KR930003408B1 - Emulation attribute mapping for a color video display - Google Patents

Abstract

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Description

Method and device for converting color attribute of monochrome attribute

1 is a block diagram of a host computer coupled to a terminal or personal computer each having a video color display.

2 is a block diagram of a terminal or personal computer section for receiving monochrome data and attribute bytes to display selected color text and attributes.

3 shows a menu that allows the operator to select the text for the text and each of the monochrome attributes.

4A is a diagram showing the bit structure of a color display attribute.

4 (b) shows a color / attribute matrix for selecting color attributes.

5 (a) to 5 (e) show the contents of the attribute conversion table during its development after each passage of the monochrome attribute, and FIG. 5 (f) shows the final conversion table.

6 (a) to 6 (e) are flow charts for developing the contents of the conversion table during each pass of the selected monochromatic attribute.

7 is a flow chart for the use of the attribute conversion table.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

2: host computer 4: remote device

4-2: Terminal or personal computer logic device 4-4: Video color display

4-6: Key board 4-27: Cathode ray tube controller (CRTC)

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to the field of computer-generated video displays, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for generating color on the display of a terminal or personal computer while using existing computer software designed for monochrome displays.

Typically, a data terminal or personal computer coupled to a host processor may include a monochrome cathode ray tube for displaying text. Individual characters, words, lines, or regions of the displayed text can be highlighted in several ways by using attribute characters. These attribute characters may be used to have any character or word indicated as special acceleration attributes, such as intensity. Therefore, attribute characters having low brightness bits are read out as a video random access memory (RMA) for the same access in which text characters are read into RAM.

Similarly, other attribute bits are used as underline characters, showing them or inwards as inverse video, and any characters or wars with or without a blink of some characters or words. Have the adds. If the host computer is coupled to a data terminal or personal computer with a color CRT display, it is desirable to display attribute features as well as the selected colors. Since the host computer is programmed to display in monochrome mode, the host computer must be reprogrammed to display colors. In addition, the host computer processes many applications, which takes a long time and is expensive to convert each monochrome application to display in color.

The choice of text, status and error information is already designed in the Honeywell PC 7800 emulator.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved system that allows a host computer programmed to display text in monochrome to display text in color on a terminal or personal computer color video display.

It is another object of the present invention to process a host computer display software written to display data on a monochrome display, thereby providing an improved system having an emulator for color displaying data on a terminal and a personal computer with a color video display. To provide.

Another object of the present invention is to use monochrome attributes associated with text characters to emphasize color text characters and words.

A further further object of the present invention is to assign monochrome attributes to the respective monochrome attributes by causing the monochrome attributes to be assigned by the operator.

It is a still further object of the present invention to generate a conversion table in which the monochrome attributes select certain color attributes such that they control the color video display.

The host computer stores data and attribute bytes for display on a terminal or personal computer with a monochrome screen. The monochrome attributes include low brightness, underline, inverse, blink and hide. The host computer can also communicate with a color screen terminal or personal computer without modifying the host program or data and attribute bytes.

The terminal or personal computer operator can determine the color and color attributes for each of the monochrome attributes. By way of example, a low luminance monochromatic attribute received by a terminal or personal computer may cause a field displaying yellow to blink characters for a black background.

The attribute color byte includes bits that specify red, blue and green colors, or a combination of red, green, and blue for the foreground and background heads, as well as the blink bit and the high brightness bit.

The color / property table stores the color attribute bytes for each of the monochrome attributes for the seven colors. By way of example, a monochromatic low luminance byte may select the following colors as low luminance, that is, hexadecimal 01 selects blue, hexadecimal 02 selects green, and hexadecimal 03 selects cyan (cyan: green and blue). ), Hexadecimal 04 is red, hexadecimal 05 is magenta (magenta: red and blue), hexadecimal 06 is yellow (red and green), and hexadecimal 07 is white (red, green, and blue) Select.

An attribute conversion table is then developed using the values selected by the operator from the color / property table.

