Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Attributes
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-16
2001-10-16
Luu, Matthew (Department: 2672)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Attributes
C345S593000, C345S581000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06304276
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a data processing device and data processing method for performing input, display, etc. of images in, for example, a word processor, personal computer, portable information terminal, etc.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, data processing devices such as word processors, personal computers, and portable information terminals have generally been provided with input means which allow a user to indicate a discretionary position on a display screen. Examples of such input means include the mouse, slide pad, and pen-shaped input device. Using this kind of input means, the user can perform such actions as indicating various processing operations, inputting images, etc.
With regard to processing in a data processing device like those mentioned above, whereby a user, using the input means, can draw a discretionary drawing, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-200152/1995 (Tokukaihei 7-200152/1995), for example, discloses the following touch panel input electronic device. When an erase mode (delete mode) is selected, this touch panel input electronic device performs processing which displays a predetermined figure centered on the position of the pen as detected by a coordinate detecting section, and erases the image within the displayed figure.
In this kind of touch panel input electronic device, when inputting a discretionary drawing using hand-drawn input, the following problems arise. FIGS.
9
(
a
) through
9
(
b
) are explanatory drawings showing the state of processing when using hand-drawn input to draw a telephone.
First, assume that, after confirming, that a draw/erase button A is in the draw mode, a telephone main body, receiver, and spiral cord connecting the receiver and the main body are drawn, as shown in FIG.
9
(
a
).
Next, assume that a telephone cord is drawn extending from the lower left portion of the telephone main body, as shown in FIG.
9
(
b
).
At this point, to change the point of connection of the telephone cord and the telephone main body to the upper right portion of the telephone in order to prevent the telephone cord and the spiral cord from crossing, the draw/erase button A is selected, thus switching to erase mode, as shown in FIG.
9
(
c
). Then the telephone cord drawn in FIG.
9
(
b
) is traced over using the pen P, as shown by the broken line in FIG.
9
(
c
). In this way, the telephone cord drawn at the lower left portion of the telephone main body is erased.
However, as shown in
FIG. 9
(
d
), in accompaniment with erasure of the telephone cord drawn at the lower left portion of the telephone main body, parts of the spiral cord and the telephone main body drawn adjacent to the telephone cord are also erased. Consequently, it is necessary to switch back to the draw mode by selecting the draw/erase button A, and then re-draw the erased parts of the spiral cord and telephone main body.
In this way, in hand-drawn input of a drawing, when two lines cross, erasing one line also causes part of the other line to be erased. Consequently, it is necessary to re-draw part of the other line, which has the drawback of making operations troublesome.
Again, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-163528/1996 (Tokukaihei 8-163528/1996), for example, discloses an image transmission system, in which a plurality of data processing devices are mutually connected, and through which users in separate locations view a common image, and attempt to reach understanding by mutually indicating in real time certain points on the image.
Again, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-21099/1995 (Tokukaihei 7-21099/1995), for example, discloses the following hand-drawing transmission method. This hand-drawing transmission method, as ink data are produced, produces text data and figure drawing commands, both of which are made of data structures having common features with the ink data, and performs real time transmission and display in predetermined data units of the ink data in a composite state with at least one of the text data and the figure drawing commands. By this means, it is possible to perform useful and efficient transmission among a plurality of pen computers capable of hand-drawn input, and for a group of users to edit a common text and drawing simultaneously.
When, as in the foregoing hand-drawing transmission method, a plurality of users edit a common drawing through transmission among a plurality of pen computers, a problem which arises is that it becomes impossible to distinguish which user drew which lines of the drawing on the display screen.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The first object of the present invention is to provide a data processing device which is able to select, at the time of input of a line, a color for display thereof, and to erase the lines of a displayed drawing separately by color.
Further, the second object of the present invention is to provide a data processing device which, when a plurality of users edit a common drawing using data processing devices connected by transmission lines, is able to select a color for display of lines inputted by each user, and to separately erase the lines inputted by each user.
In order to attain the first object above, a data processing device according to the present invention is made up of display means; input means for input of an image; color selecting means, which select colors for image portions inputted through the input means; color designating means, which designate a color of an image portion to be erased; image erasing means, which erase an image portion displayed in the color designated by the color designating means; and display control means, which cause the display means to display the image portions inputted through the input means in the colors selected by the color selecting means, and which cause the display means to display the image of which a portion has been erased by the erasing means.
With the foregoing structure, since the image portions inputted through the input means are displayed in the colors selected by the color selecting means, each inputted image portion can be displayed in a different color.
Further, since the image erasing means can erase an image portion which is displayed in the color designated by the color designating means, even if two image portions displayed in different colors overlap, it is possible to erase only one of the image portions by designating the color of the portion to be erased. Consequently, this solves the problem of unwanted erasure of image portions to be preserved which are adjacent to the image portion to be erased. Further, since it is no longer necessary to re-draw image portions to be preserved, operations can be expedited and operability improved.
In order to attain the second object above, another data processing device according to the present invention is made up of display means; receiving means for receiving a transmitted image; input means for input of an image; color designating means, which designate a color of an image portion to be erased; image erasing means, which erase an image portion displayed in the color designated by the color designating means; and display control means, which cause the display means to display in different colors the image received through the receiving means and the image inputted through the input means, and which cause the display means to display an image of which a portion has been erased by the erasing means.
With the foregoing structure, since the image received through the receiving means and the image inputted through the input means are displayed in different colors, images inputted by different users can be displayed in different colors.
Further, since the image erasing means can erase an image portion which is displayed in the color designated by the color designating means, even if image portions inputted by different users overlap, it is possible to erase an image portion inputted by a certain user by designating the color of the portion to be erased. Consequently, this solves the problem of, for example, a user
Haneda Isamu
Isoe Toshio
Harrison Chante
Luu Matthew
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
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