The Technological Roots of Computer Graphics

Numerous, seemingly unrelated technologies eventually culminated in what we know today as the field of computer graphics (CG). The article focuses on prior art documents cited in CG patent applications to identify the technology at the origin, the problems encountered, and that solutions proposed in the 1940s and 1950s that led to the generation of images with computers in the early 1960s. The analysis is threefold: the aggregation of patent classification supplied information about the technologies at the origin of CG, the firms behind these patents provided an idea about the players, and the analysis of individual publications provided information about the problems they addressed and the solutions that were proposed. This approach enriches previous works on CG history, which are usually based on the pioneers´ views or on the personal experiences of author(s). The key finding made in this prior art analysis reveals that, in addition to computing and television, CG has deep roots in radar-related technologies and aircraft instrumentation.