Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Character generating
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-22
2004-12-28
Bella, Matthew C. (Department: 2676)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Character generating
C345S613000, C345S025000, C382S301000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06836271
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for displaying a character boldfaced with sub-pixel based precision, and an art related thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to display characters on a display screen, a character to be enhanced is displayed by being greater in size than the other characters. As a result, such a boldfaced character is rendered more conspicuous than the other characters.
The following describes specific implementation with reference to
FIGS. 10-15
in order to provide boldfaced characters.
FIG. 10
illustrates pre-boldfaced character “A”. In
FIG. 10
, the character “A” is displayed at a rectangular display area that consists of seven pixel rows by nine pixel columns. This character data is defined with pixel-based precision.
FIG. 11
illustrates a boldfaced character “A” that is greater in size than the character “A” of
FIG. 10
by an amount of a pixel. As evidenced by
FIG. 11
, the character “A” has a blank objectionably blacked out at a central portion thereof. As a result, it is difficult to determine whether the boldfaced character “A” as illustrated in
FIG. 11
is “A” or “&Lgr;”. Therefore, the character of
FIG. 11
is improper to display as a boldfaced character.
The above example shows that a character boldfaced with pixel-based precision is likely to involve character smearing. This disadvantage is particularly noticeable when any Japanese Kanji character consisting of a large number of components is boldfaced, or alternatively when a character-displaying screen is small in size with respect to characters.
There are display devices such as a color LCD, a color plasma display, and an organic EL display, in which three light-emitting elements for illuminating different colors (“R” or red, “G” or green, and “B” or blue) are aligned with each other in a certain direction in order to form a pixel, and further which the three light-emitting elements RGB are independently controllable.
The use of such a display device allows characters to be boldfaced on a per sub-pixel basis that is greater in fineness than a pixel-by-pixel basis. Each of the light-emitting elements corresponds to a sub-pixel.
In a character zone of
FIG. 10
, assume that a plurality of light-emitting elements that forms each pixel is aligned with each other in a direction of x-axis. In
FIG. 10
, a character line width extends in the direction of x-axis.
FIG. 12
illustrates a boldfaced character that is obtained by boldfacing the character of
FIG. 10
with sub-pixel based precision. This example as shown in
FIG. 12
is partially described in published Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-100725.
In
FIG. 12
, a character line width of the character “A” is increased by illuminating a sub-pixel next to each pixel at either end thereof in the horizontal direction of the pixels.
FIG. 13
illustrates the boldfaced character of
FIG. 12
in a manner similar to the way in which
FIG. 11
illustrates the boldfaced character “A”.
As evidenced by
FIG. 13
, when the character “A” is boldfaced with sub-pixel based precision, then a central blank of the boldfaced character “A” remains intact. As a result, the boldfaced character “A” is obviously identified as “A”, not “&Lgr;”.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, the above discussion takes no account of how much the luminous intensity of each of the light-emitting elements contributes. Three primary colors (RGB) have an intensity contribution in a RGB ratio of 3:6:1. This means that there are great differences in luminous intensity between the three primary colors. More specifically, “B” (blue) has luminous intensity as small as one sixth of that of “G” (green). Accordingly, boldfacing each character only on the basis of the above discussion brings about a problem in which a character line width appears to be partially cut away, thereby producing an isolated sub-pixel spot, with a consequential poor quality display, as detailed below.
(When a Character Line Width is Increased by an Amount of a Sub-Pixel)
FIG.
14
(
a
) illustrates three light-emitting elements serially arranged in the order of RGB, in which a B-light emitting element as depicted by an arrow looks dim in brightness when compared with the remaining light-emitting elements.
FIG.
14
(
b
) illustrates an additional R-light emitting element positioned rightward next to the three light-emitting elements RGB. As illustrated in the drawings of the present specification, several light-emitting elements having the signs “+” carried thereon is identified as being additionally illuminated in order to provide a boldfaced character. As illustrated in FIG.
14
(
b
), when the additional R-light emitting element is illuminated in order to provide the boldfaced character, then the dim B-light emitting element located adjacent to the additional R-light emitting element isolates the additional R-light emitting element from the other light-emitting elements RG. As a result, the additional R-light emitting element is objectionably an isolated sub-pixel spot when being additionally illuminated.
As illustrated in FIG.
14
(
c
), when the three light-emitting elements are aligned with each other in the order of BGR, then they are a mirror image of the light-emitting elements as illustrated in FIGS.
14
(
a
) and
14
(
b
). As a result, as illustrated in FIG.
14
(
d
), an additional R-light emitting element next to the three light-emitting elements BGR objectionably results in an isolated sub-pixel spot when being additionally illuminated.
(When a Character Line Width is Increased by Amounts of Two Sub-Pixels)
FIG.
15
(
a
) illustrates three light-emitting elements serially arranged in the order of RGB. As illustrated in FIG.
15
(
b
), two additional light-emitting elements “G”, “B” positioned leftward next to the three light-emitting elements RGB are illuminated in order to provide a boldfaced character. In this case, the additional B-light emitting element looks dim in brightness. As a result, the additional G-light emitting element objectionably results in an isolated sub-pixel spot when being additionally illuminated.
As illustrated in FIG.
15
(
c
), when the three light-emitting elements are aligned with each other in the order of BGR, then they are a mirror image of the light-emitting elements of FIGS.
15
(
a
) and
15
(
b
). As a result, as illustrated in FIG.
15
(
d
), an additional G-light emitting element is objectionably an isolated sub-pixel spot when being additionally illuminated.
As described above, the prior art involves the problem in which a boldfaced character has a character line width appearing to be partially broken away, thereby producing an isolated sub-pixel spot, with ensuing degradation in display quality.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a boldfaced character-displaying method designed to display an easy-to-read boldfaced character that is provided with sub-pixel based precision without detracting from the display quality of the boldfaced character.
A first aspect of the present invention provides a boldfaced character-displaying method comprising the steps of: obtaining character data to be displayed; boldfacing the obtained character data by increasing a character line width of the obtained character data in a first direction by an amount corresponding to at least a width of a light-emitting element; and displaying a boldfaced character on a display screen of a display device in accordance with data derived from the boldfaced character data, wherein the step of boldfacing the obtained character data includes the step of selecting a character line width-increasing pattern in accordance with a degree to which the luminous intensity of the light-emitting elements contributes.
The above construction provides simple character boldfacing with sub-pixel based precision, and further inhibits isolated sub-pixel spot-caused degradation in display quality in view of how much the luminous intensity of the light-emitting elements contribute
Tezuka Tadanori
Toji Bunpei
Yoshida Hiroyuki
Bella Matthew C.
Brautigam Alysa N.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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