Brightness controls for visual separation of vector and raster information

• US 5,499,325 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 03/12/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dugan, Robert F. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US08/474,526
• Time in Patent Office: 279 Days
• Field of Search: 395/132, 395/131, 395/161, 395/143, 395/135, 345/199, 345/153, 345/135, 345/147, 345/115, 345/113
• US Class Current: 345/594
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 1/07 with combined raster scan and calligraphic display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/393 Arrangements for updating the contents of the bit-mapped memory

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for aiding the user of graphics systems to visibly distinguish areas (images) on a display screen generated from raster data from areas on the same screen generated from vector data. An example of where the invention may be applied is in graphical systems in which geographic information is displayed with the graphic data being made up of both vector data (such as a set of points defining a road input to the system by the user via a digitizing tablet) and raster data (such as a photo image of the same road that is digitized via a scanner). The brightness of each data type (vector or raster) image being displayed may be modified by the user. In one embodiment of the invention, in response to user interaction with the system, the brightness of the raster data, the vector data, or both (and hence their images once displayed), may be modified by adjusting entries in color tables (or specific entries of a single color table) maintained for each data type. By changing the color specification entries in the color table(s), the vector and raster data subsequently output to a display can be distinguished based on the shift in brightness of the image appearing on the screen in response to the user action.

Claims

1. A method for enabling images on a display screen generated from raster data to be visually distinguished from images on the same screen generated from vector data, in a modeling system that includes a color table partitioned into a first set of color table entries each dedicated exclusively for specifying the color of raster data and a mutually exclusive second set of color table entries each dedicated exclusively for specifying the color of vector data, comprising the steps of:

(a) controlling the brightness of raster data images on said screen directly in response to a first control signal, generated in real time by a first control means, which causes all of the entries located in said first set of color table entries to be incrementally modified simultaneously to thereby adjust the brightness of all raster data images displayed during a given display cycle, via a single user operation in which color table entry modification is transparent to the user; and

(b) controlling the brightness of vector data images on said screen directly in response to a second control signal, generated in real time by a second control means, which causes all of the entries located in said second set of color table entries to be incrementally modified simultaneously to thereby adjust the brightness of all vector data images displayed during a given display cycle via a single user operation in which color table entry modification is transparent to the user,

whereby the user is able to view an animated color differentiation between vector and raster data as the user adjusts vector and/or raster data image brightness.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of controlling the brightness of raster data images in response to said first control signal further comprises the step of modifying all color table entries specifying the color of raster data in said system by a first adjustment factor.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first adjustment factor is added to the red, green and blue components of each color table entry specifying the color of raster data in said system to increase the brightness of raster data.

4. A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first adjustment factor is subtracted from the red, green and blue components of each color table entry specifying the color of raster data in said system to decrease the brightness of raster data.

5. A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first adjustment factor is a variable quantity.

6. A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first adjustment factor is a fixed quantity.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of controlling the brightness of vector data images in response to said second control signal further comprises the step of modifying all color table entries specifying the color of vector data in said system by a second adjustment factor.

8. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said second adjustment factor is added to the red, green and blue components of each color table entry specifying the color of vector data in said system to increase the brightness of vector data.

9. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said second adjustment factor is subtracted from the red, green and blue components of each color table entry specifying the color of vector data in said system to decrease the brightness of vector data.

10. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said second adjustment factor is a variable quantity.

11. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said second adjustment factor is a fixed quantity.

12. A method for distinguishing raster data display images from vector data display images in a modeling system in which both raster data and vector data display images are simultaneously viewable on the same display window, wherein said system includes a cathode ray tube (CRT) having a defined display window, a color table for storing color specifications assigned to data to be displayed on said CRT, wherein said color table is partitioned into a first set of color table entries each dedicated exclusively for specifying the color intensity of raster data and a mutually exclusive second set of color table entries each dedicated exclusively for specifying the color intensity of vector data, a color manager for modifying color table entries in response to user input control signals, control means for inputting said control signals, a graphics manager for processing vector commands, and an image manager for processing raster commands, comprising the steps of:

(a) predefining said first set of color table entries and predefining second set of color table entries;

(b) increasing simultaneously in real time the color intensity of all of the entries in said first set of color table entries via said color manager directly in response to a first control signal input to said color manager by the user via said control means to thereby increase the brightness of all raster data images displayed during a given display cycle, via a single user operation in which color table entry modification is transparent to the user;

(c) decreasing simultaneously in real time the color intensity of all of the entries in said first set of color table entries via said color manager directly in response to a first control signal input to said color manager by the user via said control means to thereby decrease the brightness of all raster data images displayed during a given display cycle, via a single user operation in which color table entry modification is transparent to the user;

(d) increasing simultaneously in real time the color intensity of all of the entries in said second set of color table entries via said color manager directly in response to a second control signal input to said color manager by the user via said control means to thereby increase the brightness of all vector data images displayed during a given display cycle, via a single user operation in which color table entry modification is transparent to the user;

(e) decreasing simultaneously in real time the color intensity of all of the entries in said second set of color table entries via said color manager directly in response to a second control signal input to said color manager by the user via said control means to thereby decrease the brightness of all vector data images displayed during a given display cycle, via a single user operation in which color table entry modification is transparent to the user,

whereby the user is able to view an animated color differentiation between vector and raster data as the user adjusts vector and/or raster data image brightness.

13. A method as set forth in claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

(a) periodically refreshing said CRT to display vector and raster images corresponding to the vector and raster commands processed by said graphics manager and image manager; and

(b) updating said display to adjust the brightness of display images starting with a refresh cycle following the color intensity in said color table having been modified for at least one data type, thereby allowing a user to distinguish between vector data images and raster data images being displayed.

