Abstract: A media recommendation system may score media items according to user recommendations, popularity, and/or recency. The scores may be weighted to produce an overall score for each media item. Media items may be added to a pool for a specific user, from which media items are selected for playback. The contents of the pool may be modified based upon user feedback and other data. The pool may be modified dynamically and/or in real time as media items are consumed or rated by the user.

Abstract: An information processing method and an electronic device comprising a touch sensitive unit and a display unit separated from each other are described. The electronic device includes at least a first display mode, and a second display mode suitable for the touch sensitive unit. The method includes acquiring a third display mode of the display unit at a first timing when the electronic device is turned on; detecting whether the third display mode is the second display mode or not; acquiring coordinates of each point of N points of the display unit and generating a first control instruction, when the third display mode is the second display mode, wherein N is an integer above 2; and performing the first control instruction, to correspond the coordinates of the each point of the N points to coordinates of each touch sensitive point of the touch sensitive unit.

Abstract: A display driver configured to drive a display panel is provided. The display panel displays an image frame in a first display mode or a second display mode. The display driver includes a first display driving channel and a second display driving channel. The first and the second display driving channels are configured to drive the display panel to display the image frame by using a sub-pixel rendering method. In the second display mode, the second display driving channel drives sub-pixels on the display panel to display corresponding grayscales by using a plurality of gamma voltages. A voltage value of at least one gamma voltage among the gamma voltages is determined according to an arrangement of the sub-pixels on the display panel. Furthermore, a display apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: A method of displaying text on a path includes creating a mapping between distances along the path and points on a line based on changes in direction of the path, composing glyphs on the line, having a total line length defined in accordance with the mapping, to form a composed line, associating the glyphs with the path in accordance with the mapping and the composed line, and outputting the association of the glyphs with the path for display of the glyphs along the path.

Abstract: A developer tool is used to programmatically calculate the contrast between the text and background in a user interface. A luminosity ratio is automatically calculated by the tool by capturing an image of a user interface, archiving user interface elements that do not contain text, performing optical character recognition on the remaining user interface elements to find pixels on the text part of the user interface element and pixels on the background part of the user interface element, and finally calculating the luminosity ratio. Results including errors, warnings and luminosity ratio for one or more hotspots in the image can be returned. Results can be used to identify user interface elements that comply or fail to comply with visibility guidelines for contrast between user interface text and background.

Abstract: A graphics or image rendering system, such as a map image rendering system, receives image data from an image database in the form of vector data that defines various image objects, such as roads, geographical boundaries, etc., and textures defining text strings to be displayed on the image to provide, for example, labels for the image objects. The imaging rendering system renders the images such that the individual characters of the text strings are placed on the image following a multi-segmented or curved line. This rendering system enables text strings to be placed on a map image so that the text follows the center line of a curved or angled road or other image feature without knowing the specifics of the curvature of the line along which the text will be placed when creating the texture that stores the text string information.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a trigger to present a balloon notification on a display. The notification is associated with an object in the display. The method also includes determining dimensions of the notification and determining a suitable location in the display for the notification. The method further includes presenting the notification in the display at the suitable location. Determining the suitable location in the display for the notification could include (i) determining whether the notification if placed proximate to a first corner of the object would be presented completely in the display, (ii) determining how many other objects in the display would be obstructed by the notification if placed proximate to the first corner of the object, and/or (iii) determining how much total area of other objects in the display would be obstructed by the notification if placed proximate to the first corner of the object.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for providing downgraded fonts for VDP printing application are described. A server system may be configured to generate and/or select a set of downgraded rasterized fonts for delivery to a client system in order to provide limited client-side WYSIWIG display functionality using the downgraded fonts. A client side application may use the downgraded fonts to provide a display-only or draft print only rendering of a VDP print job.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention recite a method for enhancing the quality of visual prompts in and interactive media response system. In one embodiment, a video coder/decoder (codec) used by a thin device is determined. A visual prompt to be displayed on the thin device is accessed and the display parameters of the visual prompt are modified such that at least one character of the visual prompt is aligned with a blocking artifact generated by the video codec.

