METHOD OF ANIMATING VECTOR GRAPHICS

• US 20080094401A1
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecava Sdn. Bhd.
• Original Assignee: Ecava Sdn. Bhd.
• Inventors: WONG, Kin Hoon, LEE, Kok Peng, WONG, Foot Yow
• Granted Patent: US 8,451,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 Animation

Abstract

A method of simplifying the programming of animation of vector graphics for the graphic user interface of, for example, a SCADA system. The programming method allows the programmer to input unique yet simple instruction codes instead of inputting multiple lines of logic script to animate vector graphic objects and texts. An animation engine is used to interpret the simple instruction codes and instruct the browser to perform the necessary animation on the selected vector graphic objects.

Claims

1. In a computer system for monitoring a process, the computer system having a graphical user interface for displaying the status of components used in operation of the process, each component being represented on the graphical user interface by an associated graphical object that is generated or rendered by an application from a related vector graphic file,

the improvement comprising a method of animating said graphical object to show a change in the status of the component being represented, the method comprising:

inserting into said vector graphic file an animation instruction, the animation instruction complying with predefined syntax, the animation instruction not violating a prescribed format for the vector graphic file and the animation instruction being ignored by said application;

the animation instruction defining one or more animation effects that are dependent upon a value of at least one variable and a set of conditions applying to the at least one variable;

the value of said at least one variable being dependent upon the status of said component being represented; and

running an interpreter engine to;

(a) recognize and parse said animation instruction,

(b) retrieve a current value of said at least one variable,

(c) determine a required animation effect based on checking the retrieved current value of the at least one variable against said set of conditions, and

(d) instruct the application to modify said graphical object to exhibit the determined animation effect.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said application is a browser that supports the format of said vector graphic file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said application is a browser having a plug-in vector graphic rendering engine that supports the format of said vector graphic file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said vector graphic file is of a text-based format.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said vector graphic file is of Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said interpreter engine is loaded by said application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said interpreter engine comprises JavaScript®

.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said animation instruction comprises at least one attribute and said at least one variable.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said animation instruction further comprises at least one parameter.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises manipulating an object model or object properties or styles of said graphical object.

11. A computer system for monitoring a process, the computer system comprising:

a graphical user interface for displaying the status of components used in operation of said process, each component being represented on the graphical user interface by an associated graphical object that is generated or rendered by an application from a related vector graphic file;

said vector graphic file including an animation instruction inserted into the vector graphic file, the animation instruction complying with predefined syntax, the animation instruction not violating a prescribed format for the vector graphic file and the animation instruction being ignored by said application;

the animation instruction defining one or more animation effects that are dependent upon a value of at least one variable and a set of conditions applying to the at least one variable;

the value of said at least one variable being dependent upon the status of said component being represented; and

an interpreter engine to;

(a) recognize and parse said animation instruction,

(b) retrieve a current value of said at least one variable,

(c) determine a required animation effect based on checking the retrieved current value of the at least one variable against said set of conditions, and

(d) instruct the application to modify said graphical object to exhibit the determined animation effect so as to show a change in status of the component being represented by said graphical object.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said application is a browser that supports the format of said vector graphic file.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said application is a browser having a plug-in vector graphic rendering engine that supports the format of said vector graphic file.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said vector graphic file is of a text-based format.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein said vector graphic file is of Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) format.

16. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said interpreter engine is loaded by said application.

17. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said interpreter engine comprises JavaScript®

.

18. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said animation instruction comprises at least one attribute and said at least one variable.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein said animation instruction further comprises at least one parameter.

20. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the interpreter engine modifies said graphical object by manipulating an object model or object properties or styles of said graphical object.