Graphic data processing system with improved retrieval and display of graphical forms

Claim 1

A method of retrieving graphical data from a graphic data processing system that processes graphical forms, the graphic data processing system being responsive to a processing request to retrieve a graphical form from a designated region or a processing request to display a graphical form from a designated region, the method comprising: establishing a three-dimensional figure which contains at least one graphical form; obtaining a spatial position of the three-dimensional figure; storing the obtained spatial position, the stored spatial position being region information; storing graphic data for each graphical form contained in the three-dimensional figure, the stored graphic data being graphical information; forming a graphic element for the three-dimensional figure, the graphic element being a combination of the region information for the three-dimensional figure and the graphical information of each graphical form contained in the three-dimensional figure; determining, when a processing request is requested for a designated region, whether the three-dimensional figure lies at least partially within the designated region, the determining step being performed by analyzing the region information of the graphic element; excluding the graphic data contained in the three-dimensional figure from further processing by the processing request when the three-dimensional figure is determined to lie outside the designated region in the determining step; selecting the graphic data contained in the three-dimensional figure for further processing by the processing request when the three-dimensional figure is determined to lie within the designated region in the determining step.

Claim 2

A method of retrieving graphical data from a graphic data processing system that processes graphical forms, the graphic data processing system being responsive to a processing request to retrieve a graphical form from a designated region or a processing request to display a graphical form from a designated region, the method comprising: establishing a three-dimensional figure which contains at least one graphical form; obtaining a spatial position of the three-dimensional figure; storing the obtained spatial position, the stored spatial position being region information; storing graphic data for each graphical form contained in the three-dimensional figure, the stored graphic data being graphical information; forming a graphic element for the three-dimensional figure, the graphic element being a combination of the region information for the three-dimensional figure and the graphical information of each graphical form contained in the three-dimensional figure; determining, when a processing request is requested for a designated region, whether the three-dimensional figure lies at least partially within the designated region, the determining step being performed by analyzing the region information of the graphic element; excluding the graphic data contained in the three-dimensional figure from further processing by the processing request when the three-dimensional figure is determined to lie outside the designated region in the determining step; selecting the graphic data contained in the three-dimensional figure for further processing by the processing request when the three-dimensional figure is determined to lie within the designated region in the determining step.

Claim 7

A method of retrieving graphical data from a graphic data processing system that processes graphical forms, the graphic data processing system being responsive to a processing request to retrieve a graphical form from a designated region or a processing request to display a graphical form from a designated region, the method comprising: establishing at least one individual three-dimensional figure, each individual three-dimensional figure containing at least one graphical form; obtaining a spatial position of each individual three-dimensional figure; storing the obtained spatial position of each individual three-dimensional figure, the stored spatial position of each individual three-dimensional figure being region information corresponding to the respective individual three-dimensional figure; storing, for each respective individual three-dimensional figure, graphic data for each graphical form contained in the respective individual three-dimensional figure, the stored graphic data for each graphical form being graphical information corresponding to the respective graphical form; forming a respective graphic element for each individual three-dimensional figure, each graphic element being a combination of the region information corresponding to the respective individual three-dimensional figure and the graphical information corresponding to each graphical form contained in the respective individual three-dimensional figure; forming at least one group of graphic elements, each group comprising at least one graphic element; establishing at least one group three-dimensional figure, each group three-dimensional figure containing a respective group of graphic elements; obtaining a spatial position of each group three-dimensional figure; storing the obtained spatial position of each group three-dimensional figure to define respective group region information; a first determining step of determining, when a processing request is requested for a designated region, whether any of the respective group three-dimensional figures lie at least partially within the designated region, the first determining step being performed by analyzing the group region information of each group three-dimensional figure; a first excluding step of excluding the graphic data contained in a respective group three-dimensional figure from further processing by the processing request when the respective group three-dimensional figure is determined to lie outside the designated region in the first determining step; a second determining step of determining, for each respective group three-dimensional figure determined to lie at least partially within the designated region, whether any of the respective individual three-dimensional figures of the respective group three-dimensional figure lie at least partially within the designated region, the second determining step being performed by analyzing the region information of each graphic element of the respective individual three-dimensional figure; a second excluding step of excluding the graphic data contained in a respective individual three-dimensional figure from further processing by the processing request when the respective individual three-dimensional figure is determined to lie outside the designated region in the second determining step; selecting the graphic data contained in a respective individual three-dimensional figure for further processing by the processing request when the respective three-dimensional figure is determined to lie within the designated region in the second determining step.

