Abstract: In a method for obtaining a three-dimensional map representation for a navigation system from digital, two-dimensional road map data, the road map data for a field of view that is to be represented and has a predetermined visual range are curved in a radially symmetric fashion about a virtual viewpoint by means of a polynomial transformation. A navigation system suitable for generating such a map representation is distinguished by a conversion unit with the aid of which two-dimensional road map data can be transferred into a view curved in a radially symmetric fashion.

Abstract: Automatic interpretation processing operations, such as character recognition, require a binary image of information-bearing image elements and a background. Digital image data produced by scanning a color-containing document frequently contain many different colors so that a division into information-bearing image elements and background is not evident. The invention divides connected components (contiguous pixels with the same color) in the digital image into background and other connected components, whereafter the other connected components are allocated, in accordance with a predetermined criterion, either to the background or to a foreground. The foreground connected components are combined into information elements suitable for the automatic interpretation processing. The division into information-bearing image elements and background can be preceded by a color quantisation processing of the digital image data.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for controlling a parameter by programming said parameter using a programmable control device. The system according to the invention comprises drawing means which enable a user to create a drawing. The system further comprises means for converting said drawing to a programming of said parameter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for acquiring and displaying physiological patient data from a cyclic physiological waveform in a three dimensional representation wherein the amplitude of the data is represented in color and displayed.

Abstract: An interactive elliptical arc control system and method are disclosed. Three control points are provided—a center control point and two foci control points—that a user can interactively manipulate in order to specify and change the elliptical parameters involved. The center control point can control the radius of the ellipse in the x direction, while keeping constant the ratio of the radius of the ellipse in the y direction to the radius of the ellipse in the x direction. The center control point can also control the relationship of the sweep flag to the large arc flag involved. The two foci control points can control the ratio of the radius of the ellipse in the y direction to the radius of the ellipse in the x direction, the angle from the x-axis of the coordinate system to the x-axis of the ellipse, and the value of the sweep flag.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for computing an approximation of the medial of a 3D object. The method retrieves a three-dimensional digital object, and approximates medial information based on direction vector information and three-dimensional space partitions. The three-dimensional space partitions include a plurality of tetrahedron. The medial information includes defining direction vector information for each comer of each of the plurality of tetrahedron. The direction vector information is based on a point location relative to a nearest surface of the three-dimensional digital object. The medial information further includes computing an approximation of at least of a manifold point, a non-manifold point, a axial point, or a vertex point.

Abstract: A method for converting a subdivision surface, such as a Catmull-Clark subdivision surface, into a cubic Bezier surface defined by sixteen control points. The method includes (a) converting a subdivision face to Bezier control points using a conversion matrix using fifteen points and a dummy value for an unavailable sixteenth point; and (b) replacing one of the Bezier control points which corresponds to an extraordinary point on the subdivision face with the extraordinary point's limit point.

Abstract: Contours are extracted for representing a pixelated object in a background pixel field. An object pixel is located that is the start of a new contour for the object and identifying that pixel as the first pixel of the new contour. A first contour point is then located on the mid-point of a transition edge of the first pixel. A tracing direction from the first contour point is determined for tracing the new contour. Contour points on mid-points of pixel transition edges are sequentially located along the tracing direction until the first contour point is again encountered to complete tracing the new contour. The new contour is then added to a list of extracted contours that represent the object. The contour extraction process associates regions and contours by labeling all the contours belonging to the same object with the same label.

Abstract: In order to provide a curved surface model generating technique which makes use of both advantages of a modeling method by using distance image data and a modeling method by using silhouette data while photographic and measurement data from less angles are utilized, firstly a curved surface model generating section inputs 2D color image data and distance image data. When silhouette image data are extracted from the 2D color image data, initial model data are generated by the Volume Intersection method or the like. The distance image data are converted into world coordinate values by using photographing position/posture data. In a fitting processing section, a fidelity where the distance with the distance image data is used as a measure and a fidelity where the distance with the silhouette image data is used as a measure are added to be evaluated, and a curved surface is fitted to initial model data so that curve surface model data are generated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is described to control velocity of object movement in a display device. A path is provided that the object will follow in the display. A plurality of handles are provided along the path and a velocity of the object is controlled by using the handles.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of orientating a space curve having two endpoints. The method comprises selecting a desired direction and then generating a first vector having a direction which is same as the selected desired direction. At least one second vector is then generated, each said second vector having a corresponding direction indicative of a corresponding characteristic of the space curve. The first and second vectors are compared so as to determine a direction of the space curve, wherein the determined direction of the space curve is along the curve from the first endpoint to the second endpoint and which is closest to the selected desired direction. The direction of the space curve is then oriented in accordance with the determined direction.

