Defining surfaces in border string sequences representing a raster image

An integrated circuit for generating a plurality of data tags representing at least one shape in a raster image, the integrated circuit comprising:

• (a) a border definer for generating a border string sequence representing a color border in the raster image, wherein:
• the border string sequence comprises a plurality of surface strings;
• and
• a surface string comprises a receive slope and a send slope representing a slope of the border passing through a predetermined area of the raster image;
• and
• (b) a surface string sequencer for converting the border string sequence into one or more surfaces, wherein a surface comprises one or more surface string sequences representing a section of the border string sequence.

A method of generating a plurality of data tags representing at least one shape in a raster image, the comprising the steps of:

• (a) generating a border string sequence representing a color border in the raster image, wherein:
• the border string sequence comprises a plurality of surface strings;
• and
• a surface string comprises a receive slope and a send slope representing a slope of the border passing through a predetermined area of the raster image;
• and
• (b) converting the border string sequence into one or more surfaces, wherein a surface comprises one or more surface string sequences representing a section of the border string sequence.

A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium for generating a plurality of data tags representing at least one shape in a raster image, the computer program comprising source code segments comprising:

• (a) a border definer for generating a border string sequence representing a color border in the raster image, wherein:
• the border string sequence comprises a plurality of surface strings;
• and
• a surface string comprises a receive slope and a send slope representing a slope of the border passing through a predetermined area of the raster image;
• and
• (b) a surface string sequencer for converting the border string sequence into one or more surfaces, wherein a surface comprises one or more surface string sequences representing a section of the border string sequence.