Abstract: A method for generating a presentation of a region-of-interest in an information representation including the steps of: selecting a viewpoint for the region-of-interest; creating a lens surface for the region-of-interest; the lens surface having a focal region and a shoulder region surrounding the focal region; creating a transformed presentation by: determining boundaries in the representation for the focal region and the shoulder region; determining boundaries on the lens surface corresponding to the boundaries in the representation by applying a distortion function defining the lens surface to the boundaries in the representation; perspectively projecting the boundaries on the lens surface onto a plane spaced from the viewpoint; and, copying information in the representation lying within the boundaries in the representation onto the focal region and the shoulder region of the lens surface using respective focal region and shoulder region stretch bit-block transfer operations; and, displaying the transforme

Abstract: A method for displaying visual information on a display screen of a computer, comprising the steps of scaling the visual information to produce a scaled representation to fit on the display screen the scaled representation containing the entire content of the visual information; selecting a region of interest within the scaled representation; applying a transformation to the scaled representation to improve the visual detail in the region of interest; and, displaying the transformed presentation on the display screen.

Abstract: A method for generating a presentation of a region-of-interest in an original image for display on a display screen of a client coupled over a network to a server, comprising: establishing a lens having a focal region for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region; if the lens is in transit between first and second locations for the region-of-interest in the original image, applying the lens to the original image by a first method to generate the presentation at the client; and, if the lens is stationary in the original image, receiving the presentation from the server, the server applying the lens to the original image by a second method to generate the presentation.

Abstract: A method for generating a presentation of a region-of-interest in a terrain data representation for display on a display screen, comprising: translating each point of the representation within a lens bounds to a rotated plane being normal to a vector defined by a position for the region-of-interest with respect to a base plane for the representation and an apex above the base plane, the lens bounds defining a shoulder region at least partially surrounding a focal bounds defining a focal region in which the position is located, each point having a respective height above the base plane; displacing each translated point from the rotated plane by a function of the respective height and a magnification for the focal region, the magnification varying across the shoulder region in accordance with a drop-off function; rotating each displaced point toward a viewpoint for the region-of-interest to maintain visibility of each displaced point and each point of the data representation beyond the lens bounds when viewed f

Abstract: An improved method for display of a transitional region of interest while transitioning between a first region of interest and a second region of interest within visual information on a display screen of a computer. The method comprising the steps of applying a transitional transformation to the visual information and displaying the transitional transformed visual information on the display screen. The transitional transformation requiring a reduced calculation for transforming the visual information in the transitional region.

Abstract: A method for generating a presentation of a region-of-interest in an original image for display on a display screen, comprising: establishing a lens for the region-of-interest, the lens having a magnified focal region for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region having diminishing magnification, the focal region having a perimeter defined by a radius r from a line segment; receiving one or more signals to adjust at least one of the radius r and a length len of the line segment to thereby adjust the perimeter; and, applying the lens to the original image to produce the presentation.

Abstract: A method for reducing occlusion in a presentation of a region-of-interest of an original image, the presentation generated by distorting the original image to produce a lens having a focal region for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region defined by a shoulder drop-of function, comprising: scaling the focal region; and, for an input point in the shoulder region, determining a width for the shoulder region from a distance between a projection point for the input point to the focal region and an intersection point on a perimeter of the lens of a line constructed through the input point, the projection point, and the intersection point, to thereby reduce occlusion of the shoulder region by the focal region.

Abstract: A method for displaying visual information on a display screen of a computer, comprising the steps of scaling the visual information to produce a scaled representation to fit on the display screen the scaled representation containing the entire content of the visual information; selecting a region of interest within the scaled representation; applying a transformation to the scaled representation to improve the visual detail in the region of interest; and, displaying the transformed presentation on the display screen.

Abstract: A method for displaying visual information on a display screen of a computer, comprising the steps of scaling the visual information to produce a scaled representation to fit on the display screen the scaled representation containing the entire content of the visual information; selecting a region of interest within the scaled representation; applying a transformation to the scaled representation to improve the visual detail in the region of interest; and, displaying the transformed presentation on the display screen.

Abstract: A method for displaying visual information on a display screen of a computer, comprising the steps of scaling the visual information to produce a scaled representation to fit on the display screen the scaled representation containing the entire content of the visual information; selecting a region of interest within the scaled representation; applying a transformation to the scaled representation to improve the visual detail in the region of interest; and, displaying the transformed presentation on the display screen.

Abstract: A method is for inverting a distorted surface presentation into an undistorted surface presentation in a detail-in-context presentation system including the steps of: selecting an input point on the undistorted surface; calculating a vector from the input point to a reference viewpoint; locating a starting point lying above the distorted surface and on the vector; locating a first bracketing point for a first intersection point of the vector and the distorted surface lying above the distorted surface and on the vector; locating a second bracketing point for the first intersection point lying below the distorted surface, and below the first intersection point, but above any subsequent intersection points of the vector and the distorted surface; locating a midpoint between the first and second bracketing points; and, determining if the midpoint is an acceptable approximation for the first intersection point thus being an inversion point corresponding to the input point.

Abstract: A method for generating a presentation of a region-of-interest in an information representation including the steps of: selecting a viewpoint for the region-of-interest; creating a lens surface for the region-of-interest; the lens surface having a focal region and a shoulder region surrounding the focal region; creating a transformed presentation by: determining boundaries in the representation for the focal region and the shoulder region; determining boundaries on the lens surface corresponding to the boundaries in the representation by applying a distortion function defining the lens surface to the boundaries in the representation; perspectively projecting the boundaries on the lens surface onto a plane spaced from the viewpoint; and, copying information in the representation lying within the boundaries in the representation onto the focal region and the shoulder region of the lens surface using respective focal region and shoulder region stretch bit-block transfer operations; and, displaying the transforme

Abstract: A method for displaying visual information on a display screen of a computer, comprising the steps of scaling the visual information to produce a scaled representation to fit on the display screen the scaled representation containing the entire content of the visual information; selecting a region of interest within the scaled representation; applying a transformation to the scaled representation to improve the visual detail in the region of interest; and, displaying the transformed presentation on the display screen.