Information processing apparatus for pattern editing using logic relationship representative patterns

• US 5,721,959 A
• Filed: 11/22/1994
• Issued: 02/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Takashi, Ozawa, Kunitaka, Kawai, Tomoaki, Ogiwara, Satoshi, Koga, Eiji, Kadosawa, Tsuneaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kenneth S.
• Application Number:
  US08/347,173
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 364/488, 364/491, 364/468.09, 395/155, 395/135, 395/133, 395/352, 395/354, 395/919, 395/967, 345/115, 345/146
• US Class Current: 716/139
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A pattern editing apparatus includes a selector for selecting a plurality of patterns to be object patterns for an editing process. The plurality of patterns are displayed in a first area on a screen. The pattern selected by the selector is displayed in a second area on the screen. The apparatus also includes a provider, responsive to the selector, for providing a pattern for coupling the selected patterns displayed in the second area. The pattern coupling represents a flow chart processing relationship among the selected patterns. Also provided is a generator for generating a signal responsive to the absence of any pattern representing a flow chart processing relationship in the selected patterns, and an adder for adding the pattern representing the flow chart processing relationship as an object pattern of the editing process.

Claims

1. A pattern editing apparatus comprising:

selection means for selecting a plurality of patterns to be object patterns for an editing process of the pattern editing apparatus, the plurality of patterns being displayed in a first area on a screen of a display means, a pattern selected by said selection means being displayed in a second area on the screen of said display means;

providing means responsive to said selection means for providing a pattern for coupling the selected patterns displayed in the second area of the display means, said pattern for coupling representing a flow chart processing relationship among the selected patterns;

means connected to said providing means for generating a signal responsive to absence of any pattern representing a flow chart processing relationship in the selected patterns; and

means responsive to the generated signal for adding the pattern representing the flow chart processing relationship as an object pattern of the editing press.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selection means includes a coordinate input device for selecting each of the plurality of patterns for editing processing.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising storage means for storing information representing the plurality of patterns.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display means connected to said adding means for displaying the pattern added by said adding means.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising display control means for displaying a plurality of patterns stored in said storage means on a display screen.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising another display control means for, when said selection means selects said plurality of patterns displayed on a display screen by said display control means, displaying the selected pattern at a designated position on the display screen.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising related memory means for storing a pattern representing a flow chart processing relationship related to said pattern displayed by a display means in response to said providing means.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for retrieving the pattern representing a flow chart processinq relationship on the basis of a pattern representing a flow chart processing relationship stored in a related memory means.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selection means comprises means for selecting a pattern designated by a cursor displayed by a display means.

10. A method for building a plurality of patterns in a pattern editing apparatus comprising the steps of:

selecting a plurality of patterns to be object patterns for an editing process of the pattern editing apparatus, the plurality of patterns being displayed in a first area on a screen of a display device and after said selecting step is executed, to be displayed in a second area on the screen of the display device;

providing a pattern for coupling the selected patterns in response to the selecting step displayed in the second area of the display device, said pattern for coupling representing a flow chart processing relationship among the selected patterns;

generating a signal responsive to absence of any pattern representing a flow chart processing relationship in the selected patterns; and

adding the pattern representing the flow chart processing relationship as an object pattern of the editing process in response to the generated signal.

11. A method according to claim 10 further comprising the step of retrieving a plurality of patterns stored in a memory.

12. A method according to claim 10, when a pattern to be designated is selected from the plurality of patterns displayed on a display in said selecting step, further comprising the step of displaying the designated pattern at a position designated by a cursor of said display means.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein said providing step provides a pattern retrieved from a related memory means storing a pattern having a a flow chart processing relationship.

14. A method according to claim 10 further comprising the step of retrieving the pattern representing a flow chart processing relationship on the basis of patterns representing a flow chart processing relationship stored in related memory means.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of displaying a pattern on a display screen of a display means on the basis of the pattern retrieved from said related memory means.

16. A pattern editing apparatus comprising:

selection means for selecting a plurality of patterns to be object patterns for an editing process of the pattern editing apparatus, the plurality of patterns being displayed in a first area of a display means and, after said selection is executed by said selection means, to be displayed in a second area of said display means;

providing means responsive to said selection means for providing a pattern for coupling the selected patterns displayed in the second area of said display means, said pattern for coupling representing a flow chart processing relationship among the selected patterns;

means connected to said providing means for generating a signal responsive to the absence of any pattern representing a flow chart processing relationship in the selected patterns; and

means responsive to the generated signal for adding the pattern representing the flow chart processing relationship as an object pattern of the editing process; and

related memory means for storing the pattern representing a flow chart processing relationship related to a pattern displayed by the display means in response to said providing means.