Abstract: A graphical input and display system for creating and manipulating an abstract graphical image by decomposing it into abstract elemental objects and organizing the elemental objects into a set of perceptually coherent composite objects. The system includes an input device for entering the graphical image, such as a mouse or digitizer and electronic stylus, a display, and a function selection system for manipulating the graphical image. The system decomposes the graphical image entered onto the display into abstract elemental objects each consisting of one or more consecutive "on" pixels within the image. The system organizes the elemental objects into composite objects, which are abstract groups of elemental objects, such that each elemental object belongs to one or more composite objects and each composite object contains one or more elemental objects. The elemental and composite objects are linked in a lattice data structure stored in system memory.

Abstract: A graphical imaging system, wherein the rough location, size and shape of objects in the image is summarized by a first characteristic descriptor, representing a parametric "pose" computed for each object. A second characteristic descriptor, i.e. a "gesture matching" function, is provided in order to select the single object, or else the set of objects, that best comports with the user's selection gesture. When most closely matched, these key characteristic descriptors permit simple and natural user gestures to distinguish among a large set of graphic objects that may overlap both spatially. User gestures can be simple slashes passing through the object, or quick, coarse approximations of objects' shapes.