Abstract: A font subset is received that includes one or more glyphs of a master font which has a master ordering that establishes an order of precedence on the glyphs of the master font. When the font subset is received, one or more glyphs already exist in a consecutive sequence in an extensible data structure. In response to receiving the font subset, at least one existing glyph is repositioned in the extensible data structure and each received glyph of the received font subset is positioned in the extensible data structure. The repositioning of the at least one existing glyph and the positioning of each received glyph jointly establish a new consecutive sequential ordering on the glyphs in the extensible data structure, such that the new consecutive sequential ordering preserves on the glyphs in the extensible data structure the order of precedence established by the master ordering.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus to perform an enlarging process for an original image constituted by C colors (C?2) includes a target color selecting unit that selects two target colors C1 and C2 for each local region of the original image, a sorting unit that sorts the local region on the basis of a layout of the target colors selected by the target color selecting unit, and a processing unit that determines pixel values after enlargement from the target colors C1 and C2 in accordance with a result of the sorting performed by the sorting unit.

Abstract: A system of curve generation takes a sequence of control points and constraint codes for each control point, and outputs a curve in which each of the constraints is satisfied. The set of constraints is chosen from the tangent angle, curvature, first derivative of curvature, and second derivative of curvature. The interactive curve design uses as its primitive, a curve whose curvature is a polynomial function of arclength (whose intrinsic equation is a polynomial). At each control point, a choice of G2 curvature continuity (tangent angle and curvature) or G4 curvature continuity (tangent angle and curvature plus first and second derivatives of curvature are continuous) is input. The desired curve is expressed as the solution to the chosen set of constraints.

Abstract: A distance information generating unit 4 for rasterizing minute line segments divided by a curved line dividing unit 2 through a combination of straight line cells and corner cells to generate distance information corresponding to a pixel 12 of a display and an edge rasterizing unit 7 for rasterizing edge information about the minute line segments divided by the curved line dividing unit 2 are disposed, and a mapping unit 10 determines whether the pixel 12 is located inside or outside by using the edge information rasterized by the edge rasterizing unit 7, and maps the distance information generated by the distance information generating unit 4 onto the antialiasing intensity 11 of a component 13 included in the pixel 12 according to the results of the inside or outside determination.

Abstract: A graphics or image rendering system, such as a map image rendering system, receives image data from an image database in the form of vector data that defines various image objects, such as roads, geographical boundaries, etc., and textures defining text strings to be displayed on the image to provide, for example, labels for the image objects. The imaging rendering system renders the images such that the individual characters of the text strings are placed on the image following a multi-segmented or curved line. This rendering system enables text strings to be placed on a map image so that the text follows the center line of a curved or angled road or other image feature without knowing the specifics of the curvature of the line along which the text will be placed when creating the texture that stores the text string information.

Abstract: An image processing device includes: an analysis unit to analyze vector image data including line information and area color information; a detection unit to detect a boundary pixel through which an outline passes; a determination unit to determine whether the outline passes longitudinally through the boundary pixel; and a coloring unit to sequentially fill each pixel on a scan line. A color of a target pixel is calculated based on the area color information and the target pixel is filled with the calculated color when the target pixel is a boundary pixel. A reference filling color is changed from the first color to the second color defined for a target pixel when the target pixel is a boundary pixel through which an outline passes longitudinally. A target pixel is filled with the reference filling color when the target pixel is not a boundary pixel.

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: An apparatus, method, and system for processing character data is provided, which selects a format of the character data to be used for generating print data. When a user instruction for printing character data according to character command data specifying the output of the character data is received, the format of the character data is selected based on the character command data.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the interactive enhancement of 2D art with 3D geometry. A surface inflation tool may be used to create a 3D shape by inflating the surface that interpolates the input boundaries. The surface inflation tool may, for example, obtain a closed 2D boundary as input, triangulate the area within the boundary to generate an initial surface, and inflate the surface while maintaining a fixed boundary. Using the mean curvature specified at boundary vertices as a degree of freedom, the tool may control the inflated surface efficiently using a single linear system. Embodiments handle both smooth and sharp position constraints. Position constraint vertices may also have curvature constraints specified for controlling the inflation of a local surface.

