Alignment Functions (e.g., Snapping, Gravity) Patents (Class 345/662)
  • Patent number: 11756271
    Abstract: A visualisation assembly including a three-dimensional physical projection object and an electronic visualisation device has: a camera for optically capturing the physical projection object; electronics having data-processing software by means of which image data can be generated from the optical capturing of the physical projection object and a rendered VR model can be generated on the basis of the image data created and the stored model data; and a display apparatus, on which the physical projection object superimposed with the rendered VR model can be displayed. The physical projection object forms a relief.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Inventor: Alexander Hoch
  • Patent number: 11475649
    Abstract: A method including obtaining a first image of a geographical location and a physical object located therein. Pixels in the first image are assigned to corresponding points in a Cartesian coordinate system defined specifically for the first image. The resulting virtual map includes a virtual representation of the physical object, a set of Cartesian coordinates assigned to a set of pixels in the pixels, and a set of Cartesian rotation angles assigned to the set of pixels. A first transform is calculated that scales the Cartesian coordinate system to a physical scale of the geographical location. A data structure stored in a data repository is formed by applying the first transform to the virtual map. The data structure includes the set of pixels, a set of scaled Cartesian coordinates, the set of Cartesian rotation angles, and a physical scale virtual representation of the physical object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Andrey Konchenko, Kim Swift, Bruce MacKay, Sergey Doronichev, Siau Ban Teh, Markus Schlafli, Salvador Ruiz-Esparza, Jared Krichko, Ewan Maxwell, Rod Shampine, Apoorva Dubey, Jared Bruns
  • Patent number: 11036916
    Abstract: A computer system includes a text editor controller that receives input data, determines column location data indicating a location of at least one column for vertically organizing at least a portion of the input data based at least in part on the input data, and renders the input data as proportional font. A display device is configured to display a text area interface generated by the computer system, and to display the rendered proportional font in the text area interface in a vertically aligned manner based at least in part on the column location data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Neil Alan Johnson
  • Patent number: 9986044
    Abstract: A multi-screen interaction method, devices, and system are provided. The method includes acquiring a first message from a first terminal device. The first message includes a first operation instruction and first state information. A second message is acquired from a second terminal device. The second message includes a second operation instruction. The method further includes searching, according to the second operation instruction, for an operation instruction that is matched with the second operation instruction, among stored operation instructions. A first control instruction is sent to the first terminal device and a second control instruction is sent to the second terminal device, if it is found that the second operation instruction is matched with the first operation instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Qiulin Chen, Bo Huang, Jianhua Zhu
  • Patent number: 9519396
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for placing an asset on a three-dimensional model. Each asset can be associated with a pivot point and with an asset normal. A contact point on the surface of a model where an asset is to be positioned may be identified, and a surface normal that may be perpendicular to the surface at the contact point may also be identified. Then, the asset can be placed on the model such that the position of the pivot point of the asset may coincide with the position of the identified contact point on the surface of the model, and such that the orientation of the asset normal may match the orientation of the identified surface normal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Goossens
  • Patent number: 8970629
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a mobile terminal and a 3D object control method thereof for controlling the depth or rotation of a 3D object using a 3D manipulation portion displayed around the 3D object. According to the present invention, a circular- or ring-shaped 3D manipulation portion may be touched to intuitively control the rotation and enlargement/reduction of the 3D object, thereby providing usefulness and convenience for the user, capable of editing the 3D object while directly viewing the transformed form and depth of the 3D object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jonghwan Kim, Mohammad Afroz Alam Khan, Mohan Krishna Ranganathan
  • Patent number: 8970481
    Abstract: A portable electronic device includes a display screen, a gravity sensor, at least one sensor provided at a side of the portable electronic device and a processor. The gravity sensor detects gravity information of the portable electronic device and generates a sensing value. The at least one sensor senses a holding position. The processor determines a holding manner according to sensing signals of the at least one sensor and determines a display mode of the display screen according to the sensing value and the holding manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Quanta Computer Inc.
