Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, that implement a method for adjusting a glyph outline while rendering. In one aspect a method includes receiving a glyph to be rendered at a size; generating from the glyph an outline of line segments, each line segment having two endpoints; translating the line segments all in an outward or inward direction, each line segment being moved by a distance and then rejoining pairs of adjacent line segments by extending or trimming their endpoints until each pair of adjacent line segments join at an intersection point that is an endpoint of each the line segments of the pair; and determining an augmented scaled outline of the glyph from the translated and rejoined line segments.

Abstract: Scale-adaptive fonts and graphics are disclosed. In some embodiments, an indication of a desired overall size for the graphic is received. The graphic is scaled to the desired overall size. A shape of the graphic is adapted to the desired overall scale at least in part by adjusting a thickness of at least a portion of the graphic in a manner that preserves one or more stylized features of the shape.

Abstract: A rendering device includes: a outline rendering unit that renders outlines of a character on a rendering area, based on outline data of the character; a specifying unit that specifies a data size of a variable which increases/decreases depending on a drawing direction of each of the outlines, when the rendering area where the outlines are rendered is scanned along predetermined scan lines; a variable storage unit that scans the rendering area where the outlines are rendered, for each of the scan lines, and stores the variable of the data size specified by the specifying unit, for each of pixels existing on the each of the scan lines; and a paint unit that specifies areas inside the outlines on the rendering area, based on the variable stored by the variable storage unit, and arranges pixels of a rendering color in the specified areas.

Abstract: An auto hinting module defines typographically relevant control points and relative offset constraints for use in composite character generation. Control points in one or more dimensions are defined for each glyph component. The control points may be represented as control points on the outline of the component glyphs, although control points may also be represented by control points positioned relative to the outlines, control lines (e.g., vertical, horizontal, diagonal, etc.) that intersect the outlines, etc. A composite character font hinting module enforces offset constraints between the control points, effectively positioning one of the glyph components relative to the other.

Abstract: The principles of the present invention relate to iteratively solving constraints in a font-hinting language. A computing system accesses a more complex constraint that can not be natively expressed based on the vocabulary of the font-hinting language, the more complex constraint constraining at least a portion of the outline. The computing system decomposes the more complex constraint into a plurality of simpler constraints that can be natively expressed based on the vocabulary of the font-hinting language. The computer system represents each of the simpler constraints in corresponding font-hinting language instructions that can be iteratively processed to at least approximate a solution to the more complex constraint. The font-hinting language instructions are iteratively processed at the computing system or another computing system to cause a graphical object to comply, within a specific tolerance, with the more complex constraint.

Abstract: The present invention employs the notion of a Chinese writing brush in moving a geometric figure to produce a style of calligraphy, where the area of the geometric figure is large or small, then the strokes of a character are thick or thin. Hence the purpose is that the variance of the strokes of a character can be achieved using the present invention. The present invention only decides a moving path for the strokes of a character and the size of a geometric figure at starting points and end points, and then moves the geometric figure along the moving path, where the area the geometric figure passes is the style of calligraphy.

Abstract: A method and system for optimizing the horizontal spacing of superscripts and subscripts in open type font designs is disclosed. The system includes a module for vertically aligning and spacing characters and a module for horizontally aligning characters having differing baselines in accordance with cut-in information stored in font tables corresponding to each individual character in the font. This additional horizontal spacing adjustment capability provides for optimum placement of character glyphs having differing baselines, e.g., superscript or subscript. The method includes placing a first/next character on a baseline, retrieving a next adjacent character, determining whether a cut-in associated with one or both of the characters can be applied between the two characters, and then applying the appropriate cut-in. Ascertaining whether a cut-in may apply may be accomplished by evaluating relative positions of adjacent glyph bounding boxes.

Abstract: A character within a font is enlarged to a desired size by first determining whether the font contains existing or predefined variants of the character having the desired size. If no appropriately sized variant exists, the enlarged character is assembled from a plurality of component glyphs that are stored with the font, wherein the component glyphs include an extender that may be duplicated within the assembled character in order to achieve the desired size. In one embodiment, the font includes tables containing records of the enlarged variants for a particular character, as well as part records for the component glyphs used to assemble the enlarged character.

