Abstract: An image scaler which enlarges gray scale images, comprised of any number of gray scales, by any rational factor expressible as a ratio of integers between 1:1 and 2:1. The scaling method is "data conservative" in that it always keeps all of the original gray scale pixel values of the input image, generating additional pixel values as needed to produce an enlarged output image. The scaler generates an insertion number sequence for determining where to insert vacant pixel storage locations and calculates gray scale values for those newly created vacant locations by interpolating between values of neighboring pixels.

Abstract: A video board in a personal computer supports a 2-gray level monitor as well as a 4-gray level monitor, by serving both the 1-bit plane video board operation and the 2-bit plane video board operation. A video output controller, having a shift register, a jumper and a divider, generates video output signals according to the selection made between the 1-bit and the 2-bit plane video boards. The shift register shifts the inputted data according to the order of the clock pulses. In the case of the 1-bit plane video board operation, eight clock pulses are supplied with a clock pulse input line connected to the clock generator output line by the jumper, while in the case of the 2-bit plane video board operation, four clock pulses are supplied with the clock pulse input line coupled to the divider by the jumper. The frequency of the clock pulses from the clock generator is divided by 2 through passing the divider. The decision of the operations of each bit plane video board is made by the jumper.

Abstract: A method for moving a cursor while constrained on a selected, displayed graphics object displayed on a display screen. Entering a signal for pointing to a position on the display screen, determining a point on the display screen in response to the entered signal, determining a point on the graphics object which is near to the point determined on the display screen, and displaying a cursor at the point determined on the graphics object.

Abstract: A graphic output device for removing the aliases of the edges of a vector image by an antialiasing procedure and effectively outputting image data undergone such processing. Whether or not the inclination of an input vector is greater than 45 degrees is determined. In the event of outputting the result of antialiasing processing, a pulse width modulation system (vertically long dot diameter) is selected if the inclination of the vector is greater than 45 degrees, or a power modulation system (horizontally long dot diameter) is selected if it is smaller than 45 degrees.

Abstract: An image displaying system interactively changes the positions of the view vector and the viewpoint in the 3-dimensional space of a camera model which displays an object geometric model, constructed within a computer, on the screen in the computer assisted design (CAD) and science art simulation field. The user inputs the object point and the target point on the display screen showing the viewpoint and the view vector direction so as to effect the screen display of the scene with the positions of the view vector and the viewpoint in the 3-dimensional space of the camera model for displaying on the screen the object geometric model constructed within the computer. The scene with the viewpoint and the view vector direction being interactively changed is displayed on the screen.

Abstract: A method in which the distribution of a retouch coefficient in a subject region is specified by two data tables so that the retouch coefficient is readily changed at a high speed. A distance table 61 includes distance data Dd each representing a distance between a center pixel and each of the other pixels. A coefficient table 62 includes values of a retouch coefficient Kb dependent on the distance data Dd. The retouch coefficient Kb is changed by only rewriting the coefficient table 62. The retouch coefficient Kb at each pixel is determined based on the distance table 61 and the coefficient table 62 and is added to image data Di to modify the image data Dr.

Abstract: Computer apparatus and method determines correspondence between two shapes or drawings. Included is a computer matcher which determines point by point matches/correspondence between a source object or drawing and a target object or drawing. As applied to the generation of animation sequences, the computer matcher is given as input a source drawing, a target drawing and at least four working points on the first drawing matched to four working points on the second drawing. The matcher defines a transform vector from the initially given working points of the first drawing and working points of the second drawing and their association. With the transform vector, the matcher performs a vector transformation of each of the remaining points on the first drawing to a respective point on the second drawing. This generates a correspondence and thus match between remaining points on the first drawing with respective remaining points on the second drawing.

Abstract: A high resolution imaging system having a wide field-of-regard. The wide field image generation system (10) of the present invention is operative to provide a composite digital representation of a scene within a field-of-regard. The invention (10) includes a sensor arrangement (12, 14, and 16) for generating first and second frames of image data. A scene correlator (18) registers the first and second frames of image data within the field-of-regard. A temporal filter (22) averages image data in the first frame with image data at a respective corresponding location in the second frame to provide a third frame of image data. When displayed, the third frame of image data provides a wide field-of-regard, high resolution image with minimal undesirable seams therein.

Abstract: A signal transition control system for use in a modulated-signal communication system having a plurality of predefined signal states each representing a digital data symbol, enables a transition from one signal state to a next signal state to be executed in a smooth, bandwidth-efficient manner. The system includes circuitry for receiving a stream of data symbols and storing in succession consecutive pairs of the data symbols, each of the pairs including a last data symbol and a next data symbol, for producing data describing a vector in signal space from the last data symbol to the next data symbol, for storing data representative of a desired shape of a transition from the last data symbol to the next data symbol, means for sequentially stepping through the data representative of the desired shape, and for producing data representing a transition from the last data symbol to the next data symbol, the transition having the desired shape.

Abstract: A mask having at least two areas is defined over an image. The mask pixels are mapped with an error diffusion or dithering process to mix the mask pixels between the areas. Image pixels which correspond in position to the mask pixels are mapped to color palettes selected for the at least two areas. An image effect is applied to the color palette of one of the areas called the unmasked area. The same image effect is not applied to the masked area. The error diffusion or dithering has provided a fuzzy edge to the mask and these processes are quick to accomplish with a minimum number of states. Since the image effect is applied to only a relatively small number of palette colors, user feedback is nearly instantaneous.

