Electronic linear perspective drawing aid

• US 8,427,434 B1
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alfred F. Merolla
• Original Assignee: Alfred F. Merolla
• Inventors: Merolla, Alfred F.
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDULSELAM, ABBAS I
• Application Number:
  US12/265,524
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 345/76, 345/82, 345/173, 345/176, 345/179, 345/183, 345/419, 178/18.01, 178/19.04, 178/19.05, 382/188, 382/189, 715701-702
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 11/10 Teaching painting

Abstract

An electronic linear perspective drawing tool and system particularly designed to draw and paint linear perspective, utilizing a graphic computer system with a transparent organic light-emitting diode (TOLED) display and a drawing input device, which may preferably be a haptic device or a stylus used in combination with a pressure sensitive touch screen, whereby the TOLED serves as an electronic window and drawing canvas that is interposed between the scene to be drawn and the eye of the artist so that the drawing input device can be used to create an artistic rendering on the electronic canvas or screen overlay.

Claims

1. An electronic linear perspective drawing tool comprising:

(a) an electronic transparent drawing canvas which is interposed at substantially a right angle between a three-dimensional object or scene to be drawn and the eye of an artist such that the object or scene can be traced on said canvas;

(b) a user interface apparatus for drawing on said electronic drawing canvas;

(c) computer means operably connected to said drawing canvas and user interface apparatus having a computer memory for storing inputs made on said electronic drawing canvas using the user interface apparatus; and

(d) a software drawing application stored in said computer memory.

2. The electronic linear perspective drawing tool as claimed in claim 1 in which the said user drawing interface apparatus is a haptic device operably connected to said computer whereby by operating the haptic device in combination with said software drawing application the object or scene may be drawn on the electronic drawing canvas and then stored in the computer memory.

3. The electronic linear perspective drawing tool as claimed in claim 2 in which the software executing on the computer system interprets the movements of said haptic device as being a digital paintbrush the drawing strokes of which appear on electronic drawing canvas.

4. The electronic linear perspective drawing tool as claimed in claim 3 additionally comprising a means for selecting different paint colors and brush styles.

5. The electronic linear perspective drawing tool as claimed in claim 1 in which said electronic drawing canvas is a transparent organic light-emitting diode (TOLED) display.

6. The electronic linear perspective drawing tool as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising a transparent pressure sensitive touch screen overlaid on and operably connected to said electronic drawing canvas, and a stylus which when brought into contact with the surface of said pressure sensitive touch screen transfers a drawing input on to the electronic drawing canvas.

7. The electronic linear perspective drawing tool as claimed in claim 1 in which said system is a standalone system and is portable.

8. A method of creating linear perspective drawings electronically using a computer drawing or painting system including a transparent organic light-emitting diode (TOLED) display and a user interface device, the method comprising:

(a) positioning the TOLED display so that it is interposed at substantially a right angle between a three-dimensional scene to be drawn or painted and the eye of the artist;

(b) looking through the transparent display screen at the scene to be drawn and manually operating said user interface to create an electronic perspective drawing of the scene on the TOLED display; and

(c) saving the electronic perspective drawing on the hard drive of said computer system.

9. The method of claim 8 in which the user interface device is a haptic device, and further including drawing software stored on the computer system whereby upon the step of creating the electronic perspective drawing the haptic device is operated by the artist which executes the software enabling the user to manipulate a virtual stylus on the TOLED screen to making drawing strokes required to create said electronic perspective drawing.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the drawing software includes a virtual paint brush and color palette feature, whereby the virtual paint brush is manipulated on the TOLED screen to generate images of brush strokes made by the digital paint brush in tracing or painting the perspective drawing.

11. The method of claim 10 whereby the haptic device is operated to select a desired paint brush and color for use in said electronic perspective drawing.

12. The method of claim 8, further including a pressure sensitive touch screen operably secured over the TOLED screen, and wherein said user interface device is a stylus which is brought into contact with the touch screen and manipulated by the artist to create said electronic linear perspective drawing.