Apple Inc.

Next Software, Inc.

Other

Next Computer, Inc.

Peter N Graffagnino

Ralph T Brunner

John Harper

Mark Zimmer

Darin Benjamin Adler

Maciej Stachowiak

Richard Blanchard

Kevin Calhoun

Don Melton

Dave Hyatt

Bas Ording

Haroon S Sheikh

Gilles Drieu

Andrew R Barnes

Gabriel G Marcu

Kok S Chen

Jose Olav Andrade

Harold Cohn

Leonard Hourvitz

Giles Drieu

John S Harper

A graphics animation and compositing operations framework has a layer tree for interfacing with the application and a render tree for interfacing with a render engine. Layers in the layer tree can be content, windows, views, video, images, etc., for an application's user interface. The application commits state changes of the layers of the layer tree. The application does not need to include explicit code for animating the changes to the layers. Instead, after a synchronization threshold has been met, an animation is determined for animating the change in state by the framework which can define a set of predetermined animations based on motion, visibility and transition. The determined animation is explicitly applied to the affected layers in the render tree. A render engine renders from the render tree into a frame buffer, synchronized with the display. Portions of the render tree changing relative to prior versions can be tracked.

Frameworks for graphics animation and compositing operations

A graphics animation and compositing operations framework has a layer tree for interfacing with the application and a render tree for interfacing with a render engine. Layers in the layer tree can be content, windows, views, video, images, text, media or other type of objects for an application's user interface. The application commits state changes of the layers of the layer tree. The application does not need to include explicit code for animating the changes to the layers. Instead, after a synchronization threshold has been met, an animation is determined for animating the change in state by the framework which can define a set of predetermined animations based on motion, visibility and transition. The determined animation is explicitly applied to the affected layers in the render tree. A render engine renders from the render tree into a frame buffer, synchronized with the display. Portions of the render tree changing relative to prior versions can be tracked to improve resource management.

Framework for graphics animation and compositing operations

Methods of expressing animation in a data stream are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of expressing animation in a data stream includes defining animation states in the data stream with each state having at least one property such that properties are animated as a group. The animation states that are defined in the data stream may be expressed as an extension of a styling sheet language. The data stream may include web content and the defined animation states.

Methods and apparatuses for providing a hardware accelerated web engine

Disclosed is a system for producing images including techniques for reducing the memory and processing power required for such operations. The system provides techniques for programmatically representing a graphics problem. The system further provides techniques for reducing and optimizing graphics problems for rendering with consideration of the system resources, such as the availability of a compatible GPU.

System for optimizing graphics operations

A graphics animation and compositing operations framework has a layer tree for interfacing with the application and a render tree for interfacing with a render engine. Layers in the layer tree can be content, windows, views, video, images, text, media or other type of objects for an application's user interface. The application commits state changes of the layers of the layer tree. The application does not need to include explicit code for animating the changes to the layers. Instead, an animation is determined for animating the change in state by the framework which can define a set of predetermined animations based on motion, visibility and transition. The determined animation is explicitly applied to the affected layers in the render tree. A render engine renders from the render tree into a frame buffer. Portions of the render tree changing relative to prior versions can be tracked to improve resource management.

Methods and apparatuses for resizing buffered windows. In one aspect of the invention, a method to resize a buffered window on a data processing system includes: determining an estimated size for a window which has a first pixel image of a first size buffered in a first window buffer; allocating a second window buffer which is large enough to buffer the window in the estimated size; and buffering a second pixel image of the window in a second size in the second window buffer. In one example according to this aspect, a portion of a frame buffer is updated to the second pixel image to display the window in the second size. A portion of the second window buffer, storing the data that represents the second pixel image, is clipped to update the corresponding portion of the frame buffer.

Method and apparatus for resizing buffered windows

A framework for performing graphics animation and compositing operations has a layer tree for interfacing with the application and a render tree for interfacing with a render engine. Layers in the layer tree can be content, windows, views, video, images, text, media, or any other type of object for a user interface of an application. The application commits change to the state of the layers of the layer tree. The application does not need to include explicit code for animating the changes to the layers. Instead, an animation is determined for animating the change in state. In determining the animation, the framework can define a set of predetermined animations based on motion, visibility, and transition. The determined animation is explicitly applied to the affected layers in the render tree. A render engine renders from the render tree into a frame buffer for display on the computer system. Those portions of the render tree that have changed relative to prior versions can be tracked to improve resource management.

Methods and apparatuses for expressing animation in a data stream

Disclosed is a system for producing images including an application program interface. The system includes an API and techniques for creating images by defining relationships between filters and images, such relationships programmatically assembled in an object by a cooperative session between a requesting application and a graphics services resource. The system also includes aspects regarding optimization of the programmatically assembled object and techniques for rendering in multi-processor environment.

High-level program interface for graphics operations

Graphical user interface objects are specified by a collection of attribute-value pairs, the collection of which comprise a complete description of the object and may be used by a rendering element to create a visual representation of the object. In practice, each of a first portion of attributes may be associated with two or more values&#x2014;each value (for a given attribute) specifying that attribute's value for a unique resolution. A second portion of attributes are associated with a single value and are, therefore, display resolution independent. Accordingly, the target object may be displayed at any of the specified design display resolutions or accurately displayed at any resolution between the specified design display resolutions.

User-interface design

A framework for performing graphics animation and compositing operations has a layer tree for interfacing with the application and a render tree for interfacing with a render engine. Layers in the layer tree can be content, windows, views, video, images, text, media, or any other type of object for a user interface of an application. The application commits change to the state of the layers of the layer tree. The application does not need to include explicit code for animating the changes to the layers. Instead, an animation is determined for animating the change in state. The determined animation is explicitly applied to the affected layers in the render tree. A render engine renders from the render tree into a frame buffer for display on the processing device. Those portions of the render tree that have changed relative to prior versions can be tracked to improve resource management.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Peter N Graffagnino