Abstract: A vehicle monitoring device includes a camera or other optical sensor configured to be disposed at a trailing end of a first vehicle system. The camera or other optical sensor is configured to output one or more images or video of a field of view behind the first vehicle system. The monitoring device also includes a controller configured to receive output from one or more sensors and to activate the camera or other optical sensor to output the one or more images or video based on the output from the one or more sensors. The output from the one or more sensors indicates one or more of a change in movement of the first vehicle system, a temperature, an acoustic sound, or movement of a second vehicle system.

Abstract: A method of constructing a two-dimensional image includes receiving information describing a two-dimensional N-gon mesh of vertices and constructing an image by coloring at least some of the N-gons based on the respective vertices of the N-gons.

Abstract: Apparatus and method of providing textured surfaces for computer-generated images comprises embedding a procedural description corresponding to a bit-map representation of a texture in a hybrid file module that also includes the bit-map representation. The hybrid file module may be transmitted to a player over a data communications medium. Once received, the player extracts the procedural description from the hybrid file module, with the procedural description then being used to render the texture.

Abstract: Apparatus and method of providing textured surfaces for computer-generated images comprises embedding a procedural description corresponding to a bit-map representation of a texture in a hybrid file module that also includes the bit-map representation. The hybrid file module may be transmitted to a player over a data communications medium. Once received, the player extracts the procedural description from the hybrid file module, with the procedural description then being used to render the texture.

Abstract: An input vector is coded by obtaining a subdivision surface having vectors associated with bit patterns, and locating a target vector on the subdivision surface that is within a range of the input vector. The subdivision surface may be obtained by dividing an original surface. A bit pattern of the target vector is assigned to the input vector.

Abstract: A method of constructing a two-dimensional image includes receiving information describing a two-dimensional N-gon mesh of vertices and constructing an image by coloring at least some of the N-gons based on the respective vertices of the N-gons.

Abstract: Apparatus and method of providing textured surfaces for computer-generated images comprises embedding a procedural description corresponding to a bit-map representation of a texture in a hybrid file module that also includes the bit-map representation. The hybrid file module may be transmitted to a player over a data communications medium. Once received, the player extracts the procedural description from the hybrid file module, with the procedural description then being used to render the texture.

Abstract: Apparatus and method of rendering a texture comprises computing a set of initial pixels to produce an initial version of the texture, which has a low resolution as compared to a final version of the texture. The initial version is scaled using an algorithm wherein each of the initial pixels corresponds to a group of final pixels. The scaling algorithm creates interpolated values for the final pixels in each group. Actual values for the final pixels are computed following a predetermined ordering in which the final pixels in each group are ordered in accordance with a first pseudo-random sequence, and the groups are also ordered in accordance with a second pseudo-random sequence. The interpolated values of the final pixels are progressively replaced with the computed, actual values to arrive at the final version of the texture.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for representing a connectivity of an object, which has N vertices, in a pair-contracting operation. A parent vertex is encoded in the N vertices. The parent vertex is used in the pair-contracting operation. A symbol of the connectivity related to the parent vertex is encoded.

Abstract: Triangle mesh compression. In one embodiment, a method first generates a dual graph from a triangle mesh. The method then generates a binary tree structure from the dual graph. In one embodiment, generation of the tree structure includes removing a node of the dual graph from a stack, adding the node to a list, and determining node connections. Upon determining that there are two connections, the method adds an edge to the structure and adds a connected-to node to the stack. Upon determining that there are three connections, the method adds a branch to the structure, and adds a first and a second connected-to node to the stack.