Abstract: A computer graphic system wherein image element data can be processed efficiently at a high speed, and images of higher quality are produced at a lower cost than conventional. An image processor for dividing a screen into regions (fragments) of predetermined sizes and processing data on every divided region (fragment), wherein pieces of information on image constituting elements are rearranged in a direction vertical to a scanning line (ST1), the pieces of information on the image constituting elements are rearranged in a direction parallel to the scanning line (ST2), and image processing for opaque polygons, polygons with transparent pixels, and semitransparent polygons is performed in the order of mention on the basis of the rearranged pieces of information (ST3 to ST6).

Abstract: The display comprises pixels and dots. Pixels are generated dynamically. Dynamic pixels are generated variable from existing dots. By combining adjacent dots, pixels form a dynamically generated logical unit, with adjacent pixels overlapping physically.

Abstract: In a method for displaying primary and secondary information in a motor vehicle by reproducing symbols on a display, the symbols are shown with different brightnesses according to their importance. Their brightness is changed as the importance of the information changes.

Abstract: The method generates a skeleton of a polygon by selecting a line segment or concave vertex (104) of the polygon and comparing it against the other line segments(106) in turn. The method determines (108,110,112), when comparing a selected line segment or concave vertex i with another line segment j, any significant parameter value associated with a point on selected line segment, where the locus(i,j) at that parameter value describes the skeleton.

Abstract: Method and system for evaluating derivatives in screen space using perspective corrected barycentric coordinates. A preferred embodiment provides a method for computing the LOD at individual pixels directly without relying on approximations. In this embodiment, screen coordinates of a pixel and derivatives of the texture coordinates at the vertices of the triangle enclosing the pixel are determined. Derivatives of texture coordinates at the pixel with respect to screen space are evaluated by interpolation of the derivatives of the texture coordinates at the vertices using barycentric coordinates of the pixel. Then, using the derivatives of the texture coordinates and without relying on neighboring pixels' texture coordinates, the LOD at the pixel is computed, such that the LOD as computed is unbiased in any particular direction. Significantly, such direct computation allows exact LOD values to be easily computed and eliminates the artifacts that are inherent in prior art implementations.

Abstract: A system that provides a bimanual user interface in which an input device is provided for each of the users hands, a left hand (LH) device and a right hand (RH) device. The input devices are used in conjunction with a large format, upright, human scale display at which the user can stand and upon which the input devices are moved. The positions of the input devices on the display are marked by displayed cursors. The system detects the position of the input devices relative to the display and draws a vector corresponding to unfastened tape between positions of cursors of the corresponding input devices and pointing from the LH device to the RH device. By changing the state of the LH input device the unfastened tape can be fastened or pinned along the vector as the user moves the LH device toward the RH device. By changing the state of the RH device, the tape can be unfastened by moving the LH device away from the RH device. Straight lines are drawn by holding the RH fixed while the LH pins the tape.

Abstract: A mini controller has an intelligent central unit; a storage unit, an operating unit and a display unit. The display unit is subdivided into a sign matrix with n*m sign locations, each sign location in turn being formed by an x*y pixel matrix. Each sign location is associated with a particular type of object, so that only particular types of objects can be input and processed at particular sign locations. Sign locations are provided for at least one object of the operand type, of the connection type and of the assignment type. The object types, the momentary operand states and the resulting connection states are stored in an object assignment table, so that logic-forming current paths can be created by inputting in rows and/or columns the operand, connection and assignment objects into their associated sign locations.

Abstract: A mixed reality presentation apparatus and control method thereof which can allow for suitable display of a virtual object depending on tone, brightness, and lighting conditions of a physical space on which the virtual object is superimposed and displayed is disclosed. The mixed reality presentation apparatus according to the present invention includes: a display setting adjustor 106 which adjusts the display colors and position of virtual information and the lighting settings based on the tone of the physical space which the observer sees and it determines the display colors such that a large tone difference from the physical space image is achieved for virtual text information and virtual wire frame information as well as the lighting settings used for drawing a three-dimensional virtual object with a tone such that it is merged with an object existing in the physical space.

Abstract: In a 3D graphics computer system, a method and system for efficient simplification of tetrahedral meshes used in 3D volumetric representations. The 3D computer system implements a method for manipulating a volumetric model of a 3D object to simplify the volumetric model by reducing the number of primitives within the volumetric model. To implement the method, the computer system accesses a volumetric model of a 3D object. The 3D object is modeled using a large number of volumetric primitives. After accessing, the volumetric model is analyzed to identify a plurality of sets of adjacent primitives within the model for processing. For each set of identified adjacent primitives, the set of primitives is transformed within the volumetric model to facilitate the simplification of the model. The resulting transformed set of primitives are then stored. This process is carried through to completion, until the entire volumetric model has been processed.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for displaying a character on a television or monitor screen are presented. The contents from a first memory location are fetched to determine the character and character attributes to be displayed. A graphical representation for the character to be displayed is then retrieved and overwritten based on the character attribute information of the character and a second character, such as an adjacent character.

