Abstract: A method generates a distance field of an object, where the distance field includes a set of cells and the object includes a set of outlines. A processor is included for performing steps of the method. A first cell of the set of cells enclosing the object is determined. An outside reconstruction method is associated with the first cell. A set of boundary cells of the set of cells is determined, where each boundary cell encloses a portion of a particular outline in the set of outlines. A boundary reconstruction method is associated with each boundary cell. A final cell of the set of cells is determined enclosing the object. An inside reconstruction method is associated with the final cell. The outside and boundary reconstruction methods are used to determine combined distances, which are further processed by the inside reconstruction method to generate the distance field of the object.

Abstract: Information that is required for laying out character string data is entered, as are character string data. The printing attributes for the data are then edited, and are employed to extract contour information. Thereafter, the extracted contour information is employed to determine the information that is to be used as a reference when laying out the character string data, and a layout position is specified. Then, the various data that are obtained are stored as printing data, and the character string data are laid out in a drawing area. Therefore, the printing data can be precisely and easily prepared, without the work efficiency of a user being deteriorated.

Abstract: A method of rendering text on an output device using a pre-developed image of a custom font. An image file defines an image of a custom developed character set. The custom character set may be developed off-line using graphics development tools. Associated character information enables the location of specific characters within the image. When a text character is output to a display or other output device, a custom font module locates the text character within the image and defines a subimage that contains the text character. The subimage is rendered upon the output device, thereby producing an image of the text character.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for hierarchically decomposing a visual or audio object within an animation into plurality of objects which can be individually edited to achieve particular animation effects. For example, a graphical object may be decomposed into a plurality of graphical sub-objects, each of which inherits an anchor point from the original object, or is given an original anchor point distinct from the original object. Each sub-object also includes a relative position for the sub-object relative to the anchor point. The path of the anchor point is combined with relative positions of the sub-objects to produce an animation for the object as a whole. This decomposition technique can greatly increase computational efficiency of an animation. It also provides for inheritance of attributes between objects and descendent sub-objects. The objects may support functions, or behaviors, such as morphing or motion blurring.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, that implement a method for glyph adjustment in high resolution raster while rendering. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving a glyph for display at a size on a raster output device; receiving a grid ratio specifying an integer number of fine pixels of a high resolution grid that correspond to a device pixel of the output device; rendering the glyph at the size on the high resolution grid; determining for each line of pixels of the high resolution grid, a line-specific, per-transition adjustment number; and in each line of pixels, marking or erasing the line-specific, per-transition adjustment number of fine pixels in the high resolution grid at each transition from a marked fine pixel to an unmarked fine pixel in a particular direction of the line of pixels.

Abstract: Methods for rendering font objects include: receiving input identifying an object to be rendered; selecting a data set for rendering the object from: (a) a first data set including font object data in a first format (e.g., trajectory data), and (b) a second data set including font object data in a second format (e.g., outline data); and rendering the object using the selected data set. The data set may be selected based on at least one run time parameter, such as the ppem or space available for the rendering, the desired text size, system resolution, font object complexity, contextual information, etc., to provide a high quality rendered image. Additional data sets (e.g., augmenting data, enhancing data, etc.) may be included to provide more rendering options to further increase the quality of the rendered image under some conditions. The various data sets may be independently created so that each data set can be produced specifically targeted to selected rendering conditions (such as a selected ppem range).

Abstract: Character recognition is described. In one embodiment, it may use matched sequences rather than character shape to determine a computer-legible result.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to the creation of an ink font. Based on characteristics of handwritten characters, the collection of characters may be scaled so as to adjust the size of the font to match predefined size values or relationships.

Abstract: A system for typographic glyph construction includes a graphics system, a glyph server coupled to the graphics system, and an operating system coupled to the glyph server. An apparatus for typographic glyph construction of input text in a graphics system running on a computer system and output on an output device of the computer system includes a line layout core unit, a glyph cache unit coupled to the line layout core unit, an open font architecture services unit coupled to the glyph cache unit, at least one scaler unit coupled to the open font architecture unit, a font object management unit coupled to the at least one font scaler, and an attribute group support unit supporting a data structure for communication among the units of the apparatus.

