CA1162293A - Method and device for addressing a page memory in a videotex system - Google Patents

Method and device for addressing a page memory in a videotex system

Info

Publication number
CA1162293A
CA1162293A CA000352524A CA352524A CA1162293A CA 1162293 A CA1162293 A CA 1162293A CA 000352524 A CA000352524 A CA 000352524A CA 352524 A CA352524 A CA 352524A CA 1162293 A CA1162293 A CA 1162293A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
row
memory
page
bits
code
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000352524A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Charles Hernandez
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Telediffusion de France ets Public de Diffusion
CONTINENTALE DE SIGNALISATION Cie
Original Assignee
Telediffusion de France ets Public de Diffusion
CONTINENTALE DE SIGNALISATION Cie
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Telediffusion de France ets Public de Diffusion, CONTINENTALE DE SIGNALISATION Cie filed Critical Telediffusion de France ets Public de Diffusion
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1162293A publication Critical patent/CA1162293A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • GPHYSICS
    • G09EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09GARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
    • G09G5/00Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators
    • G09G5/22Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators characterised by the display of characters or indicia using display control signals derived from coded signals representing the characters or indicia, e.g. with a character-code memory
    • G09G5/30Control of display attribute

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE:

A method for addressing a page memory in a videotex system. The page memory is capable of storing the character data required for displaying one page of text.
Each page comprises 25 rows of 40 characters each, the first row being a service row, and the page memory has 1024 available positions. In the method, the 24 positions not dedicated to character data are respectively allocated to the 24 rows other than the first row for reading out data common to all the characters of the row in consideration.

Description

~ :~ `& ~

The invention relates to a method and a device for delivering the read out addresses of a page memory in a videotex decoder.
There is disclosed, in French patent application published under N 2,363~949 on March 31, 1978, a system for displaying data on the screen of an ordinary television set, usually called a videotex system. In such a system, the data are broadcast by a transmitter station in form of time multiplexed channels, and each channel, called magazine7 consists of data blocks and is divided into pages.
The viewer having a TV set equipped with a videotex decoder, once he has selected a given magazine, selects a given page and the corresponding data are written in a page memory and are read out in a character generator for purposes of displaying a page o written text on the screen of the TV set.
In accordance with the ANTIOPE (trade mark) spe-cification, each page comprises 25 horizontal rows of 40 characters, each row occupying 10 scanning lines. The capacity of the page memory should then be 25 x 40 = 1`000 character data.
But it is well known that in practice, the memory capacities are always powers of 2. Thus, the effective capacity of the page memory will be 1 024 data, which leaves 24 available positions.
The invention aims at utilizing in optimum manner the capacity of the page memory.
The invention takes advantage of the act that the first row is a service row which is always displayed on the screen of the TV set in the same way, with single height characters7 whereas or the remaining rows, the possibility must be offered to vary the display mode, for instance by doubling the height of the characters, conC6ealing the characterst etc.
According to the present inventionJ there is provided a method for addressing a page memory in a ,~
-~r~6 videotex system, the paye memory being capable of storing the character data required for displaying one page of text, each page comprising 25 rows of 40 characters each, the first row being a service row, the memory having 1024 available positions, wherein the 24 positions not dedicated to character data are respectively allocated to the 24 rows other than the first row for reading out data common to all the charac-ters of the row in consideration.
The data in consideration may be the indication that the row only contains double height characters, or the indication that the row is an upper row, or a lower row, taking in account the possibility of producing double height characters which occupy two successive rows. These data will be fed to the character generator to allow an adequate character`alignment to be achieved.
It may also be the instruction to conceal the characters of a row.
The invention also provides a device for addressing : a page memory in a videotex sys-tem~ the page memory being capable of storing the character data required for displaying one page of text, each page comprising 25 rows.of 40 characters each~ the first row being a service row, and the memory having 1024 available positions. The device comprises a counter delivering a parallel 5~bit sequence ADRl to ADR5 for supplying the row addresses, a counter delivering a parallel 6-blt sequence ADCl to ADC6 for suppl~ing the column addresses and a code converting circuit for setting forth correspondence between on the one hand a pair of a row address between 0 and 24 and a column address between 0 and 39~ and on the other hand a character address between 0 and 999 which is fed to the memory in form of a parallel 10-bit sequence Ao to Ag~ the code converting circuit delivering to the page memory the row address ADRl to ADR5 unchanged when it receives a column address of at least 40.
Due to the row addresses with a column address of at least 40 being passed unchanged7 read out addresses i, ,
2 9 ~

may be provided for positions 1000 to 1023 left available in the . .

