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US 8,427,502 B2Granted
Context-aware non-linear graphic editing
AssigneeCadence Design Systems, Inc.
InventorsParag Choudhary, Hitesh Mohan Kumar, Abha Jain
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A graphical editor displays graphical representations of underlying data items in a distribution of information-bearing states across a bounded region of a display. One or more of the data items are selected as belonging to a context of a user task or operation. The information-bearing states are redistributed in the bounded region of the display so that an amount of information sufficient to the task is provided through the graphical representations of the data items in the context and any space in the bounded region of the display needed to display such information is acquired by a decrease in the amount of information provided by the data items outside the context.
Claims21
A graphic editor apparatus comprising:
- a display interface to display in a bounded region thereof a plurality of graphical representations of data items in a first distribution of information-conveying states;
- a context data processor to establish a context portion to include at least one of the data items;
- a display data processor to render the graphical representations of the data items into a second distribution of the information-conveying states across the bounded region of the display interface to concurrently:
- (a) increase an amount of information conveyed to a user by the graphical representation of the data item in the context portion, and
- (b) reduce an amount of information conveyed to a user by the graphical representations of the data items outside the context portion, the graphical representations of the data items remaining visible in the bounded region of the display interface;
- and
- at least one user control to modify a data item in the bounded region of the display interface in the second distribution of the information-conveying states of the graphical representations of the data items, wherein the second distribution of information-conveying states includes at least one different information-conveying state selected from a plurality of information-conveying states maintained for a data item, the different information-conveying state replacing an original information-conveying state of the data item.
4 more elements
A graphic editing interface comprising:
- a display device having a canvas region displayed thereon to edit a plurality of graphical abstractions of data items;
- a processor to establish a context portion to include at least one data item associated therewith and to render graphical abstractions of the data items such that the graphical abstraction of the data item in the context portion is displayed with greater visual prominence than the graphical abstractions of the data items outside the context portion and the graphical abstractions of all of the data items outside the context portion are rendered to be displayed with a reduction in visual prominence relative to an initial prominence while remaining visible in the canvas region;
- and
- at least one user control to modify a data item in the canvas region subsequent to the graphical abstraction of the data item in the context portion being displayed with greater visual prominence than the graphical abstractions of the data items outside the context portion, wherein at least one graphical abstraction is selected from a plurality of graphical abstractions maintained for a data item to replace an original graphical abstraction of the data item.
1 more element
A graphical editing interface to an electronic circuit design system comprising:
- a canvas region of a display interface to edit a plurality of graphical abstractions of circuit data;
- a context data processor to establish a context portion including at least one circuit data item;
- a display data processor to render graphical abstractions of the circuit data items such that the graphical abstraction of the circuit data item in the context portion is displayed with greater visual prominence than the graphical abstractions of the circuit data items outside the context portion and the graphical abstractions of all of the circuit data items outside the context portion are rendered to be displayed with a reduction in visual prominence relative to an initial prominence while remaining visible in the canvas region;
- and
- at least one user control to modify a circuit data item on the canvas subsequent to the graphical abstraction of the circuit data item in the context portion being displayed with greater visual prominence than the graphical abstractions of the circuit data items outside the context portion, wherein at least one graphical abstraction is selected from a plurality of graphical abstractions maintained for a data item to replace an original graphical abstraction of the data item.
2 more elements
A method of editing graphic data comprising:
- actuating a computer processor to:
- display a plurality of graphical elements in a bounded area of a display screen, each of the graphical elements having assigned thereto an information-conveying state to form a distribution of information-conveying states of the plurality of graphical elements across the bounded area of the display screen;
- establish one or more of the graphical elements as belonging to a context portion and excluding one or more of the graphical elements from the context portion;
- modify the distribution of information-conveying states of the plurality of graphical elements such that the graphical elements in the context portion are displayed with greater visual prominence than the graphical elements outside the context portion and all of the graphical elements outside the context portion are displayed with a reduction in visual prominence relative to an initial prominence while remaining visible in the bounded region of the display screen;
- and
- modify the graphical elements in the bounded area of the display screen subsequent to the modifying of the distribution of information-conveying states, wherein the modified distribution of information-conveying states includes at least one different information-conveying state for a graphical element, the different information-conveying state being selected from a plurality of information-conveying states maintained for a graphical element, the different information-conveying state replacing an original information-conveying state of the graphical element.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.