Method and apparatus for generating and manipulating graphical data for display on a computer output device
US5307451A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 12, 1992 |
| Grant date | Apr 26, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 12, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T11/001
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Graphical data are generated and manipulated for display on computer display devices. In the method of the present invention, all graphical images are maintained as a set of base geometries to which all geometrical operations will be applied. The encapsulation of the geometry is referred as a shape and shapes may be aggregated into objects called pictures. Geometrical operations will be performed at all times on the geometries in a local space, while further in the hierarchy the results of these operations will be rendered for whatever display device is being used in a hierarchical output method. Caches are maintained for geometry calculations such that regardless of the resolution of the output display, calculations need only be done once and geometric information is not lost as a result of bitmap processing.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.