Attribute conversion tables are developed by passing them at the same time. The first monochrome attribute used to develop the conversion table has the lowest priority. Each monochrome attribute used to develop the attribute conversion table has a higher priority than all the monochrome attributes, and the final monochrome attribute Has the highest priority. For example, if a monochrome attribute requires blanking and low luminance and the blank monochrome attribute is used to develop a conversion table after the low luminance monochrome attribute, then the displayed color characters should be the selected blink attribute rather than the selected low luminance color attribute.

During the display of color characters, monochrome attribute bytes address the conversion table to read the color and luminance of the foreground and background and also whether or not the characters are blinking. The displayed character is in the foreground color if the inverse monochrome attribute is not received.

The manner in which the method of the present invention is performed, the manner in which the apparatus of the present invention is configured, and the operation mode thereof can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements.

1 shows a conventional system showing a host computer 2 coupled to a remote device 4. This remote device 4 may be a computer terminal or a personal computer. The host computer is typically a Honeywell Level 6 system. The personal computer may also be an IBM PC. This remote device 4 comprises a logic device 4-2, a key board 4-6 and a color video display 4-4.

Normal operation for the host computer 2 is to send color text data and color attribute characters to the logic device 4-2 for display on the face of the color video display 4-4. The host computer 2 can receive information from the operator-operated key board 4-6 via the logic device 4-2.

Color text data and attributes are stored in two memory areas in the logic device 4-2. There are three bits for the foreground and three bits for the background of memory memory data attributes to represent in red, green and blue colors. Other indication colors are formed by defects in red, green and blue colors in different combinations. By way of example, magenta are selected by storing both blue and green bits of memory so that they are superimposed as color video display 4-4.

In a system where the display was a monochrome display, data and attribute characters are stored in a single area of memory in order to be transferred to the data RAM and attribute RAM (not shown) in the logic device 2. The present invention converts monochrome text data and monochrome attribute characters stored in a single area of memory into selected text colors and color attributes.

Referring to FIG. 2, the logic device 4-2 of the remote device 4 stores the data and monochrome attribute storage area 4-27 and attribute conversion table 4-28 in the main memory 4-21. Include. Monochromatic data and monochrome attributes are received from the host computer 2 and stored in the data and monochrome attribute storage areas 4-27. These monochrome data and monochrome attributes are stored in the same way as if the information were displayed in monochrome. The attribute conversion table 4-28 receives the monochrome attributes and converts them to color attributes to display them in the selected colors.

Data is normally displayed by first storing data bytes in the video random access memory (RAM) 4-22B in the order in which they are displayed. The data bytes read the contiguous address stores of data RAM 4-22B and apply them to the address terminals of character generator 4-24. Also, a plurality of scan line signals are applied to the address terminal of the character generator 4-24. The character generator stores bits representing the pixels displayed on the display 4-4 to display the character. For example, if each character is represented using a 7x9 matrix of pixels, the character generator 4-24 stores that character as 9 bytes, with one byte for each horizontal raster line. Indicated by the injection signal. When sweeping across the surface of the display 4-4 which is a horizontal raster line to display the first line of characters, its scan line of pixels is displayed with each upper slice of the character.

The cathode ray tube controller (CRTC) 4-27 not only supplies the continuous address signal to the data RAM 4-22B but also supplies the scanning player signal to the character generator 4-24. Each byte from this character generator 4-24 is loaded into the shift register 4-25 under the control of a load signal from the CRTC 4-27. This load signal holds the shift register 4-25 as character sync since the clock signal for shifting the bits from the shift register 4-25 is a free drive clock.

For such monochrome / color attribute conversion, the monochrome attribute byte received from the host computer 2 includes low brightness bits, blink bits, inverse video bits, underline bits and hide bits. This monochrome attribute byte is stored in the data and monochrome attribute storage area 4-27 and transferred to the attribute conversion table 4-28 which generates color attribute bytes.

The color attribute byte contains three foreground color bits, three background color bits, a foreground character luminance bit, and a foreground character blinking bit.

The color attribute bytes are stored in the attribute RAM 4-22A in the corresponding storage location for the first data byte of the feed in the data RAM 4-22B.

The color attribute byte is read from the attribute RAM 4-22A on the same memory cycle as the first data byte of the feed is read from the data RAM 4-22B and applied to the attribute display logic 4-23.

Output signals from the attribution display logic 4-23 are applied to the color selection logic 4-26. Here, it is combined with output signals from logic 4-23 to provide the foreground and background colors of the character feeds of the horizontal scan character bit.

Logic device 4-2 includes microprocessor 4-30 coupled to main memory 4-21 by data bus 4-32 and address bus 4-34. The data and monochrome attribute storage areas 4-27 are designated by the microprocessor 4-30 via the address bus 4-34 via the data bus 4-32 from the host computer 2 and the memory ( 4-21) Initially loaded at the storage location. This attribute conversion table 4-28 is developed under the control of the microprocessor 4-30 by the software of the general attribute conversion table 6 of FIGS. 6 (a) to 6 (e).

The attribute conversion table 4-28 receives the monochrome attributes from the data and the monochrome memory area 4-27 under the control of the microprocessor 4-30. The selected color attribute is stored in the attribute RAM 4-22A at the address specified by the microprocessor 4-30. Further, under the control of the microprocessor 4-30, the text data is read from the data in the main memory 4-21 and the storage area of the monochrome attribute storage area 4-27, and the data at the storage location designated by the microprocessor. The data is transferred to the data RAM 4-22B via the bus 4-32. The microprocessor 4-30 loads the CRTC 4-27 as control words. This CRTC 4-27 provides the attribute RAM 4-22A for displaying consecutive addresses on the data RAM 4-22B and on the video color display 4-4.

The mapping of monochrome attributes is done in a priority scheme, where the low luminance monochrome attribute is the lowest priority and the Hydro monochrome attribute is the highest priority. The monochromatic attribute overrides all priorities that have already been set, for example, blinks override inverses, underlines, and rows, inverses override underlines and rows, and underlines only override rows.

3 shows a menu displayed on a video screen for assigning monochrome attributes. By control keys on key board 4-6, the operator has one of seven colors for text, one of seven colors for status information, and seven colors for error information. You can choose one. In the illustrated embodiment, the text will be displayed in blue, the status information in yellow, and the error information in red. The cursors for each line of the menu are filled in the area between the brackets.

In addition, monochrome attributes may be selected to control the color. As shown in FIG. 3, monochromatic properties requiring low luminance are selected by the operator to represent low luminance green. The operator has to select six other color changes and four other attributes for display.

Likewise, characters to be underlined should be shown in cyan without being underlined. Characters with inverse monochrome attributes are shown with red background and black characters. If monochrome inverse characters are mapped normally, the characters may be red and background black.

In the order of priorities, the text has the lowest priority carried by the underline, inverse, blink, and hide with the highest priority.

The blinking monochromatic properties will be shown as the blinking magenta. The mono color attribute provides a black foreground and black background if the inverse mono attribute is not required by the scheme attribute, and provides a yellow foreground and yellow background if the inverse attribute and the hydro attribute are not required by the monochrome attribute. do.

4 (a) is selected by the monochrome attribute byte as described later. The upper bit is the blink (B) bit operating on the foreground color. The three background bits represent red (r), green (g), and blue (b), respectively. In addition, the four foreground bits are high brightness (HI), red (r), green (g) and blue (b).

The matrix of two-dimensional color / attributes in FIG. 4 (b) provides values in hexadecimal form of color / attribute combinations. These colors are blue (b), green (g), cyan (gb), red (r), magenta (rb), yellow (rg) and white.

In Figure 3 the text selected color is blue. This is shown in the color / attribute matrix of FIG. 4 (b) as decimal 09 (the color attribute byte in FIG. 4 (a) is 0000 1001). Since low brightness is not required, the high brightness bits are in binary 1.