Abstract: A method generates a distance field of an object, where the distance field includes a set of cells and the object includes a set of stylized strokes. Each stylized stroke includes a centerline, a set of profiles, and a set of terminals. A processor is included for performing steps of the method. A first cell of the set of cells enclosing the object is determined. An outside reconstruction method is associated with the first cell. For each stylized stroke, centerline cells of the set of cells are determined, where each centerline cell encloses a portion of the centerline of the stylized stroke. A centerline reconstruction method is associated with each centerline cell. For each terminal of each stylized stroke a terminal distance field is generated, the terminal distance field including a terminal reconstruction method. Reconstructed distances are determined using the reconstruction methods to generate the distance field of the object.

Abstract: A method and computer graphical user interface tool for generating and/or modifying character font data to be suitable for low-resolution display are provided. The method generally includes four steps. First, a set of characters to be displayed on a low-resolution display is received. Each character is formed with one or more strokes/glyphs, and all of the strokes/glyphs are represented by a set of basic strokes/glyphs, wherein each basic stroke/glyph is defined by key points and width values. Second, the received set of characters is projected on a low-resolution pixel matrix screen having two-dimensional coordinates and corresponding to the low-resolution display. Third, each stroke/glyph forming the set of characters is redefined, with key points and/or width values of the stroke/glyph are adjusted according to predefined rules, to thereby form a redefined set of characters. Fourth, the redefined set of characters are rendered according to predefined rendering criteria.

Abstract: Human interactive proofs that leverage virtual techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an object is inserted to be displayed as part of a virtual scene and the virtual scene having the object is exposed as a human interactive proof that includes a question that relates to the inserted object.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an input unit inputs text data. An existence rank database stores an existence rank of each character included in the text data. The existence rank is a statistical rank of the number of each character among the number of all characters included in the text data. A decision unit decides whether the existence rank of each character of the text data is higher than a predetermined rank, by referring to the existence rank database. A texture generation unit generates a texture of a character having the existence rank higher than the predetermined rank, by using outline data of the character. A texture rendering unit renders the texture. A polygon generation unit generates a polygon mesh of a character having the existence rank lower than the predetermined rank, by using outline data of the character. A polygon rendering unit renders the polygon mesh.

Abstract: A determining unit determines a vector conversion method for a character image based on the character image and model information of a terminal device that receives the character image. A processing unit performs a vector conversion on the character image by the vector conversion method determined by the determining unit.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention utilize a variational framework for computing curve skeletons (CS) of objects whose cross section is not necessary tubular. Embodiments utilize an energy function, which is proportional to some medialness function, such that the minimum cost path between any two medial voxels in the shape is a curve skeleton. Different medialness functions include the Euclidean distance field and a modified version of the magnitude of the gradient vector flow (GVF), which results in two different energy functions. The first energy function controls the identification of the topological nodes of the shape from which curve skeletons start, while the second one controls the extraction of the curve skeletons. Preferred embodiments are completely automated since all parameters are analytically estimated.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a trigger to present a balloon notification on a display. The notification is associated with an object in the display. The method also includes determining dimensions of the notification and determining a suitable location in the display for the notification. The method further includes presenting the notification in the display at the suitable location. Determining the suitable location in the display for the notification could include (i) determining whether the notification if placed proximate to a first corner of the object would be presented completely in the display, (ii) determining how many other objects in the display would be obstructed by the notification if placed proximate to the first corner of the object, and/or (iii) determining how much total area of other objects in the display would be obstructed by the notification if placed proximate to the first corner of the object.

Abstract: A task framework and a semantic reasoning engine are combined to provide a scalable mechanism for dealing with extremely large numbers of widgets, allowing users to both find a widget and automatically fill-in whatever functionality is available on the widget. Calling applications are employed to obtain task information from each widget. The calling application also receives user queries that can be resolved by a widget. A task reasoning process based on an adaptive semantic reasoning engine utilizes the task information to select a widget best suited to respond to a user's query. The task reasoning process can also be employed to determine “best-guess” slot filling of the selected widget. The calling application can then invoke the selected widget and, if available, fill appropriate slots with information to facilitate user interaction with the selected widget. Instances can be client- and/or server-side based.

Abstract: A system and method for redistributing space in ink-to-text conversions is described. In stylus-based computing systems, users often desire to convert ink from ink into text. Sometimes the conversion is made such that an interaction region is made too small for effective recognition correction or interaction. A system and procedure is described that adjusts the spacing of text to allow easier interaction with the recognition results.

Abstract: A device sensor determines an external state of a device. Text to be displayed on a display screen of the device is dynamically filtered based on the external state of the device.

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: Complex labyrinth curves are interactively generated by an iterative process that spatially modulates curve evolution by an image or other function defined on the evolution space. After curves and evolution parameters are initialized [100], the iterative process allows the curve and evolution parameters to be interactively modified by a user [102], resamples the curves [104], and spatially modulates the curves according to the evolution parameters [106]. The evolved labyrinth curves are may be processed [110] for use in various applications including animation, maze creation, intricate artistic patterns, and graphical user interfaces that map linearly ordered data to the evolved curve and allow the data to be navigated using the rendered curve. The evolved curves can also be triangulated and projected to a plane to create patterns for manufacturing developable surfaces.

Abstract: An imaging processing system adapted for use with a vehicle is provided in one aspect of the present invention. The system generally includes an image capturing device and an image processing device. The image capturing device is operable to capture an original image of a scene exterior to the vehicle. The captured original image is generally defined by a group of pixels. The image processing device is operable to receive the captured original image and morphologically process the captured original image to remove distortion from the captured original image to produce a final filtered image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes, a first data generation unit configured to generate triangular data by analyzing straight line contours and curved contours with respect to vector format graphic data and making the straight line contours and the curved contours triangles, a second data generation unit configured to generate stencil data from the triangular data on the basis of a drawing order of vertices of the triangular data generated from straight line contours and curved contours, and a third data generation unit configured to generate raster format graphic data with reference to the stencil data.

Abstract: A image processing apparatus has a first data generation unit which generates triangular data by making straight line contours and curved contours triangles by analyzing the straight line contours and the curved contours with respect to vector format graphic data, a second data generation unit which generates stencil data from the triangular data, and a third data generation unit which generates raster format graphic data with reference to the stencil data.

Abstract: Mechanisms for displaying text or image over a background such as a video display frame that automatically improve legibility of text or image displayed against a background by increasing the contrast between text or image and background. The display frame may be a single image, but may also be an image within a dynamic sequence of recorded images such as a movie or other video media, or sequence of images captured in real-time by a camera or other device. In one embodiment, color component values are selected, and complementing and filtering applied to achieve contrast. In another embodiment, selecting a minimally used value for color components in the frame achieves contrast. In some cases both text or image, and background, may be altered to achieve contrast. Another embodiment provides background intensity modulation to achieve varying contrast within altered backgrounds, and smoothing over many frames in dynamic material.

Abstract: A method of rendering text on an output device using a pre-developed image of a custom font. An image file defines an image of a custom developed character set. The custom character set may be developed off-line using graphics development tools. Associated character information enables the location of specific characters within the image. When a text character is output to a display or other output device, a custom font module locates the text character within the image and defines a subimage that contains the text character. The subimage is rendered upon the output device, thereby producing an image of the text character.

Abstract: A method of rendering an image described by a list of graphical objects includes the steps of assigning objects in the list to at least one of a first set of objects and a second set of objects, and rendering the first set of objects to an image store using a first rendering method that determines whether a portion of an object of the first set contributes to a rendered output of the first set of objects and, if so, the first rendering method renders each pixel of the portion in sequence. The second set of objects to the image store are rendered using a second rendering method that renders each object in the second set in sequence and independently of the other objects in the second set.

