Method and system for streaming documents, e-mail attachments and maps to wireless devices

• US 8,878,851 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synchronica PLC (Myriad Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Synchronica PLC (Myriad Group AG)
• Inventors: Ziegler, Rudy, Opala, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOW, JEFFREY J
• Application Number:
  US10/988,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20060103665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,644 Days
• Field of Search: 345620-628, 345/428, 345/473, 345/474, 345/619
• US Class Current: 345/428
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/04 Exchange of auxiliary data, i.e. other than image data, between monitor and graphics controller

Abstract

A method for streaming vector images to wireless devices, including receiving a request from a wireless device for a portion of a vector image and a target display width and height, the vector image including a plurality of vector primitives, determining which of the vector primitives are positioned so as to overlap the requested portion, clipping the overlapping vector primitives with the portion, and transmitting the clipped vector primitives that overlap the portion. A system and a computer readable storage medium are also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for streaming vector images to wireless devices, comprising:

receiving a request from a wireless device for a portion of a vector image and a target display width and height, the vector image including a plurality of global vector primitives and the vector image being decomposed into a plurality of tile regions, wherein at least a portion of the global vector primitives overlap more than one tile region, and wherein the global vector primitives have associated ranges of relevant magnification levels, each range being a set of one or more magnification levels between a respective first level and a respective last level, the ranges not all comprising the same number of levels, and wherein the requested portion and the target display width and height correspond to a level of magnification for display;

determining sub-divisions of each global vector primitive according to the one or more portions of overlap of the global vector primitive with the plurality of tile regions;

encoding each of the determined sub-divisions as a local vector primitive;

identifying the tile regions that overlap the requested portion;

identifying the local vector primitives that belong to an identified tile region, and that were encoded from sub-divisions of those global vector primitives that have associated ranges of relevant magnification levels that include the level of magnification for display; and

transmitting the identified local vector primitives in response to the request.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the requested portion is a rectangular portion.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the requested portion is a non-rectangular portion.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the non-rectangular portion is a polygonal portion.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the non-rectangular portion is a circular portion.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the non-rectangular portion is an elliptical portion.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the vector image also includes a display order for the global vector primitives, the method further comprising determining an induced display order for the identified local vector primitives, and wherein said transmitting transmits the induced display order.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the global vector primitives include points, and wherein said determining sub-divisions comprises determining whether a point is positioned inside of a tile region.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the global vector primitives include line segments, and wherein said determining sub-divisions comprises determining whether a line segment cuts through a tile region.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the global vector primitives include curves, and wherein said determining sub-divisions comprises determining whether a curve cuts through a tile region.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the global vector primitives include Bezier curves.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the global vector primitives include circular arcs.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the global vector primitives include elliptical arcs.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the global vector primitives include areas, and wherein said determining sub-divisions comprises determining whether an area intersects a tile region.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the global vector primitives include polygonal areas.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the global vector primitives include circular areas.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the global vector primitives include elliptical areas.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the global vector primitives include alphanumeric fonts, and wherein said determining sub-divisions comprises determining whether an alphanumeric font is positioned so as to overlap a tile region.

19. A system for streaming vector images to wireless devices, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a request from a wireless device for a portion of a vector image and a target display width and height, the vector image comprising a plurality of global vector primitives and the vector image being decomposed into a plurality of tile regions, wherein at least a portion of the global vector primitives overlap more than one tile region, and wherein the global vector primitives have associated ranges of relevant magnification levels, each range being a set of one or more magnification levels between a respective first level and a respective last level, the ranges not all comprising the same number of levels, and wherein the requested portion and the target display width and height correspond to a level of magnification for display;

a graphics processor for;

(i) determining sub-divisions of each global vector primitive according to the one or more portions of overlap of the global vector primitive with the plurality of tile regions;

(ii) encoding each of the determined sub-divisions as a local vector primitive;

(iii) identifying the tile regions that overlap the requested portion; and

(iv) identifying the local vector primitives that belong to an identified tile region, and that were encoded from sub-divisions of those global vector primitives that have associated ranges of relevant magnification levels that include the level of magnification for display; and

a transmitter for transmitting the identified local vector primitives in response to the request.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the requested portion is a rectangular portion.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the requested portion is a non-rectangular portion.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the non-rectangular portion is a polygonal portion.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the non-rectangular portion is a circular portion.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the non-rectangular portion is an elliptical portion.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein the vector image also includes a display order for the global vector primitives, and wherein said graphics processor determines an induced display order for the identified local vector primitives, and wherein said transmitter transmits the induced display order.

26. The system of claim 19 wherein the global vector primitives include points, and wherein said graphics processor determines whether a point is positioned inside of a tile region.

27. The system of claim 19 wherein the global vector primitives include line segments, and wherein said graphics processor determines whether a line segment cuts through a tile region.

28. The system of claim 19 wherein the global vector primitives include curves, and wherein said graphics processor determines whether a curve cuts through a tile region.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the global vector primitives include Bezier curves.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein the global vector primitives include circular arcs.

31. The system of claim 28 wherein the global vector primitives include elliptical arcs.

32. The system of claim 19 wherein the global vector primitives include areas, and wherein said graphics processor determines whether an area intersects a tile region.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the global vector primitives include polygonal areas.

34. The system of claim 32 wherein the global vector primitives include circular areas.

35. The system of claim 32 wherein the global vector primitives include elliptical areas.

36. The system of claim 19 wherein the global vector primitives include alphanumeric fonts, and wherein said graphics processor determines whether an alphanumeric font is positioned so as to overlap a tile region.

37. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code for causing a computer to perform the steps of:

receiving a request from a wireless device for a portion of a vector image and a target display width and height, the vector image including a plurality of global vector primitives and the vector image being decomposed into a plurality of tile regions, wherein at least a portion of the global vector primitives overlap more than one tile region, and wherein the global vector primitives have associated ranges of relevant magnification levels, each range being a set of one or more magnification levels between a respective first level and a respective last level, the ranges not all comprising the same number of levels, and wherein the requested portion and the target display width and height correspond to a level of magnification for display;

determining sub-divisions of each global vector primitive according to the one or more portions of overlap of the global vector primitive with the plurality of tile regions;

encoding each of the determined sub-divisions as a local vector primitive;

identifying the tile regions that overlap the requested portion;

identifying the local vector primitives that belong to an identified tile region, and that were encoded from sub-divisions of those global vector primitives that have associated ranges of relevant magnification levels that include the level of magnification for display; and

transmitting the identified local vector primitives in response to the request.