Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Graph generating
Reexamination Certificate
1997-01-24
2001-08-14
Zimmerman, Mark (Department: 2772)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Graph generating
C345S473000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06275236
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The disclosed invention relates generally to computer graphics display systems, and more specifically to a system for displaying tracked objects on a computer operated display device.
BACKGROUND
In computer graphics display systems, elements displayed within a particular display image are referred to as display objects, or objects. In many computer graphics displays, it is required to provide tracked objects. A tracked object is an object which is displayed so as to reflect the movement of the object through the display space reflected by the display image.
For example, a tracked moving object may be displayed by displaying the current position of the object 100% of the time, while also displaying a number of previous positions of the object periodically in ascending sequential (temporal) order. The resulting effect is similar to that of a flashing detour sign as is typically used to direct automobile drivers toward a particular direction. The flashing detour sign flashes sequentially in the direction of the detour.
Tracked objects are useful in many graphics system applications, for example radar displays. The tracked object on a radar display can be used to show an observing radar officer the path of a moving object detected by the radar and its approximate speed.
In existing systems which provide tracked object displays, the computational resources required for these operations are dependent on the number of tracked objects within the screen display at any given time. This is because existing application programs have typically done the tracking directly through many layers of software within the existing system. Specifically, in such systems, in order to display a tracked object the application must draw, erase, and re-draw the object in its current and previous location in order to make it appear tracked.
Current systems are required to simultaneously display thousands of tracked objects. Such systems often must use 100% of their CPU power in order to maintain the large number of tracked objects on their displays. This high utilization of the CPU is undesirable and unacceptable where computational resources must be shared by multiple applications.
Thus there is required a new computer graphics system for displaying tracked objects which is capable of displaying large numbers of tracked objects simultaneously, which does not require high utilization of the CPU, and which preferably does not require an application software program to draw, erase, and redraw each tracked object.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A new system and method for displaying blinking or tracked objects on a computer display device is disclosed. The disclosed method for displaying a tracked object includes writing a current location and a predetermined number of previous locations of a tracked object with pixel values having non-zero overlay data. The new system writes a selected one of a predetermined ordered set of type codes into the pixel values for the current location. The system indicates to a device driver the selected one of the set of type codes. The device driver uses the overlay data in the pixel values for the current and previous locations to display the current locations and predetermined number of previous locations of the tracked object sequentially in order of the predetermined set of type codes.
In an example embodiment, the current location and sequentially displayed previous locations are displayed by unmasking the overlay data in the corresponding pixel values. Further in an example embodiment, the type codes are index values in the pixel values indicating corresponding entries in a pixel interpretation table. Further in an example embodiment, a device driver modifies overlay mask values in the pixel interpretation table entries to mask or unmask overlay data in associated pixel values.
Thus there is provided a new computer graphics system including a new method for displaying tracked objects and which is capable of displaying large numbers of tracked objects simultaneously, which does not require high utilization of the CPU, and which does not require an application software program to draw, erase, and redraw each tracked object.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5706417 (1998-01-01), Adelson
patent: 5940538 (1999-08-01), Spiegel et al.
patent: 5949432 (1999-09-01), Gough et al.
Lasseter et al.; Principle of Traditional; Computer Graphic vol. 21; No. 4; pp. 35-44, Jul. 1987.*
Payson, Christopher J. et al., “Hardware Accelerators for Bitonal Image Processing”, Digital Technical Journal, vol. 3, No. 4, Fall 1991, pp. 9-35.
Cao Huedung X.
Cesari and McKenna LLP
Compaq Computer Corporation
Zimmerman Mark
LandOfFree
System and method for displaying tracked objects on a... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with System and method for displaying tracked objects on a..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and System and method for displaying tracked objects on a... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2518511