AU2004202540A1 - Dynamic Artwork for use on Multiple Pages of an Album - Google Patents

Description

S&F Ref: 680539

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Canon Information Systems Research Australia Pty Ltd, an Australian Company, ACN 003 943 780, of 1 Thomas Holt Drive, North Ryde, New South Wales, 2113, Australia Matthew William Gallagher Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower Level 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Dynamic Artwork for use on Multiple Pages of an Album ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION DETAILS [33] Country [31] Applic. No(s) AU 2003902955 [32] Application Date 12 Jun 2003 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5815c -1- DYNAMIC ARTWORK FOR USE ON MULTIPLE PAGES OF AN ALBUM Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to generating bitmap images from a page description and, in particular, to generating multiple different bitmap images from a page description, with the bitmap images having a common theme.

Background Many computer programs are distributed with artwork designed to provide the user of the computer program with a quick and easy means of achieving an aesthetic outcome which appears professionally designed. Such artwork includes fonts, clipart, backgrounds, frames and theme selections. Computer programs which typically provide artwork include photo album software, presentation software, word processors, DVD creation software and movie editing software. The included artwork is often a significant selling point for higher priced application programs, and hence is one of the major differences between small, cheap application programs and higher priced application programs.

In order to be most useful to the user, many artworks come in collections often referred to as themes. These themes often provide different images for different pages so that the user does not tire of exactly the same image on each page created. However, the different images are more than simply random images. The different images typically contain similar subject matter, with variations within a consistent setting or scene.

Themes also obey rules of complimentary or contrasting colours, and employ similar recognisable objects within the scene so that continuity is maintained.

While artwork typically enhances the user's experience and improve the visual attractiveness of documents created using these artworks, providing large amounts of artwork comes at the cost of both data size and creation time. Unfortunately, artwork 680539.doc -2provided with programs is most useful when the selection is large, as such a large selection affords the user the greatest ability to match the theme with the document content.

Artworks described in a vector or object-based page description language are often a few hundred kilobytes in size, and larger if the artworks also include pre-rendered bitmaps images. Accordingly, in order to provide just ten artworks per theme and ten different themes can easily consume tens of megabytes of computer storage space. Such a large storage space requirement is at least undesirable, and frequently impossible. With artwork development cost at a premium, it can also be prohibitively expensive to develop a hundred different artwork files. Therefore, if an acceptable range of artwork cannot be provided that require a reasonable amount of computer storage space and at an acceptable development cost, then the potential advantages of providing a large number of artworks will be lost.

Some computer programs, and especially 3D modelling computer programs, allow for textures and sometimes 3D objects to be generated automatically. A texture is a pattern which is used to colour and/or shape the surface of a 3D object. This allows for the modelling program to generate an almost infinite number of surfaces which are similar, yet subtly different. For example, a wood texture can be automatically generated with grain type and density settings configured by the user. This allows for different wood effects to be created. One application of using the generated wood texture is to make different objects to appear as though they are made from the same type of wood, but different pieces of wood. The appearances of the different pieces of wood is all generated from what is essentially the same artwork source file, that being a wood texture generator.

Automatic pattern generation is therefore a means often used of distributing a larger range of artwork with a smaller file size. However, such artwork generation is 680539.doc limited by the fact that only patterns may be generated. Further, creating the textures programmatically is difficulty, since every texture generator requires separate programming effort.

Another technique used in some 3D modelling application programs is automatic model generation. Examples include virtual brushes that can "paint" a variety of trees into a scene or grow vines over a surface. Automatic generation of 3D artwork is effective, especially for creating artwork with an organic aesthetic, but programmatically extremely difficult. Separate computer code must be written for each type object that can be separately generated, incurring huge costs of both development time and development cost. Also, since model generation tends to be a 3D process, model generation is less well suited to 2D purposes as it cannot be composited with 2D artwork unless it is rendered as a 2D image first.

Accordingly, a need remains to provide a large number of artworks having a common theme, at a reduced cost of both data size and creation time.

Summary It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome, or at least ameliorate, one or more disadvantages of existing arrangements.

Disclosed are arrangements which seek to address the above problems by using a single page description to form one or more altered graphical page descriptions therefrom.