Abstract: An image is freely enlarged/reduced in accordance with a user's control instruction to be displayed by reducing noises such as jaggy. An image processing device includes an affine transforming unit for affine transforming coordinates of a control point based on at least an enlarging ratio or a reducing ratio, a number of divisions setting unit for obtaining a ratio of a drawing range of a B'ezier curve after the affine transformation to an actual drawing range and setting the number of divisions of the parameter of the B'ezier curve in accordance with the obtained ratio, a B'ezier curve calculating unit for obtaining the number of curve defining points corresponding to the number of divisions on the basis of the set number of divisions and a coefficient based on a degree and the Bernstein base function, and a B'ezier curve drawing unit for drawing the B'ezier curve to an image memory based on the obtained curve defining point.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for generating display data. The data processing system loads coefficient values corresponding to a behavior of a selected function in pre-defined ranges of input data. The data processing system then determines, responsive to items of input data, the range of input data in which the selected function is to be estimated. The data processing system then selects, through the use of a vector permute function, the coefficient values, and evaluates an index function at the each of the items of input data. It then estimates the value of the selected function through parallel mathematical operations on the items of input data, the selected coefficient values, and the values of the index function, and, responsive to the one or more values of the selected function, generates display data.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a computerized method for computing a transversal derivative field along a curve on a surface includes receiving data defining the surface, the surface represented in terms of parameters u and v as S(u,v), and receiving data defining the curve, the curve represented in terms of a parameter t as c(t). The method also includes receiving a number equal to N constraint conditions for the derivative field, wherein N is a positive integer and determining the transversal derivative L(t) field according to the formula L ? ( t ) = ? S ( u ? ( t ) , v ? ( t ) ) ? w , where i is an index identifying a particular one of N numbers of constraint conditions and L(ti) is the value of the transversal derivative field at the ith constraint condition and w is a scalar function of u and v that satisfies ? S ( u ? ( t i ) , v ? ( t i ) ) ? w = L ? ( t i ) .

Abstract: In a shape manipulation method, relocation information is received indicative of an intended change in position of a target location on a Bezier shape, the contour of the Bezier shape being governed by control points. In response to the relocation information, new positions are determined for canonical locations on the shape based on predefined intended behaviors of the canonical locations.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for dynamically rendering digital ink strokes of arbitrary stroke width while a user is drawing the ink strokes. An ink rendering system may receive sampled pen tip positions associated with a stylus or pen on a digitizer. The ink rendering system may further determine pen tip instances having particular shapes, sizes, and/or rotations, and may determine connecting shapes, preferably quadrangles, that connect between the pen tip instances. Smoothing techniques may also be used for existing digital ink.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a curve, such as a Low Discrepancy Curve, on a surface, such as an abstract surface with a Riemannian metric. The system may comprise a computer which includes a CPU and a memory medium which is operable to store one or more programs executable by the CPU to perform the method. The method may: 1) parameterize the surface; 2) select a curve, such as a Low Discrepancy Curve, in a parameter space, for example, a simple space such as a unit square; 3) re-parameterize the surface, for example, re-parameterize the surface such that a ratio of line and area elements of the surface based on a Riemannian metric is constant; and 4) map the curve onto the surface using the re-parameterization. The method may also generate output comprising information regarding the mapped curve, for example, displaying the mapped curve on a display device.