Abstract: An information-processing device (such as an image-processing device) executes a boldface character generating process when it is judged that a character should be expressed in boldface type based on a drawing instruction inputted from outside and there exists no boldface form data of the character corresponding to font information comprised in the drawing instruction. In the boldface character-generating process, the information-processing device generates pattern data lacking at least one dot at each of the four corners and generates the boldface form data by enlarging the drawing area of bitmap data (generated from standard form data) based on the pattern data. The at least one missing dot at each of the four corners of the pattern data, allows edges of the generated boldface character to be expressed finely even when the boldface character is generated from a character having an oblique element (oblique line, curved line, etc.).

Abstract: The invention seeks to suitably adjust the amount of a toner reduction in accordance with the type of image (object). To attain this object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention comprises a discrimination unit for discriminating types of objects contained in input data; and a processing unit for applying reduction processing, which suppresses amount of colorant, to a thin line in a graphics if result of discrimination by said discrimination unit is that an object is a graphic; wherein whether reduction processing is to be executed or not can be selected by a user.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for assigning color values to pixels based on object structure. For example, when rendering a writing system symbol on an electronic display, a non-color characteristic of the symbol can be measured and the measurement can be used to select a color value for a pixel associated with the symbol. Legibility of open and closed line-based graphical objects can be increased by inferring spatial depth and distance through application of a color assignment model.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for rendering a glyph to make it more readable. In an implementation, a glyph associated with a font to be rendered at a size is received, and a set of initial density values is calculated to provide one density value for each of a set of device pixels to represent the glyph. An initial adjustment value is calculated for the glyph. For one or more of the device pixels in the set of device pixels, a length of an edge of the glyph that passes through the device pixel is calculated. For one or more of the device pixels, the initial density value is adjusted by a final adjustment value, the final adjustment value based upon the initial adjustment value and the length of the edge of the glyph passing through the device pixel.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus implementing a technique for preparing one or more vector data objects for rendering. In general, in one aspect, the technique includes receiving an object that is a vector data object and defining clipping states of the object. Each clipping state of the object represents an appearance of the object for a region of the object. The technique includes, for each clipping state, determining whether a clipping path is needed to render the appearance of the object represented by the clipping state and generating clipping instructions in accordance with the determining. The technique includes, for each clipping state, generating rendering instructions for rendering the appearance of the region of the object represented by the clipping state. The technique includes associating the generated clipping and rendering instructions to the corresponding clipping states.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products adapt and render a graphic effect associated with text rendered via an output device. A method involves receiving a character associated with a graphic effect and determining whether the graphic effect has not been fully rendered with a previously received character via the output device. Graphic effects that are fully rendered are rendered in full fidelity without degradation. In response to determining that the graphic effect has not been fully rendered with the previously received character, the method further involves degrading a display quality of the graphic effect and rendering the graphic effect with degradation and rendering the character to allow the character and the graphic effect to be displayed via the output device substantially in real time.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, that implement a method for adjusting a glyph outline while rendering. In one aspect a method includes receiving a glyph to be rendered at a size; generating from the glyph an outline of line segments, each line segment having two endpoints; translating the line segments all in an outward or inward direction, each line segment being moved by a distance and then rejoining pairs of adjacent line segments by extending or trimming their endpoints until each pair of adjacent line segments join at an intersection point that is an endpoint of each the line segments of the pair; and determining an augmented scaled outline of the glyph from the translated and rejoined line segments.

Abstract: The systems and methods described herein are directed at accelerating video encoding using a graphics processing unit. In one aspect, a video encoding system uses both a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU) to perform video encoding. The system implements a technique that enables the GPU to perform motion estimation for video encoding. The technique allows the GPU to perform a motion estimation process in parallel with the video encoding process performed by the CPU. The performance of video encoding using such a system is greatly accelerated as compared to encoding using just the CPU. In another aspect, data related to motion estimation is arranged and provided to the GPU in a way that utilizes the capabilities of the GPU. Data about video frames may be collocated to enable multiple channels of the GPU to process tasks in parallel. The depth buffer of the GPU may be used to consolidate repeated calculations and searching tasks during the motion estimation process.

