DE102004054548B4 - Method for generating an image - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of producing an image associated with a color palette having one or more color entries for the image, comprising the steps of: (a) generating (S200) the image with at least one additional graphical element; (b) storing (S202) the color palette resulting from the image generated in step (a), having the color entries for the image and the at least one additional graphical element; (c) generating (S204) the image without the at least one additional graphical element using the color palette stored in step (b); and (d) storing (S206) the image generated in step (c) associated with the color palette stored in step (b), wherein step (a) comprises placing the at least one additional graphic element in a monochrome region of the image ,

Description

The present invention relates to a method of generating an image, and more particularly to a method of generating a pixel image associated with a color palette having one or more color entries for the image, the pixel image being added by adding further graphic elements , without additional changes in the color palette, can be supplemented. Further, the present invention relates to a pixel image, in particular a pixel image in GIF format (Graphics Interchange Format GIF) or a PNG image (PNG = Portable Network Graphics), which without further changes of this pixel image associated color palette can be supplemented by other graphic elements.

It is known in the art to include palette images, that is images associated with a color palette containing one or more color entries for the colors used in the image, e.g. B. pixel images in GIF format, in that the pixel image is generated, and this pixel image the mentioned color palette for the image content is assigned. Such pixel images in GIF format, for example, are preferably used on web pages displayed on a web browser, the pixel images in GIF format then being provided, for example, via the well-known HTML language. An example of such a pixel image is the well-known banners used on web pages to provide the viewer of the web page with additional advertising information, the corresponding area being brokered and leased to the advertiser by the provider of the web page Usually free content provided on the website.

As mentioned above, pixel images in GIF format are generally used for such advertising banners, ie a so-called palette image, whereby according to the GIF standard a maximum of 256 colors can be assigned to a freely definable palette. More specifically, in such a pixel image, the processes used in the image are assigned to the color palette in corresponding entries in the color palette, defining either only one color entry for a monochrome image or up to a maximum of 256 color entries for a multicolor image Color entries can be selected from the available colors, such as the RGB space. After such a pixel image has been generated, there may be a need to change it subsequently, for example, by adding additional text, the approach used in the prior art being described briefly below with reference to FIGS 1 is explained.

First, in the manner described above, the pixel image is generated in the GIF format as in step S100 in FIG 1 is shown. If it is now desired to add an additional text element to the existing pixel image, that text element is selected and, as in the step 102 is added to the existing pixel image. Since the original pixel image contains a color palette containing only the colors used in the original image, it is now necessary to adjust the color palette used for the original pixel image, as shown in step S104. In this step, the color palette is adjusted to not only contain the color entries for the original pixel image, but also to include the color entries required for the newly added text element, so that the overall image consisting of the original image and the additional text element new color palette results. The new image thus created is then provided with the revised GIF format color palette in step S106 for further use, for example for display on a web page.

As the above-given, brief description of the conventional procedure for changing a pixel image readily shows, it is here necessary to carry out quasi-manual, for example with the aid of an image processing program, the necessary adaptation steps, in particular for producing the color palette.

If one considers the basis of the 1 In more detail, the conventional approach described in connection with the above-described example of a GIF format banner, reference should be made to the following with regard to the above-described procedure according to the prior art. For a banner in GIF format, a maximum file size may be given or the situation may arise in which the GIF color palette has already filled all the color entries, ie uses color entries for all 256 possible colors. If, in this case, the existing image is to be used, for example, as a background to which a text with a certain font is to be added, which possibly goes hand in hand with an antialiasing of the edges of the letters, then, due to the necessary adaptation, those for the representation of the image change revised image required palette colors.

For the sake of simplicity, let us assume an example in which the banner only consists of a blue tone, so that in this case the optimized palette associated with that pixel image also includes only one color entry for that blue tone. If an additional text is now added, for example, placed over the blue tone, which is black, then it is necessary to the color palette to modify it to include at least one more color entry for the color black, and optionally further color entries to be inserted in the color palette when gradations from blue to black are required due to font antialiasing (edge smoothing for letters to improve readability).

The above-described procedure for changing an existing pixel image thus has a number of disadvantages, it being first mentioned here that due to the addition of the text, the pixel image, even after the GIF coding, becomes larger, so that for the If the pixel image is subject to a maximum size limitation, this may become too large to be accepted as a banner, for example. In addition, the approach taught in the prior art is disadvantageous in that here additional palette entries are required for the color of the text input or the font color, possibly even multiple entries, if, as described above, anti-aliasing is used.

Yet another disadvantage of the above-described procedure occurs when the original pixel image uses many colors, so that all or almost all the color entries for the palette are already occupied. In this case, it is then no longer possible for the additional entry or additional entries associated with the color of the text to be included in the palette. Although there are ways to avoid these disadvantages, for. For example, by superimposing two images with two pallets, but this is expensive and also leads to a larger storage requirements. The modification of the original color palette, which then accompanies the addition of the original image around the text specification, is even more complicated in this situation than in the simple case in which further color entries are to be added. In this case, the various color entries need to be completely redesigned to make room for the new entries while allowing the rearranged color entries to be adjusted. Of course, this is also accompanied by a change in the appearance of the original pixel image, which is usually undesirable for a user as well.

