Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a colored or shaded texture for images to be displayed on a display device or printed. The method includes the step of providing a plurality of shape elements, each of which defines a surface. Each of the shape elements also has an associated opacity which varies across its surface. The shape elements are arranged in an overlapping fashion and then rendered for output to a printer or display device. The overlapping opacities and opacity gradients provide a visually interesting colored or shaded texture. Preferably the shape elements are circles and the opacity is applied as a cone-shaped function tapering to zero opacity at its edges.

Abstract: A configurable filter module for providing shared filter resource between an overlay engine and a texture mapping engine of a graphics system. The configurable filter may comprise a plurality of linear blend units each of which receives data input from one of the overlay engine and a mapping engine cache, and generates a linear blend filter output respectively; and a filter output multiplexer which receives data output from the linear blend units and selects a proper byte ordering output, wherein the linear blend units serve as an overlay interpolator filter to perform linear blending of the data input from the overlay engine during a linear blend mode, and serve as a texture bilinear filter to perform bilinear filtering of the data input from the mapping engine cache during a bilinear filtering mode.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program apparatus, implementing techniques for processing digital artwork. In one aspect, the techniques process aggregations of artwork where both the aggregation and at least some of the aggregated artwork have attached styles. The techniques handle various combinations of conditions resulting in applying style elements to the aggregation before or after applying style elements to underlying artwork. In another aspect, the techniques implement editable path objects having multiple attached fills and/or strokes. The techniques provide user interfaces for using the foregoing features.

Abstract: A method and system for spatially compositing digital video images with a tile pattern library. Spatial compositing uses a graphics pipeline to render a portion (tile) of each overall frame of digital video images. This reduces the amount of data that each processor must act on and increases the rate at which an overall frame is rendered. Optimization of spatial compositing depends on balancing the processing load among the different pipelines. The processing load typically is a direct function of the size of a given tile and an inverse function of the rendering complexity for objects within this tile. Load balancing strives to measure these variables and adjust, from frame to frame, the number, sizes, and positions of the tiles. The cost of this approach is the necessity to communicate, in conjunction with each frame, the number, sizes, and positions of the tiles.

Abstract: A storage picture generating unit (191) weight-adds an input picture and a storage picture to reduce the noise in a still picture portion. An area extraction unit (193) extracts a class tap from the input picture, while extracting a block from each of the input picture and the storage picture. A feature value detection unit (194) detects the dynamic range and the results of the waveform analysis from the class tap, while detecting the still/moving information of the subject pixel from the block. A class code detection unit (195) generates a class code which is based on the feature value. A table (196) outputs to an estimation calculating unit (198) sets of the prediction coefficients held by the table and which are associated with the class code. An area extraction unit (197) extracts prediction taps from the input picture and the storage picture.

Abstract: Systems and methods that provide graphics using a graphical engine are provided. In one example, a system may provide layered graphics in a video environment. The system may include a bus, a graphical engine and a graphical pipeline. The graphical engine may be coupled to the bus and may be adapted to composite a plurality of graphical layers into a composite graphical layer. The graphical engine may include a memory that stores the composite graphical layer. The graphical pipeline may be coupled to the bus and may be adapted to transport the composite graphical layer.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a data modification circuit and a composite circuit. The data modification circuit may be configured to generate a first output data stream in response to a first one or more of the data streams. The composite circuit may be configured to generate a combined output data stream in response to the first output data stream and remaining data streams.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for predicting the result of the coloration of a substrate by a coloring product. The method and apparatus involve the use of micro-processing system and are especially suitable for quickly and easily determining the result of hair coloration by a commercial hair dye product. Preferably a bar-code scanning device is used to input information relating to the product into the micro-processing system.