    Inventor: Meng-Pang Chung
  • Patent number: 8878879
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for displaying content and a computer-readable recording medium thereof are disclosed. The method for displaying content includes: generating a page corresponding to a content file included in a folder; generating a folder display portion corresponding to the folder and an information display layer including the page; outputting the information display layer on a content display apparatus; sensing touch of the content display apparatus; and changing an output format of the information display layer based on the sensed touch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Science & Technology
    Inventors: Joong Ho Lee, Ji Hyung Park, Dong Wook Yoon
  • Patent number: 8823732
    Abstract: A method for creating image products includes the following steps. Image data and positional data corresponding to the image data are captured and processed to create geo-referenced images. Edge detection procedures are performed on the geo-referenced images to identify edges and produce geo-referenced, edge-detected images. The geo-referenced, edge-detected images are saved in a database. A user interface to view and interact with the geo-referenced image is also provided such that the user can consistently select the same Points of Interest between multiple interactions and multiple users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Pictometry International Corp.
    Inventors: Steven Douglas Adams, Yandong Wang, Frank D. Giufrrida
  • Patent number: 8817052
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a display section, a generation section, a determination section, and a control section. The display section includes a screen. The generation section generates an image of content data including visible data. The determination section determines an area surrounding an area in which the visible data is arranged in the generated image and corresponding to a shape of the screen, as a visible data area. The control section generates, by the generation section, an enlarged image obtained by enlarging the image so that a size of the screen and a size of the visible data area become close to each other, determines, by the determination section, the visible data area in the enlarged image, and extracts the visible data area from the enlarged image to display the visible data area on the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Shunsuke Kudo, Izuru Tanaka, Takayuki Yumoto
  • Patent number: 8817051
    Abstract: A display control apparatus controls to execute variable magnification processing of a partial image of an image indicated by a display range, and displays the partial image in a display area. The display control apparatus includes a calculation unit which obtains a vertex/vertexes of the display range farthest from a center of the image and sets the vertex or a center point of the vertexes as a reference point, a changing unit which changes a size of the display range while keeping the position of the reference point, and a moving unit which moves the display range in the image. In addition, a display control unit controls to execute the variable magnification processing of the partial image and displays the partial image in the display area. The calculation unit re-calculates the reference point in response to movement of the display range in the image by the moving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Chiaki Mikawa
  • Patent number: 8730244
    Abstract: A device includes a character-data rotating section that rotates a regular-position character by a predetermined angle with respect to a reference point that is the center point of the background area of the regular-position character by using regular-position character data having a rotation angle of 0° and a center-point matching processing section that horizontally and/or vertically enlarges the background area of the rotated character data to cause the center point of the rotated character and the center point of BMP data to match each other even with respect to rotated character data. Thus, when multiple pieces of character data are arranged so that the center points thereof lie on a reference line, not only are the center points of the characters aligned along the reference line, but also bottom portions of the characters aligned with respect to the reference line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Noboru Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8670957
    Abstract: A computer-aided design station for use in computer-aided design of a modeled object includes a display device configured to display the modeled object and at least one secondary object in a viewing area, an interface device configured to receive user inputs relating to the modeled object and the viewing area, and a processor operably coupled to the display device and the interface device. The processor is configured to cause the display device to display an alignment tool in the viewing area in response to user input and cause the display device to display at least one attach point of the secondary object in response to user input. The processor is also configured to detect when the alignment tool is moved to a position within a first preselected distance from the secondary object and automatically align the secondary object with respect to the alignment tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Dassault Systemes
    Inventors: Guillaume Romain Dayde, James René Michel Dugalais, Christophe René Francis Delfino
  • Patent number: 8659625
    Abstract: A method and terminal for adjusting menu bar softkey display dynamically are provided by the present invention. The method includes the following steps: obtaining the total display length of the menu bar and the respective corresponding character string length value and the location information of all the softkeys on the menu bar; setting the softkey of which the character string length value is non-zero on the menu bar as the non-zero softkey; assigning the display location and display length of each non-zero softkey according to the number of the non-zero softkeys and location information of each non-zero softkey; and displaying each non-zero softkey according to the assigned display location and display length. The method and terminal of the present invention overcomes the current defect that currently the fixed value is adopted to display the softkey of the bottom bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: ZTE Corporation
