Abstract: A group working system includes a plurality of work stations interconnected through a network and each having a multi-window function. Each work station is provided with a group working user interface program executed under the control of a control program for transferring control information for a group work with the other work stations. When input operation is performed for a window of a group working mode in any one of the work stations, indication information for identifying an operator or work station performing the input operation is output to an additional window which is paired with the above-mentioned window. By making reference to the indication information, each user can avoid conflict in the input operation to the same window of the group working mode with other users.

Abstract: A method is provided for distinguishing nonconvex polygons from complex polygons. The present invention compares the edges of a polygon for self intersection points. Initially, "base" and "compare" edges are designated and bounding boxes for each of these edges are determined. The bounding boxes are then compared and if they intersect the edges may have points in common, whereas if no intersection occurs, then there are no common points and the edges are incremented and a comparison of other edges occurs. If it is determined that bounding boxes intersect, the intersection point for the edges under consideration is determined. If this intersection point lies within both bounding boxes, then the polygon is complex and the test ends. However, if the intersection point is outside either bounding box, then the edges are incremented and processing continues until all relevant edges have been considered.

Abstract: A coordinate input device is used in document processing to input user instructions including display coordinates of the display frame as specified by the user.

Abstract: The invention is an object-oriented graphic user interface for use in computer controlled display systems, and in particular, display systems having object oriented graphic interfaces. A central processing unit (CPU) is provided and is coupled to a display for displaying graphic and other data. The CPU is further coupled to a cursor control device which permits a user to selectively position a cursor at a desired location on the display, and signal the CPU of selections in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. Buttons are generated by the CPU and displayed which correspond to either a single function to be executed by the CPU, or a button stack which has associated therewith a plurality of functions disposed on a menu. The menu includes a plurality of buttons and/or button stacks. A button stack may be provided with a default function which is automatically executed by the CPU when a predetermined signal is provided by the user through the cursor control device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for constructing edit mask entry fields for display panel data, in a system including a host processor, a workstation controller, and a number of workstations, each workstation having a keyboard and display screen. The edit mask entry field mask positions are protected when display panel information is modified, by special hardware and software operations performed within the workstation controller. In particular, certain keyboard edit function keystrokes are processed by the workstation controller to permit the edit functions to be performed, without disturbing the position or display panel presentation of preselected edit mask characters.

Abstract: A high speed data display routine used in imaging of displays of geographic or other detail depicting, for example, the depth of an ocean, acoustic prediction plots, photographs and logos. The speed is achieved by a process for efficiently mapping the data values to the display matrix. The information processing uses proportional mapping, but only on the two edges of the data matrix. The processing performs substantially fewer calculations during the mapping process, by rely in accordance with certain conventions on straight raw data copying operations using pre-determined counts.

Abstract: A structured text system for generating a finished project plans and specifications for constructing a building, the system including a master specification and standardized information embedded in other documents. The system uses keynote references that are inserted into other documents, such as drawings produced by a CAD system, to construct a partial project knowledge base, which knowledge base is then used to guide the editing of a master specification to yield an initial project plans and specifications. The keynote references are found in a catalog of standardized notes and are arranged to be searched by their attributes, using an interactive index utility. The keynote references are included on the CAD drawings, or like computer readable documents, from which they may be extracted for later use in constructing or updating a project knowledge base.

Abstract: A method of displaying and cutting out a region of interest. Upon depicting contour lines indicating regions of interest, respectively, on a display screen, the regions of interest are displayed with contour lines differing from one region to another in accordance with the order in which the regions of interest are designated. The contour displayed is scanned in the four directions leftward, rightward, upward and downward. For the inaccessible regions which are located outside of the contour and which could not have been reached by the scanning line, one of the upward and downward scannings and one of the leftward and rightward scannings are repeated until the inaccessible regions are no longer present.

Abstract: A computer graphics system. The system includes a video memory having a shift register adapted for split shift register transfers, and digital computer for controlling the video memory and having a tap point counter clocked by a shift clock signal and also having a blanking circuit with a blanking output. Further, logic circuitry enabled by the blanking output is connected to initiate an extra shift clock pulse for the tap point counter during a blanking interval. Other systems, palette devices, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: Signal transformations of inputted data brought about by 58 new subroutines in combination with other subroutines to display world maps or other display items with the unique capability of performing the following functions in complete generality. (1) Arbitrary selection of map center and coverage, including global displays, (2) filling of all land and lake areas defined by polygons composed of an arbitrary number of vertices, (3) clipping of map features and overlays at map boundaries and poles, (4) selection from any of nineteen currently implemented map projections with provision to install any other projection topologically similar to an oblique conic, (5) calculation of latitude/longitude for any point on a map without the need for inverse mapping equations, and (6) an efficient method of plotting polyline segments along great circles. These are a number of feature functions provided by this inventive concept.

Abstract: A computer system comprises a computer, a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, and an instrumentation system. The instrumentation system is coupled to a patient to gather data about a patient over time. The data is arranged in a flowsheet, only a portion of which can be displayed at one time. Indicators are used to indicate the presence of data off-display meeting a preselected criterion. This criterion can be the existence of a value entry or the existence of a value entry exceeding a threshold, for example. Upon activation of an indicator, the display scrolls to the next flowsheet neighborhood containing an entry meeting the criterion. In this way, a physician or other operator can navigate efficiently and rapidly through a large flowsheet. The invention allows an operator to skip large quantities of empty cells and uninteresting data when the flowsheet is sparsely filled.

