Object-oriented graphic picking system

Claim 1

A computer implemented system for determining if a cursor has entered into an area on a display proximal to a particular graphic object displayed on said display utilizing a search protocol for a plurality of geometric types including a plurality of points on a curve displayed on said display, made up of a plurality of spans, comprising a plurality of control points specifying a plurality of bounding boxes, comprising: (a) a processor; (b) a memory attached to and under the control of said processor; (c) a display attached to and under the control of said processor with a cursor displayed on said display; (d) means for defining a search protocol for a geometric type in said memory under the control of said processor; (e) means for detecting a point on a curve displayed on said display, comprising: (f) means for determining a plurality of spans, comprised of control points specifying said curve's shape utilizing; (g) means for calculating a bounding box for each of said plurality of spans utilizing said control points; (h) means for detecting a selection signal and storing in said memory a location of said cursor on said display; (i) means for examining each bounding box and recording in said memory a nearest distance from said bounding box to said location of said cursor on said display and a farthest distance from said bounding box to said location of said cursor on said display; (j) means for filtering nearest distance values which are larger than said farthest distance value and discarding each associated span to the filtered nearest distance values which are larger than said farthest distance value; (k) means for examining each remaining span, computing line segments approximating said curve within said remaining span; and (l) means for selecting said curve which is nearest to said cursor.