Abstract: Disclosed is a host terminal emulator installed in a client computer to detect a coordinate at which a non-protecting attribute is set from coordinates in CUI screen data when it is received from a host computer, to generate GUI screen data in which GUI parts corresponding to the non-protecting attribute are set at respective coordinates following the detected coordinate, to correct the GUI screen data so as to transform the GUI parts in response to the coordinate at which the non-protecting attribute is set, and to display a screen based on the corrected GUI screen data on a monitor.

Abstract: An auto hinting module defines typographically relevant control points and relative offset constraints for use in composite character generation. Control points in one or more dimensions are defined for each glyph component. The control points may be represented as control points on the outline of the component glyphs, although control points may also be represented by control points positioned relative to the outlines, control lines (e.g., vertical, horizontal, diagonal, etc.) that intersect the outlines, etc. A composite character font hinting module enforces offset constraints between the control points, effectively positioning one of the glyph components relative to the other.

Abstract: The present invention employs the notion of a Chinese writing brush in moving a geometric figure to produce a style of calligraphy, where the area of the geometric figure is large or small, then the strokes of a character are thick or thin. Hence the purpose is that the variance of the strokes of a character can be achieved using the present invention. The present invention only decides a moving path for the strokes of a character and the size of a geometric figure at starting points and end points, and then moves the geometric figure along the moving path, where the area the geometric figure passes is the style of calligraphy.

Abstract: A method and system for optimizing the horizontal spacing of superscripts and subscripts in open type font designs is disclosed. The system includes a module for vertically aligning and spacing characters and a module for horizontally aligning characters having differing baselines in accordance with cut-in information stored in font tables corresponding to each individual character in the font. This additional horizontal spacing adjustment capability provides for optimum placement of character glyphs having differing baselines, e.g., superscript or subscript. The method includes placing a first/next character on a baseline, retrieving a next adjacent character, determining whether a cut-in associated with one or both of the characters can be applied between the two characters, and then applying the appropriate cut-in. Ascertaining whether a cut-in may apply may be accomplished by evaluating relative positions of adjacent glyph bounding boxes.

Abstract: A method and system for font building by providing for the downloading of a subset of glyphs at a client device from a server. The subset can include one or more particular requested glyphs. The subset is accompanied by one or more further glyphs determined by selection criteria, which can include: frequency of use of the glyphs in a particular language; frequency of use of the glyphs by at least one client device; and relationships between particular glyphs.

Abstract: A display device and a method for operating an electronic display device for displaying several characters in a character set, in particular for displaying letters and/or numbers. At least one character in the character set can be chosen by actuating a choosing device, and selected for further processing by actuating a selection device. The characters can be arranged and displayed on a curved line.

Abstract: The invention improves the appearance of freehand drawn lines and shapes in an electronic document by first recognizing freehand drawn lines and shapes and generating a line made up of sequential straight line segments for the freehand drawn line when the line does not form a closed line and generating a multiple straight-line-segment shape when the line forms a closed line. If a multiple segment shape is being reshaped, a basic shape is selected from reference ideal shapes as the basic shape of the multiple segment shape. The basic shape is adjusted to provide a specific shape as an improved shape for the freehand drawn shape. The recognition of the freehand drawn lines and shapes is accomplished by comparing source segments of a source freehand drawn line to a straight line and substituting a straight line segment for a source segment if the deviation between the source segment and the straight line is below a predetermined value.

Abstract: An improved system and method for using a device-dependent font in a graphical display interface is provided. A font resource may be included among components provided for executable software code such as an application to display and edit text using a device-dependent font without having to install the device driver having the device-resident font metrics. In specific, a font resource that may include device-independent font information for code points that are not supported by a device-resident font and device-dependent font information for code points that are supported by a device-resident font. In one embodiment, the font resource may be a device composite font file having both device metrics for code points supported by a named device and device-independent information for code points unsupported by the device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus implementing and using techniques for rendering a stroke (e.g., a line or glyph). An initial adjustment value can be calculated for the stroke, and an offset amount calculated based on the initial adjustment value, such that a minimum number of device pixels will be marked by the stroke after adjusting density values of device pixels representing the stroke. A high resolution representation of the stroke (e.g., a set of device pixels each having an initial density value) is rendered so that one or more edges of the stroke is offset from a device resolution grid by the offset amount. A length of an edge of the stroke that passes through a device pixel can be calculated, and the density value of the device pixel adjusted by a final adjustment value based on the initial adjustment value and the length of the edge of the stroke.