    Inventor: Xue Zhang
  • Patent number: 8643671
    Abstract: In one example embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a display device which displays a first image associated with a first observation target object. The first image has a first display range. In one example embodiment, the display device displays a second image associated with a second observation target object. The second image has a second display range. In one example embodiment, the information processing apparatus enables a user to change the first display range of the first image. In response to the first display range being changed, the information processing apparatus simultaneously changes the second display range of the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Wakita, Shigeatsu Yoshioka, Naoki Tagami
  • Patent number: 8610741
    Abstract: Techniques and systems are disclosed for navigating human scale image data using aligned perspective images. A consecutive sequence of digital images is stacked together by aligning consecutive images laterally with an image offset between edges of consecutive images corresponding to a distance between respective view windows of the consecutive images. A view window of an image in the sequence is rendered, where the view window of the image corresponds to a desired location. Offset portions of the view window of a desired number of images in the sequence are rendered, for example, alongside the full view of the image at the desired location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Richard S. Szeliski, Johannes P. Kopf, Michael F. Cohen, Eric J. Stollnitz
  • Patent number: 8521564
    Abstract: Technologies relating to collaborative healthcare information collection are disclosed. A User Interface (UI) provided herein may provide selectable controls for accessing a Patient Information Collection Tool (PICT), an Interactive Patient Education Database (IPED), and/or a Clinic-Oriented Patient Information Collection Tool (COPICT). A PICT may assist in identifying patient goals for healthcare interactions. An IPED may provide interactive articles educating patients about healthcare terminology and materials for systematically helping patients to prepare for healthcare visits by addressing common questions and discussion points. A COPICT may collect patient data for use in tracking clinic patient data and identifying clinic goals for healthcare interactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Samepage, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul S Ciechanowski
  • Patent number: 8484570
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for manipulating screen objects utilizing multiband regions of influence. Positioning a reference point of an object within a particular band invokes a particular functionality or operation related to that band. In one embodiment, three types of functionality are provided. Moving a reference datum (for example, a line representing an edge or a user defined reference point) of an object A into a first band of an object B places object A under the influence of object B's gravity, causing object A to be pulled into precise alignment with object B. Moving the reference point of object A from the first band into a second band turns off object B's gravity, allowing object A to be freely moved to any arbitrary position near the object B. Moving the reference point of the object A to a position outside all bands causes object B's gravity function to be turned back on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Murat N. Konar, Josh Rosen
  • Patent number: 8462111
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a display module, a function key, a motion sensor, a determination module, and a regulation module. The motion sensor is operable to acquire a coordinate of the electronic device. The determination module is operable to determine whether the electronic device is in the upright position based on the coordinate. The regulation module regulates backlight brightness of the display module when the function key is operative and the specific application is not executed when the electronic device is in the upright position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignees: Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Chi Mei Communication Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Jun Li
  • Patent number: 8458587
    Abstract: A method of entering page layout constraints into a computer. The method comprises providing a container for representing a page layout. The method further comprises providing a set of graphical objects, each having a set of object gridlines for delimiting important graphical features. Each of the set of object gridlines has a span. The method further comprises selecting and placing the set of graphical objects one by one within the container. Each of the selected graphical objects are positioned by snapping the position of the span to a non-empty gridline or by adding a new gridline. The method further comprises determining at least one pair of colliding gridlines. Colliding gridlines have a parallel direction and at least one pair of spans which at least partially overlap in the parallel direction. The method further comprises inserting page layout constraints between the at least one pair of colliding gridlines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Think-Cell Software GmbH
    Inventors: Sebastian Theophil, Valentin Ziegler, Arno Schodl, Markus Hannebauer
  • Patent number: 8395643
    Abstract: Dynamically magnifying search results and enabling motion-based review of the search results. The user enters a query to search the content of a document. As the characters of the query are entered by the user, the search results are identified and magnified such that all the search results after any given input character are visible in the user interface. The user advances through the search results by moving the computing device in a predefined manner. In an embodiment, the user searches the content of a web page rendered in a browser executing on a mobile computing device such as a telephone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Randal James Ramig, Seana Seraji, Scott Andrew Borton
