Abstract: Disclosed is an image synthesis method in which image are synthesized so as not to create mach band. Primary differential of brightness of an image to be synthesized changes continuously (a). When the brightness of the image to be synthesized changes in this manner, primary differential of brightness of a synthesized image by superposing is also continuous, thus the brightness does not change suddenly and mach band does not occur (b).

Abstract: Methods and arrangement are provided for compressing and transporting image-based rendering (IBR) data using alignment and three-dimensional (3D) wavelet transform techniques, and selectively decompressing portions of the resulting compressed data to render various two-dimensional (2D) views of a 3D scene. A compression engine compresses the IBR data using a 3D wavelet transform and outputs a compressed bitstream comprising encoded frequency coefficients associated with the IBR data. This compressed bitstream can then be provided to a separate decompression engine that selectively decodes portions of the compressed bitstream based on an access request for image data associated with a desired view from a rendering engine. Through a mixed cache, the progressive inverse wavelet synthesis (PIWS) engine decompresses the decoded portions with minimum calculation, and provides the decompressed IBR data to the rendering engine.

Abstract: A three-dimensional object shared processing method for sharing data of a three-dimensional object among a plurality of computer systems which are coupled via a network, includes a step of updating the data of the three-dimensional object stored at each of the computer systems so that the data match, based on an operation command and change information. The operation command is related to an operation with respect to the three-dimensional object carried out at each of the computer systems. In addition, the change information indicates a change of the three-dimensional object caused by the operation carried out with respect to the three-dimensional object, and includes a number of a selected part of the three-dimensional object and a position coordinate of the selected part.

Abstract: Techniques for generating a 3D region from a surrounding imagery are disclosed. The surrounding imagery comprising a sequence of side view images taken respectively at a known position around an object. The images are preprocessed to generate corresponding sequence of mask images. To accelerate the subsequent space carving process, each of the mask images is encoded uniquely using what is called herein a Maximal Area Encoding scheme. In the space carving process, volumetric cells or cubes representing the object are recursively subdivided to gradually fit the object by “carving” away those cubes that are not occupied by any of the object. All cubes are encoded and indexed using an octree structure.

Abstract: In a controller, a three-dimensional shape defined by at least one polygon is set on the basis of a signal from an input unit, and in a three-dimensional rendering unit, a three-dimensional image corresponding to the three-dimensional shape is rendered on the basis of a vertex of the polygon forming the three-dimensional shape, a pixel value at the vertex, and the like. The three-dimensional image is outputted as a key signal to a mixing unit for mixing images. Thus, various key signals are generated at high speed.

Abstract: A system and method for three dimensional character animation provides a rapid download of the animated character since the persistent data of the animated character may be downloaded initially to begin the animation. One or more behavior files may then be downloaded as needed which reduces the initial download time of a character. The system may store the persistent data in a character cache. To reduce the size of the behavior files, the persistent data may include morphlinks, for each polygon on the character, that determine the contributions that the movement of each joint in the character make on each polygon of the character.

Abstract: The primary components of the panoramic video viewer include a decoder module. The purpose of the decoder module is to input incoming encoded panoramic video data and to output a decoded version thereof. The incoming data may be provided over a network and originate from a server, or it may simply be read from a storage media, such as a hard drive, CD or DVD. Once decoded, the data associated with each video frame is preferably stored in a storage module and made available to a 3D rendering module. The 3D rendering module is essentially a texture mapper that takes the frame data and maps the desired views onto a prescribed environment model. The output of the 3D rendering module is provided to a display module where the panoramic video is viewed by a user of the system. Typically, the user will be viewing just a portion of the scene depicted in the panoramic video at any one time, and will be able to control what portion is viewed.

Abstract: Multiple graphic images are generated simultaneously. An object or a polygon is received by a 3D graphics pipeline whereby a first stage of the pipeline performs a world transform on the modeling space of the object or polygon. An object culling is performed on the world space to eliminate objects not within view. Lighting is applied to the object as appropriate. Two view transforms are performed in parallel. Backface culling is applied to the resulting data. A single backface culling algorithm can be applied to both of the view transform scenes. A projection transformation is applied to those objects remaining following the backface culling. The first and second view transformed scenes are rendered in order to produce a first target image and a second target image respectively.

Abstract: An image generation system which comprises an image generation apparatus having viewpoint definition means for defining a virtual viewpoint placed in virtual three dimensions, virtual panel definition means for defining a virtual object displayed in the virtual three dimensions and defining a virtual panel being placed in the virtual three dimensions, the virtual panel onto which a moving image is projected, based on the virtual viewpoint and the virtual object, moving image selection means for selecting a moving image to be projected onto the virtual panel from among a plurality of moving images based on the virtual viewpoint defined in the viewpoint definition means, and virtual three-dimensional image generation means for placing the virtual panel defined in the virtual panel definition means in the virtual three dimensions, projecting the moving image selected by the moving image selection means onto the virtual panel, and generating an image from the virtual viewpoint defined in the viewpoint definition

Abstract: A plurality of partial shape data that are obtained from widely varying viewpoints (potential directions) are registered. Each of the partial shape data is represented by shape vectors, and corresponding shape vectors representing the plurality of partial shape data are merged through vector arithmetic to thereby obtain shape vectors representing shape data that is obtained by merging the plurality of partial shape data.

