Ink thickness rendering for electronic annotations

• US 7,234,108 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2000
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Madan, Vikram
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stork; Kyle R.
• Application Number:
  US09/605,878
• Time in Patent Office: 2,546 Days
• Field of Search: 715/512, 715/513, 715/500, 715/514, 715/515, 715/525, 715/753, 715/501.1, 715/517, 715/523, 715/530, 345/863, 345/611, 345/441, 345/443, 345/469.1, 345/470
• US Class Current: 715/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/171 by use of digital ink

Abstract

A system and method for rendering ink annotations for a displayed image is disclosed. The invention adjusts the thickness of rendered lines for ink annotations when rendered. Ink annotations are created by capturing and connecting a set of data points input by a user. The invention outlines various pixels and weights saturation of anti-aliasing pixels to improve a user'"'"'s viewing experience.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for annotating a system having a display for displaying a page, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving an annotation;

applying anti-aliased pixels to at least some pixels surrounding said annotation;

applying outline pixels; and

displaying said annotation and said outline pixels and said anti-aliased pixels on said display, wherein said outline pixels extend beyond said annotation.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

applying an anti-aliasing filter so as to create said anti-aliased pixels for said annotation.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 2, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding an outline pixel juxtaposed to one of a pair of anti-aliased pixels, wherein said one of said pair is darker than the other of said pair.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 2, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding an outline pixel to each one of a pair of anti-aliased pixels, when the color of each one of said pair of anti-aliased pixels are equal.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 2, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding an outline pixel juxtaposed to one of a pair of anti-aliased pixels, wherein said one of said pair is lighter than the other of said pair.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein colors resulting from the anti-alias applying step are no lighter than the outline color of said annotation.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said outline applying step further comprises the steps of:

determining an original color of a pixel of said pixels;

determining a color of said annotation;

determining the outline color to which to set said pixel as based on a combination of said original color and said annotation color.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding at least two outline pixels to each pixel of said annotation.

9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said receiving step includes capturing an annotation from user input.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said receiving step includes retrieving said annotation from a memory.

11. A computer-implemented method for annotating a system having a display for displaying a page, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving an annotation;

applying an anti-alias filter to said annotation; and

displaying said annotation as filtered by said anti-aliasing filter on said display, said displayed anti-aliased annotation having a group of pixels forming an outline in an outline color, wherein said outline extends beyond said anti-aliased annotation.

12. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

applying an outline to at least some pixels surrounding said annotation subsequent to said filter applying step.

13. The computer-implemented method according to claim 12, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding an outline pixel juxtaposed to one of a pair of anti-aliased pixels, wherein said one of said pair is darker than the other of said pair.

14. The computer-implemented method according to claim 12, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding an outline pixel to each one of a pair of anti-aliased pixels, when the color of each one of said pair of anti-aliased pixels are equal.

15. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein said filter applying step further comprises the step of applying an outline to at least some of the pixels surrounding said annotation.

16. The computer-implemented method according to claim 15, wherein a color of the anti-aliased pixels to be applied is no lighter than the color of the outline.

17. The computer-implemented method according to claim 15, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding an outline pixel juxtaposed to one of a pair of anti-aliased pixels, wherein said one of said pair is darker than the other of said pair.

18. The computer-implemented method according to claim 15, wherein said outline applying step further comprises the steps of:

determining an original color of a pixel of said pixels;

determining a color of said annotation;

determining the color of anti-aliased pixels;

determining a color to which to set said anti-aliased pixels as based on a combination of outline color and said annotation color.

19. The computer-implemented method according to claim 15, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding an outline pixel to each one of a pair of anti-aliased pixels, when the color of each one of said pair of anti-aliased pixels are equal.

20. The computer-implemented method according to claim 15, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding an outline pixel juxtaposed to one of a pair of anti-aliased pixels, wherein said one of said pair is lighter than the other of said pair.

21. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding at least two outline pixels to each pixel of said annotation.

22. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein said receiving step includes capturing an annotation from user input.

23. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein said receiving step includes retrieving said annotation from a memory.

24. A computer-readable medium having a program stored thereon, said program used in conjunction with a system having a display for displaying a page, said program comprising the steps of:

receiving an annotation;

applying a group of some pixels forming anti-aliased pixels to at least some pixels surrounding said annotation;

applying a group of some pixels forming outline pixels; and

displaying said annotation and said outline pixels and said anti-aliased pixels on said display, such that said outline pixels are visible at least next to said annotation.

25. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 24, further comprising the step of:

applying an anti-aliasing filter to said annotation.

26. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 24, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding an outline pixel juxtaposed to one of a pair of anti-aliased pixels, wherein said one of said pair is darker than the other of said pair.

27. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 25, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding an outline pixel to each one of a pair of anti-aliased pixels, when the color of each one of said pair of anti-aliased pixels are equal.

28. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 25, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding an outline pixel juxtaposed to one of a pair of anti-aliased pixels, wherein said one of said pair is lighter than the other of said pair.

29. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 24, wherein a color of the anti-aliased pixels to be applied is no lighter than the outline color of said annotation.

30. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 24, wherein said outline applying step further comprises the steps of:

determining an original color of a pixel of said pixels;

determining a color of said annotation;

determining the color of anti-aliased pixels;

determining a color to which to set said anti-aliased pixels as based on a combination of outline color and said annotation color.

31. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 24, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding at least two outline pixels to each pixel of said annotation.

32. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 24, wherein said receiving step includes capturing an annotation from user input.

33. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 24, wherein said receiving step includes retrieving said annotation from a memory.

34. A computer-readable medium having a program stored thereon, said program used in conjunction with a system having a display for displaying a page, said program comprising the steps of:

receiving an annotation;

applying an anti-alias filter to said annotation; and

displaying said annotation as filtered by said anti-aliasing filter on said display, said displayed anti-aliased annotation having pixels forming an outline in an outline color, said pixels forming said outline visible being at least next to said anti-aliased annotation.

35. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 34, further comprising the step of:

applying an outline to at least some pixels surrounding said annotation subsequent to said filter applying step.

36. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 35, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding an outline pixel juxtaposed to one of a pair of anti-aliased pixels, wherein said one of said pair is darker than the other of said pair.

37. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 35, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding an outline pixel to each one of a pair of anti-aliased pixels, when the color of each one of said pair of anti-aliased pixels are equal.

38. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 34, wherein said filter applying step further comprises the step of applying an outline to at least some of the pixels surrounding said annotation.

39. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 38, wherein a color of the anti-aliased pixels to be applied is no lighter than the outline color of said annotation.

40. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 38, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding an outline pixel juxtaposed to one of a pair of anti-aliased pixels, wherein said one of said pair is darker than the other of said pair.

41. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 38, wherein said outline applying step further comprises the steps of:

determining an original color of a pixel of said pixels;

determining a color of said annotation;

determining the color of anti-aliased pixels;

determining a color to which to set said anti-aliased pixels as based on a combination of outline color and said annotation color.

42. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 38, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding an outline pixel to each one of a pair of anti-aliased pixels, when the color of each one of said pair of anti-aliased pixels are equal.

43. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 38, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding at least two outline pixels to each pixel of said annotation.

44. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 38, wherein the outline applying step further comprises the step of:

adding an outline pixel juxtaposed to one of a pair of anti-aliased pixels, wherein said one of said pair is lighter than the other of said pair.

45. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 34, wherein said receiving step includes capturing an annotation from user input.

46. The computer-readable medium having said program according to claim 34, wherein said receiving step includes retrieving said annotation from a memory.

47. A computer-implemented method for rendering an annotation on a displayed page, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first end point and a second end point;

rending said first end point;

rendering an anti-aliased path in a first color to said second end point, said anti-aliased path rendering step also rendering in a second color an outline around said anti-aliased path, said second color being visible next to said first color; and

rendering said second end point.

48. The computer implemented method according to claim 47, said anti-aliased path rendering step further including the step of:

rendering anti-aliasing pixels when said anti-aliased path is not vertical, not horizontal, and not diagonal between said first end point and said second end point.

49. The computer-implemented method according to claim 48, wherein said anti-aliased path rendering step renders an outline pixel next to a darker one of a pair of said anti-alias pixels.

50. The computer-implemented method according to claim 48, wherein said anti-aliased path rendering step renders an outline pixel next to a lighter one of a pair of said anti-alias pixels.

51. The computer-implemented method according to claim 48, wherein said anti-aliased path rendering step renders two outline pixel when a pair of said anti-alias pixels are the same color.

52. The computer-implemented method according to claim 48, wherein said anti-aliased path rendering step renders an outline pixel next to a lighter one of a pair of said anti-alias pixels.

53. The computer-implemented method according to claim 48, wherein said anti-aliased path rendering step clamps a color of an anti-aliasing pixel to a color of an outline pixel.

54. The computer implemented method according to claim 53, said anti-aliased path rendering step further including the step of:

rendering anti-aliasing pixels when said anti-aliased path is not vertical, not horizontal, and not diagonal between said first end point and said second end point.

55. A computer readable medium having a program stored thereon, said program for rendering an annotation on a displayed page, said program comprising the steps of:

receiving a first end point and a second end point;

rending said first end point;

rendering an anti-aliased path in a first color to said second end point, said anti-aliased path rendering step also rendering in a second color an outline around said anti-aliased path, said second color being visible next to said first color; and

rendering said second end point.

56. The computer readable medium according to claim 55, wherein said anti-aliased path rendering step renders an outline pixel next to a darker one of a pair of said anti-alias pixels.

57. The computer readable medium according to claim 55, wherein said anti-aliased path rendering step renders an outline pixel next to a darker one of a pair of said anti-alias pixels.

58. The computer readable medium according to claim 55, wherein said anti-aliased path rendering step renders two outline pixel when a pair of said anti-alias pixels are the same color.

59. The computer readable medium according to claim 55, wherein said anti-aliased path rendering step renders an outline pixel next to a lighter one of a pair of said anti-alias pixels.

60. The computer readable medium according to claim 55, wherein said anti-aliased path rendering step clamps a color of an anti-aliasing pixel to a color of an outline pixel.