Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Three-dimension
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-01
2001-02-20
Powell, Mark R. (Department: 2779)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Three-dimension
C345S156000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06191790
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to shading in User Interface (UI) displays, and in particular to a shading system that facilitates a three dimensional rendering of a UI control by way of inheritable shading properties for a given display on a display screen.
PROBLEM
Computer systems and computing devices have historically gone to great lengths to present uniform color models among component families and realistic three-dimensional view of images among component families displayed on two-dimensional display screens. Uniform color models for color screen displays include, but are not limited to, background colors, foreground colors, and border colors. Among the types of images that are desirable to display in three-dimensions are UI controls that include, but are not limited to, buttons, boxes, lists, tool bars, status bars, and the like. UI controls and/or other window objects or display images on a display screen are also referred to more generically as components.
One reason a three-dimensional view of UI controls on a display screen is more desirable is because display screens are increasingly crowded with UI controls and other information that can make a display look too busy so that one control is nearly indistinguishable from the next. For this reason, existing UI display screens display three-dimensional renderings of raised or recessed components to a user viewing the two-dimensional display screen, in addition to using color shading to enhance the visual cues of three-dimensional components to a user viewing the two-dimensional display screen. It is the selection of the shading properties for color shading in a three-dimensional component that is the problem addressed by the present invention.
One problem with existing display screen properties is that the color models are based on default or standard system-wide properties used by each new component being created. Although standard system-wide properties facilitate a consistent look among families of components, standard system-wide properties also limit the flexibility, creativity, and individuality of component renderings among independent applications.
One alternative to using the standard system-wide properties to create a new component is for each new component to implement and support its own shading properties without assistance from the operating system. However, implementing and supporting an independent color shading model requires significant effort on the part of each new component and it is unnecessarily duplicative to individually undertake such an effort.
For these reasons, there exists an ongoing need for alternative levels of display property sources to facilitate flexible implementation while maintaining uniform system-wide techniques for rendering three-dimensional components on a display screen. A system of this type has heretofore not been known prior to the invention as described below.
SOLUTION
The problems identified above are solved and an advancement is achieved in the field of UI shading controls due to the inheritable property shading system of the present invention. The inheritable property shading system of the present invention facilitates the inheritable selection of shading properties for use in rendering three-dimensional components without having to rely on predefined system-wide defaults. That is, if a shading property is not defined in a given child component at the time the component is created, that child component can search its parent component hierarchy for inheritable shading properties. Absent any other source, shading properties and other properties can be obtained from available system properties. However, using inherited properties ensures that each component in a component family hierarchy is consistent in its display characteristics.
When any three-dimensional shading is required for a given component, an inherited background color is used and treated as a shading face color. As other gradations of shading are required for any other coloring including three-dimensional shading, each additional shade is generated based on a baseline shading face color. Although numerous alternative techniques exist for rendering three-dimensional components on a display screen, one example technique for generating and shading three-dimensional components is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,590,267 and 5,452,406 both titled METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SCALABLE BORDERS THAT PROVIDE AN APPEARANCE OF DEPTH. Note however, that the above identified documents focus on the scalable rendering of three-dimensional components. The focus of the present invention claims a method and system for determining a baseline shading property from which any three-dimensional rendering implementation can proceed.
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Cunningham G. F.
Klarquist Sparkman Campbell & Leigh & Whinston, LLP
Microsoft Corporation
Powell Mark R.
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