US 4,616,336 A · Independent image and annotation overlay with highlighting of overlay conflicts

Abstract

A word processing system is provided with separate data structures in system memory (4). One of these, the internal image, contains the calculated graphics image and another the operator's alphanumeric character input. When displaying, the two images are merged together with the annotation overlay effectively overlaying the graphics overlay. In this way, if the operator erases something on the annotation overlay, the contents of the graphics overlay reappear. During the display of the calculated image and as the operator adds annotations to the display, overlaying conflicts between the graphics image and an alphanumeric character added by the operator are resolved in favor of the alphanumeric character. When an overlaying conflict does exist, the alphanumeric character is highlighted by video reversing to indicate that it is hiding a portion of the graphics image.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A word processing system having an interactive display terminal for displaying alphanumeric and calculated graphic images while maintaining the integrity of the calculated graphic data comprising:

first storage means for storing data representative of calculated graphic data;
second storage means for storing alphanumeric character data entered by a user;
merging means connected to said first and second storage means for merging the data in said first and second storage means for display on said display terminal;
detecting means in said merging means for detecting overlaying conflicts between the merged data by resolving said overlaying conflicts in favor of the data from said second storage means while preserving the data in said first storage means, whereby erasure of conflicting data in said second storage means results in the display of data from said first storage means previously in overlaying conflict with data erased from said second storage means, said detecting means providing an output indicating an overlaying conflict between the data in said first and second storage means;
and
means responsive to said detecting means output for causing the corresponding data from said second storage means to be highlighted in its display on said display terminal.

3 more elements

A method of displaying images of alphanumeric data entered by a user and calculated graphic data on a display terminal while maintaining the integrity of the claculated graphic data comprising the steps of:

storing said calculated graphic data;
storing said alphanumeric character data as it is entered by a user;
merging the stored calculated graphic data with the stored alphanumeric character data;
detecting overlaying conflicts between the calculated graphic data and the stored alphanumeric character data merged in said merging step;
displaying images of the merged calculated graphic data and alphanumeric character data while resolving detected overlaying conflicts between said calculated graphic data and said alphanumeric character data in favor of said alphanumeric character data for purposes of displaying said images;
if conflicting alphanumeric character data is erased, then displaying the calculated graphic data image;
detecting during said merging step overlaying conflicts between said calculated graphic data and said alphanumeric character data;
and
highlighting the displayed alphanumeric character data detected to conflict with stored calculated graphic data to show the user where an overlaying conflict exists.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Independent image and annotation overlay with highlighting of overlay conflicts

Life of this patent

Independent image and annotation overlay with highlighting of overlay conflicts

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims5