Abstract: A device is provided for rendering computer graphic images with a database and geometric processor to process a plurality of polygons. The device includes a background rendering engine to render the polygons received from the geometric processor. A critical item detector is configured to identify polygons received from the geometric processor that have at least a portion of the polygon within a critical item region. In addition, a critical item rendering engine is included to render polygons identified by the critical item detector. The identified polygons in the critical item engine are rendered at a higher resolution than the polygons rendered by the background rendering engine. A critical item load manager is coupled to the critical item rendering engine to increase or decrease a critical item load being rendered by the critical item rendering engine, and to match a deterministic processing time allowed.

Abstract: A top conductor 11, a ground conductor 12, and side conductors 13 form an antenna box having two openings 22 and 23. Antenna elements 14 and 15 are placed inside of the antenna box, and are connected to power supply points 16 and 17, respectively. A power supply control circuit 20 has a switching function of connecting either one of the power supply points 16 and 17, to an external connecting terminal 21. Depending on the antenna element 14 or 15 being operated, the antenna has a directivity biased to a desired direction. The power supply control circuit 20 may have a signal combining/separating function, a phase shifter 26, or an amplitude adjusting circuit 27. With this, it is possible to provide a small, slim antenna capable of biasing the directivity to a desired direction and controlling the directivity even after installation.

Abstract: A method for producing an image of a scene including a refractive object includes generating an illumination map, representing the scene. The method creates a first bitmap for the refractive object, the bitmap comprising a plurality of pixels; each of said pixels in the first bitmap is mapped to a pixel in a second bitmap, the mapping representing the effect of refraction on light passing through the object; and the effects of the light illuminating the pixels in the first bitmap are added into said second bitmap.

Abstract: A real time three dimensional multiple display imaging system has a central processing node and a plurality of remote, virtual camera processors. Each of the virtual cameras has its own predetermined viewpoint and is capable of displaying a scene into a virtual world from that viewpoint. The virtual world and the objects displayed in it are controlled by the central processing node. Geometric and textural data concerning the objects are stored in advance by memories associated with each one of the virtual cameras, thereby reducing the amount of communication bandwidth necessary for real-time animation.

Abstract: A system and method for perceiving drilling learning through visualization is provided. In one embodiment using three-dimensional visualization of the earth model as a foundation, a new IT development strategy focuses on perceiving “Drilling Learning” by an intuitive method. Symbols, known as “Knowledge Attachments” are attached to each wellbore trajectory displayed in the three-dimensional environment, with each symbol indicating a specific event—such as one related to drilling operations or problems. A Knowledge Attachment system proves particularly useful to represent disparate data at once, in such a manner that the interdependencies between the earth model and drilling operational data are evident and correlated. Operational issues and lessons learned from prior wells are easily accessed and perceived in the context of the earth model. By understanding this information at the beginning of the well planning process, operational efficiencies may be improved.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for shading 3-dimensional computer generated images represents each object in the image as a set of polygons. An image plane on which the image is to be displayed is divided into a plurality of rectangular areas. Data defining the location of each polygon is then supplied. The rectangular areas which are required to show the whole of the polygon are then determined. Then, for each pixel in each rectangular area, the depth value is determined for the distance of a surface of the polygon from the image plane and a determination is made as to whether or not the surface is visible at that pixel. The pixel is shaded on dependence on the result of this determination.

Abstract: An image display apparatus with a display device for displaying images and a viewing device for viewing an image in the left eye and a different image in the right eye. Two smaller images, a left image and a right image, are created from the same two-dimensional image. The left image includes, as it's left most part, the left most part of the two-dimensional image, the right image includes, as it's right most, the right most part of the image two-dimensional image, and both the left and right images include a common central part of the full image. When the left and right images are displayed such that the left eye sees one image and the right eye sees the other image, the viewer sees the two-dimensional image as a virtual image that can be wider than the viewable width of the display device. The width of the virtual image can be varied to accommodate the viewer.

Abstract: A method for automatically displaying dynamic images as a sequence of still frames is disclosed. The method includes receiving dynamic image data, transforming the dynamic image data into static image data, and displaying, frame by frame, the static image data on a display device. The method may be employed in a computer, a computer network or a system which has a display information card having at least a port for receiving the dynamic image data, a processor for transforming the dynamic image data into static image data, an internal memory for storing the static image data, and a display device. In the preferred embodiment, the method is employed in a web browser.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for efficient parametric surface binning based on control points. One method of the present invention comprises transforming control points for a parametric surface. An extent of the control points is determined. Tiles interested by the extent are determined. The parametric surface is stored into the tiles.

Abstract: In accordance with a feature of the invention, a hierarchy of multi-digraph layers may be constructed on top of an input multi-digraph. Each layer represents a multi-digraph obtained from an equivalence relation defined on the edge set of the input multi-digraph. In accordance with a further feature of the invention, each subgraph is small enough to be represented visually in a variety of novel ways.

