Thomas Y Sakoda

US Patent:

55599540, Sep 24, 1996

Filed:

Mar 29, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/413922

Inventors:

Thomas Y. Sakoda - Tigard OR
Bruce Young - Tigard OR

Assignee:

Intel Corporation - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 1200

US Classification:

395164

Abstract:

A host processor system is capable of executing a plurality of application programs and generating multi-format pixels for display on a computer display monitor in accordance with the application programs. The host processor system also generates a format map comprising a plurality of format identifiers wherein each format identifier specifies a format type for at least one multi-format pixel. The host processor system transfers multiformat pixel data and the format map to a multi-format frame buffer corresponding to a display monitor. The multi-format frame buffer is coupled to random access memory (RAM) digital to analog converter (DAC). During a blanking period of the display monitor, the format map is transferred from the multi-format frame buffer to a memory in the RAM DAC. The RAM DAC converts the format of each multi-format pixel a format compatible with the display monitor. One of the display compatible formats is selected based on the format identifier specifying the format type for that particular multi-format pixel as described by the format map.