Claim 8

A method of retrieving graphical data from a graphic data processing system that processes graphical forms, the graphic data processing system being responsive to a processing request to retrieve a graphical form from a designated region or a processing request to display a graphical form from a designated region, the method comprising: establishing at least one individual three-dimensional figure, each individual three-dimensional figure containing at least one graphical form; obtaining a spatial position of each individual three-dimensional figure; storing the obtained spatial position of each individual three-dimensional figure, the stored spatial position of each individual three-dimensional figure being region information corresponding to the respective individual three-dimensional figure; storing, for each respective individual three-dimensional figure, graphic data for each graphical form contained in the respective individual three-dimensional figure, the stored graphic data for each graphical form being graphical information corresponding to the respective graphical form; forming a respective graphic element for each individual three-dimensional figure, each graphic element being a combination of the region information corresponding to the respective individual three-dimensional figure and the graphical information corresponding to each graphical form contained in the respective individual three-dimensional figure; forming at least one group of graphic elements, each group comprising at least one graphic element; establishing at least one group three-dimensional figure, each group three-dimensional figure containing a respective group of graphic elements; obtaining a spatial position of each group three-dimensional figure; storing the obtained spatial position of each group three-dimensional figure to define respective group region information; a first determining step of determining, when a processing request is requested for a designated region, whether any of the respective group three-dimensional figures lie at least partially within the designated region, the first determining step being performed by analyzing the group region information of each group three-dimensional figure; a first excluding step of excluding the graphic data contained in a respective group three-dimensional figure from further processing by the processing request when the respective group three-dimensional figure is determined to lie outside the designated region in the first determining step; a second determining step of determining, for each respective group three-dimensional figure determined to lie at least partially within the designated region, whether any of the respective individual three-dimensional figures of the respective group three-dimensional figure lie at least partially within the designated region, the second determining step being performed by analyzing the region information of each graphic element of the respective individual three-dimensional figure; a second excluding step of excluding the graphic data contained in a respective individual three-dimensional figure from further processing by the processing request when the respective individual three-dimensional figure is determined to lie outside the designated region in the second determining step; selecting the graphic data contained in a respective individual three-dimensional figure for further processing by the processing request when the respective three-dimensional figure is determined to lie within the designated region in the second determining step.

Claim 9

An apparatus for retrieving graphical data from a graphic data processing system that processes graphical forms, the graphic data processing system being responsive to a processing request to retrieve a graphical form from a designated region or a processing request to display a graphical form from a designated region, the apparatus comprising: means for establishing a three-dimensional figure which contains at least one graphical form; means for obtaining a spatial position of the three-dimensional figure; means for storing the obtained spatial position, the stored spatial position being region information; means for storing graphic data of each graphical form contained in the three-dimensional figure, the stored graphic data being graphical information; means for forming a graphic element of the three-dimensional figure, the graphic element being a combination of the region information of the three-dimensional figure and the graphical information of each graphical form contained in the three-dimensional figure; means for determining, when a processing request is requested for a designated region, whether the three-dimensional figure lies at least partially within the designated region, the determination being made by analyzing the region information of the graphic element; means for excluding the graphic data contained in the three-dimensional figure from further processing by the processing request when the three-dimensional figure is determined to lie outside the designated region by the means for determining; means for selecting the graphic data contained in the three-dimensional figure for further processing by the processing request when the three-dimensional figure is determined to lie within the designated region by the means for determining.

Claim 10

An apparatus for retrieving graphical data from a graphic data processing system that processes graphical forms, the graphic data processing system being responsive to a processing request to retrieve a graphical form from a designated region or a processing request to display a graphical form from a designated region, the apparatus comprising: means for establishing a three-dimensional figure which contains at least one graphical form; means for obtaining a spatial position of the three-dimensional figure; means for storing the obtained spatial position, the stored spatial position being region information; means for storing graphic data of each graphical form contained in the three-dimensional figure, the stored graphic data being graphical information; means for forming a graphic element of the three-dimensional figure, the graphic element being a combination of the region information of the three-dimensional figure and the graphical information of each graphical form contained in the three-dimensional figure; means for determining, when a processing request is requested for a designated region, whether the three-dimensional figure lies at least partially within the designated region, the determination being made by analyzing the region information of the graphic element; means for excluding the graphic data contained in the three-dimensional figure from further processing by the processing request when the three-dimensional figure is determined to lie outside the designated region by the means for determining; means for selecting the graphic data contained in the three-dimensional figure for further processing by the processing request when the three-dimensional figure is determined to lie within the designated region by the means for determining.

