Claims
- 1. An image designating system which utilizes a plurality of previously stored categorized variations of image data parts to allow a user to create an optimal new image design, comprising:
- memory means including a first area for storing each of a plurality of basic image data elements;
- said memory means including a second area for storing a plurality of identification numbers for each of a plurality of categories, one corresponding to each of said basic image data elements, each corresponding to a variation of basic image elements in each category, so as to categorize a plurality of variations for each category;
- said memory means including a third area for storing positional information of a display means corresponding to each of said plurality of categories, wherein each basic image data element in the same category is designated by a common position;
- input means, operatively connected to said memory means, for selecting one basic image data element of each of said plurality of categories by inputting an identification number corresponding to a basic image data element for each of said plurality of categories;
- access means for sequentially and automatically accessing each basic image data element corresponding to each input identification number, the category corresponding to the accessed basic image data element and the positional information corresponding to the accessed category;
- display means for displaying a combination of selected basic image data elements, each basic image data elements displayed in accordance with the corresponding accessed positional information, in response to said input means;
- said memory means storing said selected and displayed combination of basic image data elements and assigning and storing an identification number to said stored combination, in response to said display means;
- said input means subsequently selecting a previously stored identification number to access a previously stored combination;
- said display means displaying said previously stored selected combination in response to said input means;
- said input means selecting a different basic image data element, different from that basic image data element displayed for at least one of the plurality of categories as part of said previously stored selected combination, to thereby form a new combination with the different selected basic image data element replacing the previous basic image element based on the stored position information corresponding to said at least one of the plurality of categories, in said new combination;
- said display means immediately displaying said new combination, with each basic image data element displayed at its predetermined display position; and
- said memory means storing said new combination and a corresponding new identification number in response to said display means, while maintaining said previously stored combination and previous identification number.
- 2. A method, in an image designing system, which utilizes a plurality of previously stored categorized variations of image data parts to allow a user to create an optimal new image design, comprising the steps of:
- a) storing each of a plurality of basic image data parts necessary for design of a desired object in a first memory area;
- b) storing a plurality of identification numbers, corresponding to each of said image data parts in a second memory area, each identification number corresponding to a variation of each of said image data parts, a plurality of variations for each of said image data parts being stored as the same category;
- c) storing positional information of a display device, the positional information being common for all of said image data parts in the same category, in a third memory area;
- d) selecting one variation corresponding to a basic image data part, for each of said plurality of categories, to form a combination of the image data parts selected;
- e) accessing each selected variation of the image data parts in each category in the combination based upon the selected information of step d), the image data part corresponding to each accessed variation in each category, and the positional information corresponding to each accessed category of parts;
- f) displaying the formed combination of selected variations of each category of image data parts, each at the corresponding category display position, on the display device;
- g) storing said selected and display combination of selected variations of each category of image data parts and assigning and storing an identification number corresponding to said stored combination;
- h) repeating steps d-g) to similarly select, access, display, store and assign a plurality of identification numbers to combinations of selected variations of image data parts;
- i) selecting one of said plurality of previously stored identification numbers corresponding to one of said plurality of previously stored combinations and displaying said combination subsequent to inputting the corresponding identification number;
- j) selecting a different variation of an image data part, different from that basic image data part displayed with said previously stored selected combination but in the same category, to thereby form a new combination, with the different selected variation replacing the previous variation of an image part, at the same position based on the same category in said new combination;
- k) displaying said new combination, with each selected basic image data part displayed at the predetermined category display position; and
- l) storing said new combination and a corresponding new identification number, while maintaining said previously stored combination, selected in step j), and previous corresponding identification number.
- 3. An image storage and access system comprising:
- image memory means for storing each of a plurality of basic image elements;
- image access memory portion for storing a plurality of image categories and corresponding attribute information designating each of the plurality of basic image elements in an image category;
- positional memory portion for assigning positional location, on a display screen, for each image category, wherein each basic image element in the same category is designated by a common position;
- input means for inputting attribute information to select at least one of the basic elements;
- access means for receiving said input attribute information, for accessing a basic image element corresponding to said input attribute information from said image memory means, for accessing the image category corresponding to the accessed basic image element from said image access memory portion, and for accessing the positional location of said basic image element corresponding to the accessed image category from said positional memory portion; and
- a display screen for displaying said accessed basic image element in the accessed positional location on the display screen.
- 4. The image storing and access system of claim 3 further comprising:
- combination storage means for storing attribute information for each image category as an image entry, said combination storage means storing a plurality of image entries, each entry designated by a sequential numerical value.
- 5. The image storage and access system of claim 4, wherein
- said input means inputs a numerical value when selected;
- said access means accesses attribute information for each image category of the entry corresponding to the input numerical value; and
- said display means displays the corresponding and subsequently accessed basic image elements, corresponding to the accessed attribute information, and displays the corresponding basic image elements in accessed positional locations on the display screen.
- 6. The image storage and access system of claim 5, wherein
- said input means, upon said display screen displaying basic image elements for each of the plurality of image categories, can input different attribute information for at least one of said image categories and this new image entry, with the new input attribute information replacing the previous attribute information, will be automatically stored and assigned the next sequential numerical value in said combination storage means; and
- said display screen subsequently displaying the basic elements of the new entry of the combination storage means to thereby allow a user easy modification of an image and automatic storage of the new image.
- 7. A method of image storage and access comprising the steps of:
- (a) storing each of a plurality of basic image elements;
- (b) storing a plurality of image categories and corresponding attribute information designating each of the plurality of basic image elements as belonging to an image category;
- (c) storing display position information for each image category, wherein each basic image element in the same category is designated by a common position;
- (d) inputting attribute information to select at least one of the basic elements;
- (e) accessing the basic image element corresponding to the input attribute information, the image category corresponding to the accessed basic image element, and the positional location corresponding to the accessed image category; and
- (f) displaying the accessed basic image element in the accessed positional location on a display screen.
- 8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of:
- (g) inputting attribute information, one for a basic image element in each of the plurality of image categories; and
- (h) storing the input attribute information for a basic image element in each of the plurality of image categories as an image entry, each subsequent image entry being stored separately and assigned a sequential numerical value.
- 9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:
- (i) inputting a numerical value corresponding to a previously stored image entry;
- (j) accessing the attribute information corresponding to the input image entry, the basic image element corresponding to each accessed attribute information, the image category corresponding to each accessed basic image element, and the positional location corresponding to each accessed image category; and
- (k) displaying the accessed basic image elements in corresponding accessed positional locations on the display screen to thereby display an image corresponding to the image entry.
- 10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:
- (l) inputting attribute information, of a basic image element in at least one of the plurality of image categories, the basic image element corresponding to a basic image element different from the basic image element displayed on the display screen;
- (m) storing the newly input attribute information of a basic image element in at least one of the plurality of image categories, together with attribute information of the previously stored basic image elements in the remaining plurality of image categories, as a new image entry; and
- (n) accessing and displaying the basic image elements corresponding to the new image entry by repeating steps (j) and (k) for the new image entry to thereby display a new image in place of the previous image.
Priority Claims (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
62-8546 |
Jan 1987 |
JPX |
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62-8547 |
Jan 1987 |
JPX |
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Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/542,792 filed on Jun. 25, 1990, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/144,532, filed on Jan. 15, 1988, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
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0206565 |
Dec 1986 |
EPX |
2157036 |
Oct 1985 |
GBX |
Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
542792 |
Jun 1990 |
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Parent |
144532 |
Jan 1988 |
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