Glyph Representation Indexing for Legible Text Rendering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing glyph atlases used in computer-implemented rendering, such as in text rendering, face challenges in maintaining text legibility on inhomogeneous backgrounds while applying visual effects, which can increase computational and memory costs.
Innovation Solution
A method to generate a further glyph representation by determining and storing first and second indices based on geometric relationships and visual-effect calculations, allowing efficient encoding of foreground and background information in a memory-efficient manner, enabling pre-calculated visual effects without on-the-fly computation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If visual effects are applied to text rendering on inhomogeneous backgrounds, then text legibility is improved, but computational and memory costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates visual effect parameters (shadow indices, blur indices) and stores them in the glyph representation before rendering. This preliminary computation allows the rendering process to simply look up pre-computed values rather than performing complex visual effect calculations in real-time, thereby improving text legibility while controlling computational costs during actual rendering operations
2Productivity
If pre-rendered glyphs are used in a glyph atlas, then rendering performance is improved, but flexibility to apply visual effects is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the glyph representation into distinct index components: first indices for foreground pixel values and second indices for background visual effect parameters. This segmentation allows the glyph atlas to maintain its fast lookup capability while simultaneously providing access to visual effect parameters, thus preserving both rendering performance and visual effect flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The glyph representation is designed to serve multiple functions: it stores foreground color information, background visual effect parameters, and geometric relationship data all in a single unified structure. This multi-functionality allows the same glyph atlas to be used for both fast rendering and flexible visual effect application without requiring separate data structures
3Measurement precision
If visual effect parameters are stored for each pixel location, then rendering accuracy is improved, but memory usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses compact index values (first indices and second indices) that require minimal storage space compared to full floating-point visual effect parameters. These simplified index structures provide sufficient rendering accuracy for practical purposes while dramatically reducing memory requirements, effectively using low-cost approximate representations instead of high-precision data
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method of generating a further glyph representation for use in a rendering process, comprises: determining a first plurality of locations in the further glyph representation corresponding with a respective plurality of source locations in a source glyph representation; setting respective first indices for the first plurality of locations based on values associated with the respective plurality of source locations; setting, for each location of a further plurality of locations in the further glyph representation, respective second indices based on a relationship between the location and one or more source locations, wherein the further plurality of locations include the first plurality of locations and a second plurality of locations; and storing the respective first and second indices in association with respective locations. A computer-implemented method of rendering a glyph using the further glyph representation is also described.