Abstract: The invention relates to methods, systems, and programming for producing and drawing subpixel-optimized bitmap images of shapes, such as fonts, by using non-linear color balancing. Some embodiments associate a luminosity with each subpixel of such an image as a function of (a) the percent of the subpixel's area covered by the shape and (b) the distribution to nearby subpixels of portions of the subpixel's resulting coverage value that cause color imbalance. Some embodiments distribute a subpixel's coverage value as a function of its difference from coverage values of other subpixels in the same pixel. Some embodiments draw a image comprised of pure foreground and background color pixels, as well as intermediary pixels in which subpixels are determined as a function of both foreground and background colors and color balancing. The intermediary pixels can, but need not, separate the foreground and background pixels along the direction of color balancing.

Abstract: A system and method for displaying complex scripts with a cloud computing architecture may include a client device and a cloud computing server. The client device accesses a web application via the internet and transmits a request containing complex scripts to the cloud computing server. The cloud computing server parses the text and breaks the text down to a sequence of characters of a particular script, and maps the Unicode of each character to a particular glyph to obtain a glyph ID for each character making a one to one relationship. The cloud computing server analyzes each character, assigns, and applies specific font related operations to each glyph. The cloud computing server optimizes and compresses the glyph ID and positioning data, and transmit the compressed data back to the client device to be rendered on the display of the client device.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods, systems, and programming for displaying media in a scaled manner and/or in an orientation other than an operating system displays its graphical user interface. Some embodiments lay out digital content at a virtual pixel resolution and then display a portion of the layout at a smaller display resolution by displaying images and text at scaled-down coordinates and scaled-down sizes, with the display of text being composed from a plurality of font bitmaps having character shapes and pixel alignments selected to improve readability at the scaled-down size. Some embodiments, which operate on computing systems having operating systems that display a graphical user interface in a portrait orientation, display a scaled-down representation of a web page in a landscape orientation, including displaying in such a landscape orientation scaled-down images and scaled-down text composed from a plurality of font bitmaps designed for the scaled-down size.

Abstract: A bitmap of a shape, such as a font, can be subpixel optimized by producing for each of a display's subpixels a coverage value representing the percent of its area covered by the shape being represented and by distributing, to prevent color imbalance, an amount of a given subpixel's coverage value to nearby subpixels of different colors as a function of the percent of the given subpixel's coverage value that causes color imbalance. Web pages can be displayed with scaled-down and subpixel optimized images. A given layout of a Web page can be displayed at each of at least two different selected scale factors, with the font bitmaps used to represent characters in the display at each scale factor having their shape and pixel alignment selected to improve readability for the particular pixel size at which they are displayed at each such scale factor.

Abstract: Web pages are displayed with a simultaneous overview and magnified view. An indicator can show the portion of the overview in the magnified view. Both views can be shown, one above the other, across the full width of the same screen. A user can select between such a split view and another view, including an overview-only view, a magnified-only view, and a view in which selected text is laid out to fit the width of the magnified view. Navigational input can directly move the layout in the magnified view or the cursor, and can scroll both the overview and magnified view. The magnified view can display text with antialiased fonts designed for its resolution. The magnified view can be made to function like a magnifying glass. The width of text in multicolumn layouts can be limited to fit the width of a view window, such as the magnified-view.

Abstract: A computerized system, such as one practiced with an e-commerce font server, enables a user to select one or more fonts. According to one aspect, a user can select a font from a multi-dimensional font space defined by the attribute values of a plurality of fonts. The system repeatedly 1) enables the user to select a spatial specification defined relative to the currently selected font in the space; 2) determines which fonts, if any, match the spatial specification; 3) displays character-font shapes of those fonts; and 4) makes one of the displayed fonts a new currently selected font relative to which a new spatial specification can be selected. The spatial specification can merely selects fonts which are closest in the attribute space, can select the nearest font in a selected direction, or can provide more complex spatial selection. According to another aspect of the invention, a server makes fonts available to clients over a network.

Abstract: A computerized system lays out document templates represented as a tree of text and shape elements, including variable elements. The user can define a shape element to have a maximize or minimize property in one or more dimensions. The layout makes the minimized dimensions of a shape as small as its contents will allow; and makes the maximized dimensions expand as much as available space allows. Such maximization or minimization can be performed within a horizontal or vertical sequence box. Variable values mapped into variable shape elements can include sub-trees of text and/or shape elements, including shape elements which have the maximize or minimize property, and elements which are themselves variable elements. An anchor point can be fixed at a selected point on a shape, causing the anchor point to remain fixed as the rest of the shape expands or contract. Variable Image elements can maintain the aspect ratios of images mapped into them as those images are scaled.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention can selectively display a web page on a fixed resolution screen at first or second scale view. The second scale view has a smaller column width, but a font size that is larger relative to the column width. Both views displays a string using fonts that are optimized for their display resolution. Another aspect of the invention is similar, but is not limited to use on a fixed resolution display and it allows a user to select to change image size, column width, and relative font size as group. The first and second aspects of the invention can be combined. Image size and horizontal displacements can also be scaled. A third aspect of the invention displays a web page on a fixed pixel resolution screen with the width and horizontal displacement of a column scaled down, and with pixel optimized fonts.

