International Business Machines Corporation

Robert D Gordon

Bradley J Beitel

Lonnie S Walling

Michael David Wilkes

Peter C Yanker

John J Deacon

Nancy A Burns

Joseph F Sinnott, Jr

Mark S Bishop

Charles L Haug

Kenneth B Smith

Ming C Hao

Steven Victor Kauffman

Ronald L Obermarck

Arthur M Sherman

Gene E Trivett

Lynn Trivett

Joseph B Witherspoon, Iii

Lynne C Thieme

A system is provided for generating transition effects for use on a visual display. The system includes a binary table for describing a transition effect and a method for ordering the rows in the table to produce the transition. The table includes an arbitrary number of rows, each row representing a cell (group of picture elements) on the display. A numerical value, based on any function of cell location, is associated with each cell. The table is then sorted according to the numerical values. Each row in the sorted table drives a step in the transition effect. The cells described by the various rows are changed in sorted order to display the material from the image being transitioned-to. The sequence of processing of the rows causes the desired transition effect. By varying the function used to order the rows, an infinite variety of transition effects can be created.

System and method for providing visual display transition effects

A computer system generates transition effects for use on a visual display. The system includes a binary table for describing a transition effect and a method for ordering the rows in the table to produce the transition. The table includes an arbitrary number of rows, each row representing a cell (group of picture elements) on the display. A numerical value, based on any function of cell location, is associated with each cell. The table is then sorted according to the numerical values. Each row in the sorted table drives a step in the transition effect. The cells described by the various rows are changed in sorted order to display the material from the image being transitioned-to. The sequence of processing of the rows causes the desired transition effect. By varying the function used to order the rows, an infinite variety of transition effects can be created.

Visual display transition effects using sorted table of display cells

A method of generating a second, substantially anti-aliased, representation of a character from a first representation. The second representation is comprised of horizontal lines of dots that are shifted horizontally relative to dots of the first representation, each dot of the first representation having a value DOT1 associated therewith. The method include a step of, for each horizontal line (1-m) within the first representation of a character and for each dot (1-j) within a horizontal line, (a) determining a modifying value (DOT1k) associated with a dot(k) of the first representation, DOT1k being a function of DOT1 of the dot(k). The method includes another step of determining a value (DOT2k) of a corresponding dot for the second representation, the value of the corresponding dot being determined in accordance with the expression DOT2k=((DOT1-DOT1k )+DOT1(k-1)), where DOT1(k-1) is a modifying value of an adjacent dot on the horizontal line. The modifying value is preferably determined by a table lookup procedure within a table of previously generated values.

Anti-alias font generation

A user/PC interface system is described which enables the creation and performance of a synchronized audio/visual story on the PC. The interface enables the initial storage of a plurality of visual images. Then, it enables the creation of an audio presentation which includes labels and time indications, certain of which are employed for synchronization purposes. The system is responsive to a label to execute a predetermined command upon the appearance of the label in the audio presentation. The PC is then operated to perform the audio presentation, that performance automatically causing the display of visual images upon the occurrence of labels and time indications. An improved, table-based authoring system is also described for preparation of both the above noted audio and visual presentations. The system relies upon columnar presentations of a tabular form, each column indicating a separate control function (or comment) relating to the audio/visual presentation.

Computer-based, audio/visual creation and presentation system and method

Method and apparatus for generating relative movement between a first image and a second image while avoiding display screen flicker. The method includes a step of copying to a first buffer a portion of a display memory corresponding to a present portion of the second image wherein a first image will first appear. The method further includes the steps of superimposing within the display memory the first image upon the present portion of the second image and copying to a second buffer the portion of the display memory corresponding to the present portion of the second image, including the first image superimposed thereon, and a portion of the display memory corresponding to a next portion of the second image wherein the first image will next appear. The method further includes the steps of erasing the first image from the second buffer by copying the present portion from the first buffer to the second buffer and superimposing, within the second buffer, the first image upon the next portion of the second image. The method includes a further step of copying the second buffer to the display memory such that the first image disappears from the present portion of the second image while simultaneously appearing within the next portion of the second image, thereby avoiding display screen flicker.

Animation processor method and apparatus

A user/PC interface system is described which enables the creation and performance of a synchronized audio/visual story on the PC. The interface enables the initial storage of a plurality of visual images. Then, it enables the creation of an audio presentation which includes labels and time indications, certain of which are employed for synchronization purposes. The system is responsive to a label to execute a predetermined command upon the appearance of the label in the audio presentation. The PC is then operated to perform the audio presentation, that performance automatically causing the display of visual images upon the occurrence of labels and time indications. A table-based authoring system is also described for preparation of both the above noted audio and visual presentations. The system relies upon columnar presentations of a tabular form, each column indicating a separate control function (or comment) relating to the audio/visual presentation.

A method for synchronizing common values in a distributed system, at least one node of which is a cyclic, rule-based, object-sensitive production system. Values altered in one part of the system are implicity rather than explicitly communicated and processed to and from the rule-based node. All communications to the rule-based node of common values changed by the nonrule-based nodes are by way of a list independent of and concurrently with any procedural request of the rule-based node, there being no necessary relation between the list contents and the procedural request.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Robert D Gordon