Abstract: A digital signal processing apparatus including a graphic template display including an input circuit for sampling, digitizing and storing successive samples of an input signal, a signal processor for scaling the sampled signal data, a buffer for storing the scaled signals, a copy memory for storing a copy of the scaled signal data, a template memory for storing template data, an image retrieval circuit for accessing and reading out the stored signal and template data, a data mapping circuit for reformatting the stored image data, a display memory for holding the reformatted image data for cyclical display, a memory access circuit for accessing and combining the reformatted image data and the display memory data, and for providing the timing necessary for presentation of the combined data, and display apparatus for displaying the combined data in an original format.

Abstract: Electronic image generation apparatus includes a monitor, a colour data array for storing digital data defining the colour component content of pixels of an image, a control data array for storing control data for each display pixel, and a mixer connected to the control data array and the colour data array for generating display pixel data comprised of a combination of proportions of the data in the colour data stores and other colour data the proportions being in accordance with the control data. The monitor is responsive to the display pixel data. A camera views a region within which an indicator may be moved, and is connected to the control data array such that data relating to the appearance of the region is recorded in the control data array.

Abstract: An apparatus for displaying a plurality of two dimensional display regions includes a currently displayed display region on a surface of a visual display. A pointing device generates X and Y coordinate signals corresponding to locations on the display and a Z increment signal, and a pointer is displayed on the display at a location corresponding to a set of the X and Y coordinate signals. A sequence of two dimensional display regions is stored in a memory circuit, and a display region succeeding the currently displayed display region in the sequence or a display region preceding the currently displayed display region in the sequence is selected in response to the Z increment signal irrespective of whether the location at which the pointer is displayed coincides with the selected display region.

Abstract: A two- or three-dimensional image of an object is first input into a computer system. An operator may then define one or more regions of the image for application of surface texture. A two-dimensional image of a surface texture is also input into the computer system. A polygonal area or patch, such as a rectangle, of the surface texture is then defined by the operator. A corresponding patch on the object image, which need not have the same shape or orientation as the patch on the texture image, is also defined by the operator. The patches on the texture image and on the object image need not be contiguous, adjacent or uniform. The object patch is assumed to be a perspective view of the corresponding texture patch, and a three-dimensional mapping function from the texture patch to the object patch is calculated.

Abstract: A graphic output device for removing the aliases of the edges of a vector image by an antialiasing procedure and effectively outputting image data undergone such processing. Whether or not the inclination of an input vector is greater than 45 degrees is determined. In the event of outputting the result of antialiasing processing, a pulse width modulation system (vertically long dot diameter) is selected if the inclination of the vector is greater than 45 degrees, or a power modulation system (horizontally long dot diameter) is selected if it is smaller than 45 degrees.

Abstract: A method for charting onto a newly produced map mains network data from an old, existing map. It comprises the following steps. In a first memory part is stored the measured data for a new map. In a second memory part is stored the data of the old map including the data relating to mains networks. From the memory parts the new and the old map are read and displayed on a display. Reference points of the old map are moved until they coincide with the appropriate reference points of the new map. Finally, The network reference points moved with the reference points of the old map are interpolated so that the network data is included in the new map.

Abstract: Computer apparatus and method determines correspondence between two shapes or drawings. Included is a computer matcher which determines point by point matches/correspondence between a source object or drawing and a target object or drawing. As applied to the generation of animation sequences, the computer matcher is given as input a source drawing, a target drawing and at least four working points on the first drawing matched to four working points on the second drawing. The matcher defines a transform vector from the initially given working points of the first drawing and working points of the second drawing and their association. With the transform vector, the matcher performs a vector transformation of each of the remaining points on the first drawing to a respective point on the second drawing. This generates a correspondence and thus match between remaining points on the first drawing with respective remaining points on the second drawing.

Abstract: A document processor includes: a CRT; a keyboard for inputting characters or codes; a kana-kanji converting device for converting the inputted characters or codes into a predetermined form; a start point mark displaying device for displaying on the CRT a most leading position of the characters or codes inputted by the keyboard and prior to effecting conversion by the kana-kanji converting device, by using a start point mark; a caret displaying device for displaying on the CRT a rearmost position of the characters or codes inputted by the keyboard and prior to effecting conversion by the kana-kanji converting device, by using a caret; a start point mark moving device for moving the start point mark to a position where the caret is displayed, when the kana-kanji converting device effects conversion of the characters or codes inputted; and a start point mark display on/off device for setting the display of the start point mark to off when the positions of display of the start point mark and the caret coincide wi

Abstract: A signal transition control system for use in a modulated-signal communication system having a plurality of predefined signal states each representing a digital data symbol, enables a transition from one signal state to a next signal state to be executed in a smooth, bandwidth-efficient manner. The system includes circuitry for receiving a stream of data symbols and storing in succession consecutive pairs of the data symbols, each of the pairs including a last data symbol and a next data symbol, for producing data describing a vector in signal space from the last data symbol to the next data symbol, for storing data representative of a desired shape of a transition from the last data symbol to the next data symbol, means for sequentially stepping through the data representative of the desired shape, and for producing data representing a transition from the last data symbol to the next data symbol, the transition having the desired shape.