14. A method for selectively controlling the brightness of raster data images and vector data images on a display screen in a computer graphics system that includes a color table partitioned into a first set of color table entries each dedicated exclusively for specifying the color of raster data and a mutually exclusive second set of color table entries each dedicated exclusively for specifying the color of vector data, comprising the steps of:

(a) inputting a user request to said system to change the brightness of either said raster data, said vector data or both said raster data and said vector data being displayed on said screen in real time; and

(b) simultaneously incrementally modifying all color table entries in said first set of color table entries whenever the input user request is to change the brightness of raster data, simultaneously incrementally modifying all color table entries in said second set of color table entries whenever the input user request is to change the brightness of vector data and simultaneously incrementally modifying all color table entries in both said first and second set of color table entries whenever the input user request is to change the brightness of both raster and vector data, to thereby adjust the brightness of data images displayed during a given display cycle enabling the user to view an animated color differentiation between vector and raster data as the user adjusts vector and/or raster data image brightness.

15. A method as set forth in claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a first control signal in response to a user request to modify the brightness of said raster data image; and

(b) generating a second control signal in response to a user request to modify the brightness of said vector data image.

16. A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein said step of modifying further comprises the step of adjusting the brightness of raster data images in response to said first control signal by modifying all color table entries specifying the color of raster data in said system by a first brightness adjustment factor.

17. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said first brightness adjustment factor is added to the red, green and blue components of each color table entry specifying the color of raster data in said system to increase the brightness of raster data.

18. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said first brightness adjustment factor is subtracted from the red, green and blue components of each color table entry specifying the color of raster data in said system to decrease the brightness of raster data.

19. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said first adjustment factor is a variable quantity.

20. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said first adjustment factor is a fixed quantity.

21. A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein said step of modifying further comprises the step of adjusting the brightness of vector data images in response to said second control signal by modifying all color table entries specifying the color of vector data in said system by a second brightness adjustment factor.

22. A method as set forth in claim 21 wherein said second brightness adjustment factor is added to the red, green and blue components of each color table entry specifying the color of vector data in said system to increase the brightness of vector data.

23. A method as set forth in claim 21 wherein said second brightness adjustment factor is subtracted from the red, green and blue components of each color table entry specifying the color of vector data in said system to decrease the brightness of vector data.

24. A method as set forth in claim 21 wherein said second brightness adjustment factor is a variable quantity.

25. A method as set forth in claim 21 wherein said second brightness adjustment factor is a fixed quantity.

26. Apparatus for distinguishing raster data display images from vector data display images in a computer graphics system in which both raster data and vector data display images are simultaneously viewable on the same display window, wherein said system includes a cathode ray tube (CRT) having a defined display window, a vector command processor, a raster command processor, and further wherein a first set of color intensity specifications are defined for raster data and a second mutually exclusive set of color intensity specifications are defined for vector data, comprising:

(a) partitioned color specification storage means, for storing said first and second mutually exclusive sets of color specifications assigned to data to be displayed on said CRT, wherein said color specification storage means is initialized with said first and second mutually exclusive sets of color specifications;

(b) user input control means for inputting a user request to said system, in the form of at least one brightness control signal, to change the brightness of either said raster data, said vector data or both said raster data and said vector data displayed in said display window in real time; and

(c) color specification modification means, for modifying color specification storage means entries in response to said at least one brightness control signal, operative to incrementally modify all the entries in said first set of color specifications stored in said color specification storage means simultaneously in real time whenever said at least one control signal indicates that the brightness of raster data is to be modified, and operative to incrementally modify all the entries in said second set of color specifications stored in said color specification storage means simultaneously in real time whenever said at least one control signal indicates that the brightness of vector data is to be modified, to thereby adjust the brightness of data images displayed during a given display cycle enabling the user to view an animated color differentiation between vector and raster data as the user adjusts vector and/or raster data image brightness.

27. Apparatus as set forth in claim 26 wherein said color specification modification means further comprises means for adding a brightness adjustment factor to the red, green and blue components of each color specification storage means entry in said first set of color specification entries to increase the brightness of raster data.

28. Apparatus as set forth in claim 26 wherein said color specification modification means further comprises means for subtracting a brightness adjustment factor from the red, green and blue components of each color specification storage means entry in said first set of color specification entries to decrease the brightness of raster data.

29. Apparatus as set forth in claim 26 wherein said color specification modification means further comprises means for adding a brightness adjustment factor to the red, green and blue components of each color specification storage means entry in said second set of color specification entries to increase the brightness of vector data.

30. Apparatus as set forth in claim 26 wherein said color specification modification means further comprises means for subtracting a brightness adjustment factor from the red, green and blue components of each color specification storage means entry in said second set of color specification entries to decrease the brightness of vector data.

31. Apparatus as set forth in claim 26 wherein said color specification modification means is operative to modify said color specification storage means entries by a brightness adjustment factor that is a variable quantity.

32. A method as set forth in claim 26 wherein said color specification modification means is operative to modify said color specification storage means entries by a brightness adjustment factor that is a fixed quantity.

33. Apparatus as set forth in claim 26 wherein said user input control means comprises a visible control appearing in the graphic field of view in said display window.

34. Apparatus as set forth in claim 33 wherein said visible control appearing in said display window is a software generated slider bar.

35. Apparatus as set forth in claim 33 wherein said visible control is a software generated dial widget.

36. Apparatus as set forth in claim 26 further comprising:

(a) means for periodically refreshing said CRT to display vector and raster images corresponding to vector and raster commands processed by said vector command processor and said raster command processor; and

(b) means for updating said display to adjust the brightness of display images starting with a refresh cycle following the time period during which color intensity in said color specification storage means is modified.