Method and apparatus for providing translucent images on a computer display

Abstract

A method and apparatus is described for producing a translucent image over a base image created on the display screen of a computer system by a selected first application program, and conducting image operations either on the base image created by the selected application program with reference to the translucent image produced, or conducting image operations on the translucent image with reference to the base image of the first application program. The first application program runs on a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer system to produce a base image, and another application program referred to as the overlay program is run to produce the translucent image such that portions of the base image which are overlapped by the overlay image are at least partially visible through the translucent image. There is also a mechanism for blending the first video data and the second video data to produce a blended image on the screen assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method for establishing a translucent window having a translucent window background and a translucent window frame on a display screen of a computer system, comprising the steps of:
 displaying a base window on a display screen;  
 displaying a translucent window on a the display screen using an overlay program such that a the translucent window partially obscures the base window can in a manner the permits the base window to be seen through said the translucent window, and;  
 conducting image operations on at least one of said the translucent window and said the base window; and 
 updating the display of the at least one of the translucent window and the base window on the display screen based on the conducted image operations. 
 
     
     
       2. A The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein said the base window is produced on said the display screen by a first computer implemented process running on said computer system, and said the translucent window is produced by a second computer implemented process running on said computer system. 
     
     
       3. A The method as recited in  claim 2  wherein said the second computer implemented process receives screen inputs which are associated with said the translucent window and processes said the screen inputs. 
     
     
       4. A The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said the second computer implemented process receives screen inputs which are physically applied in connection with said the translucent window and processes said the screen inputs. 
     
     
       5. A The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said the second computer implemented process receives screen inputs which make image contact with said the translucent window and processes said the screen inputs. 
     
     
       6. A The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein image operations are conducted with respect to said the translucent window. 
     
     
       7. A The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein image operations are conducted below said the translucent window. 
     
     
       8. A The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein image operations are conducted in connection with windows referenced by a cursor indication. 
     
     
       9. A method for displaying images on a display screen of a computer system, comprising the steps of:
 displaying a base image on a display screen of a computer system; and   displaying a translucent image on said screen such that portions of said base image which are covered by said translucent image are at least partially visible through said translucent image.   
     
     
       10. A method as recited in  claim 9  comprising:
 storing a base image and a top image in one or more buffers; and 
 blending the base image and the top image in a second buffer such that, when displayed, portions of the base image which are covered by the top image are at least partially obscured, yet partially visible through the top image such that the top image appears translucent, 
 wherein said the base image and said translucent the top image are produced by independent computer implemented processes.; 
 conducting image operations on at least one of the top image and the base image; and 
 updating the display of the at least one of the translucent window and the base window on the display screen based on the conducted image operations. 
 
     
     
       11. A method as recited in  claim 9  wherein said base image is active to receive user inputs. 
     
     
       12. A method as recited in  claim 9  comprising:
 displaying a base image made up of a plurality of pixels; 
 displaying a translucent image made up of a plurality of pixels on the screen such that the pixels making up a portion of the base image that is covered by the translucent image are blended with the pixels of the translucent image so that the covered portion of the base image is at least partially visible through the translucent image, 
 wherein said the translucent image is active to receive and receives user inputs effective to induce image operations on the translucent image; and 
 updating the translucent window on the screen based on the induced image operations. 
 
     
     
       13. A The method as recited in  claim 12  wherein said the translucent image is made active by user action. 
     
     
       14. A The method as recited in  claim 12  wherein said the translucent image is made active by positioning the cursor at a portion of the translucent image and conducting a select action. 
     
     
       15. A The method as recited in  claim 12  wherein said the translucent image is made active by clicking a mouse when the cursor is over a portion of the translucent image. 
     
     
       16. A method as recited in  claim 9  comprising:
 displaying a base image; and 
 displaying a translucent image such that portions of the base image which are covered by the translucent image are blended with portions of the translucent image so that the portions of the base image are at least partially visible through the translucent image, 
 wherein said the translucent image and said the base image are selectably active to receive user inputs effective to induce image operations on the translucent image; and 
 updating at least one of the translucent window and the base window on the display screen based on the conducted image operations. 
 
     
     
       17. A method for displaying images on a display screen of a computer system comprising the steps of:
 running an application program on the central processing unit (CPU) of a computer system to produce a base image on a display screen coupled to said CPU; and   running an overlay program on said CPU to produce a translucent image on said display screen such that portions of said base image are overlapped by said translucent image and are at least partially visible through said translucent image.   
     
