Method and apparatus for dynamically displaying consistently dimensioned two-dimensional drawings
First Claim
1. A method of consistently dimensioning and dynamically displaying geometric elements on a computer display, the method comprising:
- entering first and second geometric elements on a computer, said first and second geometric element being associated with a geometric figure;
displaying the first and second geometric elements on a display associated with the computer;
sizing the first element to a first apparent dimension and the second element to a second apparent dimension respectively which are linked with respective graphical size on the display screen;
assigning a first real dimension to the first geometric element;
associating the first real dimension with a scaling factor of the computer display screen;
graphically displaying the real dimension on the computer screen;
assigning a second real dimension to the second geometric element;
graphically displaying the real dimension on the computer screen; and
redrawing the second element prior to the figure being maximally dimensioned so that the second element has an apparent dimension approximately equal to a ratio of the second real dimension to the scaling factor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dynamic display method and apparatus includes a computer operatively connected to an external measuring device (EMD) or numeric input device. A figure approximating a real object or space and incorporating recognizable geometric elements is sketched by the user and displayed on the computer display screen. A specified geometric element of the figure is user selected and dimensioned by operation of an external measuring device. A constraint engine subsystem within the computer incorporates the dimensioning information into the figure and redraws the figure as each dimension is received from the external measuring device.
73 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method of consistently dimensioning and dynamically displaying geometric elements on a computer display, the method comprising:
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entering first and second geometric elements on a computer, said first and second geometric element being associated with a geometric figure; displaying the first and second geometric elements on a display associated with the computer; sizing the first element to a first apparent dimension and the second element to a second apparent dimension respectively which are linked with respective graphical size on the display screen; assigning a first real dimension to the first geometric element; associating the first real dimension with a scaling factor of the computer display screen; graphically displaying the real dimension on the computer screen; assigning a second real dimension to the second geometric element; graphically displaying the real dimension on the computer screen; and redrawing the second element prior to the figure being maximally dimensioned so that the second element has an apparent dimension approximately equal to a ratio of the second real dimension to the scaling factor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A dynamic display apparatus comprising:
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input means; display means operatively connected to the input means for constructing a geometric figure having at least one geometric element; a geometry selector operatively connected to the input means for selecting a geometric element to be measured; measuring means having a digital output, said measuring means capable of generating digital signals in response to a measured value corresponding to a geometric magnitude; an interface operatively connecting the digital output of the measuring means to the display means for transmitting the digital signal from the measuring means to the display means; and means for alerting a user that geometric figure, having a plurality of geometric magnitudes linked to geometric elements within the geometric figure, has been inconsistently dimensioned, wherein the alerting means disables the measuring means when the geometric figure of a selected element has been maximally dimensioned. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification