Abstract: A system selects either a first scaler in a host computer or a second scaler in a display device, the first scaler having a predetermined output quality. The system instructs the display device to render a pattern; determines the output quality of the second scaler; and compares the quality of the second scaler with the predetermined output quality and selects the scaler with higher quality.

Abstract: A coordinate light source calculating unit 103 calculates 3D coordinates for points forming one or more objects and performs clipping. A rendering unit 104 performs rendering and outputs the formed CG image to a frame buffer 108. The coordinate light source calculating unit 103 calculates 3D coordinates forming a video display surface. A perspective projection unit 105 calculates 2D coordinates for each point forming the video display surface. An image decoder 106 decodes a video frame, and an image transform unit 107 transforms this image and outputs it to the frame buffer 108, enabling the video frame to be pasted onto the CG image.

Abstract: A system of a computer (PC) and a monitor (DA) enables a user to select a desired white color temperature of display information displayed on a display device (DD) of the monitor (DA). The computer (PC) includes a graphics adapter (GA) for supplying video signals (Ri, Gi, Bi) to monitor (DA). The monitor includes controllable amplifiers for amplifying the video signals (Ri, Gi, Bi) to obtain video drive signals (Ro, Go, Bo) driving the display device (DD). A ratio of values of the video drive signals (Ro, Go, Bo) determines the color displayed. The computer (PC) is programmed to: (i) control the graphics adapter (GA) for generating display information which obtains a graphical representation (L; T) of various colors, and a graphical indication (I; Pl) for graphically indicating white colors in the graphical representation (L; T), and (ii) receive a user command (UC) indicating a selected color (Co) in the graphical representation (L; T).

Abstract: A method, apparatus and article of manufacture for generating regularized tangents of curves. The method comprises the steps of bounding a length of the arc, computing a chord vector, where the chord vector corresponds to the bounded length of the arc, generating a tangent vector, where the tangent vector is substantially normal to the chord vector, and regularizing the tangent vector, where the regularized tangent vector approximates a true tangent vector to the arc.

Abstract: A general-purpose system for enabling the user to easily enter characters whose contents are hard to understand at a glance, such as bar codes, by using a general-purpose application program such as a wordprocessor is provided. For this purpose, a printer driver comprising a font file storing a display font and a bar code record font corresponding to the display font and a conversion function of converting display font codes into record font codes is provided. When a bar code is entered in an application program, a legible display font corresponding to the bar code can be used. On the other hand, when the bar code is printed, the printer driver compatible with a given printer converts the display font into a bar code record font and supplies the bar code record font. Thus, a high-accuracy bar code is printed in accordance with the standard.

Abstract: A video processing device and method receives data from a common data source, such as a frame buffer and outputs first overlay information in a first color space from a first port and outputs second overlay information in a second color from a second port to facilitate output of multiple overlay images in different color spaces from common memory through different ports. In one embodiment a bidirectional port is used to allow a set of common signal pads or a bus to function as a flexible bidirectional video data port.

Abstract: A method and system for distributed, dynamic generation of graphics files. A database server system is configured and arranged with a service application and a graphics requester. The service application is arranged to generate a graphics file request that includes data to be graphed and a graph code indicative of a graph style. The graphics requester is coupled to the service application and arranged to provide transmission of the graphics request and receive a generated graphics file. A graphics server system is coupled to the database system and includes a graphics socket server and a graphics server application. The graphics socket server is arranged to receive graphics requests and transmit graphics files, and the graphics server application is coupled to the graphics socket server and arranged to generate a graphics file in response to the graphics request.

Abstract: Techniques for geometric deformations in computer graphics are described, including a flexible and general modular methodology for constructing, analyzing, and evaluating geometric warps and deformations. Described techniques include establishing a set of source/target features (and related information) or parameter set for controlling deformation of a graphical model; a set of strength fields are established for controlling how strongly the transformation caused by the mapping of source feature to target feature will be applied to model points. A set of weighting fields modulates the influence of multiple source/target feature mappings on model points. Also described are variations on this technique that allow achieving results similar to conventional methods and additional functionality.

Abstract: A computer generates coordinates determining a window of display data to be displayed on a monitor. One of these coordinates may indicate the starting pixel number in a line where the window starts. The computer further generates reference information indicating a time of occurrence and a corresponding running number of a first predetermined pixel, and a time of occurrence and a corresponding running number of a second predetermined pixel of the display data. It is possible to determine, from this reference information, the instant of occurrence of the starting pixel for every running number of this pixel of the window. This has the advantage that the reference information needs to be available once only, while the instants of occurrence of several windows are determined from the coordinates of the windows and this single reference information.

Abstract: The present invention provides for automatic placement of typographical features such as vertical stems or horizontal segments of a character on high contrast pixel sub-component boundaries as part of a rendering process that uses separately controllable pixel sub-components of pixels to represent different portions of the character. In order to identify the typographical features of the character that are to be aligned with high contrast pixel sub-component boundaries, topology of the character is analyzed at runtime. In display devices having vertical stripes of same-colored pixel sub-components, it has been found that character legibility is increased when the left edges of stems are aligned with high contrast boundaries between pixel sub-components. Processing time and resources are conserved by performing a partial, rather than a full, topological analysis of the character.