Abstract: Systems and methods used for font filtering may also be used to perform texture blits. Texture data is read in blocks that are coarsely aligned. Font engines may be used to align the texture data as specified by a copy (blit) instruction to provide a finely aligned region of the texture data within a font filter footprint. The finely aligned region is then bilinearly filtered using a “nearest” mode to provide the bit aligned region of the texture map specified by the copy instruction.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, that implement a method for glyph adjustment in high resolution raster while rendering. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving a glyph for display at a size on a raster output device; receiving a grid ratio specifying an integer number of fine pixels of a high resolution grid that correspond to a device pixel of the output device; rendering the glyph at the size on the high resolution grid; determining for each line of pixels of the high resolution grid, a line-specific, per-transition adjustment number; and in each line of pixels, marking or erasing the line-specific, per-transition adjustment number of fine pixels in the high resolution grid at each transition from a marked fine pixel to an unmarked fine pixel in a particular direction of the line of pixels.

Abstract: Methods for rendering font objects include: receiving input identifying an object to be rendered; selecting a data set for rendering the object from: (a) a first data set including font object data in a first format (e.g., trajectory data), and (b) a second data set including font object data in a second format (e.g., outline data); and rendering the object using the selected data set. The data set may be selected based on at least one run time parameter, such as the ppem or space available for the rendering, the desired text size, system resolution, font object complexity, contextual information, etc., to provide a high quality rendered image. Additional data sets (e.g., augmenting data, enhancing data, etc.) may be included to provide more rendering options to further increase the quality of the rendered image under some conditions. The various data sets may be independently created so that each data set can be produced specifically targeted to selected rendering conditions (such as a selected ppem range).

Abstract: An information-processing device (such as an image-processing device) executes a boldface character generating process when it is judged that a character should be expressed in boldface type based on a drawing instruction inputted from outside and there exists no boldface form data of the character corresponding to font information comprised in the drawing instruction. In the boldface character-generating process, the information-processing device generates pattern data lacking at least one dot at each of the four corners and generates the boldface form data by enlarging the drawing area of bitmap data (generated from standard form data) based on the pattern data. The at least one missing dot at each of the four corners of the pattern data, allows edges of the generated boldface character to be expressed finely even when the boldface character is generated from a character having an oblique element (oblique line, curved line, etc.).

Abstract: An image processing apparatus having: a first screen processing section for performing a screen processing to image data; and an outline processing section for determining whether to output or not to output a dot with respect to an outline pixel of the image data, based on an outputting condition of a screen dot for a peripheral pixel of the outline pixel composing an outline area of an image in the image data that has been subjected to the screen processing by the first screen processing section.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for rendering a glyph to make it more readable. In an implementation, a glyph associated with a font to be rendered at a size is received, and a set of initial density values is calculated to provide one density value for each of a set of device pixels to represent the glyph. An initial adjustment value is calculated for the glyph. For one or more of the device pixels in the set of device pixels, a length of an edge of the glyph that passes through the device pixel is calculated. For one or more of the device pixels, the initial density value is adjusted by a final adjustment value, the final adjustment value based upon the initial adjustment value and the length of the edge of the glyph passing through the device pixel.

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: 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 computer-implemented method and system are provided for visually indicating a replay status of media items on a media device. Aspects of the method and system include displaying in a graphical user interface (GUI) of the media device a representation of a first media item; displaying a profile score of the first media item that is based on user preferences; and displaying a replay score for the first media item that affects replay of the first media item.

Abstract: Highlighting selected objects in an electronic document is provided in a manner such that a highlighted object maintains coloring and formatting properties to allow for a maintenance of visual fidelity with a pre-highlighted view of the highlighted object and that allows for a semi-transparent background underneath a highlighted object that allows a user to see and appreciate the coloring and any visual properties applied to the background underneath the highlighting applied to the selected object.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for a color liquid crystal display (CLCD). The apparatus includes a processor coupled to the CLCD for receiving a character code and a color code and translating them into character and color pixel arrays that are overlaid and summed to produce a composite pixel array corresponding to the CLCD pixel array, where each entry in the composite array is used in conjunction with a color table to establish drive levels for each pixel in the CLCD. The character pixel array includes gray level color mixing and the color pixel array includes spatial shading color mixing, so that the composite array uses both techniques to determine the individual CLCD pixel drive levels to provide a wider range of color choices without significant color dependence on viewing angle.

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: 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.