Abstract: A method moves a cursor on a display screen. The motion of a pointing device is determined. The motion has direction and magnitude components. A determination is made to see if the direction lies within angular limits specified for a reference direction. The reference direction being either horizontal or vertical. If the direction of the pointing device lies within the limits, then the magnitude of the motion of the pointer is multiplied by the angle to determine the motion of the cursor.

Abstract: An apparatus, program product and method display an advertisement on at least a portion of a scroll bar. Doing so permits advertisements to be presented to users with reduced impact on the available space on a computer display, thereby maximizing usage of the computer display and limiting any potential associated negative impacts on user productivity.

Abstract: A graphics pipeline including a rasterizing stage producing diffuse color values; a plurality of texture stages producing texture values defining a particular texture; a combiner stage for combining four of a plurality of selectable input values including diffuse color values, texture values furnished by a plurality of texture stages, and proportions for combination of the selectable input values; the combiner stage being capable of providing a result equivalent to a sum of products of any two sets of input values, and a product of two input values.

Abstract: Generation of a granular graphic pattern on a physical surface is based on the multiple usage of elementary shapes. In particular, the method uses computer graphics in a multilevel pattern generation. It features defining at least two different absolute and/or relative transformation specifiers that are non-uniform amongst the elementary shapes with respect to either neighbouring ones of said elementary shapes and/or with respect to an overall geometry of the elementary shape in question. Finally, it applies the elementary shapes so specified on the physical surface.

Abstract: A method of creating an output image rendering of an arbitrary input color image on a computer system. The output image is made up of output brush strokes, and the method includes defining an initial restricted palette and defining a constrained set of brush strokes. The method further includes defining a canvas onto which to render the output image, and creating the output brush strokes of the output image by utilising the constrained set of brush strokes, which are colored from the restricted palette.

Abstract: A system and method of providing a transformable region that may be used on graphics devices having different resolutions. The original path and geometric data of the region, as well as all operations performed on the data, are preserved when generating the region. The device-independent region can be described by a hierarchical tree, wherein the leaf nodes contain path or rectangle, ellipse, pie, and polygon data and the branch nodes contain the operations to be performed on the regions. As the tree is traversed and regions are used, they are converted to a device resolution-specific from such that the operations are performed on device resolution-specific regions. Matrix transformation operations (e.g., translate, scale, skew and rotate) can be applied because the original path information is preserved and if the region is to be used in a device having a different resolution or a subsequent matrix operation is to be applied to the region, the tree can be re-traversed.

Abstract: Provided are a method and a software-implemented mechanism for assisting a user of a graphical user interface (GUI) with the task of positioning an input device pointer (or otherwise indicating a position selection) when selecting a GUI element such as a button or other icon. The software identifies those GUI elements which are valid selections for the current application state and so are potentially the next element that the user will interact with. Then a predefined set of characteristics for the identified GUI elements are compared to predict which of these GUI elements will be the next GUI element that the user will interact with. The result of this prediction is indicated by moving the pointer to the position within the GUI of the predicted GUI element or by adding emphasis to the predicted GUI element. The user then decides whether this GUI element is required.

Abstract: A method for editing objects representing writing on an electronic writeboard comprises the steps of: creating an object representing writing on the electronic writeboard; determining if the created object overlies an existing object by at least a threshold amount; and merging the created and existing objects to create a new object if the created object overlies the existing object by at least the threshold amount. An editor for editing objects and an interactive display system are also provided.

Abstract: A non-linear digital video compression circuit and method. The video compression circuit includes a source of digital video data signal, wherein the digital video data has M-bits of information for each of a Y, U, and V value per pixel. Y represents a luminance component, and U and V each represent portions of a two-dimensional chromaticity component. The circuit also includes a compression lookup table having an M-bit input coupled to the source of digital video data, and an N-bit compressed digital video data output, where N is less than M. The compression lookup table includes a non-linear compression transformation for at least one of Y, U and V. In one embodiment, the compression lookup table includes a non-linear compression transformation that provides a different conversion for Y than for U or that provides a different conversion for Y than for V.

Abstract: A method for forming an image of an object on a display of a computer includes representing at least a portion of the object with a first strip of polygons that is described by a first set of points of a first coordinate space. One or more polygons of the first strip that will be invisible in the image are selected, and these polygons are culled from the first strip to form a second strip of polygons. The second strip of polygons is described by a second set of points of the first coordinate space. The culling is performed before the points of the second set are transformed into another coordinate space that is associated with the image.

Abstract: A system and method for utilizing an electronic book is disclosed, comprising generating a first label capable of being utilized to indicate a relationship with a first element of an electronic book and generating a second label capable of being utilized to indicate a relationship with at least one of the first element and a second element of an electronic book. The first label and second label are capable of being utilized to access at least one of the first element from the first label and at least one of the first element and the second element from the second label. In an exemplary embodiment, a user may specify a label to correspond with an element of an electronic book. Additionally, labels may be utilized to access the element of the electronic book by the user. Labels may also be modified by size, shape, text, color, apparent texture, and the like. Furthermore, labels may be utilized to indicate a relationship with an element.