With regard to the state of the art, it can thus be stated in summary that this allows a change of an original pixel image by adding one or more further graphic elements, for example text elements, only with great effort and use.

The US 5,459,486 A describes an approach to combine palettes of multiple images into a shared palette. Furthermore, approaches to avoid distortions in the image due to the combination of the color palettes are described.

Based on this prior art, the present invention is therefore based on the object to be able to complete a pixel image with associated color palette after its generation without much effort and essentially automatically by at least one further graphical element.

This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1 and by a method according to claim 5.

• (a) Erzeugen des Bildes mit zumindest einem zusätzlichen graphischen Element;
• (b) Speichern der sich aus dem im Schritt (a) erzeugten Bild ergebenden Farbpalette, die die Farbeinträge aufweist, die die Farbeinträge für das Bild und das zumindest eine zusätzliche graphische Element aufweist;
• (c) Erzeugen des Bildes ohne das zumindest eine zusätzliche graphische Element unter Verwendung der im Schritt (b) gespeicherten Farbpalette; und
• (d) Speichern des im Schritt (c) erzeugten Bildes, dem die im Schritt (b) gespeicherte Farbpalette zugeordnet ist,

wobei der Schritt (a) das Anordnen des zumindest einen zusätzlichen graphischen Elements in einem einfarbigen Bereich des Bildes umfasst.The present invention provides a method of generating an image associated with a color palette having one or more color entries for the image, comprising the steps of:

• (a) generating the image with at least one additional graphical element;
• (b) storing the color palette resulting from the image generated in step (a) having the color entries comprising the color entries for the image and the at least one additional graphical element;
• (c) generating the image without the at least one additional graphical element using the color palette stored in step (b); and
• (d) storing the image generated in step (c) to which the color palette stored in step (b) is assigned,

wherein step (a) comprises placing the at least one additional graphical element in a monochrome area of the image.

• (a) Bereitstellen des existierenden Bildes, das durch das oben beschriebene erfindungsgemäße Verfahren erzeugt wurde; und
• (b) Hinzufügen des zumindest einen weiteren graphischen Elements zu dem im Schritt (a) bereitgestellten Bild, wobei die dem im Schritt (a) bereitgestellten Bild zugeordnete Farbpalette neben den Farbeinträgen für das Bild die Farbeinträge für das zumindest eine weitere graphische Element enthält.

The present invention further provides a method of modifying an image by adding at least one further graphical element to the existing image, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing the existing image generated by the inventive method described above; and
• (b) adding the at least one further graphical element to the image provided in step (a), wherein the color palette associated with the image provided in step (a) contains, besides the color entries for the image, the color entries for the at least one further graphical element.

In one aspect, the present invention further provides a digital storage medium with electronically readable control signals which can cooperate with a programmable computer system such that the method according to the invention is carried out.

According to a further aspect, the present invention provides a computer program product with program code stored on a machine-readable carrier for carrying out the method according to the invention when the program product runs on a computer.

In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a computer program with program code for carrying out the method according to the invention when the program is run on a computer.

Preferably, the additional graphic element is a text element, the further graphical element used to modify the image and the additional element being of the same type and, preferably, substantially the same size.

The image is preferably in GIF format, so that the associated color table has a maximum of 256 color entries, wherein the color table stored according to the invention comprises on the one hand color entries for the image and additional color entries for the additional graphic element.

The present invention thus provides an approach to palletizing images, e.g. As images in GIF or PNG format, to be able to change automatically without changing the palette. According to a preferred embodiment, for this purpose, the GIF image is generated together with a sample text, wherein this text preferably does not lie above a color gradient of the background image (GIF image), but the region is preferably monochrome. Subsequently, the palette resulting from this overall image (consisting of the GIF image / background image and the sample text) is stored with the color entries and then the GIF image is generated again, but now without the sample text, but with the palette stored in the preceding processing step. This creates a GIF image which is provided for later addition of additional text elements without further alteration of the palette.

If a change in the GIF image is desired at a later date, then only the individual font is added without having to change the palette, since, for example, for all black texts the required palette colors are already contained in the initially stored palette. Furthermore, the data size will now differ only insignificantly from that calculated in the first step with the example text, as long as the sample text is substantially similar (in terms of length) to the added text.

Reference to the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained in more detail below. Show it:

1 a flowchart showing a conventional method for changing an existing pixel image in GIF format; and

2 a flow chart of the method according to the invention according to a preferred embodiment.

Based on 2 Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained in more detail, in which case, as in the introduction to the description, the explanation is based on an example of an advertising banner, which is an image in GIF format, which has only one color. In order to prepare such an advertisement banner for a subsequent automatic change, for example by the addition of a desired text, the present invention teaches a novel approach which is considerably simpler than the approach known from the prior art and in particular also without the use of image processing programs To change the range is feasible, especially by non-trained users.

According to the invention, in a first step S200, the pixel image of the advertising banner is generated in GIF format together with an additional example text. For example, the pixel image is a blue rectangle, with the sample text being black in color.

For this image, the resulting color palette is stored in step S202, this color palette then containing the color entry blue for the background (pixel image) and the color entry black for the color of the example text.

Subsequently, the pixel image of the banner is generated again, but this time without the example text, so that only the blue image (banner ad) is generated. Unlike in the prior art, the color palette associated with this image is not stored here, but rather is assigned to this image the previously generated and cached color palette for the image and the additional text, as shown in step S204. The pixel image thus created is then combined with the color palette in the step 206 provided. The image of the advertising banner provided in step S206 thus already contains all the necessary color palette information for the text possibly to be added later, ie in addition to the information concerning the image itself also information concerning the color entries in the palette for possibly to be added text elements.

At any time after providing the pixel image with the modified color palette, it may be desirable for a text to be added to the banner ad that was provided. The text to be added is then selected in step S208, whereby it should be indicated by the dashed connection between steps S206 and S208 that these two steps do not have to take place in a tight chronological order, but are carried out at any time after the provision in step S206 can. After the text to be added has been selected in step S208, it is simply added to the existing image to give the modified image, as shown in step S210. This addition does not require any further modification of the color palette, which already exists with the required entries for the text to be added.

Thus, according to the invention, an existing banner can be easily modified by adding further elements in a simple manner. Although in the above-described embodiment, a pixel image has been described with a color to which a text element having a different color is to be added, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, of course. Of course, the pixel image may also be a complex structure with multiple colors, and instead of a text element, different text elements with different colors may also be inserted. Of course, the present invention is not limited to the insertion of textual elements but can generally be extended to the addition of arbitrary graphical elements, for example, other picture elements or the like. In this case, the color entries associated with the corresponding graphic element would then already be initially stored in the palette and stored with the original image without additional graphic element.

Insofar as the original pixel image is subject to a size restriction, as is often the case, for example, in the advertising banners described above, this can be achieved by producing the original image together with the example text such that the size does not exceed a predetermined size , After generating the pixel image without the example text, it will have a reduced size, but if the selected text to be added is about the same size as the initial example text used to create the modified color palette, then there will be essentially no magnification the size of the finally resulting modified image.

Although the above preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in terms of the GIF format, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to this format. Rather, the present invention may preferably be used with all pixel images in which the colors used in the images are defined via a color palette.

Depending on the circumstances, the inventive method can be implemented in hardware or software, wherein the implementation on a digital storage medium, for. As a floppy disk, a CD or a DVD, can be done with electronically readable control signals that can interact with a programmable computer system so that the corresponding method is performed. In general, the invention thus also consists in a computer program product with program code stored on a machine-readable carrier for carrying out the method according to the invention, when the computer program product runs on a computer. In other words, the invention can thus be realized as a computer program with a program code for carrying out the method when the computer program runs on a computer.

Claims (10)

A method of generating an image associated with a color palette having one or more color entries for the image, comprising the steps of: (a) generating (S200) the image with at least one additional graphical element; (b) storing (S202) the color palette resulting from the image generated in step (a), having the color entries for the image and the at least one additional graphical element; (c) generating (S204) the image without the at least one additional graphical element using the color palette stored in step (b); and (d) storing (S206) the image generated in step (c) to which the color palette stored in step (b) is assigned, wherein step (a) comprises placing the at least one additional graphical element in a monochrome area of the image. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional graphical element is a text element. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the color palette stored in step (b) comprises the color entries for the image and additional color entries for the at least one additional graphical element. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the image is in GIF format such that the associated color table has a maximum of 256 color entries. A method of modifying an image by adding at least one further graphical element to the existing image, comprising the steps of: (a) providing (S206) the existing image generated by a method according to any one of claims 1 to 4; and (b) adding (S208) the at least one further graphical element to the image provided in step (a), wherein the color palette associated with the image provided in step (a), in addition to the color entries for the image, the color entries for the at least one further graphical element contains. A method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one further graphical element added to the image and the at least one additional graphical element used in generating the existing image are of the same type. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one further graphical element and the at least one additional graphical element are substantially the same size. A digital storage medium having electronically readable control signals capable of interacting with a programmable computer system such that the method of any one of claims 1 to 7 is practiced. Computer program product with program code stored on a machine-readable carrier for carrying out the method according to one of claims 1 to 7, when the program product runs on a computer. Computer program with program code for carrying out the method according to one of claims 1 to 7, when the program runs on a computer.

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