Patent Document ID: 20030231177
Application ID: 10435657
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for inverting a distorted surface presentation into an undistorted surface presentation in a detail-in-context presentation system comprising the steps of: a) selecting an input point {overscore (p)} input on said undistorted surface; b) calculating a vector {overscore (&ngr;)} from said input point {overscore (p)} input to a reference viewpoint v{overscore (r)}p; c) locating a starting point {overscore (p)} i&plus;1, said starting point {overscore (p)} i&plus;1 lying above said distorted surface and on said vector {overscore (&ngr;)}; d) locating a first bracketing {overscore (p)} i for a first intersection point of said vector {overscore (&ngr;)} and said distorted surface, said first bracketing point {overscore (p)} i lying above said distorted surface and on said vector {overscore (&ngr;)}; e) locating a second bracketing point {overscore (p)} i&plus;1 for said first intersection point, said second bracketing point {overscore (p)} i&plus;1 lying below said distorted surface, and below said first intersection point, but above any subsequent intersection points of said vector {overscore (&ngr;)} and said distorted surface; f) locating a midpoint {overscore (p)} mid between said first and second bracketing points {overscore (p)} i, {overscore (p)} i&plus;1 ; and, g) determining if said midpoint {overscore (p)} mid is an acceptable approximation for said first intersection point, said acceptable approximation being an inversion point corresponding to said input point {overscore (p)} input.