Low luminance monochromatic attributes require green and low luminance color attributes or hexadecimal 02 (0000 0010). In addition, the inverse monochrome attribute requires red and inverse color attributes or hexadecimal 40 (0100 0000). The blink monochromatic attribute requires magenta and blink color attributes or hexadecimal 8D (1000 1101). The underline monochrome attribute is not available on the color display as on the IBM PC but can be mapped to additional colors such as cyan normal or hexadecimal OB. The hide monochrome attribute requires yellow for yellow hexadecimal 66 (0110 0110) if the inverse monochrome attribute is selected, and black for black hexadecimal 00 if the inverse monochrome attribute is not selected.

5 (a) to 5 (f) show the development steps of the attribute conversion table 4-28 of FIG. The monochromatic attribute heads are red underline (U), inverse (I), hide (H), blink (B) and row (L). The color attribute head portion as shown in FIG. 4 (a) also shows blink (B), red (r), green (g), blue (b) for the background color, and high brightness (HI) for the foreground color. ), Red (r), green (g) and blue (b).

Figure 5 (a) shows pass 0 indicating blue normal text color selection. 5B shows the results of pass 0 and pass 1. As shown in FIG. This pass 1 writes against the color attribute background and foreground where low luminance monochromatic attributes are developed as a result for pass 0. Similarly, FIG. 5C shows an underline monochrome attribute pass 2 written through the color attribute after pass 1. FIG.

FIG. 5 (d) shows the result of the inverse monochrome attribute pass 3 written through the color attribute after pass 2. FIG. FIG. 5 (f) shows the attribute conversion table 4-28 completed after the hydro monochromatic attribute pass 5. FIG.

The priorities of the monochrome attributes are commands from upper priority to lower priority, eg, hide, blink, inverse, underline and low brightness.

From FIG. 5 (f), the solid monochrome attribute with inverse bit (I) of binary 1 is 16 regardless of the binary values of the blink (B), underline (U) and row (L) of the monochrome attributes. The monochromatic attribute, which has a decimal value and whose inverse bit (I) is binary 0, has a hexadecimal value of 00.

In addition, the Blink monochromatic attribute of binary 1 generates hexadecimal 8D regardless of the state of the low, inverse or underline monochrome attributes.

Inverse monochrome attributes generate 40 hexadecimal digits regardless of the state of the underline or low luminance monochrome attributes.

The underline monochrome attribute generates hexadecimal OB regardless of the state of the low luminance monochrome attributes.

Note that the priority is established by the monochrome attribute and therefore not the color attributes. For example, if the hide monochrome attribute selects low brightness, the hide displays as low brightness are not hydrated and have a higher priority.

6 (a) to 6 (e) show the attribute conversion table 4-28 shown in FIGS. 5 (a) to 5 (f) and the completed shown in FIG. 5 (f). The flowchart for generating the attribute conversion table 4-28 is shown.

Referring to FIG. 6 (a), the blocks that make up the generated attribute conversion table 6 include the following.

Block 6-2A clears the contents of pointer 5 to zero. This pointer 5 takes a value of 0000 0000. Further, the pointer 5 has the following bits: bits P1 corresponding to the monochrome attribute bits L, bits P2 corresponding to the monochrome attribute bits B, bits P3 corresponding to the monochrome attribute bits H, and monochrome attribute bits. Bit P4 corresponding to I and bit P5 corresponding to the monochrome attribute bit U.

Block 6-4A obtains the selected color for the normal text from FIG. 3. The color selected by the operator for the text is blue. Therefore, the hexadecimal value of 09 is selected from the color / property table of FIG. 4B. This text color is in normal mode resulting in high brightness. Thus, the blue foreground bit b and bit HI are in binary one.

Blocks 6-7A store the hexadecimal number 09 in the storage location as the address or addresses 0000 0000 indicated by the contents of the pointer 5. Therefore, the pass 0 table in FIG. 5 (a) has a screen value of 0000 1001 for the monochrome attribute of 0000 0000. All other monochrome attribute values are initialized because the color attribute values are 0000 0000.

Blocks 6-8A obtain selected color and color attributes for the low luminance of the monochrome attribute. For the low luminance monochromatic attribute from FIG. 3, the operator has selected a low luminance green color, binary 0000 0010 or hexadecimal 02 from FIG. 4 (a). Block 6-10A obtains the color attribute byte hexadecimal 02 from the color / attribute matrix of FIG. 4 (b).

Decision block 6-12A tests P1 corresponding to the lower bits L of the monochrome attribute byte. In this case, P1 is equal to binary zero. Therefore, blocks 6-16A increase the contents of pointer 5 to 0000 0001. This decision block 6-18A examines the contents of the pointer 5 to decimal 32. If the contents of pointer 5 are not equal to 32, which requires more cycles to complete pass 1, decision block 6-12A again tests binary bit P1. Block 6-14A stores the color attribute hexadecimal 02 in the color attribute store addressed by the monochrome attribute 0000 0001 because bit P1 is currently binary 12 and the selected attribute is not hydrated in block 6-13A. do.

The conversion table after pass 1 shows the hexadecimal number 09 for the monochrome attribute 0000 0000, the hexadecimal 02 for the monochrome attribute 0000 0001, and the hexadecimal 02 for all other odd monochrome attributes, as in Figure 5b. will be. Decision block 6-18A signals the end of pass 1 after the 32nd cycle.

When the operator selects a low luminance monochromatic attribute to have a green color and a hydro color attribute, special treatment is required because of the property of the hydro attribute.

The hide color attribute must be handled differently from other screen attributes because the green hide color attribute appears in green foreground and background or black foreground and background depending on the state of the inverse monochrome bit (P4). Block 6-10A selects the hexadecimal number 22 indicating green hide from Figure 4 (b). If P1 is binary 1 in decision block 6-12A, decision block 6-13A returns the YES output signal. Occurs. Decision block 6-11A tests inverse bit P4. If P4 is binary 1, the hexadecimal number 22 is stored in the screen storage at the address specified by the pointer 5 by the block 6-14A. When P4 is binary 0, hexadecimal 00 is stored at that address. Hexadecimal 22 provides green foreground and background and hexadecimal 00 provides black foreground and background.

Figure 5 (b) shows block 6-2B of decision block 6-18A indicating 32 cycles and the software clearing pointer 5 to hexadecimal 00 for the start of pass 2. Shows the resulting bits stored on the screen after branching).

As an example, the underline monochrome attribute selected cyan and normal colors within blocks 6-8B. This cyan is a combination of green and blue. Hexadecimal OB is selected in block 6-10B from the color / attribute table in FIG. 4 (b). Decision block 6-12B tests P5 corresponding to monochrome attribute underline bit I for binary one. Under path 2 in Fig. 5 (c), the underline bits appear at the monochrome attribute positions 17 to 32. These first 16 positions of pass 2 remain as in pass 1 of FIG. 5B. Blocks 6-14B will store the hexadecimal OBs for each of the sixteen cycles of FIG. 6B in the second sixteen positions of the color attribute. Blocks 6-16B increment pointer 5 after each cycle test P5. Decision blocks 6-11B and 6-13B perform in a similar manner to decision blocks 6-11A and 6-13A in FIG. 6 (a). If cyan and hide are selected for the underline monochrome attribute of FIG. 3, the monochrome attribute positions with underline bit (U), hydrocolor attribute, and inverse bit (I) are displayed in cyan foreground and background. It can have a color attribute value of hexadecimal 33 representing. Monochromatic attribute locations with underline bits (U), hide color attributes, and inverse bits (I) can have a color attribute value of hexadecimal 00 and indicate a black foreground and background.

The decision block 6-18B in FIG. 6 (b) branches to block 6-2C in FIG. 6 (c) to clear the pointer 5 to 00 in hexadecimal. From the color attribute table 17 of FIG. 3, the inverse monochromatic attribute selects the red color and inverse color attributes in the block 6-8C. In addition, block 6-10C selects hexadecimal number 40. Decision block 6-12C tests P4 corresponding to monochrome attribute inverse bit I. If P4 is binary 1, then at block 6-14C, hexadecimal 40 is written into the storage location of the color display at stage 3 of the fifth (d) degree. The hexadecimal number 40 causes the screen positions 9-16 and 25-32 to be replaced by those already written during the passes 0, 1 and 2 described above. This indicates that the inverse has a higher priority than the underline or row attributes.

If the P5 bit is not binary 1, blocks 6-16C increment the contents of pointer 5. The decision block 6-18C counts a number of cycles through the blocks in FIG. 6 (c) and branches to block 6-2D in FIG. 6 (d) after the 32nd cycle.

Blocks 6-8D obtain the magenta and blinkcolor attributes that were selected by the blink monochrome attribute as shown in FIG. Blocks 6-10D obtain hexadecimal 8D (1000 1101) from the color / property table of FIG. 4 (b). This magenta is a combination of red and blue. Hexadecimal 8D consists of blink, high brightness, and foreground red and blue bits of FIG. 4 (a).

The decision block 6-12D tests the P2 bit corresponding to the monochrome attribute bit (B). P5 is binary 1 and the hexadecimal 8D is stored in all color storage locations with monochromatic attributes containing B bits because the hydro color attribute is not selected as determined by decision block 6-13D. If P2 is not 1, blocks 6-16D increase the contents of pointer 5.

If the blink monochrome attribute selected magenta and hide color attributes, blocks 6-8D can obtain magenta and hide, and blocks 6-10D can obtain 55 hexadecimal numbers from the lookup table.

Decision block 6-12D can test the P2 bit for binary 1, if the P2 bit is binary 1, then decision block 6-13D determines that the blink monochromatic attribute has selected the hydro color attribute. Is tested to do. If selected, decision block 6-11D tests P4 corresponding to the inverse bit I of the monochrome attribute. If this P4 is binary 1, the block 6-14D stores the hexadecimal number 55 as a color display attribute in the appropriate storage location. If P4 is binary 0, the block 6-15D stores hexadecimal 00 as the color display attribute. Hexadecimal 55 indicates magenta foreground for magenta background. In addition, hexadecimal 00 indicates a black foreground against a black background.

Blocks 6-16D increase the content of pointer 5 after each cycle through the block of FIG. 6 (d). Decision blocks 6-16D are tested for the 32nd cycle and branch to block 6-2E of FIG. 6 (e) after pass 4 (figure 5 (e)) is completed.

This block 6-2E clears the contents of the pointer 5 to 00 in hexadecimal. Blocks 6-8E obtain the hide and yellow color attributes selected by the solid monochrome attribute. Blocks 6-10E select hexadecimal 66 (0110 0110) from the color / property table in Figure 4 (b). This yellow is a combination of red and green.

If the P3 bit corresponding to the hide monochrome attribute is binary 1 in the decision block 6-12E, then the case where the decision block 6-13E is selected from the block 6-8E is a hyde color attribute is tested. If the hide color attribute is not selected, blocks 6-14E store hex 66 in the appropriate color storage. If the selected color attribute was hide, then the P4 bit corresponding to inverse monochrome attribute bit I is tested in decision block 6-11E. If the P4 bit is binary 1, block 6-14E stores hexadecimal 66 in the color storage, otherwise block 6-15E stores the hexadecimal 00 in that storage in Figure 6 (e). Remember, because Hyde is the chosen attribute.

Blocks 6-16E increase the contents of pointer 5, and decision block 6-18E causes an exit to the next routine after the 32 cycle block in Figure 6 (e).

The following describes how the priorities are established. The later accompanying monochrome attributes have a higher priority than all the monochrome attributes involved earlier by writing values obtained from the color / attribute matrix of FIG. 4 (b) onto the already stored color display values. Blocks 6-11A and 6-11B are not required if the "no" branch is taken. In using the priority table, the inverse monochrome attribute will override the YES branch. Blocks 6-11A and 6-11B are included to match the spotware logic.

7 shows the use of the attribute conversion table 4-28 by the conversion attribute routine 7.

Decision block 7-4 tests whether this is a status line, i.e. line 25 of 25 lines is displayed on video color display 4-4.

If this is the last line, decision block 7-12 tests the system for errors. If there was an error, blocks 7-16 get the red state attribute from FIG. Again, if there were no errors, block 7-14 gets the yellow state attribute from FIG. If one of the first 24 lines is being displayed, block 7-6 obtains a monochrome attribute from the data and monochrome attribute storage area 4-27.

