of the display signal conversion unit is reduced, which is effective for further downsizing and cost reduction of the system. Further, the display signal converting means performs window display processing for each horizontal line on the horizontal display line and performs writing to the display memory of the main body so that the memory for temporary storage of the converted data has a capacity of one-hundredth of the capacity of the frame memory. The following line memory can be used instead. Therefore, the size and cost of the components can be reduced as compared with the case where the conventional frame memory is used. Further, in the present embodiment, since the demodulation of the color signal is unnecessary, it is possible to realize a system resistant to noise as compared with the first embodiment.

Needless to say, this embodiment can be applied to a window display of a monochrome multi-gradation external video signal screen in an information processing apparatus equipped with color display means.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, the number of circuits can be reduced as compared with the conventional system, and the means for synthesizing the external video signal and the main body display signal such as the signal synthesizing means 6 is unnecessary. Therefore, the number of display control means including the display memories required for two is only one. As a result, it is effective for downsizing and cost reduction of the system. Further, by using only the luminance signal as the external video signal, it is possible to further reduce the number of circuits, and when the external video signal is a TV tuner, there is an effect that noise resistance is improved. Further, since the window processing is performed for each horizontal line, a line memory having a memory capacity of 1/100 or less is required as compared with the conventional case where it is performed for each frame, which is effective in downsizing and cost reduction of the system.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional example.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Display control means, 11 ... Display memory, 12 ... A / D conversion part, 13 ... Display controller, 2 ... Display means, 3 ... External video signal source, 32 ... Television tuner, 4, 4a ... Display signal conversion means, 41 ... Y / C separation section, 41a ... Color signal removal filter, 42, 42a ... A / D conversion section, 43 ... RGB conversion section, 44 ... Frame memory, 44a ... Line memory, 45 ... Two-dimensional counter, 5 ... External Display control means, 51 ... External video display memory, 6 ... Signal synthesizing means, 7 ... Window processing means, 71 ... Scaling processing means, 72 ... Clipping processing means, 8 ... Display memory interface.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Masami Yamagishi, 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, Ltd. System Development Laboratory, Hitachi, Ltd. (72) Inventor Shinichi Hashimoto, 292, Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Hitachi, Ltd. System Development Laboratory (72) Inventor Tetsuya Kawahara, 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Stock Company Hitachi Systems Development Laboratory (72) Inventor Tomokane Takero, 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Ltd. System Development Laboratory, Hitachi, Ltd. (72) Inventor Kenichi Saito 810 Shimoimaizumi, Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture Office Systems Division, Hitachi Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An information processing apparatus comprising at least a display memory for storing display data, a display control means for generating a display signal, and a display means for displaying the display signal, wherein the video signal from an external video signal source is processed. Display signal converting means having a function of converting the display signal specifications output from the display control means of the apparatus main body, window processing means for performing processing for displaying the converted display signal in a window, and windowed display data. An information processing device comprising display memory interface means for writing to a display memory of the information processing device. 2. The display signal conversion means includes a line memory as a temporary storage means, the window conversion processing means performs window display processing for each horizontal line, and similarly the display memory interface means for each horizontal line. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an external video signal is written in the display memory. 3. The display signal converting means receives a color display signal as an input signal, removes color information before performing signal conversion, and performs signal conversion as a monochrome signal. The information processing device described.