  • Patent number: 8289320
    Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) graphic rendering apparatus is provided. The 3D graphic rendering apparatus includes an object-information extraction module which extracts a bound box of each of a plurality of objects, including an i-th object and a j-th object, wherein i and j are natural numbers; an object alignment module which aligns the i-th object and the j-th object according to distances of the i-th and j-th objects, based on the extracted bound boxes of the i-th and j-th objects, from a visual point; and a rendering module which sequentially renders the aligned i-th and j-th objects such that an object among the i-th and j-th objects distant from the visual point can be rendered earlier than an object among the i-th and j-th objects less distant from the visual point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byung-Kwon Kang, Sung-Hee Cho
  • Patent number: 8284038
    Abstract: A display system for a vehicle is provided. The display system includes an information display that changes color based upon an operating state of a vehicle. The information display includes display lighting that illuminates at least a portion of the display in a color associated with the vehicle's current operating state to indicate the operating state to a driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Hongjie Wu
  • Patent number: 8237744
    Abstract: A method for operating a navigation device provides a driver with the option of being presented with an overview of the route lying ahead in addition to a detailed illustration of the current position along the route section, namely without any complicated interactions with the navigation device. This navigation device independently changes the scale of the display of the route on the display means in dependence on a manually selected operating mode. The advantage of this method can be seen in a semi-automated solution that always enables the driver to decide exactly which information should be displayed by his navigation device at which time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Garmin Würzburg GmbH
    Inventors: Steffen Joachim, Jochen Katzer
  • Patent number: 8209630
    Abstract: Aspect ratio locking alignment guides for gestures are disclosed. In one embodiment, a gesture is detected to resize a user interface element, and in response, a first alignment guide is visibly displayed, wherein the first alignment guide includes positions representing different sizes the user interface element can be resized to while maintaining the initial aspect ratio of the user interface element. While the user interface element is resized in accordance with the user gesture, and while the first alignment guide is visibly displayed: when the user gesture is substantially aligned with the first alignment guide, visible display of the first alignment guide is maintained; and when the user gesture substantially deviates from the first alignment guide, visible display of the first alignment guide is terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Will John Thimbleby, Jay Christopher Capela, Christopher Douglas Weeldreyer
  • Publication number: 20120147033
    Abstract: A system for displaying information on a display screen of a computing device, where the digital content is of the size that exceeds the display screen size for display has a display logic that parses the digital content into multiple screen views, each screen view is sized for the screen and an orientation, and stores these multiple screen views in the memory. The display logic selects and displays a single screen view of the multiple screen views on the screen overlaid with a transparent miniature view map of the multiple screen views with the view map highlighting the specific screen view being displayed. Touch-selecting a specific screen view from the view map brings up that view for display from the storage memory, with an updated view map, enabling a user to simultaneously see a view of the digital content and the size of the content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Inventor: Tara Chand Singhal
  • Patent number: 8166409
    Abstract: In a client, a photo frame for which guidelines have been set at predetermined positions based on an operator's setting operation is provided as a trimming frame TF with guidelines. While the trimming frame TF with guidelines is displayed on a processing object image in an overlapping manner, the trimming frame TF with guidelines is shifted and displayed on the processing object image based on the operator's shifting operation as well as the trimming frame TF with guidelines is enlarged or contracted and displayed so as to become a similar form based on the operator's enlarging or contracting operation. The operator can thus shift and enlarge or contract the trimming frame TF with guidelines so that the guidelines set by him/herself and a target contained in the processing object image have a desirable positional relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Koike, Katsuyuki Takada, Toshiaki Oishi, Mikiya Shimada
  • Publication number: 20120092381
    Abstract: An invention is disclosed for using touch gestures to zoom a video to full-screen. As the user reverse-pinches on a touch-sensitive surface to zoom in on a video, the invention tracks the amount of a zoom. When the user has zoomed to the point where one of the dimensions (height or width) of the video reaches a threshold (such as some percentage of a dimension of the display device—e.g. the width of the video reaches 80% of the width of the display device), the invention determines to display the video in full-screen, and “snaps” the video to full-screen. The invention may do this by way of an animation, such as expanding the video to fill the screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Armistead Hoover, Vishnu Sivaji, Jarrod Lombardo, Daniel John Wigdor
  • Patent number: 8095884
    Abstract: A processing device may include a WYSIWYG tool for designing two-dimensional visual layouts. The processing device may display a visual layout including a first object component and a second object component. The first object component, or an object subcomponent thereof, may be moved or resized, or an object subcomponent of the second object component may be moved or resized. When an edge of the first object component or an edge of the object subcomponent, thereof, is within a snapping distance of an edge of the object subcomponent of the second object component, the processing device may attempt to align the edges and may display an indicator indicating alignment of the edges. The first object component or the object subcomponent, thereof, may be drawn to an aligned position with the object subcomponent of the second object component while the aligned edges are within the snapping distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Rajeev V. Karunakaran, Brian L. Welcker
  • Publication number: 20110273478
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for displaying a strip chart on an electronic display. A furthest extremum value of the measured quantity is recorded over a period of time and a plurality of values of the measured quantity are displayed on the strip chart. The furthest extremum value is used to automatically rescale the strip chart, providing for at least one bound of the zoomed range. In response to receiving a selection of a zoom factor defining a degree of magnification of the strip chart, the strip chart is automatically scaled to a degree of magnification commensurate with the zoom factor and the strip chart may be automatically scaled such that the strip chart is bounded on one side by one of a furthest extremum maximum or minimum value and the other one of the furthest extremum maximum or minimum value is not displayed on the strip chart.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: Newport Corporation
    Inventors: William Culpi, William E. Bryant, John M. Rickman
  • Patent number: 7982753
    Abstract: An information display apparatus connected to a display unit for visually presenting information to a user is disclosed. The information display apparatus displays a frame within a display region of the display unit, information to be displayed in the frame, and an operation guide at the outer peripheral edge of the frame, and updates information displayed in the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Junpei Ito, Hiroki Kato
  • Patent number: 7963656
    Abstract: In a first display mode, a common image function component is displayed to occupy at least a part of a display region of a second specific image function component. In a second display mode, the common image function component is continuously displayed outside the second specific image function component to avoid the overlap therebetween (i.e., such that an exclusive positional relationship is made therebetween). When the display mode is switched, a final transition of the display mode to a display state in the second display mode is made while or after a moving image showing a transition process, in which the common image function component is moved from a display position in the first display mode to a display position in the second display mode, is displayed as a mode transition animation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Kuno, Nagako Matsuno
  • Patent number: 7948504
    Abstract: A method and computer graphics program executed by a processor for interactively subdividing a region in a computer controlled graphics display system is described. The user directly manipulates a control object (or “handle”) using a pointing device such as a computer mouse with the result that the region exposing the control object is evenly divided into an array or volume of smaller regions. The distance from the position of the start of interaction with the control object (the “click”) is continuously monitored to interactively update the number of divisions in the horizontal and vertical directions. Example displays during this interaction phase include overlaid grids representing the actual position of pending subdivisions, or a matrix of abstract subregions representing the count of subregions that will be created when the user indicates that the interaction is complete by releasing the control object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: LumaPix, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Chilton Sheasby, A. Michael Mondry
  • Patent number: 7937654
    Abstract: A method and computer program product for reflowing a PDL page without using the original application used to create the PDL page. The method and computer program product include receiving a page represented in a page description language, the page including a plurality of page objects, and changing one or both of a size of the page and a size of one or more of the page objects, while maintaining spatial relationships between the page objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert M. Ayers, Richard L. Sites
  • Patent number: 7760204
    Abstract: An animation wireframe is modified with three-dimensional (3D) range and color data having a corresponding shape surface. The animation wireframe is vertically scaled based on distances between consecutive features within the 3D range and color data and corresponding distances within the generic animation wireframe. For each animation wireframe point, the location of the animation wireframe point is adjusted to coincide with a point on the shape surface. The shape surface point lies along a scaling line connecting the animation wireframe point, the shape surface point and an origin point. The scaling line is within a horizontal point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
    Inventor: Joern Ostermann
  • Patent number: 7751652
    Abstract: A portion of a digital image is displayed. A change associated with a mask is received, where the mask is associated with a displayed portion of the digital image. A transformation to be applied is determined based at least in part on the received change. A new portion of the digital image is displayed based at least in part on the received change and the transformation, where the new portion that is displayed has the same center point as the previously displayed portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventor: Joseph Tighe
  • Patent number: 7657840