Blocks 7-8 use the attribute conversion table in FIG. 5 (f) to select color display attributes. Normal text has a color attribute value of hexadecimal 09, since no monochrome attribute bits appear. This results in a high brightness blue character foreground indication against a black background.

From the table of FIG. 5 (f), the color display attribute of hexadecimal number 02 is selected in which the low luminance monochromatic attribute A and the hexadecimal number display the green low luminance foreground color on this black background. In addition, the underline monochrome attribute B and hexadecimal 10 select a color display attribute of hexadecimal OB that displays a cyan high luminance foreground color on a black background. Then, the inverse monochrome attribute C, hexadecimal 08 selects the color display attribute of hexadecimal 40, which displays black characters on a red background. In addition, the blink inverse monochrome attribute and the hexadecimal number 02 select the color display attribute of the hexadecimal 8D that provides high brightness blinking magenta characters on the black background. Hydro monochrome attributes E and hexadecimal 04 select a hexadecimal 00 screen attribute representing black background and foreground.

Monochrome attributes can have multiple attribute bits. By way of example, the underline blinking monochromatic attribute F, hexadecimal 12, results in the color display attribute of hexadecimal 8D, which displays the blinking high brightness magenta character on a black background.

Block 7-10 stores the color display attributes in attribute RAM 4-22A to convey to attribute display logic 4-23. According to the color display attribute bytes received by the attribute display logic 4-23 for display on the video color display 4-4, the output selects the color selection logic 4 which determines the characteristics of the characters received in the shift register. -26).

While the present invention has been shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (14)