Abstract: Method and apparatus, implementing and using techniques for processing a character for display on a raster output device having a resolution defined by a set of output pixel positions. A stem of the character is aligned to a best sub-pixel boundary. The character is rendered at a resolution higher than the resolution of the raster output device. The aligned character is downsampled to the raster output device resolution.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus implementing and using techniques for rendering a stroke (e.g., a line or glyph). An initial adjustment value can be calculated for the stroke, and an offset amount calculated based on the initial adjustment value, such that a minimum number of device pixels will be marked by the stroke after adjusting density values of device pixels representing the stroke. A high resolution representation of the stroke (e.g., a set of device pixels each having an initial density value) is rendered so that one or more edges of the stroke is offset from a device resolution grid by the offset amount. A length of an edge of the stroke that passes through a device pixel can be calculated, and the density value of the device pixel adjusted by a final adjustment value based on the initial adjustment value and the length of the edge of the stroke.

Abstract: An improved system and method for using a device-dependent font in a graphical display interface is provided. A font resource may be included among components provided for executable software code such as an application to display and edit text using a device-dependent font without having to install the device driver having the device-resident font metrics. In specific, a font resource that may include device-independent font information for code points that are not supported by a device-resident font and device-dependent font information for code points that are supported by a device-resident font. In one embodiment, the font resource may be a device composite font file having both device metrics for code points supported by a named device and device-independent information for code points unsupported by the device.

Abstract: A method, computer program product and system for managing font resources using system independent references. A resource library may store a table, referred to herein as the “resource access table” that contains an entry for each base font resource. Each entry may include the following information on a base font resource: a native name, a file name, a unique identification, attributes, and possibly a link list used to identify any font resources that are linked to the base font resource. Since changes to the resource file such as updating a version of a font resource, changing the attributes of the font resource or changing the font resource's linked fonts, simply require an update to the resource access table, the data stream and the application program generating that data stream does not have to be changed.

Abstract: The principles of the present invention relate to iteratively solving constraints in a font-hinting language. A computing system accesses a more complex constraint that can not be natively expressed based on the vocabulary of the font-hinting language, the more complex constraint constraining at least a portion of the outline. The computing system decomposes the more complex constraint into a plurality of simpler constraints that can be natively expressed based on the vocabulary of the font-hinting language. The computer system represents each of the simpler constraints in corresponding font-hinting language instructions that can be iteratively processed to at least approximate a solution to the more complex constraint. The font-hinting language instructions are iteratively processed at the computing system or another computing system to cause a graphical object to comply, within a specific tolerance, with the more complex constraint.

Abstract: A text enhancement unit is introduced in order to alleviate the degradation of text characters on computer or television displays. The text enhancement unit uses an enhancement process to regain uniformity and intensity that may be lost during image processing. The text enhancer unit may be placed between an image processing unit such as a scaler, de-interlacer, or DSP, and a computer or television display to improve the quality of text characters that may have become degraded by image processing performed by the image processing unit. In one embodiment, the text enhancer unit improves contrast by multiplying pixel intensity by an intensity multiplier. In a second embodiment, the text enhancer unit improves contrast using a threshold operation which outputs either a very high or very low intensity pixel. In an third embodiment, the text enhancer unit improves contrast using a threshold operation which outputs either a very low intensity pixel or a pixel multiplied by an intensity multiplier.

Abstract: Generating a character includes recording key points and the start and ending points of a stroke, and a stroke-generating program corresponding to the stroke drawing a fine-line structure of the stroke according to the key points and the start and ending points of the stroke. After generating the centerline structure of the stroke, the thickness of the stroke is then adjusted.

Abstract: A method for measuring and characterizing the nonlinearities of a display device by adaptive bisection using human perception for measurement. This method makes no assumptions about a display device's characteristics and can characterize any type of display device with any arbitrarily complex monotonic display transfer function. Unlike other display measurement solutions, this process is completely software based and has no hardware measurement device requirements that would raise costs and limit portability. As a result, this process can be distributed and applied commercially at a very low cost.

Abstract: The principles of the present invention relate to appropriately rendering a graphical object when a corresponding outline has excessive control points. A computer system identifies a point of junction between a first and second feature of the outline. The computer system accesses an excess control point included in the first or second feature of the outline. The computer system moves the excess control point in a first direction until the position of the excess control point in the first direction is essentially the same as the position of the point of junction in the first direction. The computer system moves the excess control point in a second direction until the position of the excess control point in the second direction is essentially the same as the position of the point of junction in the second direction, the second direction being different from the first direction.

Abstract: The principles of the present invention relate to dynamically determining directions of freedom for control points used to represent graphical objects such as text. A computing system identifies a first function that represents a first constraint, solutions to the first function indicating compliance with the first constraint. The computing system calculates, based on the location of a control point and the identified first function, that the control point does not comply with the first constraint. The computing system automatically determines a first direction of freedom in which the control point can be moved to comply with the first constraint such that movement of the control point in the first direction of freedom has a reduced likelihood of causing non-compliance with other constraints.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for adding hinting instructions to a character in order to improve a character bitmap produced from an outline of the character at a certain size and output resolution when the character outline is scan converted. A character is retrieved to be output. A determination is made that the character belongs to a semantic character classifications, and hinting instructions that are associated with the semantic character classification are accessed. The hinting instructions preserve semantic meaning for the character while altering either stroke presence, stroke location, or both for at least one stroke of at least one feature of the character based on a reference character size and output resolution. If the actual character size and output resolution for the character is within a reference character size and output resolution for the hinting instructions, the hinting instructions are executed.

Abstract: A language system facilitates entry of an input string into a mobile device using discrete keys on a keypad, such as a 10-key keypad. The numeric keys have associated letters of an alphabet. The key input is representative of one or more Chinese phonetic characters. Based on this input string, the language system derives the most likely Chinese corresponding language characters intended by the user. The language system uses multiple different search engines and language models to aid in deriving the most probable Chinese language characters. When the language system recognizes possible Chinese language characters, the mobile device displays the possible Chinese language characters for user selection of the possible Chinese language characters and/or further input of one or more Chinese phonetic characters. In this manner, the language system adopts a modeless entry methodology that eliminates conventional mode switching between input and selection operations.

Abstract: A system and method for displaying text are described. According to embodiments of the invention, the system and methods describe operations for displaying text, where the text does not include hints.

Abstract: The principles of the present invention relate to appropriately rendering a graphical object when a corresponding outline lacks necessary control points. A computer system calculates the target width for a feature of the graphical object. The computer system calculates the position of a center line corresponding to the feature. The computer system rounds the calculated position of the center line to a grid position based on the calculated target width for the feature. The computer system adjusts the position of one or more control points of the feature to comply with the grid position of the center line.

Abstract: In order to generate a character main body including a character outline from data in which character shape information is stored as a character outline and generate a character with a design, this method comprises steps of generating the outline of the character main body, setting decoration process contents to be applied to the character main body, operating in such a way that the lower-order bits of the character gradation of the generated outline can be outline end information, setting a decoration position in a character outer fringe on the basis of the outline end information for determining on which side of the main body is located the pixel, on the left or right side, generating character decoration by controlling the gradation value of a pixel in which the flag is set and painting out the character main body excluding the generated character decoration.

Abstract: The principles of the present invention relate to appropriately rendering a graphical object when a corresponding outline has exact or inexact control points. Based on the positions of control points on an outline it is calculated, that between a first parent control point and a second parent control point, the outline passes approximately though the center of a grid location. The positions of the first and second parent control points are adjusted by a first and second fraction of the size of a grid location respectively. The position of the child control point is realigned along a second axis of the grid space based on the positions of the first and second parent control points. The child control point position is rounded by a fraction of the size of a grid location based on the positions of the first and second parent control points.

Abstract: A character within a font is enlarged to a desired size by first determining whether the font contains existing or predefined variants of the character having the desired size. If no appropriately sized variant exists, the enlarged character is assembled from a plurality of component glyphs that are stored with the font, wherein the component glyphs include an extender that may be duplicated within the assembled character in order to achieve the desired size. In one embodiment, the font includes tables containing records of the enlarged variants for a particular character, as well as part records for the component glyphs used to assemble the enlarged character.

Abstract: The principles of the present invention relate to adaptively filtering outlines of typographic characters to simply representative control data. A filtering module receives a set of control points (and instructions for connecting the control points) representing a graphical object, such as, for example, a typographical character. The filtering module adaptively filters out some variations in the outline of the graphical object to reveal common edges of the outline. The filtering module generates simplified control data that represents an outline of the common edges (e.g., representing a block “T”). Accordingly, based on the simplified control data, a computing system may be able to more efficiently recognize the graphical object represented by the control points.

Abstract: The present invention is aimed at three specific data areas of font compression, each of whose size has become significant as other data areas have been compressed. The three data areas include model factoring, character level feature measurement (local dimensions) factoring, and typeface level feature measurement (global dimensions) factoring. In general, the invention in each area is an apparatus and method used in font compression to reduce redundant information, thereby allowing a reduction in data format (e.g., words to bytes and bytes to bits) resulting in an overall reduction in storage area for a given font collection.

Abstract: A method for generating anti-aliased lines and characters is disclosed. The method comprises generating a texture map based on a distribution and applying the texture map to a polygonal region. In one aspect of this embodiment, the step of generating a texture map based on a distribution further comprises generating a texture map comprising a series of concentric half circles. In the texture map, the concentric half circles represent a decreasing intensity as the radius of the concentric half circle increases. Additionally, in one embodiment, the texture map is generated using a Gaussian distribution. In another aspect of this embodiment, for each texel in a texture map defining a character, the smallest distance between a texel and each line segment that forms a character is calculated. The smallest distance is used to determine an intensity value using the distribution. Then, the texel is associated with the intensity value to form a texture map for the character.

Abstract: Automatically positioning of typographical features, such as vertical stems or horizontal segments of a character, on high contrast pixel sub-component boundaries as part of a rendering process that uses separately controllable pixel sub-components of pixels to represent different portions of the character. In order to identify the typographical features of the character that are to be aligned with high contrast pixel sub-component boundaries, topology of the character is analyzed at runtime. In display devices having vertical stripes of same-colored pixel sub-components, character legibility is increased when the left edges of stems are aligned with high contrast boundaries between pixel sub-components. Processing time and resources are conserved by performing a partial, rather than a full, topological analysis of the character.

Abstract: The principles of the present invention relate to using externally parameterizeable constraints in a font-hinting language to synthesize font variants. A computing system accesses a scaled font that has been scaled for rendering at a target size and a target resolution. The scaled font includes hints that constrain how glyphs of the scaled font are to be rendered at the target size and target resolution. The computing system accesses one or more external font parameters that alter how the glyphs of the scaled font are to be rendered. The computing system applies the one or more external font parameters to the scaled font to synthesize a font variant such that hints from the scaled font are preserved in the font variant. The computing system can render glyphs of the font variant that comply with the one or more external font parameters and the hints.

Abstract: Methods and systems for automatically hinting fonts, particularly TrueType fonts, by transferring hints from one font to another are described. In one embodiment, a character or glyph (i.e. a source character) from a first font is selected and provides hints that are to be transferred to a character or glyph of a second font (i.e. a target character). The hints comprise statements defined in terms of control points or knots that define the shape or appearance of a character. A match is found between individual control points on the different characters and then used as the basis for transferring the hints. In one embodiment, hints are transferred by modifying values in a control value table (CVT) that contains entries that are used to constrain the control points of the source character. The CVT values are modified so that they now constrain corresponding control points in the target character.

Abstract: A program which can dynamically and realistically express an impact which a game character rendered by motion data receives is provided. In bullet ball-related processing (S114), determination is made about whether a bullet ball hits either one of node assigned balls. When the determination is affirmative, a torque at a hit point is calculated as an impact magnitude and the node assigned balls are disposed, through calculation of a rotation angle per frame, to nodes whose coordinate positions are corrected in metaball update processing (S120), density is calculated for each vertex of voxels from a reference position of each metaball towards the minimum direction and the maximum direction of a voxel index of the voxels according to a calculation equation expressing a solid shape in density distribution processing (S122), and vertex coordinates of polygons are calculated based upon density of each metaball at the vertex coordinates of the voxels and a predetermined threshold in marching cube processing (S124).