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for providing a navigable grid to allow for accessible drag-drop in visual modeling tools. The method includes receiving an input which selects an object. The method further includes providing a visual canvas on a display device. The method further includes overlaying the navigable grid onto the canvas, the overlying navigable grid being of a defined granularity, the defined granularity being based on an underlying application being implemented, the overlying navigable grid further being keyed input device-navigable based on the defined granularity. The method further includes designating a drop position on the navigable grid when a position input is received via a keyed input device. The method further includes dropping the object onto a destination position of the canvas when a drop command input is received. The drop position on the overlying navigable grid is directly aligned over the destination position of the canvas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Becky J. Gibson, Richard S. Schwerdtfeger
  • Patent number: 7634324
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a method for aligning and laying out drawing elements in a computer-aided design drawing and computer-readable medium storing instructions for implementing the method. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method, which includes the steps of receiving a selection of an insertion point on an object within the CAD drawing, where the drawing element attaches to the object at the insertion point, placing the drawing element at the insertion point, and orienting the drawing element at a predetermined alignment angle relative to the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventor: Toby S. Smith
  • Publication number: 20090189920
    Abstract: Described is a technique for viewing a document page on a small display such as a mobile phone or PDA. The page can come from a scanned document (bitmap image) or an electronic document (text and graphics data plus metadata). The page with text and graphics is segmented into regions. For each region, a scale-distortion function is constructed based on image analysis. During interactive viewing of the document, as the user navigates by moving the viewport around the page, the zoom factor will be automatically adjusted by optimizing the scale-distortion functions of the regions in the viewport.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Patrick Chiu, Koichi Fujii, Qiong Liu
  • Patent number: 7508386
    Abstract: In cases when cellular phone 1a plays back a 96×80 pixel video while creating an E-mail with a video attachment or receiving an E-mail with a video attachment, the data communications device enlarges the video periphery and performs playback in 128×96 pixels. Even though the expansion method employed simply enlarges the video periphery, enlarges the scale factor ratio linearly from the center section extending to the periphery and enlarges the scale factor ratio exponentially from the video center section extending to the periphery, a reduction in video visibility by expansion is prevented as the center section is set to 1× (one fold). Consequently, in video playback the common problem of decreased visibility from image deterioration does not occur, resulting in the display area being utilized effectively with enhanced visual effects and image quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yukio Kashio
  • Patent number: 7403211
    Abstract: A method and computer graphics program executed by a processor for interactively subdividing a region in a computer controlled graphics display system is described. The user directly manipulates a control object (or “handle”) using a pointing device such as a computer mouse with the result that the region exposing the control object is evenly divided into an array or volume of smaller regions. The distance from the position of the start of interaction with the control object (the “click”) is continuously monitored to interactively update the number of divisions in the horizontal and vertical directions. Example displays during this interaction phase include overlaid grids representing the actual position of pending subdivisions, or a matrix of abstract subregions representing the count of subregions that will be created when the user indicates that the interaction is complete by releasing the control object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: LumaPix, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Chilton Sheasby, A. Michael Mondry
  • Patent number: 7395515
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for manipulating screen objects utilizing multiband regions of influence. Positioning a reference point of an object within a particular band invokes a particular functionality or operation related to that band. In one embodiment, three types of functionality are provided. Moving a reference datum (for example, a line representing an edge or a user defined reference point) of an object A into a first band of an object B places object A under the influence of object B's gravity, causing object A to be pulled into precise alignment with object B. Moving the reference point of object A from the first band into a second band turns off object B's gravity, allowing object A to be freely moved to any arbitrary position near the object B. Moving the reference point of the object A to a position outside all bands causes object B's gravity function to be turned back on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Murat N. Konar, Josh Rosen
  • Patent number: 7345693
    Abstract: An airport display device including a display including at least one window, a database including data related to an airport, a selector configured to select a degree of zoom for the airport to be displayed from a plurality of different degrees of zoom, a control unit connected to the display, the database and the selector and configured to control the display to display in the at least one window the airport according to a scale value representative of the degree of zoom selected by the selector, and a changing unit configured to change the scale value representative of the degree of zoom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Airbus France