     
       18. A method as recited in  claim 17  comprising:
 running an application program on one or more processors to produce a base image on a display; and 
 running an overlay program on the processor(s) to produce a translucent image on the display simultaneously with the display of the base image such that portions of the base image are overlapped by the translucent image and are partially obscured by the translucent image, 
 wherein said step of running an the overlay program comprises the steps of: 
 displaying a the translucent image on said the display screen; 
 intercepting screen inputs which contact for the translucent image, the screen inputs inputting image operations to the translucent image; 
 processing said the intercepted screen inputs in said CPU the one or more processors effective to conduct image operations on the translucent image; and 
 updating said the application program based upon said the processed screen inputs to reflect the image operations. 
 
     
     
       19. A The method as recited in  claim 18  wherein said step of the displaying a translucent image comprises the step of blending a translucent image with said the base image. 
     
     
       20. A The method as recited in  claim 19  wherein said step of the blending is accomplished in said the CPU. 
     
     
       21. A The method as recited in  claim 19  wherein said step of the blending is accomplished externally to said the CPU. 
     
     
       22. A The method as recited in  claim 18  wherein said step of the processing said the intercepted screen inputs includes redirecting at least one page of memory within the memory management means of said the computer system. 
     
     
       23. A method of performing image operations in a computer system having a display screen, including the steps of:
 presenting a first selected image with respect to which image operations are desired, and   producing a translucent image effective for overlapping at least a portion of said first selected image.   
     
     
       24. A method according to  claim 23  comprising:
 presenting a first image with respect to which image operations are desired; 
 producing a second image effective for overlapping and obscuring at least a portion of the first selected image; and 
 transforming the second image into a translucent image so that the portions of the first image that are overlapped by the second image are only partially obscured by the second image, 
 wherein said the first selected image contains features of interest, and image operations are conducted on said the translucent image with respect to said the features of interest. 
 
     
     
       25. A method according to  claim 23  comprising:
 presenting a first image with respect to which image operations are desired; 
 producing a second image effective for overlapping and obscuring at least a portion of the first selected image; and 
 transforming the second image into a translucent image so that the portions of the first image that are overlapped by the second image are only partially obscured by the second image, wherein said the translucent image contains features of interest, and image operations are conducted with respect to said the first selected image based upon said the features of interest. 
 
     
     
       26. A computer system comprising:
 a central processing unit (CPU);   screen means for displaying images, said screen means being coupled to said CPU;   display means coupled to said screen means for displaying a translucent image on said screen means; and   means for conducting image operations on a region including the level of a translucent image produced by said display means and the level beneath the translucent image.   
     
     
       27. A computer system according to  claim 26  wherein said means for conducting image operations performs image operations with reference to a translucent image on said screen means. 
     
     
       28. A computer system according to  claim 26  wherein said means for conducting image operations performs image operations selectably with reference to a translucent image on said screen means and below the level of a translucent image on said screen means. 
     
     
       29. A method comprising:
 displaying a translucent window having a translucent window background and a translucent window frame on a display screen of an electronic device, such that a base window can be seen through the translucent window;   conducting image operations on at least one of the translucent window and the base window; and   updating the display of the at least one of the translucent window and the base window on the display screen based on the conducted image operations.   
     
     
       30. A method comprising:
 running an application program on one or more processors of an electronic device to produce a base image; and   running an overlay program on the processor(s) to produce a translucent image such that portions of the base image are overlapped by the translucent image are blended with the translucent image and are at least partially visible through the translucent image,   wherein running an overlay program comprises:   providing the translucent image;   intercepting screen inputs which for the translucent image, the screen inputs inputting image operations to the translucent image;   processing the intercepted screen inputs in the processor(s) effective to conduct image operations on the translucent image; and   updating the application program based upon the processed screen inputs to reflect the image operations.   
     
     
       31. The method of claim 30, wherein the translucent image is a translucent keyboard. 
     
     
       32. The method of claim 31, wherein the image operations input characters selected by the screen inputs that contact the translucent keyboard. 
     
     
       33. The method of claim 18, wherein the translucent image is a translucent keyboard. 
     
     
       34. The method of claim 31, wherein the application program is updated with characters selected by the screen inputs that contact the translucent keyboard. 
     
     
       35. An electronic device implemented method comprising:
 displaying a base window;   displaying a translucent window overlapping at least a portion of the base window, the portions of the translucent window and the base window which overlap being blended, whereby the contents of both windows are visible; and   receiving inputs into the translucent window effective to induce image operations on the translucent image and displaying a representation of the image operations in the base window.   
     
     
       36. The method of claim 35, wherein the translucent window contains a keyboard configured for receiving inputs into individually displayed keys, each key corresponding to a character, whereby a received input selects one of the characters to be displayed in the base window.