Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Graphic manipulation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-02
2001-11-13
Luu, Matthew (Department: 2672)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Graphic manipulation
C345S667000, C345S684000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06317140
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to interactive bitmap images and, more particularly, to displaying interactive bitmap images in a display space.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Interactive bitmap images are used for a variety of applications to provide an intuitive, interactive display for a user. Typically, a bitmap image is displayed in a window of a fixed size. Each of several portions of the image is interactive to allow a user to select or configurable settings.
For example, in the field of printers, various setting of a printer may be user configurable, such as the input trays and output bins. A bitmap image of the printer, including the input trays and output bins, is displayed. The image of the input trays and output bins are interactive. To interact with the bitmap image, a user places a moveable pointer or cursor over one of the interactive portions of the bitmap image and selects the interactive portion. Selecting the interactive portion is often accomplished by depressing a button on a computer “mouse”. The selected portion is often highlighted to indicate it has been selected.
In order to provide an easy to use interface, the interactive elements of the bitmap image must be displayed at a sufficient size to allow a user to easily select among the various interactive portions of the bitmap image. When the area in which the interactive bitmap image is displayed is large, providing the image at a sufficient size is easily accomplished. However, when the size of the interactive bitmap image is large compared to the size of the display, it becomes more difficult to display the interactive portions of the interactive bitmap display at a sufficient size.
An interactive bitmap images may be given the flexibility to grow as new user configurable components are added to the system represented by the interactive bitmap image. This flexibility allows the interactive bitmap image to become very large. In printer technology, new interactive portions may be added to an interactive bitmap image in a printer driver when new user configurable components are added to a printer system.
Prior solutions for displaying large interactive bitmap images generally fall into three categories: scaling down, truncating, and scrolling. Scaling down is accomplished by displaying the interactive image at a small scale. This becomes less desirable as an interactive bitmap image becomes larger in comparison to the area in which it is to be displayed. As the bitmap image is displayed at smaller scales, the interactive portions of the bitmap image become smaller and more difficult to use.
Truncating involves excluding from the interactive bitmap image a subset of interactive portions of the interactive bitmap that appear outside of the boundaries of the display area. This solution is unsatisfactory since interactive portions of the interactive bitmap image that have been truncated can not be accessed. Those interactive portions of the interactive bitmap image that cannot be accessed are no longer interactive.
Scrolling as conventionally used with interactive bitmap images involves placing scroll bars at the perimeter of the display area of the image so that a user may scroll through an image that is displayed at a full scale. One disadvantage of this solution is that the entire image cannot be viewed at once. Additionally, the use of scroll bars to move about the image is cumbersome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to principles of the present invention, a bitmap image is displayed within a display area. The display area has a central region and an edge region. A portion of the bitmap is selected by positioning a moveable pointer in the central region over the portion of the bitmap to be selected. The portion of the bitmap is then displayed in the display area. The bitmap image is scrolled by positioning the moveable pointer in the edge region of the display area.
According to further principles of the present invention, the speed and direction of scrolling are determined by the location of the moveable pointer within the edge region.
Other objects, advantages, and capabilities of the present invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5227771 (1993-07-01), Kerr et al.
patent: 5555002 (1996-09-01), Nguyen
patent: 5680152 (1997-10-01), Bricklin
patent: 5726687 (1998-03-01), Belfiore et al.
Hewlett--Packard Company
Luu Matthew
LandOfFree
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