Appeal No. 1998-0417
Application No. 08/682,419
OPINION
We reverse.
Each of the independent claims requires, in one form or another, that a determination of a simple
convex polygon is made in response to the number of direction changes being less than or equal to two
if the starting vertex is disposed between two other vertices relative to a predetermined coordinate axis
and a determination of a simple convex polygon is made in response to the number of direction changes
being equal to one if the starting vertex is not disposed between two other vertices (i.e., the starting
vertex is an “extreme” vertex) relative to the predetermined coordinate axis. Independent claim 15 is a
bit broader in the sense that the number of direction changes is compared with a first or a second
threshold based on a first and a second “disposition” of the starting vertex.
Beauregard is concerned with polygon fill algorithms. In the course of filling the polygons,
Beauregard runs tests, including a turning test, a once around test and a once around in the y-direction
test. In testing, Beauregard has many of the same concerns as appellants, including direction and
changes in direction. However, it appears from the abstract, as well as columns 9-10 of the patent, that
Beauregard always starts his determination and polygon fill with the minimum, or lowest, vertex of the
polygon.
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