Abstract: A general complex structure graph constructing method and the associated computer program is described. The generators and initiators selected by the user are used as the geometrical graphing basis. Using the transformation information of the generators and the operation information between the generators and the initiators, the geometrical transformation and duplication of the objects are performed according to the definitions of duplication objects and connecting objects. This implements the geometrical graphing of complex structures. It is characterized in that: the operations are performed in a visualized way, including graphing operations (e.g., generation of objects), parameter transmissions (e.g., shifted duplications), and data generation (e.g., generation of a geometrical graph). Since the operations are simple and can be implemented on all computer executable platforms and is suitable for artistic designs, graphing, and teaching.

Abstract: A “Character-Level Font Linker” provides character-level linking of fonts via Unicode code-point to font mapping. A lookup table is used to identify glyph-level support for runs of particular characters on a Unicode code-point basis for relative to a set of available fonts. This lookup table enables automatic selection of one or more specific fonts for rendering one or more runs of characters comprising a text string. The lookup table is constructed offline by automatically evaluating glyphs comprising a set of common or default fonts. The table is then used for automatically selecting fonts for rendering text strings. Alternately, the lookup table is generated (or updated) locally to include some or all locally installed fonts. Finally, in another embodiment, if no supporting font is identified in the table for a particular character, the system automatically downloads the necessary glyph from one or more remote servers.

Abstract: A text enhancement unit is introduced in order to alleviate the degradation of text characters on computer or television displays. The text enhancement unit uses an enhancement process to regain uniformity and intensity that may be lost during image processing. The text enhancer unit may be placed between an image processing unit such as a scaler, de-interlacer, or DSP, and a computer or television display to improve the quality of text characters that may have become degraded by image processing performed by the image processing unit. In one embodiment, the text enhancer unit improves contrast by multiplying pixel intensity by an intensity multiplier. In a second embodiment, the text enhancer unit improves contrast using a threshold operation which outputs either a very high or very low intensity pixel. In an third embodiment, the text enhancer unit improves contrast using a threshold operation which outputs either a very low intensity pixel or a pixel multiplied by an intensity multiplier.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products for compactly encoding font information. In one aspect a method is provided that includes identifying a library of elements where each element in the library of elements is associated with an outline and one or more parameters. A glyph is identified that has one or more references to a respective element in the library of elements. Each reference specifies a value for one or more of the parameters associated with the respective element. The glyph is rendered based on each respective element referenced by the glyph.

Abstract: A character/graphic display apparatus includes a display device for displaying a character or graphic; and a control section for controlling the display device. The control section executes character/graphic display processing, which includes the steps of (a) scaling a character or graphic including reference points along a specific axis so as to generate scaled reference points; (b) quantizing a sum of distances between the scaled reference points by a first method so as to generate a quantized sum; (c) quantizing the distances between the scaled reference points by a second method so as to generate quantized distances; (d) adjusting at least one of the distances quantized by the second method such that a sum of the distances quantized by the second method equals the sum quantized by the first method; and (e) displaying the scaled character or graphic based on the scaled reference points accompanying the at least one adjusted distance.

Abstract: The principles of the present invention relate to dynamically determining directions of freedom for control points used to represent graphical objects such as text. A computing system identifies a first function that represents a first constraint, solutions to the first function indicating compliance with the first constraint. The computing system calculates, based on the location of a control point and the identified first function, that the control point does not comply with the first constraint. The computing system automatically determines a first direction of freedom in which the control point can be moved to comply with the first constraint such that movement of the control point in the first direction of freedom has a reduced likelihood of causing non-compliance with other constraints.

Abstract: The principles of the present invention relate to appropriately rendering a graphical object when a corresponding outline has excessive control points. A computer system identifies a point of junction between a first and second feature of the outline. The computer system accesses an excess control point included in the first or second feature of the outline. The computer system moves the excess control point in a first direction until the position of the excess control point in the first direction is essentially the same as the position of the point of junction in the first direction. The computer system moves the excess control point in a second direction until the position of the excess control point in the second direction is essentially the same as the position of the point of junction in the second direction, the second direction being different from the first direction.

