Abstract: A method executed in an apparatus for generating graphics data indicating shape features of three-dimensional graphics based on X, Y and Z coordinate values, which includes the steps of generating a random number using the X and Y coordinate values of a plurality of shape specific points to determine a two-dimensional shape of the target three-dimensional graphics as seeds of random numbers, calculating a Z coordinate value of the shape specific point based on the generated random number and generating the graphics data based on the calculated Z coordinate value and the X and Y coordinate values of the specific points.

Abstract: An instruction information generator 112 generates first object instruction information for controlling an image displayed on a display device and/or first sound instruction information for controlling a sound outputted from a speaker in accordance with an analytical result sent from an input controller 111. The instruction information generator 112 generates second object instruction information and/or second sound instruction information indicative of occurrence of a specific state in accordance with the relationship between the game player's operation and the progress of the game. An object discriminator 113 performs restriction determination processing to each object in accordance with first or second object instruction information. A graphic controller performs graphic processing of the object in accordance with the determination result. A sound data discriminator 116 performs restriction determination processing to each sound element in accordance with first or second sound instruction information.

Abstract: A CPU selects a rendering mode to be employed when an alpha test condition is not satisfied from a plurality of rendering modes in accordance with a user's selection and sets the selected mode. An alpha test circuit compares the value of alpha data of an image with a constant, and judges whether a comparison result satisfies the condition. If it is judged that the comparison result does not satisfy the condition, the alpha test circuit causes a rendering process to be executed in accordance with the rendering mode thus set.

Abstract: A key signal extracted from a first original image and the first original image are subjected to an image processing, the processed first original image and a second original image are mixed using the processed key signal to provide a new composite image of which the quality can be prevented from being effectively deteriorated.

Abstract: An image creation device includes: a plurality of geometry processing means for creating at least one drawing element list by performing geometry processing to express images, respectively, in parallel, said plurality of geometry processing means having at least one first geometry processing means to perform tyical geometry processing and at least one second geometry processing in cooperation with another geometry processing means; drawing means to perform drawing processing based on said drawing element list; and control means to selectively adopt a first mode which parallelizes said at least one first geometry processing means and said at least one second geometry processing means and a second mode to lead a processing result of said at least one second geometry processing means to an input of said at least one first geometry processing means.

Abstract: A multiplication circuit (33a) of a modulation circuit (33) is provided to multiply color components from a texture mapping circuit (31) using a texture information and triangle vertex coordinates by color components from an interpolation circuit (32) using triangle vertex color information obtained using a perfect scattered reflection model and the triangle vertex coordinates. On the other hand, brightness components of three vertex color information from the interpolation circuit (32) is added to an output of the multiplication circuit (33) in a first adder circuit (33b) to generate color components of an output image. Thereby, an image having a three-dimensional vision can be generated without any increased scale of hardware and decreased speed of processing.

Abstract: In a data processing system for improving processing speed, a main CPU transmits coordinates of a center point in a three-dimensional space over a main bus 101 to a programmable pre-processor which generates figure data for drawing plural unit figures (polygons) around the center point transmitted from the CPU and sends the figure data to a GPU. The GPU performs rendering processing in accordance with figure data supplied from the PPP for drawing a picture defined by the combination of the unit figures on a graphic memory.

Abstract: A control means 101 is responsive to the shape of data inputted by inputting means 32 to control designating means 102 to switch interleaving patterns of addresses of a memory 18 designated for accessing means 103a to 103d. The designating means 102 designates to the accessing means 103a to 103d addresses of the memory 18 to be accessed under control by the control means 101. The accessing means 103a to 103d simultaneously access plural addresses of the memory 18 designated by the designating means 102. By switching to an appropriate interleaving pattern of simultaneously accessible addresses for accessing the memory with a minimum number of accessing operations for performing predetermined data processing operations, the efficiency of data processing may be improved.

Abstract: The picture drawing method is in a graphics computer, a special effect device or a video game machine. Data required for picture drawing is generated by pre-processing by a pre-processor 32 based on a drawing command for drawing a picture model defined by the combination of unit figures, and pixel data is generated on the unit figure basis by texture mapping based on the generated data for drawing a picture on a frame buffer 18. The texture data required by a drawing engine 33 is transferred in the pre-processing stage from a texture area on the frame buffer 18 to a texture cache 33F, and the pre-processor 32 and the drawing engine 33 are operated in pipelining. This enables texture mapping or MIP mapping without halting picture drawing means, while reducing the number of time texture memory is accessing and the accessing time for raising the overall picture drawing speed.