Abstract: A scrollable mode is caused to enter, in which scrolling using a pointing device can be performed by depressing a specified key in the keyboard, and in the scrollable mode, the display area is caused to be scrolled in a direction corresponding to the moving direction of the cursor which is operated by the pointing device.

Abstract: A system is disclosed that extends a high order polynomial model of an input device into a device region where measured input data is not available by selecting points in an unmeasured region, determining a slope at each of the selected points using a lower order model, and fitting the higher order model to the measured values and the slope values.

Abstract: Methods for operating hand-held input devices for controlling a visual indicator on a computer system display. In one embodiment, an input device includes a body configured to face a support structure, a projecting member extending between the body and the support structure, and a position sensor operatively connected to the projecting member. The body includes a bottom section configured to move over the support structure and a top section having a contoured surface configured to engage a palm of a hand. The projecting member can have a first portion connected to either the body or the support structure, and a second portion projecting from the first portion toward the other of the body or the support structure. For example, the projecting member can be a rod having a first end pivotally connected to the body and a second end engaged with the support structure such that the second end is inhibited from moving with respect to the support structure.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for scaling-up a set of video data uses variations in the black-and-white components, of a graphic image to better generate “missing” color components in an image. The location of large variations in the black-and-white components of an image, or edges in the black-and-white portion of the image, may be used to generate the missing color components. The variations in the black-and-white components of an image, around a particular location in the image, provide additional information for interpolating between the more widely spaced color component information. The method and apparatus allow for the selection, and adjustment to, the weights given to edge locations. The method and apparatus may be used as part of a computer system to expand and display compressed graphic data.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for inverting a color display on a dark background to produce a display on a substantially white background suitable for printing, includes the element of maintaining the same apparent relative intensities in both the LCD display on a dark background and the hardcopy displayed on a light background. The apparatus includes a memory including a first palette for the LCD display, a second palette for the hardcopy display, and a look-up table. A controller accesses the first and second palettes and look-up table for converting display data from LCD data to color-inverted printer data.

Abstract: A “Rendering Process and Method for Digital Map Illumination Intensity Shading” is disclosed that assigns an illumination intensity to pixels in a video display imaging a mapped terrain. The process comprises the steps of: providing a rectangular grid array of altitude values covering an area to be shaded. Each altitude value has a map position characterized by a coordinate location referenced to a first and second coordinate axes crossing orthogonally at an origin. Each coordinate location has a first and second value. Each first and second value characterizes the distance of the respective coordinate location from the origin. The map area is divided into an array of contiguous triangles. Each triangle area has a perimeter bounded by three straight line segments passing between three coordinate locations. The video display has pixel areas that corresponding to each respective triangle area. A normal vector is calculated for each triangle area.

Abstract: A method AND A SYSTEM for displaying in an N-dimensional display means the N+1st dimension of an equation of N+1 variables, comprising converting the equation into the form inwhich the N+1st dimension is a variable that is a function of the other first N variables, computing, by means of the function, the scalar value of each pixel, whose N coordinates represent the specific values of the first N variables, and coloring or shading the pixel according to a predetermined color pattern bywhich the scalar value conforms to a predetermined color or shading. The N dimensional display may comprise 2 or 3 dimensions and may include a computer screen, a TV monitor, a print on a printable substrate a hologram, a holographic screen, a stereoscopic TV or video display, or another two or three dimensional display means. The predetermined color pattern may be the pattern defined by the manufacturer of the computer or of the display means.

Abstract: A system and method for dynamically substituting colors in graphic images. The color substitution method receives a color to be replaced within the graphic image (Cr) and a new color (Cn). The method also receives a hue variance % value, which indicates the degree of hue variance for which a color substitution is performed. The method then converts the color to be replaced (Cr) to hue, luminance and saturation components (Hr, Lr, Sr), and converts the new color (Cn) to hue, luminance and saturation components (Hn, Ln, Sn). The method also computes a luminance difference Ld=Ln−Lr. Then, for each color element, e.g., each pixel or color command, the method performs a color substitution operation to replace one or more current colors in the graphic image with the new color. The color substitution operation for each color element compares the hue component Hc of the current color (Cc) of a current pixel in the graphic image and determines if Hc matches Hr within the specified hue variance.

Abstract: A page display system is provided for improving an intuitive visibility of letters and lines of letters as patterns by increasing the time for displaying each page. A formatter 13 of the page display system interprets and arrange the structured text 11 into page units, a rasterizer expands letters of the structured text 11 into fonts to form image patterns and generate each page image by synthesizing with images of attached data 12 and the like, and the image buffer 15 temporarily stores the thus produced page images. The image composer 16 acquires page images from the image buffer and composes a plurality of images upon necessity, the display device 17 displays page images. The page scroll controller 19 adjust the composition of images by the image composer 16. The timer 20 transmits information indicating the passage of time.