Patent Document ID: 6101514
Application ID: 08653978
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. An apparatus for converting outline data into bit-mapped image data having anti-aliasing attributes, where the bit-mapped image data is to be rendered by a pre-specified bit-mapped rendering unit at a pre-specified resolution, said apparatus comprising: (a) data storage means for storing data, wherein the stored data includes: (a.1) plot instruction data for plotting a desired outline of an image to be rendered, (a.2) target outline data defining a first plot of the desired outline, scaled and grid fitted onto a target grid, (a.3) mezzanine outline data defining a second plot of the desired outline, upwardly scaled from the target grid onto a mezzanine grid, and (a.4) the bit-mapped image data with said anti-aliasing attributes; and (b) data processing means, operatively coupled to and in cooperation with the data storage means, for: (b.1) identifying as a target resolution the resolution at which the pre-specified bit-mapped rendering unit is to render the bit-mapped image data; (b.2) establishing within said storage means, a target data buffer representing a target grid having a gridwork of pixels and coordinates corresponding to the identified target resolution; (b.3) fetching from said storage means, plot instruction data for plotting a desired outline; (b.4) scaling and grid fitting the fetched plot instruction data to the coordinates of the target grid and thereby creating target outline data representing a corresponding target grid outline; (b.5) establishing within said storage means a mezzanine buffer representing a mezzanine grid having a gridwork of pixels and coordinates corresponding to a mezzanine resolution that is higher than the resolution of the target grid; (b.6) upwardly scaling the coordinates of the target outline data to the mezzanine resolution of the mezzanine grid and thereby creating mezzanine level outline data representing the scaled-up target outline data; (b.7) filling in the pixels of the mezzanine level outline by setting representative bits in the mezzanine buffer; and (b.8) assigning, based on the bits set in the mezzanine buffer, one or more anti-aliasing attributes to each pixel of the target display grid by writing to the target data buffer for thereby producing bit-mapped image data having a desired anti-aliasing effect.