Abstract: A method for distortion correction of computer-generated textured images maps vertices and texture coefficients from viewer space to projector space, so that environmental objects are pre-distorted upon the projection raster in order to appear in their proper form and perspective when the raster is projected onto a curved surface in viewer space, and viewed therefrom. Distortion correction is carried out by utilizing a piecewise-linear approximation for smoothly, continuously and closely approximating the required pre-curvature. The viewing space raster is subdivided into a number of triangles, within each of which a linear approximation is applied to the image mapping: the raster faces are first subdivided along the lines of a rectangular grid and the face fragments falling within each rectangle are then subdivided along the grid diagonal. This produces face fragments which are small enough so that a linear approximation provides an accurate transformation of each fragment.

Abstract: An improved graphical data structure and method for processing geometrical data stored in a two-dimensional area. The invention is especially suited to storing, deleting, and conducting queries of data related to two-dimensional objects, such as the elements of a VLSI chip layout. A two-dimensional area is provided for storing a plurality of two-dimensional objects. The area may be sub-divided into a horizontal plane and a vertical plane, wherein each plane may contain one or more surfaces. Each surface typically contains a plurality of stripes of equal horizontal dimension, and the stripes are each sub-divided into sub-stripes. An object whose minimum bounding box intersects a particular sub-stripe is represented in one of four bucket lists associated with that sub-stripe.

Abstract: A memory arrangement for fast geometric transformation of an image is formed by a first memory for storing image values generated by an image-generating system, a second memory for storing image values corresponding to an image resulting from geometric transformation of image values from the first memory, and a third memory with the same number of memory addresses as the second memory and in which an assignment between the addresses of the first and second memories is stored.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for evaluating and rendering parametric curves such as non-uniform rational b-spline (NURBS) curves. NURBS data consisting of control point data, knot values and other data defining a curve is stored in system memory as a sequence of records such that successive spans of the curve are defined by successive individual data records in conjunction with a predetermined number of immediately preceding data records of the sequence. A graphics control processor transforms the control point data from modelling coordinates to view coordinates, converts the transformed control point data to homogeneous coordinates, and generates parameter points along the curve. Parallel floating point processors simultaneously evaluate the homogeneous coordinates of the curve at each parameter point along the curve using the Cox-de Boor procedure. A further floating point processor converts the homogeneous coordinates to geometric coordinates for subsequent rendering and display of the curve.

Abstract: A method quickly identifies an irregular graphic shape displayed on a video terminal. In an "off-line" operation, the method associates transparent regular graphic shapes, such as boxes, with the irregular graphic shapes. The regular graphic shapes do not overlap one another and are shaped, sized, and located so that one or more of the regular graphic shapes together approximate each irregular graphic shape. The regular graphic shapes are defined in a data table which includes a single data node for each of the regular graphic shapes. During the execution of an application computer program, the irregular graphic shapes are displayed at the video terminal, but the regular graphic shapes are not displayed. In addition, the application computer program manages a video pointer in real time so that a user may move the video pointer to any location on the display of the video terminal. The program investigates the table of regular graphic shapes to select a node corresponding to a regular graphic shape.

Abstract: A battery operable personal computer comprises a display, a keyboard, a CPU, and a power supply circuit. The display panel displays various types of data at a luminance level according to a value of a luminance control signal. The keyboard serves to enter data instructing alteration of the luminance level of the display unit. The CPU instructs the luminance level of the display unit in accordance with data entered through the keyboard, The power supply circuit controls the value of the luminance control signal to be supplied to the display unit in such a way that the luminance level of the display becomes one specified by the CPU.

Abstract: An integrated image recorder (100) receives first pictorial image data from an input scanner (300) and stores the same in an image disk (150). The pixels of the picture are skipped at a predetermined rate to obtain second pictorial image data having a lower resolution. The second pictorial image data is transmitted to a front end processor (201, 202) and employed in editing/designing of a page as an integrated image. The integrated image is represented in a page description language and is delivered to the integrated image recorder. The integrated image recorder is operable to read out the first pictorial image data from the image disk and to convert the integrated image into a bit map using the first pictorial image. The integrated image is then delivered to an output scanner (190) and is recorded on a recording medium.

Abstract: An imaging system apparatus and operating method thereof utilize a volumetric resampling technique with interpolation to determine sample point values on user-defined paths traced through a volumetric image comprising a group of predefined data values, which are themselves samples of a continuous volumetric object. Data values to be displayed are determined from the sample point values using user-selected interpolation and visualization operating modes.

Abstract: A method for determining the boundaries between regions of color making up polychromatic document pages or images, in order to compensate for misregistration of printing plates in printing, and thereby to prevent light leaks and other errors at the boundaries so determined. A map of the boundaries is generated, to which trapping operations are applied to form a structured graphic object that is included as the last object imaged in the data representing the original image. The geometrical description of the boundary map determined according to the method of the invention is independent of specific trapping decisions applicable to the associated image.

Abstract: In a graph generating device, when an input unit inputs data to be graphed, the data is stored in a data storage area through a processing control unit and a data generator. The data generator generates in a graph storage area element data for the graph elements based on the input data in the data storage area. A display control unit displays a graph on a display unit based on the data in the graph storage area. When the input unit directs the destination of a displayed graph element, coordinate data on the position of the destination is stored in a layout storage area through the processing control unit and a layout changing unit. The data generator 22 updates the element data in the graph storage area 43 based on the data in the data storage area 41 and the coordinate data in the layout storage area 42. The display control unit 24 updates and displays a graph on the display screen based on new element data in the graph storage area 43.