CLAIMS What is claimed is: 1. A method of converting monochrome attributes into color attributes for display on a color screen, the method comprising: A. multiple monochrome attributes, multiple colors for each of the multiple monochrome attributes, and each of the multiple monochrome attributes Displaying a menu comprising a plurality of color attributes for; B. selecting one of the plurality of colors and one of the plurality of color attributes for each of the plurality of monochrome attributes from the menu; C. generating a color attribute matrix in a memory having a color attribute byte representing said selected color and color attribute; D. initializing a pointer stored in the memory and pointing to a memory storage location in a conversion table; E. obtaining a first color attribute byte selected from indexing the matrix using a first color and a first color attribute selected by the menu for a first one of the plurality of monochrome attributes; F. testing the case where the first bit of the pointer corresponding to the first bit of the first monochrome attribute byte is equal to binary one; G. If the first bit is binary 1, the first color attribute byte in the conversion table is stored in a storage location specified by the content of the pointer, and the pointer is incremented, or the first bit is 2 Incrementing the pointer if it is not a decimal number 1; H. testing the case where the pointer reaches a predetermined value; I. Repeat steps F to I if the contents of the pointer are not equal to the predetermined value, repeat steps D to I when the contents of the pointer are equal to the predetermined value for each next monochrome attribute, and binary Examining each next bit of the pointer corresponding to each next bit of each next monochrome byte for one and generating the conversion table stored in memory. Way. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: A. obtaining a monochrome attribute byte from said memory; B. addressing said conversion table by said monochrome attribute byte and reading said color attribute byte; C. storing the color attribute byte in an attribute memory; D. reading the color attribute byte from the attribute memory for display as a text character read from a data memory. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of monochrome attributes establish a relative priority for each of the plurality of monochrome attributes to indicate the color of the highest priority monochrome attribute when the monochrome attribute byte includes multiple monochrome attributes. Color attribute conversion method of a single color attribute, characterized in that it is used to generate the conversion table. CLAIMS What is claimed is: 1. A method of converting monochrome attributes into color attributes for display on a color screen, the method comprising: A. multiple monochrome attributes, multiple colors for each of the multiple monochrome attributes, and each of the multiple monochrome attributes Displaying a menu comprising a plurality of color attributes for; B. selecting one of the plurality of colors and one of the plurality of color attributes for each of the plurality of monochrome attributes from the menu; C. generating a color attribute matrix in a memory having a color attribute byte representing said selected color and color attribute; D. initializing a pointer stored in the memory and pointing to a memory storage location in a conversion table; E. obtaining a first color attribute byte selected from indexing the matrix using a first color and a first color attribute selected by the menu for a first one of the plurality of monochrome attributes; F. testing the first bit of the pointer; G. testing the case where the first color is an attribute byte is a predetermined color attribute and the first bit is binary 1; H. testing the second bit of the pointer if the first color attribute byte is the predetermined color attribute; I. If the second bit is not equal to binary 1 and the first color attribute byte is the predetermined color attribute, then a predetermined number in the conversion table is stored in a storage location specified by the contents of the pointer, and If the second bit is equal to binary one, the predetermined color attribute is stored in the storage place in the conversion table, and if the first bit is binary one and the first color attribute is not the predetermined attribute, Storing a first color attribute byte in said storage location; J. incrementing the pointer; K. testing the pointer to the predetermined value if the contents of the pointer are not a predetermined value, and repeating steps F to K if the contents of the pointer are a predetermined value; L. Repeat steps D through L for the second color attribute byte selected by the second monochrome attribute, the third color attribute byte selected by the third monochrome attribute, and the fourth color attribute byte selected by the fourth monochrome attribute and Testing the third, fourth, and fifth bits with respect to the second color attribute byte, the third color attribute byte, and the fourth color attribute byte; M. repeating steps D, E and F for the fifth color attribute byte selected by the fifth monochrome attribute; N. testing the second bit for binary one and storing the fifth color attribute byte in the storage location of the conversion table if the second bit is binary one; O. incrementing the pointer; P. A method for converting a color attribute of a monochrome attribute, characterized by examining the pointer for the predetermined value and repeating steps M, N and O until the pointer stores the predetermined value. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first monochrome attribute represents a low luminance monochrome attribute and the first bit is P1. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined color attribute byte indicates a hyd color attribute byte and the second bit is P4. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second monochrome attribute indicates an underline monochrome attribute, the third monochrome attribute indicates a blink monochrome attribute byte, wherein the third bit is P5 and the fourth bit is P2. A method of converting color attributes of a single color attribute. 5. The color attribute transformation of claim 4, wherein the fourth monochrome attribute represents a hydro monochrome attribute, the fifth monochrome attribute byte represents an inverse monochrome attribute, and the fifth bit is P3. Way. An apparatus for converting monochrome attribute bytes into color attribute bytes for display on a color screen, the apparatus comprising: A. storage means for storing data bytes and monochrome attribute bytes; B. conversion table means coupled to said storage means and responsive to said monochrome attribute bytes for generating color attribute bytes; C. display means coupled to said storage means for display on said color screen and to said converting means for receiving said data bytes and said color attribute bytes. Converter. 10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said conversion table means is adapted for each of said plurality of monochrome attributes for selection of one of said plurality of colors and one of said plurality of color attributes for each of said plurality of monochrome attributes. And color means for displaying color and multiplicity of color attributes. 11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said conversion table means further comprises color attribute matrix means coupled to said menu means for storing a color attribute byte representing each of said plurality of colors and selected attributes. Color attribute byte converter for single color attribute bytes. 12. The monochrome attribute byte according to claim 11, wherein said conversion table means further comprises conversion table generating means coupled to said color attribute matrix means for receiving each of said monochrome attributes and generating said conversion table. Color attribute byte converter. 13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said conversion generating means comprises: A. printer means for generating a conversion table address sequence of a storage location storing said color attribute bytes; B. examine the state for each of the plurality of pointer bits representing the corresponding bit of the monochrome attribute bytes and select the color from the color attribute table means during a predetermined state for each of the plurality of pointer bits. And a means for storing the attribute byte to generate the conversion table. 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the order in which the plurality of monochrome attributes are used to generate the conversion table is such that the plurality of monochrome attributes are used to indicate the color of the highest priority monochrome attribute when the monochrome attribute byte includes multiple monochrome attributes. Color attribute byte conversion apparatus for monochrome attribute bytes, characterized by establishing an associated priority for each of the attributes.

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