Patents Examined by Eugene L Santiago
  • Patent number: 6483507
    Abstract: A volume rendering processor renders a two-dimensional image from a volume data set of voxels constituting a three-dimensional representation of an object. Voxel memory interface logic retrieves the voxels from a voxel memory in a scanned order with respect to X, Y and Z coordinate axes, the Z axis being the axis most nearly parallel to a predefined viewing direction. The set of voxels having equal Z coordinate values are referred to as a “slice” of voxels. Interpolation logic calculates a sequence of samples from the retrieved voxels such that (i) each sample lies along a corresponding imaginary ray extending through the object parallel to the viewing direction, (ii) each sample results from interpolating the eight voxels surrounding the sample in the XYZ coordinate system. “Supersampling” in the Z dimension is performed such that the number of samples calculated for each ray is greater than the number of slices of voxels in the volume data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: TeraRecon, Inc.
    Inventors: Randy B. Osborne, Ingmar Bitter, Hanspeter Pfister, James Knittel, Hugh C. Lauer