Abstract: The invention provides an image processing method and system wherein an image is conceptually textured onto the surface of a three dimensional shape via a projection thereonto. The shape and/or the image position are then moved relative to each other, preferably by a rotation about one or more axes of the shape, and a second projection taken of the textured surface back to the image position to obtain a second, processed image. The view displayed within the processed image will be seen to have undergone an aspect ratio change as a result of the processing. The invention is of particular use in simulating the small movements of humans when speaking, and in particular of processing viseme images to simulate such small movements when displayed as a sequence.

Abstract: Methods for rendering an object includes determining diffuse illumination values for object surface points, associating a 3D grid including vertices with the object, mapping object surface points to vertices, determining diffuse illumination values for vertices from the diffuse illumination values for object surface points, low pass filtering diffuse illumination values for the vertices to determine illumination compensation values for the vertices, determining illumination compensation values for the object surface points from the illumination compensation values for the vertices, and determining compensated diffuse illumination values for the object surface points from a weighted combination of the diffuse illumination values and illumination compensation values for the surface points.

Abstract: A graphical display animation system is disclosed that supports timed modification of element property values of elements within a graphical display. The animation system utilizes a display structure for maintaining a set of elements corresponding to displayed objects within a graphically displayed scene. The elements include a variable property value. The animation system also utilizes a property system that maintains properties associated with elements maintained by the display structure. The properties include dynamic properties that are capable of changing over time—and thus affecting the appearance of the corresponding element on a graphical display. The animation system includes animation classes, from which animation objects are instantiated and associated with an element property at runtime. The animation object instances provide time varying values affecting values assigned to the dynamic properties maintained by the property system.

Abstract: A method for converting a subdivision surface, such as a Catmull-Clark subdivision surface, into a cubic Bezier surface defined by sixteen control points. The method includes (a) converting a subdivision face to Bezier control points using a conversion matrix using fifteen points and a dummy value for an unavailable sixteenth point; and (b) replacing one of the Bezier control points which corresponds to an extraordinary point on the subdivision face with the extraordinary point's limit point.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus and an image processing method capable of conducting different manners of resolution conversion processing depending on scanning direction. An image processing apparatus 1 includes: a sub-scanning-directional first resolution converting section 4 for enhancing resolution of input image data in a sub-scanning direction; a sub-scanning-directional second resolution converting section 5; a main-scanning-directional first resolution converting section 14 for enhancing resolution of input image data in a main-scanning direction; and a main-scanning-directional second resolution converting section 15. The structure such as above enables the image processing apparatus 1 to conduct resolution conversion processing in sub-scanning direction and main-scanning direction independently, thereby to obtain a high-quality output image.

Abstract: The number of graphic objects in a visual tile rendered varies as a function of distance between the tile and a viewpoint in a simulation. Fewer objects are rendered when the tile is far from the viewpoint, and vise versa. A level of detail (LOD) value is pseudo-randomly selected and associated with each object, indicating the maximum distance at which the object will be visible. A current LOD value is determined for the tile. An object is rendered if its LOD value is equal or greater than the current LOD value of the tile. Objects are faded into and out of view by modulating an opacity value as the current LOD value changes. Texture values of an object are adjusted as a function of ambient and direct components of light on the object, to achieve lighting corresponding to time of day, current season, and/or region in the simulated world.

Abstract: A system and method for providing shadow information for 3D computer graphics objects on a display for a graphic computer system are disclosed. The 3D objects are processed only once and the rendering and shadow generation information is stored in memory. In a subsequent two-dimensional pass, the shadow information is used to provide the color value at each rendered pixel. Thus, the latency and the need for storage capacity due to the multiple 3D pass processing are eliminated.

Abstract: A method and system for spatio-temporal (4D) modeling of an object includes sampling the 4-D model at one point in time to create a 3-D model. This 3-D model is then fit based on user-supplied guide points, image forces (e.g., image edges) and prior shape models. Once the 3-D model fit is completed the full 4-D shape model is updated. Cardiac images can be spatio-temporally modeled to determine LV conditions.

Abstract: A method for enabling to use an Image-Based Rendering (IBR) technology in Animation Framework extension (AFX) technology is provided. In the method for representing an object in a 3D scene using an IBR technology in the 3D scene, image information and depth information on each point of the image are used, or image information and a depth information array of all points projected on each point onto a plane of the image or a color information array of each point are used. In the method, by defining expression methods for GBT, LDI, and Octree that are simple method among IBR technologies having geometric information, those methods can be used in the MPEG-4 AFX.