Abstract: A method for retrieving an image texture descriptor for describing texture features of an image, including the steps of (a) filtering input images using predetermined filters having different orientation coefficients, (b) projecting the filtered images onto axes of each predetermined direction to obtain data groups consisting of averages of each directional pixel values, (c) selecting candidate data groups among the data groups by a predetermined classification method, (d) determining a plurality of indicators based on orientation coefficients of the filters used in filtering the candidate data groups, and (e) determining the plurality of indicators as the texture descriptor of the image. The texture descriptors which allow kinds of texture structure present in an image to be perceptually captured can be retrieved.

Abstract: A method and system for automated identification of pre-printed forms, based on the location of a mark made manually on the form. The method comprises the steps of identifying the existence and location of a mark made manually on a form and identifying the pre-printed form based on the location of the mark. The system comprises a digitizer, a pre-printed form, and a template that comprises one or more holes for a user to enter one or more identifying marks to identify the form. The digitizer transmits image data to a computer processor, coupled to a database, including one or more digitized images of marks made on a form. The processor identifies the existence and location of one or more identifying marks made by the user, and identifies the form based on the location of said one or more marks.

Abstract: A method for manipulating objects in isolation, in accordance with the invention, includes providing a shared object, B, from an object provider for use on a distributed object system. A new class of objects are provided which include a facade object, Bf, for B and a versionable representation object, Bv, for B wherein Bf supports a same interface as B. B is permitted to be manipulated in a given context isolated from other contexts for the object B wherein the object provider and an object user are unaware of the production and manipulation of the new class of objects. Method invocations on Bf in the given context are delegated to Bv to associate an instance of Bv with the given context such that one or more versions of object B are persistently maintained in the distributed object system.

Abstract: A block-based texture synthesis technique synthesizes an image texture that matches the textural appearance of an image texture sample. The synthesis first selects blocks of texture information from the image texture sample and places or pastes the selected blocks in different locations in each tile of the tiled image texture according to a chaos transform. The image texture sample in each tile is the background on which the selected blocks are placed. Each block contains sufficient texture information such that the transformed texture retains the continuity of visual properties, such as shape, size, and color, of the image texture sample. The synthesis can also overlay image texture samples to accomplish the synthesis.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in a data processing system for updating a buffer containing display information used to display pixels from a first layer and a second layer on a display in the data processing system. Display information is identified for pixels in the first layer in a region corresponding to a removal of pixels being displayed in the second layer. This identification is performed using a data structure containing display information for displaying pixels in the first layer and pixels in the second layer to form identified display information. Display information in the buffer is updated using identified display information.

Abstract: A system and method for pre-fetching pixels of pixel data for display functions requiring retrieval of pixels from a storage device for which the degree of effectiveness of pre-fetching differs among the display functions wherein 2-dimensional blocks of pixels are pre-fetched having a width and height that vary depending the display function that will be performed on the retrieved pixels after they have been retrieved from the storage device.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention a digital representation of a YCbCr video signal data stream is received that represents a video image or a series of video images. Received Y data values are linearly transformed and used to provide an RGB signal. The RGB signal is non-linearly adjusted to provide an adjusted RGB signal that enhances the viewed brightness of the data. In a specific embodiment, the non-linear adjusting adjusts the brightness of data near a mid-range of the video image more than other ranges of data.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus processes input signal samples representative of at least part of a color video image to produce legal color signal samples. An over sampled version of the input signal samples is produced. A plurality of adjustment factors are generated which, when combined with the input signal samples, have the effect of converting illegal color pixels of the color image into legal color pixels. The over sampled legalized color signal samples are decimated, resulting in a sampling rate corresponding to that of the base input signal samples, by selecting signal samples from the over sampled version of the legalized color signal samples which have not changed with respect to the corresponding input signal samples.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention comprise a design tool for designing an application interface. The design tool includes a graphical user interface (GUI) that visually represents a hierarchy of data and the relationships between the data. Thus, the design tool eliminates the need for an interface designer to have independent knowledge of the structure of the data (i.e., the data fields and relationships between the data). The design tool's GUI represents the data and the relationships between the data in a hierarchical display referred to as a data palette. An output hierarchy comprised of output levels is created as the user selects fields from the data palette to be displayed in the application's interface. When a data field is selected, the design tool automatically determines the appropriate interface component and output level of the output hierarchy using the relationships defined for the data. Output levels are associated with interface components that comprise the application's interface.

Abstract: A digital image processing method for generating a low resolution, low bit depth digital image from a higher resolution, higher bit depth input color digital image, includes the steps of: generating a gray scale image from the input color digital image; generating a valley image; filtering the valley image with a rank order filter to produce a filtered valley image; thresholding the filtered valley image to generate a binary valley image; generating a shadow image and a highlight image from the gray scale image; combining the shadow image, the highlight image, and the binary valley image to produce a combined binary image; and sub-sampling the combined binary image to a desired low resolution.