Abstract: A system rapidly rasterizes high resolution shapes, such as outline fonts, for use in a lower resolution pixel image. For individual pixels a line coverage value is determined for each of at least two sampling lines running in different directions, such as at right angles, within the pixel. The pixel's line coverage value for each line is a function of the degree to which the line is covered by any shapes within the pixel. Then a coverage value is determined for the pixel, itself, as a non-linear function of it's one or more line coverage values running in each of the different directions. Commonly the non-linear function causes the pixel's coverage value to vary more rapidly with variations in the line coverage value of that one of its sampling line which is closest to being half covered within the pixel.

Abstract: A computer system includes a requesting computer which asks a responding computer, such as an Internet server, for one or more portions of text. The responding computer reacts by sending the requested text. The requesting computer can either render the requested text without the text's font shapes, or it can ask the responding computer to send descriptions of such shapes, and then render the text using them. Preferably the font descriptions sent are grouped into sets, or portable font resources ("PFR"); each text sent identifies the one or more PFRs needed to define its font shapes; and the requesting computer asks for PFRs identified in texts it receives. The fonts and characters within fonts represented by each PFR vary as a function of its associated text. For each character to be rendered, the requesting computer finds which PFR associated with the character's text describes its shape, and uses that font description to render that shape.

Abstract: A computerized system inputs fonted text and outputs corresponding fonted text containing new, automatically created, font descriptions. The new font descriptions make the output a portable document which can be rendered at any magnification by a machine of any output resolution, even if that machine does do not have access to the pre-defined font descriptions associated with the original input text. The system creates the portable document by accessing the pre-defined font descriptions of each character-font shape in the input text and generating new font descriptions which describe those shapes in a new font description language. Preferably the system findspoints on the outlines of each character-font shape which are a function of the shape itself, rather than how its pre-defined description describes that shape. The system bases the segmentation of the new font description on such description-independent points.

Abstract: A computerized apparatus and methods for character shape recording develops new font descriptions from shapes received from pre-defined descriptions. It does so by modeling each such shape to find features, such as points on its outlines, which are a function of that shape itself, rather than the manner in which the pre-defined description defined that shape. The system bases the segmentation of the new font description on such description-independent points. It finds new line or curve segments to approximate the pre-defined font description between such description-independent points, and it picks the outline order, starting points, and directions of that description according to standard rules. This causes the new font descriptions to be free of non-shape-required aspects of the pre-defined descriptions.

Abstract: An outline representation of a character or symbol is treated as being composed of a set of zones formed in both the horizontal and vertical directions. The zones are completely character-specific. Each zone defines the extent of some feature of the character. The boundaries of the zones are mapped to specific pixel locations in a bitmap em-square of selected resolution and size. Additional interpolation zones are defined which are used to map all the points on the outline representation of the character that are contained within the interpolation zone, but do not coincide with a control edge, from the positions in the high-resolution em-square to a corresponding position in the low-resolution em-square. To maintain relationships between features, constraint functions may be defined which regulate the size of the control zones for a character at predetermined sizes.

Abstract: A system and data structure for generating bitmap representations of characters and symbols from their outline representations. The outline representation is treated as being composed of a hierarchy of zones formed in both the horizontal and vertical directions. The zones are completely character-specific. Each zone defines the extent of some feature of the character. The zonal definition of the character comprises part of the information in the data structure. In generating the bitmap, the boundaries of the zones are mapped to specific pixel locations in a bitmap em-square of selected resolution and size. The available pixels are then allocated to the zones. After each level of zone has received its pixel allocation, the pixels assigned thereto are then distributed among the next lower level of zones and the process is repeated iteratively until all zones have received their pixel allocations or it is no longer possible to make allocations.

Abstract: An outline representation of a character or symbol is treated as being composed of a hierarchy of zones formed in both the horizontal and vertical directions. The zones are completely character-specific. Each zone defines the extent of some feature of the character. The boundaries of the zones are mapped to specific pixel locations in a bitmap em-square of selected resolution and size. The available pixels are then allocated to the zones. After each level of zone has received its pixel allocation, the pixels assigned thereto are then distributed among the next lower level of zones and the process is repeated iteratively until all zones have received their pixel allocations or it is no longer possible to make allocations. To maintain relationships between features, features of characters (both within individual characters and between different characters) may be linked so as to be defined in terms of the features of the same or other characters.