US 5,631,974 AGranted

Image processing

AssigneeCanon Research Centre Europe Ltd.

InventorsDavid Lau-Kee, Gerhardt P. Otto, Yasuo Kozato, Adam Billyard

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Abstract

Apparatus for image processing which consists of a display (1) and controller (2), a CPU (3) connected to accept user instructions from a mouse (4), an image processor (5) arranged to process image data and a memory (6) for storing image (and other data). A user can specify a sequence of image processing operations on the display (1) using the mouse (4), and interactively modify the sequence depending on the displayed image. The apparatus operates three independent routines ("virtual machines"); a user interface routine accepting instructions and updating the screen display; a sequence evaluation routine constructing a table (20) representing the sequence graph, and evaluating the table (20) to generate corresponding image processing instructions for the image processor (5); and the image processing routine executing specified image processing operations and storing the result in the memory (6) to be accessed for display. Evaluation only occurs after an output is required.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A data processing apparatus comprising:

processing means having a repertoire of basic data processing operations, each basic operation being performable by the processing means to generate processed output data;
output means having a repertoire of at least one basic output operation for presenting data to a user of the apparatus;
graphical user interface means having display means and user input means permitting a user to select and assemble on a display graphical representations of said basic processing operations and basic output operation, and permitting the user to specify data paths between the assembled operations so as to specify a sequence for execution of the assembled operations in accordance with a desired composite data processing operation;
wherein said basic processing operations can be assembled and represented by said graphical user interface means without the prior execution and without automatic execution of the assembled basic operations, and wherein the processing means is arranged to cause execution of a sequence of basic operations automatically in response to the user selecting said basic output operation and specifying a data path from a data output of one of the assembled basic operations to a data input of said output operation, so as to present to the user data processed in accordance with said composite data processing operation, and wherein the processing means does not automatically execute sequences of basic operations when assembled basic operations do not have data path specified directly or indirectly from a data output thereof to the data input of the basic output operation.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/388,188Filed 13 Feb 1995 · continuation
Priority: GB 901899631 Aug 1990
Granted: 20 May 1997
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G06T 19/00
Manipulating three-dimensional [3d] models or images for computer graphics
G06F 9/451
Arrangements for executing specific programs: execution arrangements for user interfaces
G06T 11/60
Two-dimensional [2D] image generation: creating or editing images; Combining images with text
G06T 2200/24
Indexing scheme for image data processing or generation, in general: involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]