Apparatus and method for associating non-overlapping visual objects with z-ordered panes

• US 7,907,151 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Business Objects Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Business Objects Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Daviss, Jeffery Rodd
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen S
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, I CHAN
• Application Number:
  US11/748,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20080288860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 345/629, 345/630, 345/631, 345/634, 345/635, 345/636, 345/637, 345/639, 345/640, 345/641, 715/273
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to accept a set of document objects, wherein each document object is associated with a z-order. A document object in the set of document objects is passed to a pre-rendering region comprising a stack of one or more panes, wherein the document object is added in z-order. The document object is checked against each pane in the stack for document object overlap, beginning with a topmost pane, until a pane selected from one of a bottommost pane and an overlap pane is reached. The document object is associated with a pane selected from one of the bottommost pane and a pane above the overlap pane. The pane above the overlap pane is selected from one of a pane in the stack and a new pane added to the top of the stack.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions to:

accept a set of document objects, wherein each document object is associated with a z- order;

pass a document object in the set of document objects to a pre-rendering region comprising a stack of at least two panes, wherein the document object is added in z- order;

check the document object against each pane in the stack for document object overlap, beginning with a topmost pane, until a pane selected from one of a bottommost pane and an overlap pane is reached; and

associate the document object with a pane selected from one of the bottommost pane and a pane above the overlap pane, wherein the pane above the overlap pane is selected from one of a pane in the stack and a new pane added to the top of the stack.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, herein he document object is added to the bottommost pane when there is no overlap pane.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising executable instructions to render the set of document objects in order from the bottommost pane to the topmost pane.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the set of document objects is rendered to a location selected from a screen, a metafile, a vector image, a Portable Document Format file, a text file, a bitmap, and a printer.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the set of document objects in a single pane is rendered in order of type of the document object and a set of document object properties.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein each document object has an associated type selected from text, chart, table, map, watermark, and graphic.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein each document has an associated set of document object properties selected from one or more of size, font, color, style, transparency, and language.