Abstract: A computer program product executes in a computer workstation according to methods of the invention to provide editing handles for solid shapes. The computer program provides a graphical user interface in the preferred form of an icon which is visually associated with a selected displayed solid shape and which, when activated via a user input device, toggles or cycles through plural editing modes of the displayed shape. In the plural editing modes, other graphical user interfaces which include editing “handles” can be utilized to perform various editing functions, the handles of each editing mode having functions dependent upon the respective editing mode. The editing handles themselves are subject to novel employments and manipulations in accordance with aspects of the present invention.

Abstract: An image processing system for use in development and playback of interactive video. In a development mode of operation, pixel or video objects are selected in a frame by way of a developmental graphical user interface. The system automatically tracks the selected pixel objects in the preceding and succeeding video frames by determining range limits for various color variables of the selected pixel object to compensate for the effects in lighting changes and decompression effects. The system automatically locates pixel objects within the calculated range limits in the preceding and succeeding video frames and generates a pixel object file which identifies the coordinates of the selected pixel object in each frame. The pixel object file is linked to a data object file which links the selected pixel objects to data objects. The pixel object file and data object file, collectively “linked video files,” are created during a development mode of operation.

Abstract: This invention provides an image conversion apparatus for converting a screen signal to display a converted screen signal on a monitor, with the screen signal comprising a plurality of first image signals. The image conversion apparatus comprises a format memory in which at least one data group is stored and a conversion matrix for conversion of the first image signals to a plurality of corresponding second image signals, a latch circuit electrically connected to the conversion matrix for latching the second image signals transmitted from the conversion matrix, and a control circuit electrically connected to the format memory and the latch circuit for controlling the latch circuit so that the latch circuit latches chosen second image signals, according to a lock signal in the data group transferred from the format memory.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for performing scene anti-aliasing in a computer graphics system including a rasterizer, a texture mapping subsystem and a frame buffer. The method includes the steps of defining a supersample image buffer and a single sample image buffer, using the rasterizer to render a supersampled image to the supersample image buffer, and using the texture mapping subsystem to downsample the supersample image to the single sample image buffer. The downsampled image in the single sample image buffer is anti-aliased. The supersample image buffer and the single sample image buffer are preferably allocated in the frame buffer. The downsampling operation is preferably performed at the time of double buffer swap.

Abstract: A display plane shown in the computer graphics for displaying an arbitrary plane in a three-dimensional space is mapped to a movable range of an end effector of a robot. The movable range is limited to a displayed two-dimensional plane. A user moves and positions the end effector on the display plane.

Abstract: An image editing system uses a loupe cursor to magnify a selected area of a basic image displayed on a display device. The system generates basic image data representing the selected area of the basic image, and generates magnified image data by magnifying the selected basic image data. It displays within the loupe cursor a loupe image based on the magnified image data. When a user editing signal is received for editing the loupe image, the system generates modified image data, and dynamically modifies the loupe image displayed within the loupe cursor based on the modified image data.

Abstract: The present invention, a three-dimensional graphics processor and its drafting method using parallel scan-ning lines as processing unit, makes use of a data base memory to completely receive and store the triangle data at a time from the main memory. When it comes to displaying, it uses a horizontal scanning line or a plurality of scanning lines as processing unit to scan in order to search and calculate so as to process its corresponding triangle to make it become pixel. It further stores the pixel directly in the pixel buffer and display the pixel on the display device by accommodating the syncronized signal of the display device. In this way, it can replace the conventional way of using frame as processing unit and having to use a large space of frame buffer and Z-buffer. In addition, its data base memory can also store the 2D sprite, thereby, it not only can speed up the drafting speed of the 3D graphics, but also can achieve the object of integrating the multimedia apparatuses and simplifying the design.

Abstract: A pixel value for a pixel is computed in a texture mapped computer graphics image. Surface coordinates are computed that map to a location of intersection of a 3D surface with a line of sight from the pixel. A surface coordinate offset vector is computed that represents a change in the surface coordinates of the intersection, the change corresponding to displacement of the surface by an amount specified by a displacement map value for the surface coordinates. The pixel value is computed in the computer graphics image from a texture value defined for said surface coordinates offset by said offset vector.

Abstract: A method for controlling a digital oscilloscope locates a crossing level in an eye diagram (also including a crossing time), of a communications signal. The method includes the steps of locating the crossing time using a horizontal histogram box; and locating the crossing level using a vertical histogram box placed at a horizontal location substantially at the located crossing time.

Abstract: A method sculpts an object expressed as a model. A hierarchical distance field is generated from the model according to generation parameters. The hierarchical distance field is edited according to editing parameters, and the hierarchical distance field is rendered while editing. To generate the hierarchical distance field, the object distance field is enclosed with an object bounding box. The enclosed object distance field is partitioned into a plurality of cells. Each cell has a size corresponding to detail of the object distance field and a location with respect to the object bounding box. A set of values of the enclosed object distance field is sampled for each cell. A method for reconstructing the portion of the distance field enclosed by the cell is specified for each cell.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided with a display device to display images on a display screen so that the images displayed on the display device can be edited and processed for joining of the images. The image processing apparatus includes an image specifying device to specify two or more images to be joined together on the display device. An image arranging device arranges the images specified by the image specifying device in such an order as to join the images together, and a display control device controls the display device to display the images arranged by the image arranging device. A joining point specifying device specifies any one joining point for each image so that vertically or laterally adjacent images displayed by the display control device can be joined together by referring to the joining points. A joining device joins adjacent images together by referring to the joining points specified by the joining point specifying device.