Claim 15

An apparatus for retrieving graphical data from a graphic data processing system that processes graphical forms, the graphic data processing system being responsive to a processing request to retrieve a graphical form from a designated region or a processing request to display a graphical form from a designated region, the apparatus comprising: means for establishing at least one individual three-dimensional figure, each individual three-dimensional figure containing at least one graphical form; means for obtaining a spatial position of each individual three-dimensional figure; means for storing the obtained spatial position of each individual three-dimensional figure, the stored spatial position of each individual three-dimensional figure being region information corresponding to the respective individual three-dimensional figure; means for storing, for each respective individual three-dimensional figure, graphic data of each graphical form contained in the respective individual three-dimensional figure, the stored graphic data of each graphical form being graphical information corresponding to the respective graphical form; means for forming a respective graphic element of each individual three-dimensional figure, each graphic element being a combination of the region information corresponding to the respective individual three-dimensional figure and the graphical information corresponding to each graphical form contained in the respective individual three-dimensional figure; means for forming at least one group of graphic elements, each group comprising at least one graphic element; means for establishing at least one group three-dimensional figure, each group three-dimensional figure containing a respective group of graphic elements; means for obtaining a spatial position of the group three-dimensional figure; means for storing the obtained spatial position of each group three-dimensional figure to define respective group region information; first determining means for determining, when a processing request is requested for a designated region, whether any of the respective group three-dimensional figures lie at least partially within the designated region, the determination being performed by analyzing the group region information of each group three-dimensional figure; first excluding means for excluding the graphic data contained in a respective group three-dimensional figure from further processing by the processing request when the respective group three-dimensional figure is determined to lie outside the designated region by the first determining means; second determining means for determining, for each respective group three-dimensional figure determined to lie at least partially within the designated region, whether any of the respective individual three-dimensional figures of the respective group three-dimensional figure lie at least partially within the designated region, the determination being performed by analyzing the region information of each graphic element of the respective individual three-dimensional figure; a second excluding means for excluding the graphic data contained in a respective individual three-dimensional figure from further processing by the processing request when the respective individual three-dimensional figure is determined to lie outside the designated region by the second determining means; means for selecting the graphic data contained in a respective individual three-dimensional figure for further processing by the processing request when the respective three-dimensional figure is determined to lie within the designated region by the second determining means.

Claim 16

An apparatus for retrieving graphical data from a graphic data processing system that processes graphical forms, the graphic data processing system being responsive to a processing request to retrieve a graphical form from a designated region or a processing request to display a graphical form from a designated region, the apparatus comprising: means for establishing at least one individual three-dimensional figure, each individual three-dimensional figure containing at least one graphical form; means for obtaining a spatial position of each individual three-dimensional figure; means for storing the obtained spatial position of each individual three-dimensional figure, the stored spatial position of each individual three-dimensional figure being region information corresponding to the respective individual three-dimensional figure; means for storing, for each respective individual three-dimensional figure, graphic data of each graphical form contained in the respective individual three-dimensional figure, the stored graphic data of each graphical form being graphical information corresponding to the respective graphical form; means for forming a respective graphic element of each individual three-dimensional figure, each graphic element being a combination of the region information corresponding to the respective individual three-dimensional figure and the graphical information corresponding to each graphical form contained in the respective individual three-dimensional figure; means for forming at least one group of graphic elements, each group comprising at least one graphic element; means for establishing at least one group three-dimensional figure, each group three-dimensional figure containing a respective group of graphic elements; means for obtaining a spatial position of the group three-dimensional figure; means for storing the obtained spatial position of each group three-dimensional figure to define respective group region information; first determining means for determining, when a processing request is requested for a designated region, whether any of the respective group three-dimensional figures lie at least partially within the designated region, the determination being performed by analyzing the group region information of each group three-dimensional figure; first excluding means for excluding the graphic data contained in a respective group three-dimensional figure from further processing by the processing request when the respective group three-dimensional figure is determined to lie outside the designated region by the first determining means; second determining means for determining, for each respective group three-dimensional figure determined to lie at least partially within the designated region, whether any of the respective individual three-dimensional figures of the respective group three-dimensional figure lie at least partially within the designated region, the determination being performed by analyzing the region information of each graphic element of the respective individual three-dimensional figure; a second excluding means for excluding the graphic data contained in a respective individual three-dimensional figure from further processing by the processing request when the respective individual three-dimensional figure is determined to lie outside the designated region by the second determining means; means for selecting the graphic data contained in a respective individual three-dimensional figure for further processing by the processing request when the respective three-dimensional figure is determined to lie within the designated region by the second determining means.