# US 7,466,855 B2 · Display processing system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,466,855 B2 - Document ID: US7466855B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/776,824 - Filed: 2004-02-11 - Published: 2004-08-19 - Granted: 2008-12-16 - Earliest claimed: 2003-02-11 - Assignees: Research In Motion Limited - Inventors: Jay D. Steele; Kenneth J. Whatmough - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7466855B2 ## CPC - G09G 5/026: {Control of mixing and/or overlay of colours in general (G09G5/022 and G09G5/024 take precedence)} - G06T 11/10: Texturing; Colouring; Generation of textures or colours (retouching, inpainting or scratch removal G06T5/77) - G09G 2340/12: Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A computer implemented method of processing image pixel data corresponding to an image pixel comprises determining if the image pixel is opaque or transparent. If the image pixel is determined to be opaque, a pixel color value from a first set of image pixel data is determined. If the image pixel is determined to be transparent, a transparency value from a second set of the image pixel data and a pixel color value from a third set of the image pixel data is determined. The second and third sets of the image pixel data are subsets of the first set of image pixel data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer readable medium encoded with an image data structure for facilitating the rendering of an image by an image processing device, comprising: a first data field operable to store opaque data, the opaque data indicating whether image data is transparent or opaque; and a red pixel data field associated with the first data field, the red pixel data field operable to store first red pixel data when the opaque data indicates an image is opaque, and operable to store second red pixel data and first transparency data when the opaque data indicates that the image is transparent; a green pixel data field associated with the first data field, the green pixel data field operable to store first green pixel data when the opaque data indicates an image is opaque, and operable to store second green pixel data and second transparency data when the opaque data indicates that the image is transparent; and a blue pixel data field associated with the first data field, the blue pixel data field operable to store first blue pixel data when the opaque data indicates an image is opaque, and operable to store second blue pixel data and third transparency data when the opaque data indicates that the image is transparent, wherein the first, second and third transparency data specify a transparency level of a pixel defined by the second red, green and blue pixel data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more pixel data fields comprise an approximated 5-6-5 pixel format when the opaque data indicates that the pixel data is transparent. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the transparency level defined by the first, second and third transparency data comprise first, second and third bits, respectively, the first bit for selecting one of a plurality of transparency operations for rendering an image and the second and third bits defining bit shifting and masking operands for the selected transparency operation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third bits define transparency levels according to a logarithmic increment. ### Claim 5 A computer implemented method of processing image pixel data corresponding to an image pixel, comprising: step for determining if the image pixel is opaque or transparent; step for determined to be opaque, then determining a pixel color value from a first set of the image pixel data if the image pixel is determined to be opaque; step for determining a transparency value from a second set of the image pixel data; and for determining a pixel color value from a third set of the image pixel data if the image pixel data is determined to be transparent wherein the second and third sets of the image pixel data occupy the same data bits as the first set of image pixel data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising: storing the image pixel data in a first memory store; storing displayed image pixel data in a second memory store; if the image pixel is determined to be transparent, then: determining a bit shift value based on the transparency value; and performing a bit shift of the bit shift value on the image pixel data stored in the first memory store and displayed image pixel data in the second memory store to determine a new displayed image pixel data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the step for performing a bit shift of the bit shift value on the image pixel data stored in the first memory store and displayed image pixel data in the second memory store to determine the new displayed image pixel data comprises: selecting a first set of shifting operations if the transparency value corresponds to a first characteristic; and selecting a second set of shifting operations if the transparency value corresponds to a second characteristic. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the transparency value is one of a plurality of logarithmic transparency values. ### Claim 9 A mobile communication device including an image processing device, the image processing device operable to process image pixel data corresponding to an image pixel and comprising: means for determining if the image pixel is opaque or transparent; means for determining a pixel color value from a first set of image pixel data when the image pixel is determined to be opaque; and means for determining a transparency value from a second set of the image pixel data and for determining a pixel color value from a third set of the image pixel data if the image pixel data is determined to be transparent, wherein the second and third sets of the image pixel data occupy the same data bits as the first set of image pixel data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the means for determining if the image pixel is opaque or transparent comprises a first data field stored in a computer readable medium in the mobile device and operable to store opaque data, the opaque data indicating whether image data is transparent or opaque. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the means for determining a pixel color value and the means for determining a transparency value comprise one or more pixel data fields associated with the first data field and stored in a computer readable medium in the mobile device, the one or more pixel data fields operable to store first pixel data in each pixel data field when the opaque data indicates an image is opaque, and operable to store second pixel data and transparency data in each pixel data field when the opaque data indicates that the image is transparent. ### Claim 12 A mobile communication device, comprising: a display device; a memory module comprising a source image buffer and a destination image buffer, the source image buffer operable to store first image data to be displayed on the display device, and the destination image buffer operable to store second image data to be displayed on the display device, the second image data comprising: a first data field operable to store opaque data, the opaque data indicating whether second image data is transparent or opaque, a red pixel data field associated with the first data field, the red pixel data field operable to store first red dixel data when the opaque data indicates an image is opaque. and operable to store second red pixel data and first transparency data when the opaque data indicates that the image is transparent; A green pixel data field associated with the first data field, the green pixel data field operable to store first green pixel data when the opaque data indicates an image is opaque, and operable to store second green pixel data and second transparency data when the opaque data indicates that the image is transparent; and A blue pixel data field associated with the first data field, the blue pixel data field operable to store first blue pixel data when the opaque data indicates an image is opaque. and operable to store second blue pixel data and third transparency data when the opaque data indicates that the image is transparent, wherein the first, second and third transparency data specify a transparency level of a pixel defined by the second red, green and blue pixel data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The mobile communication device of claim 12, further comprising an imaging module operable to determine if the second image data is opaque or transparent based on the opaque data, to determine a pixel color value from the first pixel color data if the image is determined to be opaque, and to determine the pixel color value from the second pixel color data and to determine a transparency level from the transparency data if the image is determined to be transparent. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the second pixel color data comprise an approximated 5-6-5 pixel format when the opaque data indicates that the pixel data is transparent. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The mobile communication device of claim 14, wherein the opaque data comprises first, second and third transparency data bits that collectively define a transparency level. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the first bit corresponds to a selection from one of a plurality of transparency operations for rendering an image and the second and third bits defining bit shifting and masking operands for the selected transparency operation. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the transparency data defines one of a plurality of logarithmic transparency values.