Abstract: A method for determining a position at which a polygon to be clipped is situated with respect to a clipping plane to perform clipping processing, includes the steps of selecting a bounding volume sufficiently enclosing the polygon, and judging a position at which the bounding volume is situated with respect to the clipping plane to be the position at which the polygon is situated.

Abstract: A computer graphics apparatus comprises a modelling package and a rendering package. The modelling package outputs data representative of the definition of a scene to be represented graphically. The rendering package receives data representative of the scene to be represented graphically, and converts that data into rasterised image data. Preprocessing apparatus is provided to arrange the data defining the scene in a manner which can be more easily processed by the rendering package. The preprocessing apparatus partitions the scene by means of partition planes in directions selected from three mutually perpendicular directions. The planes are positioned so as to eliminate as much empty space as possible, to cause as little division of geometry of the scene as possible, and to deliver sections of the scene which contain no more than a particular level of detail.

Abstract: A gamma corrector inputs a primary color signal as an image signal to each of the differential amplifiers which are connected in parallel to each other and mixes a plurality of output signals which are outputted from the four differential amplifiers to output an image signal to which a plurality of gamma correction is applied. Each of the differential amplifiers amplifies and outputs the inputted primary color signal with a different gain characteristic so that the gain characteristic of the signal obtained by mixing the output signals varies at two inflection points. The two-point gamma correction is applied to the inputted primary color signal so that a signal level at the side of a black level is turned down and the signal level at the side of a white level is turned up.

Abstract: A method and apparatus, including a computer program apparatus, implementing techniques for creating a distance map of an image including a graphical object. The techniques include providing a seeding map of seed pixels having seed values, and using the seeding map to generate a Euclidean distance map. Each seed pixel can correspond to a region of the image. The seed values can include at least three different seed values. A first seed value for a seed pixel can correspond to a region of the image covered by the graphical object by no more than a first threshold amount. A second seed value for a seed pixel can correspond to a region of the image covered by the graphical object by no less than a second threshold amount. Each intermediate seed value for a seed pixel can correspond to a region of the image partially covered by the graphical object by an amount between the first and second threshold amounts.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dithering for color computer display systems includes the addition of a noise component to each of the color components of each pixel in a pseudo-random manner. The noise component is preferably different for each color component. Taking the image as a whole, the noise component repeats on a regular basis but is preferably selected so as not to repeat on adjacent pixels. The image is divided into squares of pixels and the same noise component is added to each of the same relative pixels from square to square. The preferred square of pixels is four pixels wide by four pixels high. The value of the noise component is chosen such that the most significant bit alternates both horizontally and vertically from pixel to pixel within the square of pixels.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a substitute font that visually approximates a selected font that is unavailable in a computer system is provided. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method and system first selects as the substitute font a font that is available in the computer system. The method and system then adjusts the overall widths of the characters of the substitute font to match the overall widths of the corresponding characters of the selected font. This causes the same combinations of characters of the substitute font and of the selected font to have substantially the same size and appearance. The method and system then makes the substitute font available to a program that has requested the selected font.

Abstract: A method of compositing multiple images together so as to produce realistic effects is disclosed. The method comprises defining an image canvas bump map approximating a surface to be painted on; defining a painting bump map of a painting object to be painted on the surface; combining the image canvas bump map and the painting bump map to produce a final composited bump map. The step of combining utilises a stiffness factor, the stiffness factor determining a degree of modulation of the painting bump map by the image canvas bump map. The combining process can comprise low-pass filtering the image canvas bump map with the stiffness determining the degree of low-pass filtering. The application is particularly suited for utilization in a hand held camera device to produce instant images on demand having a brushed artistic interpretation.

Abstract: A method and system for comparing a comparison source image to an active project in a viewer, particularly for editing the active project. The comparison source is stored or routed to a comparison buffer, and displayed within a comparison view in the viewer. The comparison view can be sized and positioned as desired to effect the desired editing function.

Abstract: A surface color code book is used to allow region localization and recognition within images without the need for pre-segmentation of the image. Pixels in an image are first mapped into an optimal color space and assigned a closest color label from the surface color code book. Clusters of adjacent pixels having a similar color label are then tentatively grouped to form a region. These tentative regions are then projected into the optimal color space and a descriptor is formulated for each re-projected cluster. Each descriptor is compared against the color codes in the color code book to determine if the initially assigned color label was correct; if correct, then that region receives both a color label from the color code book and a region identifier.

Abstract: An undirected graph is generated based on a set of finite n-dimensional space curves. One or more traversal modulations are selected and a directed graph is created by traversing the edges of the undirected graph and determining a direction, either a forward direction or a reverse direction, for each edge in accordance with the selected traversal modulations. The method then re-orientates the set of finite n-dimensional space curves in accordance with the directed graph.