Abstract: The minimum number of rectangles required to fill a particular polygon and which meet input parameters including minimum stripe width, maximum stripe width, stripe overlap amount, maximum number of borders, and whether or not to merge adjacent borders, is determined by: (1) bordering, including computing a border width which is wide as possible, bordering all non-orthogonal polygons with one or more borders, merging borders when appropriate, halting bordering as soon as the interior can be efficiently filled using orthogonal fill rectangles; (2) filling, including filling the interior of the bordered non-orthogonal polygon or the unbordered orthogonal polygon with orthogonal paint stripes, filling, if possible, the uncovered area with a single least encompassing rectangle, otherwise generating orthogonal stripes using the minimum stripe width and where practical merging them with a previous adjacent stripe; and (3) processing, including locating any and all unfilled portions of the original polygon, applying

Abstract: A method and system for applying constraints to a wireframe chain of curves for Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is disclosed, whereby a geometric constraint network can be expanded to include chains of curves as types of wireframe entities. As such, a chain of curves can be represented as one composite curve. As a result, a constraint solver can generate and/or maintain any constraint on a chain of curves, which enables the constraints to be solved while moving along the curves independently from the chain's geometry and topology changes.

Abstract: Method is disclosed for the automatic creation of images in a “van Gogh” style. The method comprises locating portions of detail in an image an utilizing the area of detail to propagate brush strokes into areas of the image having lesser details. A number of modifications are also proposed including utilizing refining brush strokes to process those areas of detail in an image.

Abstract: A graphing calculator (10) having manual line drawing capability. The calculator (10) is programmed to receive data representing the begin point and end point of a line (FIGS. 7 and 8), and to then draw a line that includes these points (FIG. 9). The display includes a display of the line equation (FIG. 9). The slope and y-intercept of the line may be adjusted using cursor direction keys. As the line is adjusted, it is redrawn and the line equation is re-calculated and displayed (FIG. 10).

Abstract: A method of rasterizing a line on a display having pixels with locations defined by a polar coordinate system uses the sign of a discriminant to choose which of two candidate pixels is to be the next pixel on the rasterized line. The discriminant, which is derived from the desired line, is evaluated at a point in the neighborhood of the candidate pixels. The discriminant value depends on the local slope of the line in polar coordinates. The method divides the line into segments having selected ranges of slope and rasterizes the desired line along each segment.

Abstract: A system for aiding to make a medical care map includes: a plurality of files for including individual medical care data; a date and time measuring device for measuring a present date and time; a display controlling device for (i) generating main display data to display the medical care data, (ii) selecting one of condition marks set in advance, (iii) generating first sub display data to display the selected condition mark on the care map, (iv) calculating a present position on the care map, and (v) generating second sub display data to display a present mark at the calculated present position on the care map; and a display device for displaying the medical care data on the care map together with the condition mark and the present mark, on the basis of the main display data, the first sub display data and the second sub display data.

Abstract: A computer-implemented graphics program that determines the distribution of spines on a curvature comb. The graphics program generates a curvature comb to visualize the smoothness of a curve, wherein the curvature comb is comprised of a plurality of spines drawn perpendicular to the curve. The spines are distributed along the curvature comb according to a spine density function (SDF) that represents a desired density of the spines. A cumulative density function (CDF) is used as a computational tool for distributing spines according the distribution given by the SDF.

Abstract: An image processing application employs the concept of integral pre-multiplied alpha channel, and combines the techniques of multi-resolution representation, graph-structured representation, and automatic and intelligent data type conversion in order to permit a computer user to mix and manipulate both raster and vector based images in a single user interface while remaining unaware of the different data types underlying the images.