The altered graphical page description contains parameters having random values, each within predefined bounds. When the altered graphical page descriptions are rendered, different bitmap images result.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of generating a bitmap image having a randomised component therein, said method comprising the steps of: 680539.doc -4identifying at least one command for substitution within a graphical page description; substituting said command with one or more substitution commands to form an altered graphical page description, with at least one of said substitution commands containing at least one parameter having a random value within bounds defined in said command for substitution; and rendering said altered graphical page description to generate said bitmap image.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for implementing the aforementioned method.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a computer program product including a computer readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program for implementing the method described above.

Other aspects of the invention are also disclosed.

Brief Description of the Drawings One or more embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a flow diagram of a method of generating a bitmap image having a randomised component therein according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a general purpose computer upon which arrangements described can be practiced; Fig. 3 illustrates a user interface 300 of an application program implementing the steps of the method of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 illustrates a user interface of a graphics illustration program that may be used by a page designer to generate a page description document used by the method of Fig. 1; and 680539.doc Figs. 5A and 5B show examples of two bitmap images generated using the method of Fig. 1.

Detailed Description It is to be noted that the discussions contained in the "Background" section relating to prior art arrangements relate to discussions of application programs which form public knowledge through their respective publication and/or use. Such should not be interpreted as a representation by the present inventor or patent applicant that such application programs in any way form part of the common general knowledge in the art.

Fig. 1 is a flow diagram of a method 200 of generating a bitmap image having a randomised component therein according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method 200 of generating the bitmap image having a randomised component therein is preferably practiced using a general-purpose computer system 100, such as that shown in Fig. 2, wherein the method of Fig. 1 may be implemented as software, such as an application program, executing within the computer system 100. In particular, the steps of the method 200 of generating the bitmap image having a randomised component therein are effected by instructions in the software that are carried out by the computer system 100. The software may be stored in a computer readable medium, including the storage devices described below, for example. The software is loaded into the computer system 100 from the computer readable medium, and then executed by the computer system 100. A computer readable medium having such software or computer program recorded on it is a computer program product. The use of the computer program product in the computer system 100 preferably effects an advantageous apparatus for generating the bitmap image having a randomised component therein.

The computer system 100 is formed by a computer module 101, input devices such as a keyboard 102 and mouse 103, output devices including a printer 115 and a 680539.doc -6display device 114. A Modulator-Demodulator (Modem) transceiver device 116 is used by the computer module 101 for communicating to and from a communications network 120, for example connectable via a telephone line 121 or other functional medium. The modem 116 can be used to obtain access to the Internet, and other network systems, such as a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN), and may be incorporated into the computer module 101 in some implementations.

The computer module 101 typically includes at least one processor unit 105, and a memory unit 106, for example formed from semiconductor random access memory (RAM) and read only memory (ROM). The module 101 also includes an number of input/output (110O) interfaces including a video interface 107 that couples to the video display 114, an I/O interface 113 for the keyboard 102 and mouse 103, and an interface 108 for the modem 116 and printer 115. A storage device 109 is provided and typically includes a hard disk drive 110 and a floppy disk drive 111. A CD-ROM drive 112 is typically provided as a non-volatile source of data. The components 105 to 113 of the computer module 101, typically communicate via an interconnected bus 104 and in a manner which results in a conventional mode of operation of the computer system 100 known to those in the relevant art.

Typically, the application program is resident on the hard disk drive 110 and read and controlled in its execution by the processor 105. Intermediate storage of the program and any data fetched from the network 120 may be accomplished using the semiconductor memory 106, possibly in concert with the hard disk drive 110. In some instances, the application program may be supplied to the user encoded on a CD-ROM or floppy disk and read via the corresponding drive 112 or 111, or alternatively may be read by the user from the network 120 via the modem device 116. The term "computer readable medium" as used herein refers to any storage or transmission medium that 680539.doc -7participates in providing instructions and/or data to the computer system 100 for execution and/or processing.

The present invention also implicitly discloses a computer program, in that it would be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the individual steps of the preferred method 200 described herein are to be put into effect by computer code.

Referring again to Fig. 1, the method 200 of generating a bitmap image having a randomised component therein starts in step 202 where the processor 105 retrieves a page description document from the storage device 109. Also in step 202, a seed is obtained.

In the preferred implementation the seed is derived from the creation time of the page description document.

