Displaying simultaneously a main waveform display and a magnified waveform display in a signal measurement system

Abstract

An apparatus and methodology for use in a signal measurement system having a graphical user interface. The apparatus constructed and arranged to simultaneously render on a display of pixels a main waveform display and a magnified waveform display is disclosed. The main waveform display is adapted to have displayed therein one or more waveforms and associated data on a first graticule with a background while the magnified waveform display is adapted to have displayed therein a magnified view of a region of the main waveform display on a second graticule with a background. The region of the main waveform display to be magnified is defined by a graphically-controllable selection window positioned over the main waveform display to encompass the region. Preferably, the operator-controllable selection window has a position and extent that may be graphically manipulated.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for use in a signal measurement system having a graphical user interface, constructed and arranged to simultaneously display on a display of pixels a main waveform display and a magnified waveform display, said main waveform display adapted to have displayed therein one or more waveforms and associated data on a first graticule with a background, said magnified waveform display adapted to have displayed therein a magnified view of a region of said main waveform display on a second graticule with a background, wherein said region of said main waveform display is defined by a graphically-controllable selection window positioned over said main waveform display to encompass said region.  
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said operator-controllable selection window has a horizontal position that may be graphically manipulated.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said operator-controllable selection window has a horizontal extent that may be graphically manipulated.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said operator-controllable selection window has a vertical position that may be graphically manipulated.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said operator-controllable selection window has a vertical extent that may be graphically manipulated.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a magnification selection window determinator constructed and arranged to determine horizontal and vertical scale and offset values of said magnified waveform display, said horizontal and vertical scale and offset values related to a position and extent of said selection window; and    a rendering controller constructed and arranged to control a rendering of said main waveform display, said magnification waveform display and said selection window based upon said horizontal and vertical scale and offset values.    
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein said rendering controller is further constructed and arranged to control said rendering of said main waveform display, said magnification waveform display, and said selection window based upon a graphical mode of the display of pixels.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein said rendering controller is further constructed and arranged to control rendering of graphical features that associate said magnified waveform display and said selected region.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein said magnification selection window determinator comprises: 
 a selection window boundary determinator for determining pixel boundaries of said selection window on the display; and    a graphical selector for enabling an operator to graphically manipulate said selection window to effect changes in scale and offset values of said magnified waveform display.    
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said graphical selector comprises: 
 a selection window manipulation controller for determining whether the operator has graphically selected said selection window for changing either said position and said extent of said selection window.    
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said graphical selector further comprises: 
 a hit-tester for determining whether a display element has been graphically selected.    
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said selection window has a plurality of sides, said selection window manipulation controller determining whether a pixel within a predetermined region of pixels surrounding said selection window have been selected, 
 wherein selection of a pixel within said predetermined region of pixels is interpreted as a rescaling operation such that subsequent changes in a cursor position result in analogous changes in a display location of only one or more of said plurality of selection window sides associated with said selected pixel, and    wherein selection of a pixel within said selection window and not within said predetermined region of pixels is interpreted as a offset adjustment operation such that subsequent changes in a cursor position result in analogous changes in location of all of said plurality of selection window sides.    
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said selection window has a plurality of sides having resizing handles rendered thereon, said selection window manipulation controller determining whether a resizing handle has been selected, 
 wherein selection of a first resizing window is interpreted as a rescaling operation such that subsequent changes in a cursor position result in analogous changes in a display location of only one or more of said plurality of selection window sides associated with said selected pixel, and    wherein selection of a second resizing window is interpreted as an offset adjustment operation such that subsequent changes in a cursor position result in analogous changes in location of all of said plurality of selection window sides.    
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein said rendering controller comprises: 
 a windows rendering unit configured to generate commands to the graphical user interface to generate windows-related displays based upon said selection window boundaries and locations and sizes of said main waveform graticule and said magnified waveform graticule; and    a graticule rendering unit configured to generate commands to cause a rendering of said main waveform graticule and said magnified waveform graticule and associated backgrounds based upon said locations and sizes of said main waveform graticule and said magnified waveform graticule.    
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said windows rendering unit generates a magnification selection window command for receipt by the graphical user interface to render said selection window.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said windows rendering unit generates commands to render on the graphical user interface one or more graphical features that visually associate said magnified waveform display and said selected region of said main waveform display.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein said graticule rendering unit graphically associates said magnification waveform display and said selected display region by generating data to cause a rendering of a background region within said selection region to a first color, the background of said magnification waveform display in said first color, and the background region of said main waveform display not within said selection window in a second color not equal to said first color.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus, for use in a signal measurement system having a graphical user interface, constructed and arranged to simultaneously display a main waveform display having displayed therein one or more displayed waveforms on a main waveform graticule, and a magnified waveform display having displayed therein a magnified view of a region of said main waveform display rendered on a magnified waveform graticule, said region encompassed within a selection window positioned over said main waveform display so as to surround said region, wherein said magnified waveform display and said selection window are graphically associated with each other.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein said main waveform display includes a first background region included within said selection window, said first background region being rendered in a first color, and wherein said magnified waveform display includes a second background region rendered in a second color substantially the same as said first color.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said main window further includes a third background region external to said selection window, and wherein said third background region is rendered in a third color substantially different than said first and second colors.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the signal measurement system is a digital oscilloscope.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein said selection window is rendered on top of said main waveform display so as to surround said selected region, thereby not substantially interfering with information displayed on said main waveform display within said selection window.  
     
