Electronic graphic system

• US 6,606,086 B1
• Filed: 09/03/1997
• Issued: 08/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quantel Limited (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Quantel Limited (Belden Inc.)
• Inventors: Sumner, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIMNHUNG T
• Application Number:
  US08/922,711
• Time in Patent Office: 2,169 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/179, 178/18.01, 178/18.06, 178/19.01, 178/19.03
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77

Abstract

An electronic graphic system comprises an image store for storing data defining an image, a stylus and touch tablet device for generating position data representing a sequence of positions including a first position, a brush store for storing data defining a drawing implement, and processor for processing data in the image store. Data is processed by reading patches of initial image data from the store at locations related to the position represented by the position data. An image value is determined as the value of a predetermined pixel in a patch of data at a location corresponding to the first position. Patches of image data are modified with the determined image value depending on the brush data.

Claims

1. An electronic graphic system comprising:

an image store for storing data defining a multiplicity of picture elements that together form an image;

user operable means for generating position data representing a sequence of positions including a first position;

a brush store for storing data defining a drawing implement as a patch of brush data; and

a processor for processing data in the image store by reading patches of initial image data from the image store at locations related to the position represented by the position data, determining an image value as a value of a predetermined pixel in a patch of data at a location corresponding to the first position, modifying image data in patches read from the image store with the determined image value depending on the patch of brush data and writing each patch of modified data back to the image store so as to replace the respective patch of initial data previously stored therein.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user operable device is operable to generate other parameter data, and wherein the processor is arranged to modify the data in the patches depending on the other parameter data.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said user operable means comprises a stylus and touch tablet device.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the other parameter data is proportional to pressure applied by the stylus to the touch tablet.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determined image value represents a colour of the predetermined pixel.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined pixel is at a location in the image store corresponding substantially with the first position.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second image store for storing data defining a multiplicity of picture elements that together form a second image, and wherein the processor is operable to determine the image value as the value of a predetermined pixel in a patch of data at a location in the second image store corresponding to the first position.

8. A method of processing image data, the method comprising:

storing in an image store data defining a multiplicity of picture elements that together form an image;

generating position data representing a sequence of positions including a first position;

storing data defining a drawing implement as a patch of brush data; and

processing data in the image store by reading patches of initial image data from the image store at locations related to the positions represented by the input position data, determining an image value as a value of a predetermined pixel in a patch of data at a location corresponding to the first position, modifying image data in patches read from the image store with the determined image value depending on the patch of brush data and writing the patch of modified data back to the image store so as to replace the patch of previously stored initial data.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising steps of generating other parameter data, and modifying the data in the patches depending on the other parameter data.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the position data and the other data are generated by way of a stylus and touch tablet device and the other parameter data is proportional to pressure applied by the stylus to the touch tablet.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the determined image value represents a colour of the predetermined pixel.

12. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the predetermined pixel is at a location in the store corresponding substantially with the first position.

13. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising steps of storing data defining a multiplicity of picture elements that together form a second image, and determining the image value as the value of a predetermined pixel in a patch of data at a location in the second image corresponding to the first position.