Finally in step 202, any user-defined parameters received from the user through the user's interaction with the application program executing within the computer system 100 are also retrieved. The user-defined parameters are described in more detail below.

The page description document retrieved in step 202 has been created by a page designer typically using a graphical editor application program. The main advantage of using the graphical editor application program for creating and editing the graphical page description is that such editing is done visually, rather than programmatically. A user interface 400 of a graphics illustration program that may be used by the page designer as the graphical editor application program, which is displayed on the video display 114 (Fig. is illustrated in Fig. 4. The user interface 400 typically includes menu items 402 for controlling the graphical editor application program, and responds to mouse 103 and keyboard 102 operations, as is common for such application programs. The graphical editor application program provides tools for the creation of points, lines, shapes, text and other graphical objects.

680539.doc The user interface 400 also includes a main window area 410 where a preview of current graphical objects is displayed. Graphical objects may be selected, and their properties adjusted. In the illustration of Fig. 4 an invisible region object 405 has been selected in the main window area 410, and the border of the invisible region object 405 is indicated by a dotted rectangle.

The graphical editor application program also allows for visual effects to be applied to selected objects. One such an effect is a "particle fill" effect, which applies particles to the selected object(s). The particles are commonly defined by bitmap images.

Another effect is a "path transformation" effect, which applies a mathematical function, mapping or convolution to a selected edge, such as a line. Results achieved using the path transformation to a line is a ripple effect, knotting effect, and more complicated transformation such as replacing a single line with twisting vines.

Typically the page description, in order to realize such visual effects, has to include a large amount of code and parameters. These parameters are specified by the user in the graphical application program when applying the effect. In the preferred implementation, the page description code for such effects is not inserted in the page description document at creation time, but rather provided to an end user through libraries forming part of an application program used by the end user. According to this preferred implementation, code is included into the page description specifying the effect to be applied to the selected objects, as well as any user (page designer) defined parameters.

In the preferred implementation the visual effects are generated according to the principles described in US 6,476,809, which is incorporated herein by cross-reference.

For selected ones of the objects or effects, the page designer may select, through interaction with the menu items 402, for the object or effect to have a variable aspect each time the object or effect is rendered by the end user. The page designer also defines 680539.doc -9bounds within which the variable aspect may vary. This may be as simple as selecting for a shape to have a variable colour within a saturation range each time the shape is rendered by the end user. On the other hand, the page designer may select for an effect, such as the particle effect, to have a variable aspect. For example, in the particle effect example, the density and size of the particles may be made variable, each within defined bounds, each time the particle effect is rendered by the end user.

Hence, in the page description, an identifier is included specifying that the selected object or effect has a variable parameter, and the bounds within which that variable parameter of the object or effect is to be varied.

Upon completion of the editing of the graphical objects, the graphical editor may be controlled to store the graphical objects as the page description document used by method 200.

Referring again to Fig. 1, step 204 follows step 202 where the processor 105 parses the instructions within the page description document in order to build a composition tree including nodes with specified relationships. Each node typically corresponds to an object in the image to be rendered.

In the preferred implementation where the code for effects is provided to the end user through libraries, and where the page description includes code specifying the effect to be applied to the selected objects, as well as any user (page designer) defined parameters, in step 205 the processor 105 identifies that the current node being composited includes code specifying an effect in a library. In step 206 replacement code is generated by the specified library according to the user (page designer) defined parameters, and this generated code is substituted for the code specifying the effect.

Also while performing parsing, the processor 105 identifies in step 207 by means of the identifier included for specifying that the selected object or effect has a variable 680539.doc parameter that the current node within the composition tree has a variable aspect. Hence, such nodes have at least one parameter which does not have a fixed value. Each time this occurs, the method 200 continues to step 208 where the processor 105 uses the seed obtained in step 202 to generate a pseudo random number within the range specified by the page designer during the creation of the page description document.

An example of a pseudo random number algorithm for generating a 32-bit pseudo random number from the seed is: seed seed x1103515245 +12345 pseudorandomresult seed lmod32768 65536) Thus, the seed controls the sequence of pseudo-random number created.

In step 210 replacement code is formed using the pseudo-random number created in step 208 and the replacement code is substituted for the code including the identifier.

This may be as simple as substituting a parameter within a command with the pseudorandom number, or creating a large number of commands dependent on the random number. Any user-defined parameters received in step 202 are also applied to the command(s).

Parsing then continues in step 220 where the current node is composited into the composition tree. The processor 105 then determines in step 225 whether more nodes exist to be parsed. If more nodes exist, then the method 200 returns to step 205 from where a next node is composited into the composition tree.

If no more nodes exist, thus the composition tree is fully composited, the method 200 continues to step 230 where the composition tree is rendered to generate a bitmap image.

In step 240 the processor 105 determines whether more images are to be generated. If no more images are to be generated the method 200 ends in step 245.

680539.doc -11- Alternatively, if more images are to be generated then the method 200 returns to step 204 from where steps 204 to 240 are repeated to generate another bitmap image.

The fact that at least one node in the composition tree is effected by the pseudorandom number, which is different each time step 208 is executed, causes a randomised component within the generated bitmap image(s). In particular, each time steps 204 to 230 of the method 200 are repeated, a different bitmap image is generated forming a sequence of different bitmap images. The differences are only in the objects and effects, and within the bounds, specified by the page designer. The number of different bitmap images that may be generated from the single page description is only limited by the length of the sequence of pseudo-random numbers.

Figs. 5A and 5B show examples of two bitmap images generated using the method 200 in which the invisible region object 405, shown in Fig. 4, is filled by a particle effect using bitmap images of clouds as the particles. In each of Figs. 5A and the size and distribution of the particles are varied by steps 208 and 210 of method 200.

Further, because the seed obtained in step 202 is chosen in the preferred implementation such that the seed is the same each time the page description document is retrieved, the sequence of bitmap images generated each time method 200 is repeated is identical.

The method 200 of generating a bitmap image having a randomised component therein preferably forms part of an application program for allowing the creation of a digital photo album. Fig. 3 illustrates a user interface 300 of such an application program, which is displayed on the video display 114 (Fig. 2).

The user interface 300 includes a main window area 320 where a preview of a current digital photo album, and in particular a preview of image 321 of a sequence of images 321 to 323 of the current digital photo album are displayed. The images 321 to 680539.doc -12- 323 are often referred to as pages in the photo album context. In the exemplary illustration, the sequence of images 321 to 323 were created by selecting a "Decorate Album" menu item 312. The user is then presented with a "Backgrounds" sub-menu item 313 on the user interface 300, which presents the user with a list by way of illustration of sample backgrounds to choose from. In the example a clouds background 314 is selected by the user by operation of the mouse 103. The application program then uses the method 200 to create the sequence of bitmap images 321 to 323 for use as backgrounds in pages of the current digital photo album.

The user interface 300 further includes a dialog area 330 for modifying parameters of the bitmap images 321 to 323. For example, in the example the user is provided with the options to change the colour of the background, change the image to be used for the particle fill effect, change the average size of the particles in the particle effect, as well as any gradient effect to be applied to the particles. When the user accepts the changes made by clicking on the "OK" button 331, method 200 is again performed to re-render images 321 to 323 with the new settings. Referring again to step 202 of method 202, it is these user-defined parameters that are received by the processor 105.

As an example of the use of the user-defined parameters, consider the case where, using the dialog area 330, the user substituted the cloud images with that of a pig.

Further, the user increased the average size of the particles. The increase of particle size is only allowed to be within the bounds defined by the page designer. When the images 321 to 323 are re-rendered using method 200, and in particular when replacement code is formed using the pseudo-random number in step 210, the user-defined parameters are used to form the replacement code. In the example above, the code will include a link to the image of the pig instead of the image of the cloud, and the bounds applied to the random number used for the sizes of the particles (pigs) would be changed. In the 680539.doc -13resulting images, instead of the upper parts (defined by the invisible region object 405 in Fig. 4) of the images being filled with clouds as is the case with images 321 to 323, the upper parts of the images are be filled by pigs what are on average slightly larger than the clouds in images 321 to 323.

The application program also allows photos (not illustrated) to be selected and added to the current photo album by means of a "File" menu item of menu items 310.

The photos are typically added as foreground, with the bitmap images generated using method 200 being used as background. Once a photo is added to the current photo album, the user may manipulate the photo using the mouse 103.

The application program allows the current photo album to be saved by means of a "File save" menu item of the menu items 310. If the user saves the album and reopens the album at a later time, the bitmap images 321 to 323 have to be re-rendered using method 200. As a result of obtaining the seed (step 202) in a manner such that the seed is the same each time the page description document is retrieved, the bitmap images 321 to 323 will be identical to their previous state.

The method 200 of generating a bitmap image having a randomised component therein described above has the advantage over the prior art that a single page description may be employed to generate a large number of different images. Accordingly, the user is given the impression that it has received more product for the use's purchase. Further, less data storage space is required in storage device 109 for storing large numbers of artworks (images), as the (different) artworks are all generated from the single page description.

Method 200 also has significant advantages when compared to methods which simply generate a randomised pattern (such as texturing algorithms), or which generate different output purely from a hard-coded algorithm (such as organic patterns and the 680539.doc -14like) instead of a page-description document. Randomised patterns have limited ability to generate recognisable shapes, controlled complexity and non-random elements. Other hard-coded elements suffer from the fact that they need to be programmatically designed instead of drawn like typical artworks. Also, since the method 200 is applied at specific nodes within a composition tree, thematic constraints of maintaining the scene but modifying specific recognisable objects within the scene can be obeyed by the method 200, whereas simple random changes, such as those in a texturing or other random process, provide no real scene or environment in which the specific changes occur.

Yet another significant advantage afforded by method 200 is that the page designer designs only one image using the user interface 400 shown in Fig. 4, but in effect is designing a large number of images simultaneously, resulting in savings in design development time. In fact the process used by the page designer to form the page description document is very similar to creating a page description document including a normal 2 dimensional image. The only additional steps performed by the page designer is the selection of the effects or objects required to have a variable aspect each time the object or effect is rendered, and the bounds of such variation.

For the ripple effect for example, this would involve selecting the line to which the effect will be applied, setting the minimum and maximum amplitudes, setting the frequency range of the ripple, and setting the number of frequency components. Similarly for the particle fill effect, an object boundary is selected, a default particle is selected, and the default size and distribution values are specified. The above are specified using the user interface 400 (Fig. 4).

The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present invention, and modifications and/or changes can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, the embodiments being illustrative and not restrictive.

680539.doc In the context of this specification, the word "comprising" means "including principally but not necessarily solely" or "having" or "including", and not "consisting only of'. Variations of the word "comprising", such as "comprise" and "comprises" have correspondingly varied meanings.

680539.doc

Claims (4)

1. A method of generating a bitmap image having a randomised component therein, said method comprising the steps of: identifying at least one command for substitution within a graphical page description; substituting said command with one or more substitution commands to form an altered graphical page description, with at least one of said substitution commands containing at least one parameter having a random value within bounds defined in said command for substitution; and rendering said altered graphical page description to generate said bitmap image.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising the further step of: repeating said substitution step to form multiple altered graphical page descriptions; and repeating said rendering step on each of said multiple altered graphical page descriptions to generate different bitmap images.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said predefined bounds define a theme within said different bitmap images.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 or 3 comprising the further step of: using said different bitmap images as artwork in a multi-page document.

680539.doc I -17- A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said random value is determined when said substitution step is performed. 6. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said random value is determined using a pseudo-random number algorithm operating on a seed, and the value of said seed is initiated to have a same value a first time said substitution step is performed. 7. A method of generating a bitmap image having a randomised component therein, said method being substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. 8. Apparatus for generating a bitmap image having a randomised component therein, said apparatus comprising: means for identifying at least one command for substitution within a graphical page description; means for substituting said command with one or more substitution commands to form an altered graphical page description, with at least one of said substitution commands containing at least one parameter having a random value within bounds defined in said command for substitution; and means for rendering said altered graphical page description to generate said bitmap image. 9. A program recorded on a memory medium for generating a bitmap image having a randomised component therein, said program comprising: 680539.doc -18- code for identifying at least one command for substitution within a graphical page description; code for substituting said command with one or more substitution commands to form an altered graphical page description, with at least one of said substitution commands containing at least one parameter having a random value within bounds defined in said command for substitution; and code for rendering said altered graphical page description to generate said bitmap image. 10. A method of generating a bitmap image having a randomised component therein, said method being substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing. 11. A program recorded on a memory medium for generating a bitmap image having a randomised component therein, said method being substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing. DATED this 9th Day of June, 2004 Canon Information Systems Research Australia Pty Ltd Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON 680539.doc