Abstract: Mechanisms for rendering an object on a portion of a display that includes pixel sub-components for each pixel. The pixel sub-components are striped along a certain direction (e.g., vertically or horizontally). The computing system determines that the object has spatial frequency dominance a direction which happens to be parallel to the striping direction. The computing system then performs sub-component based sampling assuming that the striping direction is perpendicular to the actual striping direction. Then the object is rendered on the display. This may be performed for each object to be displayed. Counterintuitively, this improves the resolution of the character being displayed as compared to performing pixel sub-component based sampling assuming that the striping direction is the same as the actual striping direction.

Abstract: A system and method for displaying text are described. According to embodiments of the invention, the system and methods describe operations for displaying text, where the text does not include hints.

Abstract: A method for detecting a specific pattern contained in an image. The pattern-detection method has steps of binarizing the input image data to obtain binary image data, recognizing a partial image that is contained in the binary image data, is part of the specific pattern, and has an empty inside, and determining the specific pattern contained in the image based on the recognition results. In the partial-image recognition step, a pixel-block area of predetermined size containing an target pixel is successively scanned for the binary image data, and a partial image contained in the binary image data is recognized on the condition that at least one OFF-pixel exists within a reference block consisting of the target pixel and predetermined pixels in its neighborhood within the block.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a character image generating apparatus. The apparatus comprises a plurality of types of partial base line generating units, a vector font data storing unit, a partial base line length calculating unit for calculating a line length of a partial base line of a character, a partial base line generating unit selecting unit for selecting one of the plurality of types of partial base line generating units on the basis of threshold information and the calculated partial base line length, a character form generating unit for generating a character form of the character image, and a character image generating unit for generating the character image on the basis of the generated character form. This can shorten the processing time needed for the generation of the vector font character image.

Abstract: A frame buffer is divided into tiles of, for example, 32 by 32 pixels. Triangles (and portions thereof) that are within a given tile are rasterized one triangle at a time into the tile location. This process repeats for each tile in the image frame. A sorting circuit generates control bits representing a vertical order of the vertices of a current triangle. A series of multiplexers vertically sorts the vertices bases on these control bits. A region calculation circuit generates region bits representing a location each of the vertices with respect to the current tile. A trivial discard of the triangle data occurs if the region bits indicate that the entire triangle lies outside of the tile. Subsequently, an initial rasterization starting point is estimated based on the region bits to lower the time needed for the rasterizer to find the first pixel of the current triangle to be assigned values.

Abstract: Programs, methods and apparatus for context sensitive font generation, especially handwriting fonts. In a preferred embodiment, a computer program product contains instructions to identify a character string including upper case, lower case, and/or symbolic characters; identify the first character in the string; identify a plurality of handwritten glyphs corresponding to the character; select one of the glyphs based upon an adjacent character in the string; and repeat the foregoing steps, thereby converting the character string.

Abstract: The present invention is aimed at three specific data areas of font compression, each of whose size has become significant as other data areas have been compressed. The three data areas include model factoring, character level feature measurement (local dimensions) factoring, and typeface level feature measurement (global dimensions) factoring. In general, the invention in each area is an apparatus and method used in font compression to reduce redundant information, thereby allowing a reduction in data format (e.g., words to bytes and bytes to bits) resulting in an overall reduction in storage area for a given font collection.

Abstract: A computer method, apparatus and storage medium is provided for creating quantitative aesthetic graphics from data. The invention utilizes a graph algebra to construct graphs and visually or otherwise represents the graphs as a quantitative aesthetic graphic representation. To create the quantitative aesthetic graphics from data, the data is indexed to form a data set. Thereafter, the data is converted into a variable data structure composed of an index set, a range and a function. The variable data structure is converted into a variable set by using at least one of a blend step, a cross step and a nest step. The variable set is mapped into a set of points and the set of points is mapped into an aesthetic representation.

