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Method and system for achieving enhanced glyphs in a font

Assignee: Apple Inc
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Filing: 1998-01-30
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Granted: 2000-07-18
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Expires: 2018-01-30
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Abstract

Abstract Aspects for achieving enhanced glyphs of a font are presented. In a method aspect, the method includes determining a glyph layer description for a selected glyph, and accessing at least one contour for the selected glyph. The method further includes accessing at least one layer style for the at least one contour of the selected glyph, and rendering the selected glyph in accordance with the at least one layer style to produced an enhanced glyph. In a system aspect, the system includes a mechanism for providing a hinted path. A glyph layer processor is coupled to the mechanism for providing and receives the hinted path. The glyph layer processor outputs enhanced glyph data. A drawing client for receiving the enhanced glyph data from the glyph layer processor for output from a computer system is further included.

Inventors

  • 👤 Alexander B. Beaman
  • 👤 David G. Opstad

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 18:09
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F40/00; G06F40/10; G06F40/103; G06F40/109

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 43
Claim 1
Independent Claim 69 words
A method for achieving enhanced glyphs of a font, the method comprising: (a) determining a glyph layer description for a selected glyph; (b) accessing at least one contour for the selected glyph; (c) accessing at least one layer style for the at least one contour of the selected glyph; and (d) rendering the selected glyph in accordance with the at least one layer style to produce an enhanced glyph.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 69 words
A method for achieving enhanced glyphs of a font, the method comprising: (a) determining a glyph layer description for a selected glyph; (b) accessing at least one contour for the selected glyph; (c) accessing at least one layer style for the at least one contour of the selected glyph; and (d) rendering the selected glyph in accordance with the at least one layer style to produce an enhanced glyph.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 30 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating steps (b), (c), and (d) for each layer of the selected glyph until all layer styles for the selected glyph are rendered.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein rendering further comprises outputting a bitmap of the enhanced glyph.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein rendering further comprises outputting a data stream for the enhanced glyph.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the data stream corresponds with a curve codec stream format.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the data stream corresponds with a page description language data stream.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein determining step (a) further comprises identifying the selected glyph from a glyph id.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein accessing step (b) further comprises accessing an appropriate contour from a hinted path of the selected glyph.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method of claim 8 wherein a font scaler provides the hinted path.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 43 words
The method of claim 7 wherein determining step (a) further comprises determining a number of contours associated with the selected glyph, determining one or more contours forming each layer of the selected glyph, and identifying a style of enhancement associated with each layer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method of claim 10 further comprising providing style of enhancement data in a data structure.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 11 wherein style of enhancement data comprises basic style data including color, fill type, alpha value, and stroke/fill identification.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method of claim 12 wherein color data comprises device independent color data.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 43 words
The method of claim 12 wherein style of enhancement data further comprises layer style attribute data, the layer style attribute data comprising an extensible set of attributes including a transfer mode, gradient ramp fill, foreground, background and other color options for each layer.
Claim 16
Independent Claim 68 words
A system for achieving enhanced glyphs in a font in a computer system, the system for achieving comprising: means for providing a hinted path; a glyph layer processor coupled to the means for providing and receiving the hinted path, the glyph layer processor outputting enhanced glyph data; and a drawing client for receiving the enhanced glyph data from the glyph layer processor for output from the computer system.
Claim 17
Independent Claim 68 words
A system for achieving enhanced glyphs in a font in a computer system, the system for achieving comprising: means for providing a hinted path; a glyph layer processor coupled to the means for providing and receiving the hinted path, the glyph layer processor outputting enhanced glyph data; and a drawing client for receiving the enhanced glyph data from the glyph layer processor for output from the computer system.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 36 words
The system of claim 15 wherein the glyph layer processor processes the hinted path in accordance with data in a glyph layer description, the glyph layer description providing layering specifications for each glyph in the font.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 25 words
The system of claim 16 wherein the layering specifications indicate what layers exist for each glyph and how the existing layers relate to one another.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 23 words
The system of claim 16 wherein the glyph layer description further comprises glyph attributes to apply optional programmed effects for an entire glyph.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 41 words
The system of claim 16 wherein the glyph layer processor further processes the hinted path in accordance with a layer style description one layer at a time, the layer style description storing style characteristics and indexed by the glyph layer description.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 32 words
The system of claim 19 wherein the style characteristics further comprise basic style data, the basic style data including color, fill type, an alpha value, and an identification of a stroke/fill selection.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 37 words
The system of claim 20 wherein the style characteristics further comprise style attribute data, the style attribute data comprising an extensible set of attributes including transfer mode, gradient ramp fill, foreground, background, and other color selection indicators.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 13 words
The system of claim 15 wherein the drawing client comprises a graphics system.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 13 words
The system of claim 15 wherein the drawing client comprises a printer driver.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 13 words
The system of claim 15 wherein the drawing client comprises a glyph server.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 17 words
The system of claim 15 wherein the means for providing a hinted path comprises a font scaler.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 17 words
The system of claim 15 wherein the glyph layer processor outputs enhanced glyph data as a bitmap.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 18 words
The system of claim 15 wherein the glyph layer processor outputs enhanced glyph data as a data stream.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 15 words
The system of claim 27 wherein the data stream comprises a curve codec stream format.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 15 words
The system of claim 27 wherein the data stream comprises a page description language stream.
Claim 32
Independent Claim 56 words
A method for achieving enhanced individual glyphs of a font, the method comprising: forming a glyph layer description of one or more layers for a font; forming a layer style description of one or more styles for the font; and utilizing data from the layer style description by the glyph layer description to achieve enhanced glyphs.
Claim 33
Independent Claim 56 words
A method for achieving enhanced individual glyphs of a font, the method comprising: forming a glyph layer description of one or more layers for a font; forming a layer style description of one or more styles for the font; and utilizing data from the layer style description by the glyph layer description to achieve enhanced glyphs.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim 27 words
The method of claim 30 wherein forming a glyph layer description further comprises forming a data structure of layering specifications for the enhanced glyphs of the font.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of claim 31 wherein the data structure further comprises one or more glyph attributes to apply optional programmed effects for an entire glyph, the glyph attributes including animation commands and parameters.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 31 wherein the layering specifications indicate what layers exist for each glyph and how the existing layers relate to one another.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim 19 words
The method of claim 31 wherein the layering specifications prescribe an order for layer formation of the enhanced glyph.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method of claim 31 wherein the layering specifications indicate one or more contours forming each layer.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim 18 words
The method of claim 35 wherein the layering specifications specify use of all contours for the enhanced glyph.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim 31 words
The method of claim 30 wherein forming a layer style description further comprises forming a data table of style characteristics, each entry in the data table having a style index value.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 37 wherein utilizing data from the layer style description further comprises providing the style index value in the glyph layer description.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim 40 words
The method of claim 37 wherein forming a data table of style characteristics further comprises providing basic style data for a style, the basic style data comprising color, fill type, an alpha value, and an identification of a stroke/fill selection.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim 42 words
The method of claim 39 wherein forming a data table of style characteristics further comprises providing style attribute data, the style attribute data comprising an extensible set of attributes including transfer mode, gradient ramp fill, foreground, background, and other color selection indicators.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US5715473A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2003-07-18 2004-01-17 2004-07-18 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2007-07-18 2008-01-17 2008-07-18 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2011-07-18 2012-01-17 2012-07-18 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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