Abstract: A character generator and its method are suitably applied to such a video title generator for adding title images to a video program. Specifically, the character generator according to the present invention analyzes the form of characters inputted by an operator through a keyboard, and generates a polygon model matching the inputted characters so that the inputted characters look a three-dimensional image. The generated polygon model is subjected to rendering processing and displayed on a computer display. The polygon model displayed on the display can be changed in real time by using three-dimensional parameter and so on, for a shadow or perspective, which is set by the operator on the GUI screen. Thereby, the three-dimensional character generated by transforming the inputted character into the three-dimensional form can be generated with simple constructions and operations and in real time.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable media use closed contours of a modeled surface for various purposes such as displaying a contour map of the modeled surface or computing volumetrics. For the closed contours, a colorfilled contour map may be displayed where each contour level is represented as a shape that has an opaque fill color by calculating the area of each shape and displaying the shapes in decreasing order of area. Where both elevations and depressions are present, such that elevations have a positive area and depressions have a negative area, the shapes are displayed in decreasing order of the absolute value of area. Where null values in the modeled surface are present such that unclosed contours result, values are substituted into the null values to close the contours. These closed contours may then be used for various purposes, such as calculating volumetrics of the modeled surface or generating the colorfilled contour map display according to the area of the closed contours.

Abstract: Conventional migration of short offset seismic data is performed. An interval velocity is obtained using, for example, check shots. An initial model of effective anellipticity parameter as a function of depth is obtained by flattening long offsets within a common image point. From these, interval anellipticity and horizontal velocity are obtained as a function of time. These initial models are used for anisotropic imaging. Any remaining residuals are used to update the interval anellipticity model and the process of migration is repeated until satisfactory results are obtained.

Abstract: A solid modeler is provided which is specifically tailored for the material removal process associated with milling procedure. The solid modeler permits a part to be designed using only machinable profiles thereby constraining the designer to real world machinable operations. The method utilized by this solid modeler allows design manipulation of the edges and curves of a very general feature profile, thereby representing the milling process with the same degree of flexibility that the actual milling process has, and provides a means to create and store for use in the generation of other parts any combination of 2D and 3D features.

Abstract: A system and method for compressing digital pen stroke data utilizing curve simplification. Digital pen stroke images (ink images) generate a relatively large amount of data to preserve the ink image generated on a device. Current ink compression algorithms utilize lossless compression algorithm that have limited success. The invention provides a lossy compression algorithm to reduce the amount of data required to store and transmit ink data. The invention utilizes a two-part algorithm to reduce and compress the number of data points representing the ink data. The invention also utilizes curve splines to reconstruct and smooth the lossy ink data image.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for programmatically deriving street intersections from address data which is presented in textual format, or alternatively, from street geometry data which has been derived from such address data. Preferred embodiments leverage built-in functions and data types of a spatially-enabled object relational database system. Information about streets is analyzed to determine which streets intersect, as well as the intersection locations. This information is stored in a spatially-enabled table for subsequent retrieval. The derived street intersections data supports retrievals which do not rely on proprietary file formats or binary files, thereby enabling faster retrievals and reduced resource consumption requirements. The derived street intersection information may be used in many ways, such as to compute a path from one location to another.

Abstract: Eye diagram masks may be specified by physical parameters directly related to waveform parameters in place of geometric representations, resulting in a more user friendly way to create custom eye masks. NRZ eye masks may be specified by the user using five parameters while RZ eye masks may be specified by the user using seven parameters.

Abstract: A graphics to be edited is displayed on a display device and an operator controls a mouse to input coordinate data of two or more points. It is determined whether the curve included in the graphics should be deleted or a new curve should be added, depending on whether inputted coordinate data of two or more points conforms to points on any one of curves included in the graphics to be edited. When it is determined that the curve should be deleted, a deleting curve is generated, and when it is determined that the new curve should be added, an adding curve is generated, and the resultant is superimposed on the editing graphics and is displayed on the display device. When the operator inputs a defined operation, the graphics is corrected based on the deleting curve or the adding curve.

Abstract: A simple graphical user interface enables a user to understand how the user's level of risk affects both the amount of money the user can earn over a selected period and the likelihood that the user will make that amount. A graph plots return (in dollars) versus time, which may be user selectable. The user may select his preferred level of risk on a risk control panel, such as a digital risk thermometer. As the user selects various risk tolerances, the user may see the differences in how the investment may potentially grow (or potentially shrink) over the time period. When the user is comfortable with the results being displayed on the risk graph, the user may indicate to the system that the user is satisfied with the current level of the risk. This selected value of risk may be used by a portfolio manager in creating and managing the user's portfolio.