Abstract: A user of a data processing system may specify variability in the generation of data for data-presentation, either by displaying or printing, on an output device. The variability specification may be applied on a glyph-by-glyph basis to the presentation of glyphs. The data processing system provides processing of glyph-based quality variability requests in the following manner. The system receives a request for data-presentation of a series of glyphs and determines, for each glyph in the series of glyphs, whether quality variability is applicable to each glyph. If quality variability is applicable to each glyph, then the system determines a quality variance to be applied to each glyph according to predetermined data-presentation variability data and performs data-presentation of each glyph on an output device in accordance with the quality variance.

Abstract: A method is provided for processing multiple types of pixel component representations. The method first includes identifying a plurality of texels in a texture pattern grid that correspond to a pixel. Thereafter, information components of the pixel, i.e. R, G, B, and &agr; are multiplied if the information components of the pixel are in a postmultiplied representation. Further, a colorkeyed replacement operation is carried out if the information components of the pixel are in a colorkeyed representation and at least one of the texels substantially matches a colorkey. Next, a position is interpolated on the texture pattern grid between the texels that corresponds to the pixel. Finally, the information components of the pixel are filtered.

Abstract: A scheme for graphical user interface using a polygonal-line-shaped slider that enables a user to intuitively manipulate-and playback spatio-temporal media data such as video data and animation data without deteriorating the temporal continuity of the data in interactive manipulation and playback of the spatio-temporal media data is disclosed. In this scheme, the slider is composed of a polygonal line composed of at least one segment and a coordinate indicator that is moved along the polygonal line. Data corresponding to coordinates specified by the coordinate indicator is entered. The apparatus according to present invention stores the coordinates of vertexes of the polygonal line, stores input coordinates, maps the input coordinates onto a point on the polygonal line, and positions the coordinate indicator at the point.

Abstract: In order to store texture images in a smaller data amount, there is provided a method for recording a texture recording image 28 which contains a number of texture images in a memory to thereby record the images of the number of texture in the memory. In this method, the texture images are arranged on the texture recording image 28 based on the shape information of each texture such that a region not being occupied by the images can be reduced on the texture recording image 28.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for dynamically modifying both the luminance and contrast of an image as it is displayed on a display unit in response to changing lighting conditions. Sensors are utilized to continually measure the luminance of the light illuminating the display unit and the display surround luminance. Measurement signals generated by the light sensors are processed to provide display luminance and contrast adjustment control signals that gradually cause the adjustment of the display unit's luminance and contrast in response thereto. Continual adjustment of the luminance and contrast of a display unit according to changing lighting conditions such that the brightness and contrast perception of the displayed image remains constant under the varying conditions.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer-readable medium for generating a glyph-based outline font are provided, which allow for font communication between different devices having various (high and low) resolutions. A method selects a character for display on the output device. The character consists of one or more glyphs, and each glyph forming the character is predefined by key points, width values, feature points that have predefined spatial relationship to the key points and width values, and curve ratios prestored in a curve level table. Next, the method determines the resolution of an output device. Then, for each glyph forming the character, the method retrieves curve ratios from the prestored curve level table according to the determined resolution of the output device. Curve ratios are used to create curve segments, which form the outline of the selected glyph.

Abstract: A signal Y outputted from a Y/C separating circuit is supplied to first and second matrices. Signals R-Y and B-Y are supplied to the first matrix through a gain control amplifier (GCA) and are also supplied to the second matrix. The signals Y, R-Y, and B-Y are converted into three primary color signals R, G, and B by the second matrix. From the signals R, G, and B, a skin color component is detected by a skin color detecting circuit and Eskin is outputted. On the basis of Eskin, color components other than the skin color are detected by a color component detecting circuit and Eother is outputted. Eother−Eskin is supplied as a control voltage to the GCA. Gains for the signals R-Y and B-Y are controlled. When the video signal indicates the skin color component, the control voltage is set to 0 and the gain is set to 1. When the video signal indicates a color component other than the skin color component, Eother is generated, the control voltage rises, and the gain is increased.

Abstract: A system and method for inverse texture mapping in which given a 3D model and several images from different viewpoints, a texture map is extracted for each planar surface in the 3D model. The system and method employs a unique weighted pyramid feathering scheme for blending multiple images to form the texture map, even where the images are taken from different viewpoints, at different scales, and with different exposures. This scheme also makes it possible to blend images with cut-out regions which may be present due to occlusions or moving objects. It further advantageously employs weight maps to improve the quality of the blended image.

Abstract: A framework is described that serves as an expression evaluator and notification manager for software objects, and can traverse individual object models to use parts of one model to define another. An object model (data model) is a map of an object's properties and methods, and the framework of the present invention binds to the properties and methods and intercepts access to the properties for storage and evaluation of variables within the definitions of the properties. Binding the framework to the object accesses and uses the type info for the object to determine the properties of the object. In addition, the framework provides a method for the object author to override and specialize the properties to describe extensions of the type information.