Abstract: A system and method for determining and applying the effect of light polarization on the rendering of graphics objects. A polarization state buffer is provided to maintain polarization state on a pixel by pixel basis for each pixel in a frame buffer. As graphics objects are rendered the polarization state information is updated based on the underlying opaque surface, the polarization state of the light, and the characteristics of non-opaque objects being drawn. Pixel intensity is adjusted based on the degree of polarization, and the angle of the polarization axis. An approximation of the pixel intensity function is implemented using standard hardware logic.

Abstract: A live event may be broadcasted by producing a computer coded description of the sub-events that constitute the event. The coded description is stored in a centralized computer data base and the information thus stored is accessible by a viewer's computer. That viewer computer then produces a computer simulation of the live event using the coded description.

Abstract: A method of viewing an object by imparting a continuous, steady, cyclic motion to the object which keeps the orientation of the object substantially the same. The object can be a real 3-D object or can be an abstract object such as those used in 3-D computer graphics. Real objects viewed in an apparatus which includes a support, a viewpoint, and a mechanism for imparting a relative wobble between the support and the viewpoint to create a wobbling image of the object. In one embodiment, the support is caused to wobble and the viewpoint is substantially stationary, and in another embodiment the support is substantially stationary and the image at the viewpoint is caused to wobble. A computer implemented process for viewing the object includes the steps of developing, within a computer system, a description of a 3-D object, specifying a wobble procedure, and displaying an animated representation of the object on a visual display as determined by the wobble procedure.

Abstract: A computer system is described for producing and representing contour lines of a saddle surface. The contour lines are obtained by a plane intersecting the saddle surface. Depending upon whether the intersecting plane is positioned above or below a saddle point of the saddle surface, two different contour lines result. By means of the height of the saddle point, the computer system is able to decide which of the possible contour lines are the correct ones for the particular case. The contour lines are determined in the form of two intersections, with intersections belonging together being stored in pairs in the computer system. By rearranging, exchanging, concatenating, etc. these intersection pairs, neighbourhood data is obtained defining the neighbour associated with each intersection. By means of this neighbourhood data the computer system is able to represent the polygons made up of contour lines on, say, an image screen.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing the hierarchical structure of page description language. Each structure level of the document causes the creation of a prologue data structure which is used to keep track of system parameters. As content portions of the document are being processed, a current context of interpretation data structure is created which is also used to store parameters of the system. The prologue data structure and the current context of interpretation data structure contain pointers relating to context dictionaries, a user dictionary, and a state variable table. The dictionaries are kept track of by using a context stack made up by linked list data structures. It is possible to modify the search order of the context dictionaries by structure or content portions of the document and the linked list data structures keep track of whether the dictionaries were created using the content portions or structure portions.

Abstract: Pie, bar and line charts are extended in plural dimensions to graphically illustrate plural data sets. In a pie figure, the angle of each slice is defined by a first data set, and both the thickness and radius of each pie slice may be defined in accordance with second and third data sets. In a bar graph, the height of each bar is defined by a first data set, and the thickness and width of each bar may be defined by second and third data sets. In a line graph, the position of the line is defined by a first data set while the thickness and width of the line may be defined by second and third data sets. Scales may be positioned adjacent to the pie chart to measure the additional dimensions, and the pie chart may be rotated to position taller slices behind shorter ones.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for handling various types of dictionaries while processing a document which is written in a hierarchically structured page description language. As each hierarchical level of the document is processed, a data structure is created for keeping track of system parameters, This data structure contains pointers to dictionary link data structures which have pointers to different dictionaries. As the document is being processed, the pointers in the data structure used for keeping track of the system parameters and the pointers to the dictionary link data structures are modified to so that the dictionaries can be accurately searched for the desired key to determine the key's corresponding value.

Abstract: A free-form surface data generating method for creating a free-form surface by forming trilateral patches expressed by predetermined vector functions over frame spaces. When specifying a transformation of a common boundary, the common boundary is arbitrarily transformed and, simultaneously, the first and second trilateral patches are connected while keeping a relation in surface geometry. When specifying non-transformation of the common boundary, a curvilinear configuration of the common boundary is maintained, and the first and second patches are connected by arbitrarily transforming the surface geometries of the first and second trilateral patches so that the surface geometries of the first and second trilateral patches are selectable by specifying whether the common boundary is transformed or not.

Abstract: A financial analysis system for mathematically modeling an investment on a computer provides an improved computer user interface and a help method for teaching a user how to use the analysis system and for explaining the meaning of items on the screen. An investment term is broken up into two or more incremental periods and unique parameters may be associated with each incremental period so as to allow for the modeling of discrete events and permit varying of input assumptions of one or more incremental periods. In accordance with this scheme, results are displayed with each incremental period having its associated result or results. A method for displaying help text to explain the purpose, function and ordering of items displayed in a computer financial analysis system is disclosed. The help text is visually associated with an item that is displayed in context on the screen.

Abstract: An image data processing apparatus by which a general flow of images can be grasped readily and an editing operation can be performed at a high efficiency includes a sample data producing unit for one-dimensionally sampling animation image data successively received from an animation image generating source in one direction while successively moving the sampling position in the other direction to produce data of a still image, a display screen for displaying thereon a group of such still images of the still image data received from the sample data producing unit, point designating and area designating units for designating a predetermined point and a predetermined area of the still images displayed on the display, and a time code converting unit for producing time codes corresponding to the point and the area designated by the point and area designating units, respectively.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for efficiently processing selected pages in a hierarchically structured page description language. A stack is used to keep track of the different hierarchical levels of a document. The hierarchical levels which select pages have corresponding FIFO data structures which are used to keep track of the selected pages at the different hierarchical levels. After a selected range of pages is processed, that range of pages is popped out of the selection page range FIFO data structure. When a hierarchical level is finished being processed, the entry in the stack corresponding to that hierarchical level is popped off of the stack.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing resources in a hierarchically structured page description language. The resource must first be defined before it can be used. The definition of a resource is contained in a resource specification. The resource is defined by creating a linked list resource definition data structure which contains a reference to a resource specification and a reference to a subsequent resource definition data structure. Alternatively, the resource can be defined by downloading a predefined resource from non-volatile memory and reference is made to the downloaded resource specification in a AVAILABLE RESOURCE TABLE. It is also possible for default resources of the system to be found in the AVAILABLE RESOURCE TABLE. After a resource is defined, it must be declared. The declaration process uses a resource declaration data structure which has a reference to a defined resource specification and a reference to a subsequent resource declaration data structure.