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 system, method, and computer program product which allows more versatile manual and automatic edits by embedding behaviors in the curve elements. These imbedded behaviors allow intelligent shape preservation during a curve edit. Each curve carries a behavior property that describes how it should react when edited. This means that the curve and graphics system have full knowledge of the right edit type to make, even when triggered by an outside source, such as a re-compute of an object at a higher level in the feature tree.

Abstract: A method is provided of associating objects on a non-linear contour according to one or more corresponding values. The method includes assigning a value to each object in a set of one or more objects, providing a starting point and an end point on a non-linear contour, graduating points on the non-linear contour covering a range of values inclusive of the values associated with each of the objects, and associating each object in the set of objects along the non-linear contour according to the value assigned to the object and the corresponding value associated with a point along the non-linear contour.

Abstract: Digitized handwriting is captured and provided in real-time to a display in the form of polylines. The polylines are then converted to a parametric representation, thereby filtering out noise and distortion effects attributable to the digitization process. To further refine quality, the smoothed, digitized handwriting is further subjected to edge-smoothing processing to mitigate the effects of relatively low-resolution displays. In this manner, the present invention improves the appearance of digitized handwriting in comparison to prior art techniques.

Abstract: The present invention provides a graphical method to design and modify the trajectory of a well bore. A well bore trajectory plan is comprised of hold and curve sections. Hold sections are generally described by specifying the attitude of the hold and the length of the hold. Curve sections can be described and represented in a variety of ways. The present invention introduces control points that are formed at the intersection of extensions/projections of the two hold sections contacting a curve section. The hold sections contact the curve section at tangent points. The tangent points for a curve section have the same distance to the control point. In operation, as a control point is moved, the direction and inclination of multiple sections of the well plan are simultaneously modified. These simultaneous modifications enable the user to quickly and intuitively modify a well plan.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for modeling at least one section of a curve. Each section can be modeled by initially providing a pair of positions (fi, fi+1) of the section of the curve including associated directions (di,di+1) and curvatures (&kgr;i,&kgr;i+1). Then, points b0,b1,b2,b3 and b4 can be identified based upon the pair of positions (fi,fi+1) and associated directions (di,di+1) and curvatures (&kgr;i,&kgr;i+1). Thereafter, a quartic interpolant p(t) can be determined over an interval (i≦t≦i+1) based upon points b0,b1,b2,b3 and b4 to thereby model the section of the curve. The quartic interpolant can be determined such that the interpolant p(t) has a position, direction and curvature equal to fi, di and &kgr;i, respectively, at t=i, and the interpolant p(t) has a position, direction and curvature equal to fi+1, di+1, and &kgr;i+1, respectively, at t=i+1.

Abstract: An invented computer curve construction system is described that enables construction of conics more intuitively, predictably, and accurately. Also new constructions of particular cubic Bezier curves and their conic analogs are described.

Abstract: The Hough Transform is used to identify the circular arcs and straight line segments that coincide with the horizontal curves of roads. The Hough Transform uses data indicating positions along the roads as an input in order to identify the circular arcs and straight line segments that coincide with the roads. Data indicating the circular arcs and straight line segments are stored in a geographic database and are used to represent the roads. Radius of curvature of the road is obtained as a by product of this representation. Because the Hough Transform yields a closed form representation of road segments, the heading at any point along a road can be computed by computing the tangent to the closed form representation. Thus, heading can be accurately obtained at any point along a road.

Abstract: A system generates a smoothed curve from a noisily drawn, multi-segmented curve by minimizing an energy function for a smoothed curve which fits between end-points of the drawn curve. The energy function has three components: a distortion component, a smoothing component and a shrink component. Numerical analysis methods are applied to evaluate the energy function and to identify the smoothed curve with the lowest energy. The transposed curve with the lowest energy value is selected as the smoothed curve.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for analyzing a boundary of an object. An embodiment for determining defects of a boundary to sub-pixel precision and an embodiment for fast correlation scoring are disclosed. The boundary is analyzed by matching a first boundary, such as a model of an ideal object boundary, to a second boundary, such as the boundary of an object being produced at a factory. The boundaries are represented as a set of indexed vertices, which are generated by parsing the boundaries into a set of segments. One embodiment refines the parse through merging segments and reassigning data points near the endpoints of the segments. The model produced is very accurate and is useful in other applications. To analyze the boundaries, the sets of indexed vertices are matched, and optionally the segmentation of the second boundary is refined to increase the extent of matching.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a computerized method for computing a transversal derivative field along a curve on a surface includes receiving data defining the surface, the surface represented in terms of parameters u and v as S(u,v), and receiving data defining the curve, the curve represented in terms of a parameter t as c(t).

