Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-11
2001-05-08
Feild, Joseph H. (Department: 2176)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C382S173000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230174
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to creating markup language documents containing images from computer graphics programs.
A markup language is a conventional tool for describing the contents of an electronic document that is to be viewed or printed on a computer output device such as a computer monitor. Specifically, markup language documents, particularly hypertext markup language (HTML) documents, are commonly used by Internet browser applications. A markup language document can contain text, images, hyperlinks, and JavaScript™.
Many computer graphics programs are available for the creation of documents. Some of these computer graphics programs, such as Adobe Illustrator, have an object-based environment, i.e., visual elements are represented as individual objects which are assembled to create the desired image. Conventional computer graphics programs generate a markup language document by exporting a single image file that represents the entire document. Unfortunately, such an image file may be very large, thereby consuming network resources, increasing download time and reducing the display speed of the browser application.
Some computer graphics programs enable a user to slice an image manually, i.e., to divide the original image into discrete portions. The markup language document generated by such programs contain references to all of the image slices, so that the entire original image is downloaded. This allows a web page designer to manually add scripting language that animates the image slices. Unfortunately, this manual slicing procedure is time consuming and thus costly.
SUMMARY
In one aspect, the invention is directed a method of generating a markup language document containing image slices in a computer graphics program running on a computer. In the method, an original image is provided in a computer-readable graphics document, a portion of the original image is identified as background from information stored in the graphics document, and an image portion boundary is automatically computed for each non-background portion of the original image from information stored in the graphics document. One or more image slice boundaries are computed from any overlapping image portion boundaries. An image slice and an image slice file are generated corresponding to the portion of the original image inside each image slice boundary. A markup language document is generated containing references to the image slice files.
Implementations of the invention may include the following. One or more image slice boundaries may be computed from any non-overlapping image portion boundaries. Each image portion boundary and image slice boundary may be rectangular. The position of each image slice may be determined in a table element in the markup language document, and the table element may be stored with the position of each image slice in the markup language document. The graphics document may contain a plurality of objects, and the information may include size of each object. At least one of the objects may have multiple states, and the image portion boundary of the object may surround all of the states. At least one of the objects may have a URL property, the markup language document may be generated to include a URL reference. The graphics document may include a layer having a transparency channel, and the information may identify the non-transparent portions of the channel. The image may have a plurality of colors, one of the colors may be identified as a background color, and the information may identify the portions of the image that are not the identified color. Generating the markup language document may include generating a background image file and placing a reference to the background image file in the markup language document.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a method of generating a markup language document containing a script in an object-based drawing environment. In the method, a graphics document having an original image is provided in an object-based drawing environment. At least one object in the graphics document is provided with multiple states having different visual appearances. A boundary for the object surrounding the visual appearance corresponding to each state is automatically computed. An image slice is generated for each state of the object, each image slice corresponding to the portion of the original image with the visual appearance associated with the state within the boundary, and a markup language document is generated containing a script that refers to the image slices.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a method for preparing an image for display. In the method, an image is obtained in computer-readable form, a background portion of the image is identified, and image islands are identified in the image. An image island is defined by an island boundary surrounding a non-background portion of the image, wherein none of the island boundaries of the image islands overlap any of the other island boundaries. A sub-image file is generated for each image island, each sub-image file containing the corresponding portion of the image, and a markup language file is generated having a reference to each of the sub-image files. The markup language document can be rendered to cause the image to be displayed.
In another aspect, the invention is also directed to a computer program, tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, comprising instructions for causing the computer to carry out one or more of these methods.
Advantages that may be seen in implementation of the invention include one or more of the following. A computer graphics program can automatically extract image slices from an original image. These image slices are portions of the original image that differ from the background. The graphics program can generate a series of image files corresponding to the extracted image slices and a markup language document that references the image slices. The user can add other HTML content between or around the image slices. The size of the document is reduced, thereby reducing download time. In addition, the computer program may be used to generate JavaScript animation for portions (slices) of the original image. Specifically, extracting the image slices breaks the original image into smaller pieces, thereby facilitating animation.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, including the drawings and the claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5708825 (1998-01-01), Sotomayor
patent: 5710877 (1998-01-01), Marimont et al.
patent: 5715823 (1998-02-01), Wood et al.
patent: 5778372 (1998-07-01), Cordell
patent: 5893127 (1999-04-01), Tyan et al.
Berger Ralf
Prosser Chris D.
Adobe Systems Incorporated
Feild Joseph H.
Fish & Richardson P.C.
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