Abstract: A method of rendering a glyph of a vector-based font comprises the steps of: generating a MIP map for a glyph, where the MIP map comprises at least one level having a plurality of pixels and where each level is generated from original vector data for the glyph; and storing the MIP map on a computer readable medium. The method further comprises placing the glyph in an image to be rendered; retrieving the stored MIP map for the glyph; rendering a level of the MIP map, where the level is associated with a resolution of the glyph; and displaying the glyph as the rendered level.

Abstract: A method for inputting characters pairs in an electronic device having a user input device, a display for displaying characters input through the user input device, and a memory for storing characters input through the user input device, including storing a character input through the user input device in the memory and displaying the input character on the display; and determining if the input character is an opening character of a predefined character pair, and if so, automatically and without further user input, causing a corresponding closing character of the predefined character pair to be inserted in the memory and on the display, and locating an input pointer so that subsequently input characters will be inserted between the opening and closing characters in the memory and on the display.

Abstract: A method of rendering text on an output device using a pre-developed image of a custom font. An image file defines an image of a custom developed character set. The custom character set may be developed off-line using graphics development tools. Associated character information enables the location of specific characters within the image. When a text character is output to a display or other output device, a custom font module locates the text character within the image and defines a subimage that contains the text character. The subimage is rendered upon the output device, thereby producing an image of the text character.

Abstract: The principles of the present invention relate to using externally parameterizeable constraints in a font-hinting language to synthesize font variants. A computing system accesses a scaled font that has been scaled for rendering at a target size and a target resolution. The scaled font includes hints that constrain how glyphs of the scaled font are to be rendered at the target size and target resolution. The computing system accesses one or more external font parameters that alter how the glyphs of the scaled font are to be rendered. The computing system applies the one or more external font parameters to the scaled font to synthesize a font variant such that hints from the scaled font are preserved in the font variant. The computing system can render glyphs of the font variant that comply with the one or more external font parameters and the hints.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an image processing apparatus and an image processing method, in which an edge coordinates extraction circuit is used to extract edge coordinates information for an input bitmap. By converting the bitmap image into vector data the edge coordinates information so extracted reduces the time required for raster-vector conversion.

Abstract: A program which can dynamically and realistically express an impact which a game character rendered by motion data receives is provided. In bullet ball-related processing (S114), determination is made about whether a bullet ball hits either one of node assigned balls. When the determination is affirmative, a torque at a hit point is calculated as an impact magnitude and the node assigned balls are disposed, through calculation of a rotation angle per frame, to nodes whose coordinate positions are corrected in metaball update processing (S120), density is calculated for each vertex of voxels from a reference position of each metaball towards the minimum direction and the maximum direction of a voxel index of the voxels according to a calculation equation expressing a solid shape in density distribution processing (S122), and vertex coordinates of polygons are calculated based upon density of each metaball at the vertex coordinates of the voxels and a predetermined threshold in marching cube processing (S124).

Abstract: After thinning an input image (drawing), a primitive is extracted. First, a rough primitive is extracted, and then the rough primitive becomes a primitive in a merge-split process according to a greedy strategy. Based on the primitive and the spatial correlation among primitives, an attribute graph describing the contents and the structure of the drawing is generated. The attribute graph is generated using a modified Delaunay triangle and an attribute set. An attribute graph having an attribute set is generated for each of an inquiry drawing and a comparison drawing which are compared with each other, thereby perform drawing comparison.

Abstract: A method generates a two-dimensional distance field from a pen stroke. A pen state is sampled during the pen stroke to generate an ordered list of pen states along the pen stroke. The pen state includes a location of the pen stroke. A set of boundary descriptors is generated from the ordered list of pen states. The two-dimensional distance field is generated from the set of boundary descriptors.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a font-hinting system is configured to select a first TrueType font that has been hinted with hints that define constraints between control points associated with individual characters of the font. Individual characters of a second TrueType font that correspond to individual characters of the first TrueType font are identified. The second TrueType font is different from the first TrueType font and individual characters of the second TrueType font are unhinted. Hints are transferred from characters of the first TrueType font to individual corresponding characters of the second TrueType font, and a hint is discarded where it appears inappropriate for a character of the second TrueType font. Further, the system maintains indicia of a discarded hint to indicate where a hint has been discarded.