Abstract: The present invention is a mid-pipeline sorting unit that sorts image data mid-pipeline in a tiled 3-D graphics pipeline architecture. The image data includes vertices of geometric primitives. The mid-pipeline sorting determines whether a geometric primitive intersects a region of a 2-D window. The 2-D window having been divided into multiple such regions. Upon determining which region of the 2-D window that the geometric primitive intersects, the mid-pipeline sorting unit stores the vertices that define the geometric primitive into a memory in a manner that associates each of the geometric primitive's vertices with the region that was intersected. After the image data is sorted into the memory, the mid pipeline sorting unit sends the sorted image data to the subsequent stage on a region by region basis.

Abstract: The effects of lighting and resulting shadows within a computer simulated three-dimensional scene are modeled by rendering light depth data and a light color data for each of the light sources. The light depth data is compared to a camera depth data to determine if a point within the scene is lighted by the various light sources. Accumulated light data is produced by combining those portions of the light color images determined to be lighting the scene and stored in the frame buffer. The resulting accumulated light data is then combined with a camera color image to produce a lighted camera image that can be further processed and eventually displayed on a computer display screen. The light color image can be static or dynamic. The various images and manipulations can include individual pixel data values, multiple-pixel values, polygon values, texture maps, and the like.

Abstract: The invention concerns a graphic scene animation data signal, designed for means constructing images capable of being displayed on at least one screen, said graphic scene having probably been loaded in said means constructing images, in the form of a set of objects, some of said objects at least having its own particular identifier, said signal comprising: a single animation mask, delivered as preamble to said animation, and assigning at least one of said objects to an elementary mask comprising: said object identifier, as defined in said graphic scene to be animated; and the designation of at least one dynamic characterization field of said object, representing a characteristic of said object capable of being modified; animation frames, comprising, according to the order defined by said mask, data updating said object dynamic characterization fields, so as to modify them, said constructing means decoding said animation mask data, and initializing the animation of the basis thereof, and updating the scene on

Abstract: A method and system for computer-aided design and more particularly to the computer-aided design of sheet parts is presented. The method includes defining a feature in a definition view based on a specification defined by a user and generating the feature in the definition view. The alternative view is then updated. This updating includes analyzing the defined feature to determine if it can be made available to an alternative view, and representing the defined feature in the alternative view. The definition view and the alternative view include a folded view and an unfolded view.

Abstract: Original data consisting of three-dimensional coordinate data, color, &agr;-value and the like of a polygon, which is obtained through a geometrical operation by a geometrical operation processing unit (2) on the basis of polygon definition data (1) is stored into a memory (4A or 4B) in advance as geometrical-operation processed three-dimensional data (D1). That allows generation of three-dimensional graphics drawing data only by a drawing operation processing unit (3) on the basis of the geometrical-operation processed three-dimensional data (D1) stored in the memory (4B). With this constitution, a three-dimensional graphics system which ensures reduction in cost and power consumption can be obtained.

Abstract: A system and a method for three dimensional (3D) volume editing for medical imaging applications is disclosed. The method and system comprise the steps of projecting vertices of the at least one ROI in one plane and transforming the data within the at least one ROI to allow all of a plurality of slices on the inside of the at least one ROI to be along one axis of a three axis coordinate system. The method and system also includes representing the inside of the at least one ROI as a plurality of line segments, wherein only two coordinates and the length of a line segment are stored. The system and method is particularly useful for removing unwanted structure by defining one or more regions of interest (ROI) in freehand from an arbitrary slice of a 3D data volume. In a preferred embodiment, the system and method comprises a fast algorithm to process a set of compact ROI volumes to remove either the inside or the outside ROI volumes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for efficient translation lookaside buffer (“TLB”) management of three-dimensional surfaces is disclosed. A three-dimensional surface is represented as a square pixel surface. The square-surface representation is stored in a single entry of the TLB.

Abstract: A system and method facilitating the production, processing, and Internet distribution of 3D animated movies including 3D multipath movies. A key reduction algorithm reduces the keyframes associated with the 3D movie to facilitate the streaming of the data over the Internet. An animation optimization and texture optimization algorithm allows the system to get statistical information of the portions of the 3D object which are invisible (outside the view frame), and whose animation and texture data may thus be safely removed. If the 3D object is within the view frame, the optimization algorithm gathers information about the distance and size of the 3D object and its associated texture data within the frame. The system and method further allows creation of various versions of the 3D object from a single production process. The various versions are tagged with an identifier identifying the target platforms and media platforms in which they are suitable for display.

Abstract: The generation of control variables for computer vision is disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a computerized system includes a video camera and a controller. The video camera tracks an object, such as the head of a user of the computer. The controller generates control variables having sensitivity to movement of the object that varies in accordance with movement of the object from a neutral position.

Abstract: A computer graphics system splits vertex data into first and second streams and stores the streams in separate regions of memory. In a specific embodiment, the first stream includes positional data and the second stream includes non-positional color and texture data. A visibility subsystem uses only the first stream to perform visibility processing, thus reducing bandwidth requirement. The rendering system processes data from subsets, identified by the visibility subsystem, of both streams required to render the visible part of a scene.