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system for providing a hinted TrueType font is configured to provide a source character from a fully hinted TrueType font from which hints are to be transferred. The source character has multiple control points that are constrained by the hints. A target character is provided from a TrueType font to which hints from the source character are to be transferred. The target character has control points that will be constrained by the transferred hints. Hints associated with the source character and that refer to control points on the source character are transferred to hints associated with the target character and that refer to control points on the target character.

Abstract: Methods and systems for hinting fonts are described. In one embodiment, a system for providing a hinted font is configured to define hints for a glyph of a first font. The hints are defined by one or more statements that contain multiple values that define constraints for the glyph. At least one of the values reference a table entry that corresponds to a table value that is used to constrain the glyph. An association is established between the glyph of the first font and a glyph of a second font. The second font is different from the first font. One or more statements are translated so that the statement(s) now pertain to and define constraints for the glyph of the second font.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system, method and computer program product for compressing and/or displaying digital data. The system includes a storage medium for storing a plurality of instruction sequences representing displayable characters, a display for displaying these characters, and a receiver for receiving at least a first code symbol being assigned to the first one of the instruction sequences. The first instruction sequence represents the first character displayable in a bitmap, wherein first instruction sequence defines a line pattern. Decomposing, storing and restoring a Chinese character, e.g., into a line pattern is advantageous as being memory saving and fast. The invention is particularly applicable for mobile phones having restricted memory space.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for visiting all productive stamp positions for a two-dimensional convex polygonal object. The object is visited with a stamp that has a stamp rectangle, and one or more discrete sample points. A productive location is one for which the object contains at least one of the stamp's sample points when the stamp is placed at that location. An unproductive location is one for which the object contains none of the stamp's sample points when the stamp is placed at that location. Stamp locations are discrete points that are separated vertically by the stamp rectangle's height, and horizontally by the stamp rectangle's width. The stamp may move to a nearby position, or to a previously saved position, as it traverses the object. The stamp moves in such a way as to visit all productive locations for an object while avoiding most of the unproductive locations.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for typesetting a text line of characters with different fonts or different sizes without the presence of a preset baseline in the font. A coordination line is set for the text line to coordinate the characters. The dimensions of each character to be typeset on the text line is first determined. An embox is determined for each character, where the vertical and horizontal size of each embox are the determined dimensions for the character. The characters are compared with at least one preselected reference character of the same font, and a coordination point is determined for each character in its embox, based on the result of the comparison with the reference character. Finally the coordination point is coordinated for each of the characters with the coordination line in order to typeset the characters on the text line.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a font-hinting system is configured to select a first TrueType font that has been hinted with hints that define constraints between control points associated with individual characters of the font. Individual characters of a second TrueType font that correspond to individual characters of the first TrueType font are identified. The second TrueType font is different from the first TrueType font and individual characters of the second TrueType font are unhinted. Hints are transferred from characters of the first TrueType font to individual corresponding characters of the second TrueType font, and a hint is discarded where it appears inappropriate for a character of the second TrueType font. Further, the system maintains indicia of a discarded hint to indicate where a hint has been discarded.

Abstract: Data tables that are required for the proper processing of font glyphs are automatically synthesized if they do not form part of an original font definition. The synthesized tables are stored in an annex file that is associated with the font, rather than being incorporated into the font definition. As a result, the integrity of the original font data is maintained, and does not adversely affect font protection systems that are based upon font data.

Abstract: A method generates a distance field for a region of a shape descriptor representing an object. The distance field includes a set of cells for which cell types are defined. A configuration of a set of cells for the region is generated. Each cell of the configuration includes a cell type and a method for reconstructing the distance field within the cell. The configuration of the set of cells is modified until an optimal configuration is reached. The modification is based on the shape descriptor, the region, and the set of cell types. The optimal configuration of the set of cells is stored in a memory to generate the distance field for the region. Another method generates a two-dimensional distance field within a cell associated with a two-dimensional object. A set of boundary descriptors for the two-dimensional object is determined and partitioned into a set of segments. The segments are delimited by a set of features of the boundary descriptors.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a curve in a region, e.g., a Low Discrepancy Curve. The method may generate an unbounded Low Discrepancy Point (LDP); apply one or more boundary conditions to the unbounded LDP to generate a bounded LDP located within the region; repeat said generating and said applying one or more boundary conditions one or more times, generating a Low Discrepancy Sequence (LDS) in the region; store the LDS; and generate output comprising the LDS, wherein the LDS defines the curve in the region. The method may scan the region according to the defined curve. In generating the unbounded LDP, the method may select two or more irrational numbers, a step size epsilon (?), and a starting position; initialize a current position to the starting position; and increment components of the current position based on ? and the irrational numbers to generate the unbounded LDP.