Abstract: A software program enables to maintain the amount of task by the operator for image processing regardless of the number of image pages. By displaying the combined overlapped image, the operator is able to visually confirm a processing area or range for a predetermined image processing. Because of the above described features, the operator is able to easily specify the tasks such as removing, moving and inserting an image in the selected area in an assured manner without significant experience or knowledge of computer programs.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for a hair colour consultation or a hair colour simulation. According to the inventive method, a selection of a person's (11) desired hair colours (36) is represented on a display screen (14,15) or a touch screen (22,23), by means of a video camera (12), a computer (13) and at least one display screen or touch screen. Actual individual images (21) of the person (11) are continuously recorded by means of the video camera (12) and are transmitted into the computer (13) in real time, in a continuous image sequence. Automatic image editing and image processing is carried out for each individual image (21) by means of a device (31) wherein the computer identifies (13) the person's (11) hair region (32), changes the hair colour (33) of said hair region (32) according to pre-determined specifications, and the modified individual images (21) are represented in real time again on at least one display screen (14, 15) and/or touch screen (22,23).

Abstract: In the attribute detection apparatus in the system of the present invention, an inputted image is transformed by DCT means to extract an estimation value of the embedded electronic watermark data in frequency space. Then, the statistical similarity between known electronic watermarks and the extracted electronic watermark data are calculated. The attribute change apparatus in a system of the present invention comprises a selector, an insert data register for storing the output of the selector, a brightness register for storing the brightness signal of the inputted image, a color difference register for storing the color difference signal of the inputted image, and adder for adding the output of the color difference register and the output of the insert data register. Here, the selector selects one of the insert data stored in a plurality of memory areas on the basis of the attribute inputted from attribute detection apparatus.

Abstract: An image editing apparatus capable of accurately registering a texture pattern from a document has the following configuration. The image data of a read document is displayed on a liquid crystal display. A user designates a point C therein and designates a range P2 for incorporating texture pattern around the point. The user also designates the size and range of the texture pattern used for displaying the texture using cursors S and E so that the texture patterns can be displayed smoothly connected when displayed serially in the vertical and horizontal direction.

Abstract: A hardware assisted system and method for computing a visibility ordering of a set of primitives and rendering the set of primitives is described, comprising the steps of and means for locating primitives potentially in a layer and removing occluded primitives from the layer. The hardware assisted locating step further includes the steps of initializing hardware buffers, initializing a layer number, assigning the layer number to each primitive, extracting a subset of the primitives from the set of primitives assigned to the layer number, and storing the subset of primitives in a color buffer.

Abstract: A method and system for automated identification of pre-printed forms, based on the location of a mark made manually on the form. The method comprises the steps of receiving digitized ink image data, identifying the existence and location of a mark made manually on a form, identifying the pre-printed form based on the location of the mark, determining any misalignment between the received ink data and a stored image of the form, shifting the ink data to correct the misalignment, and merging the ink data and the image of the form so as to enable the display of the form and the marks made on the paper form as they appeared when the marks were made on the paper. The system comprises a digitizer and a pre-printed form comprising one or more pre-printed indicators unique to the form indicating where a user is to enter one or more identifying marks. The digitizer transmits image data to a computer processor, coupled to a database, including one or more digitized images of marks made on a form.

Abstract: This invention provides a technique capable of always keeping digital watermark information embedded in image data having the embedded digital watermark information by an optimum scheme on the basis of a time factor, or removing a digital watermark, or erasing the image data. An apparatus for achieving the above object has functions of holding image data having additional information embedded as a digital watermark, detecting time information related to the image data, and changing the embedding scheme for the additional information as the digital watermark embedded in the image data on the basis of the detected time information.

Abstract: An encoder and encoding method for inserting logos into a digital television signal. The logo insertion is performed at the front end of the encoder (e.g., prior to compression) by sharing the video capture frame buffer of the encoder, so there is no need for a separate logo inserter with a separate buffer, and encoding cost are reduced. An alpha blending function receives logo image and logo alpha map data for blending with input video data. The input video is retrieved from the frame buffer, and written back to the frame buffer after blending with the logo data. Subsequently, the frame buffer contents are provided to a pre-processing function for filtering and film mode detection. For a film mode frame, a drop field decision is provided from the pre-processing function to the frame buffer to drop the redundant field. The pre-processed video data is then provided for conventional compression processing. In an HDTV embodiment, several compressors are provided which each receive a panel of a video frame.