Abstract: A computer arrangement and a method for generating meshes of an object having an object volume within a shape defined by a front surface, a rear surface and an envelope surface in accordance with the following steps: (a) receiving input data regarding a set of line sections; (b) defining a circle with a radius Lcirc just large enough to enclose an outer contour of a front surface cross-section; (c) dividing each of the line sections into a number of consecutive line elements connected by nodes in accordance with equation: (1), where: nel(n)=number of line elements of line section 25(n), Lsect(n)=length of line section 25(n), c1, c2=predetermined constants; (d) generating front surface meshes; (e) copying the front surface meshes to the rear surface; (f) generating envelop surface meshes for the envelop surface; (g) generating a volume mesh for the object volume.

Abstract: A CPU comprises means for receiving, when image deformation processing by a digital circuit is terminated, the degree of image deformation at the time of the termination from the digital circuit and storing the received degree of image deformation in a nonvolatile memory, and means for causing, when an image deformed state is returned to an initial state before the deformation by turning the power of a display device on or off, for example, the digital circuit to subject an input image to the image deformation processing until the degree of image deformation stored in the nonvolatile memory is reached on the basis of the degree of image deformation stored in the nonvolatile memory.

Abstract: A system, method and program for merging objects for raster presentation are described. In response to receipt of an input data set including a plurality of objects intended for raster presentation, the system divides the data set into a plurality of scan regions and determines if a predetermined number of objects per scan line set is exceeded by the plurality of objects. In response to a determination that the predetermined number of objects per set of scan lines is exceeded, the system merges only a portion of a first object among the plurality of objects with at least a portion of a second object among the plurality of objects, where the portion of the first object and the portion of the second object are defined by a particular scan region among the plurality of scan regions.

Abstract: Texture-based volume rendering is a technique to efficiently visualize volumetric data using texture mapping hardware. A method is presented that extends this approach to render shadows for the volume. Although the method does not perform lighting calculations, the resulting image has a shaded appearance. As calculating the shadows is independent of the visualization process, the method can be applied to any form of volume visualization.

Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) imaging system and method include a processor for generating a volume-rendered 3D image on a display using a plurality of voxels from a 3D image dataset; and a view selector which responds to user inputs for determining a first set of voxels corresponding to a boundary in the volume-rendered 3D image using a predetermined boundary-specifying criteria applied to a function of the opacity of the plurality of voxels. The processor responds to the first set and to a user function selection by performing the selected function to modify the volume-rendered 3D image relative to the detected boundaries. The selected function is a display function, a measurement function, or a segmentation function. The view selector determines the boundary from voxels having opacities greater than a predetermined threshold, or determines the boundary from voxels having a gradient in opacities greater than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: Digitized handwriting is captured and provided in real-time to a display in the form of polylines. The polylines are then converted to a parametric representation, thereby filtering out noise and distortion effects attributable to the digitization process. To further refine quality, the smoothed, digitized handwriting is further subjected to edge-smoothing processing to mitigate the effects of relatively low-resolution displays. In this manner, the present invention improves the appearance of digitized handwriting in comparison to prior art techniques.

Abstract: In a navigation system using a bird's-eye view display mode, map data on a plan view map are subjected to a perspective projection conversion to obtain drawing data on a bird's-eye view map. An input of the position of a view point is accepted, and a projection plane for a bird's-eye view is determined so that the display positions of the two points which have been subjected to perspective-projection conversion are coincident with predetermined positions. Alternatively, an input of a scale is accepted, so that the display positions of the two points after the perspective projection conversion are coincident with predetermined positions and the drawing scale is coincident with the input scale. In a further alternative, an input of the projection angle is accepted, and the projection plane is determined on the basis of the projection angle and the position of the view point.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for creating soft creases for subdivision surfaces. Specifically, techniques are provided for creating an interpolation between a hard crease and a smooth surface. For example, the following steps may be performed to render an object with a soft crease: receiving, in response to user input, a selected value that falls within a range bounded by a first value and a second value; and rendering the object with a soft crease that has an appearance based on the selected value. The soft crease represents an interpolation between a hard crease and a smooth surface. The closer the selected value is to the first value, the more the appearance of the soft crease resembles the hard crease and, conversely, the closer the selected value is to the second value, the more the appearance of the soft crease resembles the smooth surface.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention includes displaying a first object and a second object with a computer system. The first object represents data corresponding to a first combination of a number of variables and a second object represents data corresponding to a second combination of the variables. The first object is moved in a first pattern and the second object is moved in a second pattern during this display with the computer system. These patterns include a common characteristic to represent one of the variables common to the first and second combinations and a varying characteristic indicative of variation of the one of the variables.

Abstract: An image processing device for generating a 3-D character image of the present invention includes: an image input section for inputting a face image; a storage section for prestoring of 3-D models, body images, and information on a direction, position, and size of a face conforming to the body images; a user input section having a position designation means and a body selection means; an image processing section, including a textured image generation means for generating a textured image so as to paste the input image onto the 3-D model, a textured image storage means, a face image generation means, and a combining means for combining a body image and an image generated by the face image generation section so as to generate a 3-D character image; and a display section.