     
         23 . A signal measurement system, comprising: 
 a display unit;    a graphical user interface for controlling said display unit to provide a pixel display; and    a waveform magnification system constructed and arranged to simultaneously display a main waveform display having displayed therein one or more displayed waveforms on a main waveform graticule, and a magnified waveform display having displayed therein a magnified view of a selected region of said main waveform display rendered on a magnified waveform graticule, said selected region encompassed within a graphically-controllable selection window positioned over said main waveform display so as to surround said region while not substantially interfering with information displayed on said main waveform display, wherein said magnified waveform display and said selection window are graphically associated with each other.    
     
     
         24 . The signal measurement system of  claim 23 , wherein said signal measurement system is a digital oscilloscope.  
     
     
         25 . A method for magnifying a selected region of a main waveform display in a signal measuring system having a display device and a graphical user interface that controls a waveform display region on the display device, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) displaying a main waveform display and a magnified waveform display, wherein said main waveform display includes a first graticule and said magnified waveform display includes a second graticule;    (b) calculating a selection window surrounding said selected region of said main waveform display based upon horizontal and vertical scale and offset settings for said main waveform display and said magnified waveform display, and a size and location of said first and second graticules; and    (c) graphically associating said magnified waveform display and said selected region of said main waveform display.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said step (a) comprises the steps of: 
 (1) rendering said first and second graticules on the waveform display region; and    (2) rendering a main view supporting window and a magnified view supporting window.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said first and second graticules have a size based upon a current graphical mode of the waveform display region.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said main view supporting window and said magnified view supporting window each include display elements associated with control and display of information provided in said associated waveform displays.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said step (b) comprises the steps of: 
 (1) determining scale and offset settings for said main waveform display and said magnified waveform display;    (2) determining main and magnified window display ranges and said scale and offset values based upon said scale and offset settings and a graphical mode of the waveform display region;    (3) determining boundaries of said selection window; and    (4) rendering said selection window.    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said step (c) comprises the steps of: 
 (1) rendering a background of said main waveform graticules within said selection window in a first color;    (2) rendering a main waveform background not within said selection window in a second color not substantially the same as said first color; and    (3) rendering a background of said magnified view window in said first color.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said second color is rendered such that a contrast between said main waveform background and waveforms rendered in said main waveform display is reduced from a normal operational display.