Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Graphic manipulation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-30
2002-03-12
Jankus, Almis R. (Department: 2672)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Graphic manipulation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06356279
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, the number of users on the internet has increased exponentially. With this increase in popularity, there has also come an increased demand for tools which enhance the “on line experience.” To this end, new object oriented computer programming languages such as Java™ have been developed. While these languages are an advance over prior technology, there is still room for improvement, particularly in the ability to efficiently modify layout of complex structures of graphical objects in variable sized windows. It is difficult to implement high quality, real time graphics on a web site using these languages.
Java allows minimum and maximum sizes to be specified for graphical objects and uses those values in a way that causes objects to act more stretchy when the differences between their minimum and maximum sizes is large.
A language explicitly developed for internet applications is the MIT Curl Language by M. Hostetter et al, “Curl: A Gentle Slope Language for the Web,”
WorldWideWeb Journal
, Vol II. Issue 2, O'Reilly & Associates, Spring 1997. The present invention extends the Curl language. (The language of the present invention will be referenced as “Curl” and is to be distinguished from the prior “MIT Curl” language.) MIT Curl used a three-pass layout negotiation scheme and allowed objects to describe their size preferences in terms of a minimum size and a stretchiness coefficient.
TeX is a widely used text formatting program developed by Donald Knuth. Donald E. Knuth,
The TeXBook
, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass., 1984. TeX uses a concept known as “glue” to express dimensional preferences of fill objects and incorporates different stretch and compression orders that can be used to describe the stretchiness and compressibility of different kinds of fill objects. As the overall dimensions of a layout change, the dimensions of individual fill objects change dependent on preferred sizes and stretchiness of those objects.
A graphics tool kit developed by Robert Halstead called Stk incorporates the concept of an elastic, known as “glue,” having a minimum size, a stretchiness coefficient and a stretch order associated with graphical objects having content. The tool kit formalizes the layout computations of horizontal and vertical boxes of graphical objects in terms of elastic add, max and divide operations. Stk is not widely known or used. The layout mechanism of Stk was incorporated into Swat, a graphics toolkit developed at MIT by Harold Abelson, James Miller and Natalya Cohen.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a system, method and data structure are provided for laying out graphical objects. Minimum and preferred sizes are defined for each of plural graphical objects. Elasticity is also defined for each of the plural graphical objects. The minimum sizes are specified independently of the preferred sizes and elasticities of the graphical objects. The graphical objects are processed to define a minimum size and a preferred size of a larger graphical object incorporating the plural graphical objects.
The preferred data structure of a graphical object includes a minimum size, a preferred size and elasticity. Elasticity of each graphical object may be defined by separate stretchiness and compressibility coefficients.
The processing may include an add operation in which each of the minimum size and preferred size of an add result is the sum of the minimum sizes and preferred sizes, respectively, of plural graphical objects.
The processing may include a max operation in which a max result includes a minimum size which is the greater of the minimum sizes of plural graphical objects. The max result also includes a preferred size which is the preferred size of the graphical object whose elasticity toward the other size is the least.
The processing may include a divide operation in which a size is divided among plural graphical objects. The divide operation divides the size in proportion to minimum sizes of the graphical objects if the size to be divided is less than the sum of the minimum sizes. If the size to be divided is greater than the sum of the minimum sizes, an excess or deficit relative to a sum of preferred sizes is computed. The size is divided according to elasticity of each graphical object with respect to required change from its preferred size. Elasticity of the result may be based on compress and stretch orders and, where orders are equal, on separate stretchiness and compressibility coefficients.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4799172 (1989-01-01), Wood et al.
patent: 5208906 (1993-05-01), Morgan
patent: 5649216 (1997-07-01), Sieber
patent: 5721848 (1998-02-01), Joseph
patent: 5796401 (1998-08-01), Winer
patent: 6057842 (2000-05-01), Knowlton et al.
patent: 6125385 (2000-09-01), Wies et al.
patent: 6181838 (2001-01-01), Knowlton
patent: 0 848 351 (1998-06-01), None
Linton, Mark A. et al., “Composing User Interfaces With InterViews,” IEEE, vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 8-22, Feb. 1, 1999.
Haarslev V., et al., “Visualization and Graphical Layout in Object-Oriented Systems,” Journal of Visual Language and Computing, vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 1-12, Mar. 1992.
Myers, Brad A. et al., “Garnet Comprehensive Support for Graphical, Highly Interactive Use Interfaces,” IEEE, vol. 23, No. 11, pp. 71-85, Nov. 1, 1990.
Knuth, D.E.,The TeXbook,(Addison Wesley, 1998), p. 63-83 and 221-287.
“Scripting Languages: Automating the Web,”World Wide Web II(2), Spring 1997, http://www.w3j.com/6/ (downloaded Jul. 27, 1999).
Hostetter et al., “Curl, A Gentle Slope Language for the Web,”World Wide Web Journal(Spring, 1997), http://www.w3z.com/6/s3.kranz.html (downloaded Jul. 27, 1999).
Halstead, Jr. Robert H.
Hollingsworth David E.
Cunningham G. F.
Curl Corporation
Hamilton Brook Smith & Reynolds P.C.
Jankus Almis R.
LandOfFree
Processing of graphical objects with minimum and preferred... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Processing of graphical objects with minimum and preferred..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Processing of graphical objects with minimum and preferred... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2890237