Abstract: Text and graphics elements may be alpha blended in a way to reduce flicker when the text or graphics are display by a processor-based television receiver. The alpha values are used to intelligently smooth pixels adjacent the element to create television text and graphics.

Abstract: A method to greatly simplify and reduce the cost of displays when all of the images that need to be displayed are known beforehand. By precomputing the intersections of the images and addressing the intersections of the images, the number of drivers that are required becomes a function of the number of images rather than a function of the resolution. For example, four arbitrarily complex, overlapping images require, at most, 16 drivers. In general, n arbitrarily complex, overlapping images require, at most, 2n drivers. This result holds irrespective of the size of the display or the complexity resolution, or amount of overlap of the images. Further reduction of the number of drivers is possible if some of the images do not overlap some of the other images. For example, two images overlap each other in one area and two other images may overlap each other in a separate area while the two sets of images do not themselves overlap.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for blending graphics data that includes a plurality of objects. In one aspect, objects are grouped into two layers; objects associated with a first layer are drawn; objects associated with a second layer are drawn; and data drawn into the first and second layers is blended. A layer stack may be used to define a hierarchy for blending layers of the image. The apparatus may be an output display device and more particularly a printing device. The object data may be transformed to an intermediate form and the intermediate form data for the first and second layer may be blended. The apparatus may include an interpreter for receiving object data associated with two layers of an image and for receiving a layer operator for designating which objects belong to which layer; a drawing engine for drawing objects into a first and a second buffer for a first layer and a second layer, respectively; and a blend processor for blending data in the first and second buffers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for enhanced image display that substantially eliminates video image fragments include processing that begins by monitoring color data of an image to be displayed. The processing then continues by determining whether at least a portion of the image includes color data that matches a chroma key color. When at least a portion of the image includes color data that matches the chroma key color, the processing continues by adjusting the color of at least a portion of the image to produce adjusted color data such that the adjusted color data does not match the chroma key color.

Abstract: An apparatus for the implementation of a physiologically controlled measurement at a living subject has a signal acquisition arrangement for acquiring a physiological signal of the subject, a display for the graphic display of a time curve of the physiological signal, and a time-setting arrangement for setting at least one relative point in time that is referenced to the time curve of the physiological signal and that is to be employed for the control of the time sequence of the measurement. The display is configured for also graphically displaying the at least one relative point in time in its temporal relationship to the physiological signal, particularly by mixing at least one time bar in the displayed image. Quick visual monitoring of the relative points in time that are set is thus possible.

Abstract: A system and method for customizing articles on a computer-based display provides a supplier database and remote client computer. Data is transferred between the supplier and the client computer including predetermined images of client articles and accompanying images of custom graphics. The database stores information on a variety of clients. Each client is associated with one or more profile, and each profile includes a series of images associated therewith. The client logs in under a given profile user name and password, and selects desired article images, and then calls up associated graphic images to manipulate onto the article images, creating a desired appearance. This appearance can be resubmitted to the supplier for production of an actual physical sample of the article.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a design document for a product, with the product having product elements arranged in a hierarchical manner and stored in a relational database, is described. A selection is received for at least one product element. At least one performance value associated with the selected product element is received. A text segment associated with each selected product element is retrieved from the database. Selected text segments are then used to construct the design document.

Abstract: A method for producing an animation sequence on a graphic display driven by a computer, including defining an object that includes a geometrical description of an animated character and characteristics of social behavior of the character and animating an image of the character responsive to the characteristics. The character is programmed with a predetermined response, such as a rule governing motion of the character, to a sensitivity condition occurring externally to the object. The geometrical description of the object includes a geometrical skeleton characterized by a hierarchy of sub-objects connected by joints, the rule governing motion defines motions of the joints.

Abstract: This invention provides a technique capable of always keeping digital watermark information embedded in image data having the embedded digital watermark information by an optimum scheme on the basis of a time factor, or removing a digital watermark, or erasing the image data. An apparatus for achieving the above object has functions of holding image data having additional information embedded as a digital watermark, detecting time information related to the image data, and changing the embedding scheme for the additional information as the digital watermark embedded in the image data on the basis of the detected time information.