Abstract: A texture is applied to a 3D graphic object using a computer system by providing a graphic indication of a mapping between a 3D graphic object and a texture map and modifying the mapping based on a manipulation of the graphic indication. Alternatively, or in addition, a texture can be applied to a 3D graphic object by selectively applying one or more predetermined mapping functions between a texture space and an object space to designated portions of the 3D graphic object. The modification of mappings, and application of the mapping functions, can be based on input received from a user of the computer system, for example, by means of direct manipulation techniques applied in a graphical user interface.

Abstract: A communication station includes an antenna system having multiple antennas and delay units for receiving a transmitted signal and outputting a combined signal having a known distortion imparted by the antenna system. The combined signal is in turn processed by a modem, which compensates for the known distortion in a manner which provides improved signal gain. The improved signal gain permits a reduction in transmit power and, accordingly, increased capacity of the communication station. Where the antenna system is to be remotely located from related signal processing equipment, separate units for the RF receiver/transmitter and the other signal processing equipment are provided so that the RF receiver/transmitter may also be remotely located along with the antenna system.

Abstract: A system and process for rendering and displaying an interactive viewpoint video is presented in which a user can watch a dynamic scene while manipulating (freezing, slowing down, or reversing) time and changing the viewpoint at will. The ability to interactively control viewpoint while watching a video is an exciting new application for image-based rendering. Because any intermediate view can be synthesized at any time, with the potential for space-time manipulation, this type of video has been dubbed interactive viewpoint video.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image generation system and a program embodied on an information storage medium or in a carrier wave which can generate an image in real-time of an object that distorts in accordance with an impact position, with a reduced quantity of data and computational load. There is provided an image generation system which generates an image of an object formed by a primitive surface. It comprises an impact computation section (114) which computes an impact position at which an impact is imparted to the object and a distortion computation section (116) which performs computations for causing the distortion of the primitive surface in the vicinity of that impact position, to generate an image of the object formed by the primitive surface that has been distorted when the object has been subjected to an impact.

Abstract: An image generation method includes: generating a two-dimensional image by perspectively transforming a virtual three-dimensional space relative to a predetermined viewpoint at a given instant; determining a corresponding position to a representative point of a waterdrop on the two-dimensional image depending on a position at which the waterdrop exists in the virtual three-dimensional space or a position at which the waterdrop is to be displayed in a display image; determining a reference position on the two-dimensional image corresponding to a vertex or a configuration point which forms the waterdrop, by using reference information relative to the corresponding position to the representative point on the two-dimensional image, the reference information being previously determined for the vertex or the configuration point forming the waterdrop; and linking the determined reference position with the vertex or the configuration point forming the waterdrop and mapping at least a portion of the two-dimensional im

Abstract: A method and system for medical image display comprising means for acquiring two-dimensional images; means for displaying images; means for managing the display of a three-dimensional representation on the means display and for automatically orienting the three-dimensional representation according to at least one operating parameter of the means for acquisition means so that the three-dimensional representation is viewed on the means for display from a viewpoint corresponding to that from which the means for image acquisition acquire or have acquired a two-dimensional image.

Abstract: An image processing device includes a data zone expansion circuit and an image processing circuit. The data zone expansion circuit receives input data, increases a number of data bits of the input data, and provides data with the increased number of data bits. The image processing circuit performs image processing on the data with the increased number of data bits.

Abstract: A user of a virtual object or computer model uses a haptic interface device in the real world to manipulate a virtual tool in a virtual environment to interact and modify the virtual object. The user uses the virtual tool in a sculpting mode to modify the shape of the virtual object by adding, removing, or modifying the material of the object. The user feels an interaction force from the virtual tool as it interacts with and modifies the virtual object. The designer can set geometric constraints, such as a constraint point, constraint line, or constraint surface, to limit or guide the movement of the virtual tool.

Abstract: A system and method for modeling binaural shells for hearing aids, wherein the system is configured to load data associated with a first and a second ear shell. The system is further configured to register the data associated with the first and the second ear shells and process the first ear shell. The system is also configured to store data associated with processing the first ear shell and then map the data associated with processing the first ear shell to the second ear shell. Subsequently, the mapped second ear shell is interactively adjusted by an operator to compensate for an inconsistency in the mapped second ear shell.

Abstract: A graphics image is produced for a computer display with depth of field information by producing a sharp image of a scene, producing a blur image of the scene, and producing z-buffer image data, and producing an alpha channel RGBA image comprising an alpha blend of the sharp and blur images with the z-buffer data. The alpha channel RGBA image thereby provides an image having depth of field information when reproduced on a computer display device.

Abstract: A digital rendering method employs measured BRDF values for a modeled material by collecting BRDF measurements using a precision reflectometer. A laser light may be used as the source of the incident beam. Sparsely measured BRDF data is resampled to build a data table of BRDF values over a dense regular grid. The data table may be supplied as input to a ray-tracing shader, and the shader may calculate BRDF values for modeled light rays by interpolating between adjacent grid points for the data table.