Method for dynamically maintaining multiple structural interpretations in graphics system
First Claim
1. A graphical input and display system for creating and manipulating an abstract graphical image comprising:
- input means, display means, memory means and function selection means, said input means being user manipulable for entering said graphical image onto said display means and for selecting functions on said function selection means for manipulating said graphical image;
means for decomposing said graphical image entered onto said display means into abstract elemental objects;
means for organizing said elemental objects into abstract groups of elemental objects, such that each elemental object belongs to one or more groups and each group contains one or more elemental objects;
means for reorganizing all or part of said groups of elemental objects into one or more new abstract groups of elemental objects in response to a user manipulation of all or part of said graphical image; and
at least one data structure stored in said memory means in which said elemental objects and said groups of elemental objects are linked.
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Abstract
A graphical input and display system for creating and manipulating an abstract graphical image by decomposing it into abstract elemental objects and organizing the elemental objects into a set of perceptually coherent composite objects. The system includes an input device for entering the graphical image, such as a mouse or digitizer and electronic stylus, a display, and a function selection system for manipulating the graphical image. The system decomposes the graphical image entered onto the display into abstract elemental objects each consisting of one or more consecutive "on" pixels within the image. The system organizes the elemental objects into composite objects, which are abstract groups of elemental objects, such that each elemental object belongs to one or more composite objects and each composite object contains one or more elemental objects. The elemental and composite objects are linked in a lattice data structure stored in system memory. When a user manipulates the graphical image, the system creates new elemental objects in the manipulated region of the image, reorganizes all or part of the composite objects into one or more new composite objects, and updates the lattice data structure.
40 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A graphical input and display system for creating and manipulating an abstract graphical image comprising:
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input means, display means, memory means and function selection means, said input means being user manipulable for entering said graphical image onto said display means and for selecting functions on said function selection means for manipulating said graphical image; means for decomposing said graphical image entered onto said display means into abstract elemental objects; means for organizing said elemental objects into abstract groups of elemental objects, such that each elemental object belongs to one or more groups and each group contains one or more elemental objects; means for reorganizing all or part of said groups of elemental objects into one or more new abstract groups of elemental objects in response to a user manipulation of all or part of said graphical image; and at least one data structure stored in said memory means in which said elemental objects and said groups of elemental objects are linked. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of manipulating all or a portion of a graphical abstract image entered on a display device comprising:
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decomposing said graphical image into abstract elemental objects; organizing said elemental objects into abstract groups of objects; storing a data structure linking said elemental objects and said groups of elemental objects; determining based on said data structure which of said elemental objects are to be manipulated in accordance with a selected manipulation of a given group of elemental objects in said graphical image; performing said selected manipulation on said determined elemental objects; reorganizing said manipulated elemental objects into further abstract groups of elemental objects; updating said data structure in accordance with said reorganization. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A method of processing data representing a graphical image comprising:
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deriving pixel identification data from the graphical image data; identifying Prime Objects from the pixel identification data; identifying a plurality of perceptually coherent Composite Objects from the Prime Objects, each Composite Object being a set of one or more Prime Objects; creating a list of Prime Objects and a list of Composite Objects; and linking the lists such that each Prime Object and each Composite Object to which the Prime Object corresponds is linked and each Composite Object and each Prime Object to which the Composite Object corresponds is linked, thereby providing the ability to locate a Prime or Composite Object based on the identity of the corresponding Composite or Prime Object, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium which, when said program code is executed by said computer, causes said computer to perform method steps for creating and manipulating an abstract graphical image entered onto a display, said method steps comprising:
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decomposing the graphical image into abstract elemental objects; organizing said elemental objects into abstract groups of elemental objects, such that each elemental object belongs to one or more groups and each group contains one or more elemental objects; creating at least one data structure in which said elemental objects are linked with said groups of elemental objects; reorganizing all or part of said groups of elemental objects into one or more new abstract groups of elemental objects in response to a user manipulation of all or part of said graphical image; and updating said at least one data structure in response to a reorganization.
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18. A memory for storing data for access by a program being executed on a computer for creating and manipulating data representing an abstract graphical image, said memory comprising:
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a lattice data structure stored in said memory, said lattice data structure including data used by said program, including; a plurality of elemental objects stored in said memory, said elemental objects being derived from pixel identification data derived from the graphical image data, the elemental objects arranged in at least one elemental object list; a plurality of perceptually coherent composite objects identified from the elemental objects, each composite object being a set of one or more elemental objects, said composite objects arranged in at least one composite object list; and a plurality of bi-directional pointers linking the elemental object list or lists and the composite object list or lists such that each elemental object and each composite object to which the elemental object corresponds are linked and each composite object and each elemental object to which the composite object corresponds is linked, said lattice data structure providing the program with the ability to locate and manipulate an elemental or composite object based on the identity of a corresponding composite or elemental object.
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Specification