Abstract: A system according to the invention identifies image data points defining a curve. The method comprises the steps of determining a start point and an end point for the curve, establishing a search space that includes at least the start point, the end point, and other image data elements comprising the curve, and searching the search space using a dynamic programming algorithm to locate image data elements corresponding to the curve. Another embodiment consistent with the present invention identifies image data points defining a curve. The method comprises the steps of determining a start point and an end point for the curve, generating a model of the curve, establishing a search space that includes at least the start point, the end point, and other image data elements comprising the curve, and searching the search space using a dynamic programming algorithm and the model for the curve to locate image data elements corresponding to the curve.

Abstract: A system for analyzing an echo image containing a contour of an organ with reduced manual operation is provided. The echo image is first obtained. A user manually sets, say, four points as known or initial points such that two of the known points provide a width of the contour and the other two of the known points provide a height of the contour. A search region including a connecting line segment connecting each pair of adjacent ones of the known points is set on the contour. A search line segment that originates from a point bisecting the connecting line segment of the search region and reaches an end of the search region is set. Each search line segment is sought for a contour point constituting the contour. A contour is formed by connecting the contour points on the search line segments. Three points may be set as the initial points such that two of the initial points provide a width of the contour and the other one is on top of the contour.

Abstract: One or more embodiments provide the ability to use multiple path formats in an object oriented system. A path maintains the ability to translate itself into a recognizable format for use by applications. The recognizable format may be a standard Bezier Path format or an iterator that provides the ability to iterate along the path, one curve segment at a time. Multiple applications may use the self-translation ability. In one embodiment, when an application desires to perform a transform, it determines if the transform may be performed on the path (i.e., whether the path is recognizable). If the path is recognizable, the transform is performed directly on the path. If the path is not recognizable, the path translates itself into a recognizable format and the transform performs the action on the recognizable path (the transform must maintain the ability to perform the transform on the standard format). Determining whether the path is recognizable may consist of a two stage negotiation process.

Abstract: A printer forms an approximate of a Bezier curve as a sequence of line segments. Two parametric equations, X(t) and Y(t), are employed. Two methods can be used to evaluate the parametric equations. Both use fixed point integer arithmetic to directly calculate points along the curve which are the values of the X(t) and Y(t) equations. The first method sets the number of steps of the parametric variable are equal to an integral power of 2. This gives a predictable execution time and uses line segments to connect the points as a piecewise straight line approximation to the curve. The number of steps is set as the next higher power of 2 than an estimated length of the curve. The second method allows Y(t), the scan line variable, to change only in predetermined integer steps. The value of X(t) is evaluated for each t corresponding to the integer step in Y(t). This second method has a natural advantage, if a closed path is being decomposed as a run array rather than a collection of trapezoids.

Abstract: Performing NURBS (non-uniform rational B-spline) interpolation machining is performed by reading cutter location (CL) data consisting of a tool control point vector and a tool axis vector on a workpiece coordinate system, converting the CL data into a position vector of three linear axes and a rotation angle on a machine coordinate system in accordance with the machine configuration of a simultaneous multiple-axis NC machine, calculating knot vectors of a NURBS curve with the most suitable chord length on the basis of a position vector of the three linear axes and a rotation angle, calculating a NURBS curve of the three linear axes and one rotary axis using the knot vectors, converting the NURBS curve into NURBS interpolation NC data, converting the feed rate on a workpiece coordinate system into the feed rate per minute on a machine coordinate system, and transmitting NC data to a NC machine.