Abstract: A character that includes a character element is represented and/or displayed by receiving a character element code that specifies the character element and skeleton point data that represent a position of the character element, providing a character element generating function corresponding to the character element code, and generating the shape of the character element using the character element generating function with the skeleton point data as arguments therefor.

Abstract: A method typesets a set of glyphs. A current glyph is selected from the set of glyphs and a current position of the current glyph is selected. A next position of a next glyph is determined, where the next glyph is selected from the set of glyphs. The determination of the next position of the next glyph first represents the current glyph as a two-dimensional distance field and then determines the next position using the current position, an escapement of the current glyph, and an alignment of the two-dimensional distance field. The current glyph is then updated to be the next glyph and the current position is updated to be the next position. The selection of the next glyph and the determination of the next position continue until a termination condition is satisfied.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, including computer program products, and systems implement and use techniques for rendering glyphs. A plurality of glyphs to be rendered are received. For each glyph, an anti-aliasing procedure is selected to render the glyph. The anti-aliasing procedure is selected from a first anti-aliasing procedure and one or more alternative anti-aliasing procedures. The anti-aliasing procedure for each glyph is selected based on the glyph.

Abstract: Vector quantization provides font contour data reduction. Characters are defined in a font collection using segmented outline forms and common references stored to curve segments for similar segments in different characters of the font collection. Compressing the font collection preferably includes applying an entropy encoding data reduction. The common references are stored in a segment storage location. Another aspect includes decompressing a font store containing a compressed collection of outline fonts. The uncompressed curve segments are scaled so as to match a requested size for a letterform.

Abstract: A method for determining the growing degree units (GDUs) accumulated at a particular farm site throughout the growing season, the amount that such accumulation is above or below the average historical GDU accumulation that occurred at the farm site, and a GDU meter for obtaining and displaying such information. The GDU meter measures and stores the temperatures that occur at a farm site throughout every 24-hour period of the growing season and calculates and stores the accumulated GDUs that impinge on the site year to date. The GDU meter compares the GDUs accumulated year to date (year to date GDUs) to the average GDUs accumulated in previous years at the same site (historical GDUs) and calculates how much the year to date GDUs are above or below the historical GDUs. The GDU meter of the present invention displays year to date GDUs and the amount that it is above or below the historical GDUs. Optionally, the GDU meter of the present invention displays the date, time, and temperature.

Abstract: Automatically positioning of typographical features, such as vertical stems or horizontal segments of a character, on high contrast pixel sub-component boundaries as part of a rendering process that uses separately controllable pixel sub-components of pixels to represent different portions of the character. In order to identify the typographical features of the character that are to be aligned with high contrast pixel sub-component boundaries, topology of the character is analyzed at runtime. In display devices having vertical stripes of same-colored pixel sub-components, character legibility is increased when the left edges of stems are aligned with high contrast boundaries between pixel sub-components. Processing time and resources are conserved by performing a partial, rather than a full, topological analysis of the character.

Abstract: A character display device and method therefor are adapted to obtain a proximal reference point of each character comprising a character series and calculate display coordinates of each character from said proximal reference point and the display angle and display reference position of the character series.

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: One embodiment of a method of performing a font operation involves receiving a set of font data identifying a font operation to be performed. If a first font data unit in the set indicates that a first coordinate should be a background color and transparent background is enabled, the method involves outputting an enable for a second font data unit in the set. The second font data unit indicates that a second coordinate should be a foreground color. The enable for the second coordinate is output instead of a disable for the first coordinate. If instead the first font data unit in the set indicates that the first coordinate should be a background color and transparent background is disabled, the method may involve outputting a disable for the first coordinate.