Abstract: An element object model and a vector graphics markup language for using that element object model in a manner that allows program code developers to consistently interface with a scene graph data structure to produce graphics. The vector graphics element object model generally corresponds to shape elements and other elements including image and video elements that correlate with a scene graph object model of the scene graph. Markup may be parsed into data including elements in an element tree that is translated into the objects of a scene graph data structure. Other markup may be translated directly into data and calls that create the scene graph objects. The markup language provides distinct ways to describe an element, including a simple string format or complex property syntax, which may be named, enabling reuse in other locations in the markup.

Abstract: A method and system implemented in an application programming interface (API) and an object model allows program code developers to interface in a consistent manner with a scene graph data structure to output graphics. Via the interfaces, program code writes drawing primitives such as geometry data, image data, animation data and other data to visuals that represent a drawing surface, including validation visual objects, drawing visual objects and surface visual objects. The code can also specify transform, clipping and opacity properties on visuals, and add child visuals to other visuals to build up a hierarchical scene graph. A visual manager traverses the scene graph to provide rich graphics data to lower-level graphics components.

Abstract: An element object model and a vector graphics markup language for using that element object model in a manner that allows program code developers to consistently interface with a scene graph data structure to produce graphics. The vector graphics element object model generally corresponds to shape elements and other elements including image and video elements that correlate with a scene graph object model of the scene graph. Markup may be parsed into data including elements in an element tree that is translated into the objects of a scene graph data structure. Other markup may be translated directly into data and calls that create the scene graph objects. The markup language provides distinct ways to describe an element, including a simple string format or complex property syntax, which may be named, enabling reuse in other locations in the markup.

Abstract: A parameterized scene graph provides mutable (animated) values and parameterized graph containers such that an application program or the like can selectively change certain aspects of the scene graph description while leaving other aspects intact, and also reuse portions of the scene graph with different parameters. To this end, mutable values are provided, which provide the higher level code with hooks into the scene graph enabling the scene description to be changed. The mutable values may be varied over time to provide animation. A parameterized graph container is also described that enables a scene graph portion to be templatized for reuse throughout a scene in a generic way. In this manner, a single parameterized graph container may be efficiently reused in a scene graph, with different values for its parameters.

Abstract: An intelligent caching data structure and mechanisms for storing visual information via objects and data representing graphics information. The data structure is generally associated with mechanisms that intelligently control how the visual information therein is populated and used. The cache data structure can be traversed for direct rendering, or traversed for pre-processing the visual information into an instruction stream for another entity. Much of the data typically has no external reference to it, thereby enabling more of the information stored in the data structure to be processed to conserve resources. A transaction/batching-like model for updating the data structure enables external modifications to the data structure without interrupting reading from the data structure, and such that changes received are atomically implemented. A method and mechanism are provided to call back to an application program in order to create or re-create portions of the data structure as needed, to conserve resources.

Abstract: A multiple-level graphics processing system and method (e.g., of an operating system) for providing improved graphics output including, for example, smooth animation. One such multiple-level graphics processing system comprises two components, including a tick-on-demand or slow-tick high-level component, and a fast-tick (e.g., at the graphics hardware frame refresh rate) low-level component. In general, the high-level, less frequent component performs computationally intensive aspects of updating animation parameters and traversing scene data structures, in order to pass simplified data structures to the low-level component. The low-level component operates at a higher frequency, such as the frame refresh rate of the graphics subsystem, to process the data structures into constant output data for the graphics subsystem. The low-level processing includes interpolating any parameter intervals as necessary to obtain instantaneous values to render the scene for each frame of animation.

Abstract: A software framework that allows seamless integration of generic media players into a web browser. A media player is a software module that implements specific interfaces; defines a playing state, such as playing, paused, or stopped; and associates with the playing state a current playback time. A generic media player implements interfaces, including timing interfaces and playback synchronization interfaces for exchanging timing and synchronization information with a web browser. A player-hosting peer, which is a software component built into the browser, manages generic player hosting by a web browser. The player-hosting peer negotiates playback state and rendering status between the browser and the media player. Both the media player and the player-hosting peer maintain playing state and current playback time. The relationship between the peer and the player is a master slave relationship, with the peer being the master.

Abstract: A method and system for processing messages is provided. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a message scheduler, a job process, and a format resolution module are used. The message scheduler identifies when a new message is to be processed, schedules the new message for processing, invokes the format resolution module to determine a method of converting data in the message to an appropriate format for a destination device or file, and invokes a job process. The format resolution module determines an appropriate method for converting data in the message from a format acceptable to the source devices or files to a format acceptable to the destination devices or files and creates a target message containing a reference to a destination device or file. The job process sends the data between the source devices or files to a destination device or file and performs the appropriate conversion.