Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Graph generating
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-13
2001-05-08
Luu, Matthew (Department: 2672)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Graph generating
47, 47, 47, 47, 47
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229551
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structural graph display system, and more particularly, to a structural graph display system which utilizes index tables for reducing memory for storing graphic data.
2. Description of Prior Art
At present, high quality Chinese characters are commonly formed by using a stroke-combined character technique wherein each Chinese character is considered a structural graph formed by a plurality of strokes where each stroke is a sub-graph formed by its individual contour. Although the varieties of strokes used in forming Chinese characters are few, the length, thickness and orientation of like strokes differ based on their placement within the word. Despite these differences, the contour feature of any one form of stroke, such as
-
, remains relatively constant. Thus, if the length, angle, key point(s) and stroke width(s) of one stroke can be determined separately, the contour of the stroke can be easily drawn by executing a generation program.
Basically, each stroke has a fixed number of key points and stroke widths, and each stroke can be drawn by a stroke generation program. The stroke generation program is written by Graphic description language, and can draw the contour of one stroke in a rectangular area according to each given key point and stroke width. Each character is a combination of individual strokes sequentially drawn in a rectangular area by executing the stroke generation program of each stroke.
Please refer to FIG.
1
.
FIG. 1
shows a data structure of a prior art stroke table
10
. Each stroke on the stroke table
10
has a stroke ID
14
and a stroke generation program
12
. The computer system draws the contour of the stroke in a rectangular area using the stroke generation program corresponding to the stroke ID and using the key point(s) and stroke width(s) parameters of the stroke.
Please refer to FIG.
2
and FIG.
3
.
FIG. 2
shows the contour of a stroke
20
and the position of each key point and stroke width.
FIG. 3
shows a data structure
24
of the stroke
20
. The stroke
20
has three key points (x1, y1), (x2, y2), (x3, y3) and two stroke widths w1, w2. The data structure
24
comprises a stroke ID (ID7) of the stroke
20
, the key points and stroke widths.
Please refer to FIG.
4
.
FIG. 4
shows a data structure of a prior art character description file
28
. The character description file
28
is used for storing the strokes contained within the character, and the stroke ID, key point, stroke width of each stroke. The character description file
28
contains an index table
30
and stroke description table
32
of each character. The index table
30
contains a word ID (WID) for each character and the address of the corresponding stroke description table
32
. The stroke description table
32
is a combination of the data structures of all strokes of a character. Like the data structure
24
shown in
FIG. 3
, the stroke description table
32
comprises the stroke data of all strokes: stroke IDs, key points, and stroke widths. The stroke data are arranged in a predetermined order, such as the writing sequence. When drawing a character, the computer system can locate the stroke description table
32
of the character by using the index table
30
of the stroke description table
28
as long as the word ID of the character is known. Afterward, the computer system will draw all strokes of the character one by one in a rectangular area in conjunction with the stroke table
10
.
The above mentioned prior art character description file
28
has a major shortcoming in that it requires a large amount of memory space for storage. In the data structure
24
shown in
FIG. 3
, each stroke ID takes eight bits as does each x, y coordinate or stroke width. In total, it requires
72
bits for a very simple stroke such as stroke
20
. Currently, there are approximately 14,000 Chinese characters in commercially available Chinese character generators with a high number of strokes per character. Therefore, the character description file of one Chinese character generator requires about 1.5 MB (mega-byte) of memory space. A personal computer would be able to accommodate this memory requirement, but small text-display systems, such as pagers, hand-held calculators, pocket-electronic notebooks, etc., would be unable to do so. Most of these small text-display systems use ROM (read only memory) for storing the character data, and their memory space is very limited. Several Chinese character generators often have to be stored in the limited memory space of these small systems for increased effectiveness of character display or variation in the display making storage very difficult or impossible.
Animated cartoons, like Chinese characters, can be considered a form of structural graph. The figure description file and animation table can be used for describing and drawing the different parts, such as the hand, foot or tail of each figure's graph in an animated cartoon. The data structures of the figure description file and animation table are similar to the data structure of the above mentioned character description file. If the memory space requirement of the data structure of the commonly seen structural graph such as the character description file and figure description file can be greatly reduced, the problem of limited memory space of the small systems can be resolved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a structural graph display system which utilizes index tables to reduce memory space needed for storing graphic information.
Briefly, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a structural graph display system which uses index tables to reduce the bit number required for storing each graphic parameter. Each structural graph is formed by at least one sub-graph, and each sub-graph comprises a plurality of parameters which includes a target parameter array. The system further comprises an index table which comprises a set of reference parameter arrays. Each reference parameter array has a corresponding reference index number. The index table further has at least one special index number. Within the graphic description file, each sub-graph of a structural graph has a replacement ID for replacing the target parameter array. If the offset between the target parameter array and any reference parameter array is within a predetermined offset range, the replacement ID is formed by the reference index number o f the reference parameter array and an offset array. If not, the replacement ID is formed by the special index number and the target parameter array.
It is an advantage of the pre se nt invention that the structural graph display system makes use of index tables to reduce the size of the graphic description file so that the memory space needed for storing graphic information can be saved.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4852019 (1989-07-01), Vinberg
patent: 4990903 (1991-02-01), Cheng
patent: 5212769 (1993-05-01), Pong
patent: 5771048 (1998-06-01), Nankou
patent: 5923321 (1999-07-01), Huang
Arphic Technology Co., Ltd.
Hsu Winston
Luu Matthew
Sajous Wesner
LandOfFree
Structural graph display system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Structural graph display system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Structural graph display system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2566565