    Inventors: Pierre Coldefy, Fabien Fetzmann, Frederic Lemoult
  • Patent number: 7209149
    Abstract: By selecting a template, a crop boundary (98a) is displayed on an image on a screen. The crop boundary has a corresponding shape to that of a frame of the selected template, and is variable in size while keeping the same shape and being centered on a reference point (98e). Upper and lower horizontal lines (98b, 98c) are also displayed inside the crop boundary to define an internal zone (98d), and the center point on the upper horizontal line is defined as the reference point. By placing the reference point on the top of the head of a human subject contained in the displayed image and then moving the lower horizontal line to align it with the chin, the internal zone is adjusted to the head of the human subject. In cooperation with the movement of the lower reference line, the crop boundary is automatically enlarged or reduced so as to keep the internal zone in a predetermined proportion and position relative to the crop boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Naozumi Jogo
  • Patent number: 6989847
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for manipulating screen objects utilizing multiband regions of influence. Positioning a reference point of an object within a particular band invokes a particular functionality or operation related to that band. In one embodiment, three types of functionality are provided. Moving a reference datum (for example, a line representing an edge or a user defined reference point) of an object A into a first band of an object B places object A under the influence of object B's gravity, causing object A to be pulled into precise alignment with object B. Moving the reference point of object A from the first band into a second band turns off object B's gravity, allowing object A to be freely moved to any arbitrary position near the object B. Moving the reference point of the object A to a position outside all bands causes object B's gravity function to be turned back on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Macromedia, Inc.
    Inventors: Murat N. Konar, Josh Rosen
  • Patent number: 6904392
    Abstract: In CAD/CAM/CAE/PDM systems in which three dimensional objects are display along with two dimensional annotations, a method and system is described for assisting the user in selecting a location for placement of the annotation on the object so that it annotates the proper portion of the object and complies with applicable standards. The system displays through highlighting or other visual means a set of points on the object to which the leader line of an annotation may be connected so that the annotation meets the requirements of applicable standards. The user may select any one of the location points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Dassault Systemes
    Inventors: Jean-Claude Marty, Dominique Gaunet
  • Patent number: 6873343
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating a background or foreground image at different resolutions with a scalable graphic thereon is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises selecting a version of an image for display with a scalable graphic. The version of the image is at one of a plurality of resolutions. The method also includes generating the version of the image from a first image bitstream from which versions of the image at two or more of the plurality of resolutions could be generated. One of the versions is generated using a first portion of the first image bitstream and a second of the versions is generated using the first portion of the first image bitstream and a second portion of the first image bitstream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Zoran Corporation
    Inventor: Charles K. Chui
  • Patent number: 6768497
    Abstract: A method for displaying visual information on a display screen of a computer, comprising the steps of scaling the visual information to produce a scaled representation to fit on the display screen the scaled representation containing the entire content of the visual information; selecting a region of interest within the scaled representation; applying a transformation to the scaled representation to improve the visual detail in the region of interest; and, displaying the transformed presentation on the display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Idelix Software Inc.
    Inventors: David J. P. Baar, M. Sheelagh T. Carpendale, David J. Cowperthwaite, Mark Tigges, Robert Komar, Jerome F. Bauer
  • Publication number: 20030063105
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a system-and method for accurately displaying superimposed images on a display screen of a computer. The method includes storing a base image having a first feature and a second feature in a storage device of a computer. Data is received which is indicative of a full-scale dimension between the first feature and the second feature. The base image is scaled to have a predefined dimension between the first feature and the second feature when displayed. An accessory image is scaled based upon at least a ratio between the predefined dimension and the full-scale dimension. The scaled accessory image is superimposed onto the scaled base image and displayed to a system user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2002
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Inventor: Mark S. Agnew
  • Publication number: 20030048284
    Abstract: A method of selecting a point in a layout, which firstly receives a first point when a user performs a first action. Then, if the user performs a second action within a predetermined period of time after performing the first action, the first point is returned as a selected point. If the user does not perform a second action within a predetermined period of time after performing the first action, a snap operation is then activated automatically to search for a second point on at least one entity of the layout according to a predetermined criterion. After activating the snap operation, the second point is returned as the selected point if the second point is found, and the first point is returned as the selected point if the second point is not found.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Inventor: I-Lang Chang