System and method for efficient hit-testing in a computer-based system
First Claim
1. A hit-test system for use in a computer-based system having a display, said hit-test system configured to search a display pixel map of pixel data in successively-increasing distances from a selected pixel location associated with a cursor position, said search performed in accordance with a search topology defined by pixel offset values stored in a look-up table.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hit-test system and methodology for use in a computer-based system having a graphical user interface for searching a display pixel map in successively-increasing distances from a selected pixel location associated with a current cursor position in accordance with a predetermined search topology defined by pixel offset values stored in a look-up table. The hit-test system comprises a distance computation module for generating the pixel offset values corresponding to each of the successively-increasing distances. The pixel offset values define a determined search topology. A display search engine searches pixel locations determined from the pixel offset values and the selected pixel location. The display search engine comprises a radius search module selecting the successively-increasing distances and adds the pixel offset values to the selected pixel location. A display analysis module determines whether the queried pixel location in the display pixel map contains a color indicative of a display element. Preferably, the radius search module determines a maximum search limit which defines a range of pixel locations likely to include a display element of interest to the user while avoiding causing the user to select an undesired display element. In another embodiment the hit-test system also includes a user interface module for determining when the user has selected a pixel location and for providing the display search engine with the selected pixel location. The selected pixel location may be represented by a cursor positioned with a pointing device such as a mouse, light pen, keyboard controls, touch pad, etc. Preferably, the selected pixel location is also represented by dwelling the cursor at the selected pixel location for a predetermined period of time.
41 Citations
70 Claims
- 1. A hit-test system for use in a computer-based system having a display, said hit-test system configured to search a display pixel map of pixel data in successively-increasing distances from a selected pixel location associated with a cursor position, said search performed in accordance with a search topology defined by pixel offset values stored in a look-up table.
- 20. A hit-test system for use in a computer-based system having a graphical user interface, said hit-test system configured to search a display pixel map to identify a highest priority display element located nearest to a selected pixel location in accordance with a predetermined search topology defined by pixel offset values stored in a look-up table.
- 21. A hit-test system for use in a computer-based system having a graphical user interface, said hit-test system configured to query pixels offset a predetermined distance from a selected pixel location in a display pixel map located in memory of the computer-based system to identify a display element located nearest to said selected pixel location which is most likely to be desired by the user, said predetermined distances defined by pixel offset values stored in a look-up table located in memory of the computer-based system.
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22. A system for identifying display elements nearest to a selected pixel position in a computer display represented by a pixel map, comprising:
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display search means for determining whether pixel locations located at successively-increasing distances from the selected pixel position contain a display element; a relative location look-up table containing pixel offset values each associated with one of said distances, said pixel offset values defining a search topology; and distance computation means for accessing said look-up table and for providing said display search means with one or more of said pixel offset values corresponding to each of said increasingly-successive distances. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A digital oscilloscope comprising:
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a graphical user interface providing a waveform display; a video random access memory containing a display pixel map for storing pixel values generating said waveform display; a waveform random access memory containing pixel data associated with each pixel location, identifying display elements active at said associated pixel location; and a hit-test system for searching said display pixel map in successively-increasing distances from a selected pixel location in accordance with a predetermined search topology defined by pixel offset values stored in a look-up table, including, a distance computation module for generating said pixel offset values corresponding to each said distances of said predetermined search topology, a display search engine for querying pixel locations determined from said pixel offset values and said selected pixel location, and for arbitrating between multiple display elements which are active at said queried pixel, and a user interface module for determining when the user has selected a pixel location and for providing said display search engine with said selected pixel location, said selection achieved by activation of a pointing device and dwelling said cursor at said selected pixel location for a predetermined period of time. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A method for locating a display element nearest to a pixel location associated with a selected pixel location, comprising the steps of:
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(a) determining when the user has attempted to select a display element; (b) determining one or more pixels to be queried at a given distance from selected pixel location; (c) determining which of said one or more query pixels contains a color corresponding to a display element of interest to the user; and (d) repeating said steps (b) and (c) for successively-increasing distances from said selected pixel location, each of said one or more pixels conforming to a predetermined search topology. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 52)
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- 53. A hit-test system for use in a computer-based system having a display, said hit-test system configured to search a display pixel map having stored therein pixel data, said search performed in successively-increasing distances from a selected pixel location associated with a cursor position in accordance with a search topology.
- 63. A hit-test system for use in a computer-based system having a display, said hit-test system configured to search a display pixel map having stored therein pixel data for each pixel in the display, said search performed in accordance with a search topology defined by pixel offset values.
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68. A memory for storing data for access by a program being executed on a computer-based system having a display, the memory comprising:
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a data structure stored in said memory, said data structure including information used by said program to identify, in response to a user selection, a display element displayed on the display that is closest to a current cursor position, wherein the information in said data structure comprises pixel offset values for successively-increasing distances from the current cursor position, said successively-increasing distances representing a predetermined search topology, whereby the program accesses said data structure to retrieve a portion of said pixel offset values associated with each of said distances to determine which pixels to query for a display element.
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Specification