: .

, page memory.
In an advantageou~ embodiment, the code con~ertlng circuit comprise~ a code con~ersion memory receiving the bits ADR1 to ADR5 indicative of the row a.ddre~s and the three bit~ ADa4 to ADC6 o~ higher weight, the thres bit~
ADC1 to ADC~ bei~g directl~ passed to the page memorg.
It i8 here tak~,n advantaga of the ~act that th~
addresses of the last character~ of each row are always expres~ed by a number 8k ~ 7 as the numbers o~ the fir~t character~ are 09 40~ 80, etc. Thus, the three bits o~
lower w~ight may not b~ ~ubjected to code co~version. h memory o~ reduced capacity may be used as a 256 x 7 bits capacitg i~ su~lcient instead o~ 2048 x 10 blts.
Pre~erably the three bits ADC1 to ADC3 are ~ed to a ~witch circuit al~o receiving the three low-weight bit~
ADR~ to ADR3, the switch clrcuit being controlled by a si-gnal derived from the code conv~r~ion memory9 the switch circuit pa~ing the bit~ ADa1 to ADC3 when the ~its A~C4 to ADC6 fed to the code eonversion memory repre~ent a value less than 41 and the bits ADR1 to ADR3 in the opposite case, the code con~rsion memory pa~sing then the bits ADR4 and ADR5 without modification.
Th~ invention will be mads more clear upon reading the following deæcription with referonce to the annexed dra-wing wh~ch shows the addre~ing device according to the in-~entio~.
The adares~in~ d~ice shown in the drawing is intended to ~upply the read out address~ o~ a page memory ~
capable of storing the charaoter data raqui.red for di~p~ aying a pags of text on the ~crsen of a ~V set, the charao1;er~

g ~ .

belng produced by a charact0r g~nerator, not shown.
In the ANTIOP~ syst~m, a page consi~t~ of 25 row~
o~ 40 characters and there~ore comprises lOOO charactersO
Memory 1 ie a R~M memory with an ef*ective capac:ity o~ l024 ~ 20 bito. Prom 1024 positions, lOOO are occupied by character data, and 24 positions thus remain available.
The first ro~ ic a ~ervic~ row which ia alwaye displayed on the scrcen o~ the TV ~et in the same way, with single height characters. ~or the other rows, it must be po~sible to modi~y th~ display mode, e, e. by doubling th~ charact~r height, by concealing charactars, etc. Accor-ding to the invention, the 24 avallable memory po~ition~
are each allocated to a row other than the fir~t row, the data entered at ~uch positions belng control code words which apply to all the characters o~ a row~
The above-described de~ice implements such a manner o~ addres~in8 the 24 available position~.
The addrassing devicc compri9es a row count~r 2 eapable of delivering in parallel 5 bits ADR1 to ADR5 repre-~enting numbers 0 to 3~ and a column counter 3 delivering6 bits ADCl to ADC6 repro~entlng number~ O to 6~. The c~-lumn counter 3 i~ incremented by a clock lO de~ining the character time slot, equal to 10 picture dots in the AN-TIOPE gy9tem, i.e. about 1 miorosecond, and lt is reset to zero at each line synchronlzation pulse T~, i.e. every 64 micro~econds.
The rQw counter 2 is incremented every lO lines by the line counter tl which raceives the line synchroniza-tion pulses TLG. It 19 reset to ~ero by th0 ~ield synchroni-~0 zation pulse TTR which al~o resets to zero the line counter ll.

~ ~B~
Counters 2 and 3 together could thus provide32 x 64 = 2048 read out addres~esO As only 1024 read out aa dresses are required, there i~ provid~d a code conv~rting circuit comprising a PROM type code conversion memory 4 and a two-way switch circuit 5, marketed under the term multi-ple~er.
The code conversion memory 4 receives the row ad-dress~s conveyed by wires ADR1 to ADR5 and the column ad dress bits ADC4 to ADC6 of higher weight, whereas the bit~
ADC1 to ADC3 of lower weight are ~ed to the switch circuit 5 and are passed without code conver~ion to the page memory 1 via wires Ao~ A1, A2.
The code conversion memory 4 sets forth corre~pon-dence between a pair of values con~eyed by wires ADC4 to ADC6 and ADR1 to ADR5, respecti~ely, and a value eonveyed by the 7 wires A3 to Ag connected to the page memory, and the wires Ao to A9:together convey a read out addre~s between 0 and 999 to allow addr~ssing o~ 1000 charactsr data.
; For insta~ce, with a column address equal to 15 and a row address equal to 8, the read out address fed to the page memory will be 40 ~ 8 + 15 = 3~5.
The opportunity of pas~ing witho~t code conversion the 3 bLt6 ADC~ to ~DC3 of lo~ wcight i~ allowed by the ~act that the last eolumn address of each row is always e~pre~-~ed by a number 8k + 7 (k integer) since the number of cha-racter~ in a row is 4Q i.e. a multiple oX 8.
~his reduces the storage capacity required for co~e con~ersion to 256 ~ 7 bits instead of 2048 x lO bits i~ the column addres~ wa~ integrally fed to memory 4.
Further, ths 3 row address bits o~ low wei~ht ADRl to ADR3 arc also applied to switch circuit 5, which pas3es the same unchanged to -the page memory in one of it~ two ope-rating states, the other 3tate in~olving transmission o~
the column addrcss bits ADC1 to ADC3.
Ths operating state of ~witch circuit 5 i~ control-led by the level of the eignal pres~nt at an 8th output A~
o~ the code co~version memory 4.
As long as tha value con~eyed by wlres ADC4 to ADC6 to the code conv~r~ion me~ory 4 is less than 40, the switch circuit 5 pas~es bits ~Dal to ADC3. During thi~
~tep, the page memoly receive3 the lO00 addresses to allow the charactor data to be read out~
When the value aonve~yed:`by wire~ ADC4 to ADa6 reaches 40, which corr~sponds to 1 ~or ADa6, 0 for ADC5 and 1 ~or ADC4~ the state of output AC changes and the s~itch circuit 5 passes the row address bit3 ADRt to ADR3. Simultaneou~ly, the memory 4 owing to its programma-tion passes without modification the row addre~s~s ADR4 and ADR5.
The page memory t then receives the row addre3s in its entirety, which allows reading out one of the 24 position3 not allocated to charactsr data.
When the value con~eyed by wires ADC4 to ADC~
reach~ 4B, i.e. llO in binary code~ the output Aa resume~
its original 3tate. The page mcmory 1 again receiv0s the character addre~3es ~rom the time that the column co~nter 3 i3 reset to zero~

Claims (4)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:-
1. A method for addressing a page memory in a videotex system, said page memory being capable of storing the character data required for displaying one page of text, each page comprising 25 rows of 40 characters each, the first row being a service row, said memory having 1024 available positions, wherein the 24 positions not dedicated to character data are respectively allocated to the 24 rows other than the first row for reading out data common to all the characters of the row in consideration.
2. A device for addressing a page memory in a videotex system, said page memory being capable of storing the character data required for displaying one page of text each page comprising 25 rows of 40 characters each, the first row being a service row, said memory having 1024 available positions, said device comprising a coun-ter delivering a parallel 5-bit sequence ADR1 to ADR5 for supplying the row addresses, a counter delivering a paral-lel 6-bit sequence ADC1 to ADC6 for supplying the column addresses and a code converting circuit for setting forth correspondence between on the one hand a pair of a row address between 0 and 24 and a column address between 0 and 39, and on the other hand a character address between 0 and 999 which is fed to the memory in form of a parallel 10-bit sequence Ao to A9, said circuit delivering to the page memory the row address ADR1 to ADR5 unchanged when it receives a column address of at least 40.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein the code con-verting circuit comprises a code conversion memory receiving the bits ADR1 to ADR5 indicative of the row address and the three bits ADC4 to ADC6 of higher weight,the three bits ADC1 to ADC3 being directly passed to the page memory.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein the three bits ADC1 to ADC3 are fed to a switch circuit also receiving the three low-weight bits ADR1 to ADR3, the switch circuit being controlled by a signal derived from the code conver-sion memory, the switch circuit passing the bits ADa1 to ADC3 when the bits ADC4 to ADC6 fed to the code conver-sion memory represent a value less than 40, and the bits ADR1 to ADR3 in the opposite case, the code conversion memory passing then the bits ADR4 and ADC5 without modifi-cation.
CA000352524A 1979-05-23 1980-05-22 Method and device for addressing a page memory in a videotex system Expired CA1162293A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR7913240 1979-05-23
FR7913240A FR2463453A1 (en) 1979-05-23 1979-05-23 METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ADDRESSING IMAGE MEMORY IN A TELETEXT SYSTEM

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1162293A true CA1162293A (en) 1984-02-14

Family

ID=9225830

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000352524A Expired CA1162293A (en) 1979-05-23 1980-05-22 Method and device for addressing a page memory in a videotex system

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US4315257A (en)
EP (1) EP0020244B1 (en)
JP (1) JPS55161485A (en)
CA (1) CA1162293A (en)
DE (1) DE3062949D1 (en)
ES (1) ES491634A0 (en)
FR (1) FR2463453A1 (en)
SU (1) SU1048996A3 (en)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
HU180133B (en) * 1980-05-07 1983-02-28 Szamitastech Koord Equipment for displaying and storing tv picture information by means of useiof a computer access memory
US4388645A (en) * 1981-04-13 1983-06-14 Zenith Radio Corporation Teletext communication system with timed multipage local memory
JPS5836089A (en) * 1981-08-27 1983-03-02 Sony Corp Picture display device
US4740912A (en) * 1982-08-02 1988-04-26 Whitaker Ranald O Quinews-electronic replacement for the newspaper

Family Cites Families (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3659283A (en) * 1969-05-09 1972-04-25 Applied Digital Data Syst Variable size character raster display
US3911418A (en) * 1969-10-08 1975-10-07 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Method and apparatus for independent color control of alphanumeric display and background therefor
US3685038A (en) * 1970-03-23 1972-08-15 Viatron Computer Systems Corp Video data color display system
US3794970A (en) * 1972-11-24 1974-02-26 Ibm Storage access apparatus
JPS50120922A (en) * 1974-03-11 1975-09-22
US3955189A (en) * 1974-07-24 1976-05-04 Lear Siegler Data display terminal having data storage and transfer apparatus employing matrix notation addressing
JPS51101424A (en) * 1975-03-04 1976-09-07 Hitachi Ltd Deisupureisochino seigyohoshiki
GB1515309A (en) * 1975-09-25 1978-06-21 Mullard Ltd Character display
IT1084020B (en) * 1976-03-15 1985-05-25 Sperry Rand Corp DECODER OF THE ADDRESSES OF A MEMORY
US4190835A (en) * 1976-09-22 1980-02-26 U.S. Philips Corporation Editing display system with dual cursors
US4117470A (en) * 1976-10-08 1978-09-26 Data General Corporation Data bit compression system
JPS5399826A (en) * 1977-02-14 1978-08-31 Hitachi Ltd Controller for data display

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SU1048996A3 (en) 1983-10-15
EP0020244B1 (en) 1983-05-04
FR2463453B1 (en) 1985-02-15
EP0020244A3 (en) 1981-02-11
ES8104597A1 (en) 1981-04-01
FR2463453A1 (en) 1981-02-20
EP0020244A2 (en) 1980-12-10
ES491634A0 (en) 1981-04-01
JPS55161485A (en) 1980-12-16
US4315257A (en) 1982-02-09
DE3062949D1 (en) 1983-06-09

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Effective date: 20010214