Abstract: An animation data producing system having a key frame management unit for managing key frame data to form pictures of key frames having principal changes of motion in an animation of plural frames and obtained by laying out component elements of the animation in a three-dimensional space; and a data interpolation unit for forming, by interpolation for each component element, picture data for the frames required between two adjacent key frames by using the key frame data obtained from the key frame management unit. The data interpolation unit includes a rotation angle calculator means, wherein, when the process of interpolating the component element relates to a rotation thereof around a single axis, the rotation angle in the frame for interpolation is calculated while the component element is considered to be rotated around an arbitrary axis between the key frames anterior and posterior to the relevant frame to be obtained by interpolation.

Abstract: Data from a main part of a drawing engine 101 is sent to and transiently stored in a first-in-first-out (FIFO) memory 102 for storage transiently therein and is supplied via an operating device 103 to a fast cache memory 104 where data exchange is carried out with a frame buffer 105. A cache controller 106 controls the cache memory 104 for pre-reading the contents of the FIFO memory 102 and collectively reading/writing data of the same page in the frame buffer 105 which is accessible at a high speed. This enables fast accessing using an inexpensive frame buffer to improve the drawing speed.

Abstract: A first forming means forms a first line segment along an edge of a polygon which has been delineated on a picture memory. A second forming means forms a plurality of second line segments along the length of the first line segment. The second line segments are comprised of a plurality of pixels and are generally perpendicular to the direction of the first line segment. The values of the second-line-segment pixels may be found using the values of pixels lying on the first line segment. Alternatively, the values of the second-line-segment pixels may be found by interpolation using the values of pixels adjacent the pixels lying on the first line segment.

Abstract: An image processing system for producing an image from three-dimensional image data. The system uses a command generator to generate one or more plotting commands for producing the image, and features a coordinate calculator for transforming the three-dimensional data into two-dimensional data. The coordinate calculator operates as a coprocessor of the command generator, and as such does not require use of the system bus to perform its functions.

Abstract: In a real-time texture mapping system, a more solid and naturally-mapped image is obtained with a minimum of computation volume. The texture-mapping system adds a texture image to an area of a polygon which forms a fundamental unit of three-dimensional image information of an object to be displayed on a screen. A geometry transfer engine (GTE) 61 extracts representing points from the polygonal area. Then, coordinates of the thus extracted representing points are subjected to the perspective transformation. Thereafter, the representing points, after the perspective transformation, are subjected to the linear interpolation in a graphic processing unit (GPU) 62 so that the image is formed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for formulating a picture and a household game playing apparatus are provided. Data necessary for formulating the picture are read from picture data of a three-dimensional object stored in a main memory, and coordinates of apex points of relatively small-sized polygons comprising the three-dimensional object are produced by a geometry processor for producing luminance data and color data for each apex point. Color data and coordinate data of boundary points between the apex points are produced by a raster processor. The raster processor uses the color data and coordinate data of the boundary points to produce color data and coordinate data of intermediate points between the boundary points.

Abstract: This invention has for its object to provide a method of inducing a transition in crystalline state of a crystallizable medicinal substance with great ease and improved efficiency and uniformity on a high production scale. According to the invention, an extruder is used for inducing a transition from one crystalline state (.DELTA.) to another crystalline state in a crystallizable medicinal substance.

Abstract: A method and apparatus includes a geometry transfer engine (GTE) acting as a graphical transformation engine for converting three-dimensional image data of TMD format into two-dimensional image data by perspective view transformation, and a graphics processing unit (GPU) acting as a drawing device for transferring the two-dimensional image data in a given transmission standard to draw an image on a two-dimensional display screen. A structure of the three-dimensional image data, excluding the information to be perspective view transformed, is arranged identical to that of the given transmission standard of the two-dimensional image data.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for generating image data are provided. A memory and a data processor are coupled with a system bus. In certain embodiments a data expanding apparatus is also coupled to the system bus and compressed data are transferred to the data expanding apparatus via the system bus and decompressed data are transferred therefrom to the memory without passing the compressed data through the data processor. Also in certain embodiments, an image data generation command string is transferred from the memory to an image data generation device via the system bus without passing the image data generation command string through the data processor.

Abstract: A particle analyzer includes a flow cell including first and second cells for containing an electrolyte with various types of biological particles floating therein. The first and second cells are connected to each other by a pore to allow the particles to flow from the first cell to the second cell through the pore. A first and a second electrode are provided in the electrolyte in the first and second cells respectively. A first detector detects an electric resistance between the first and second electrodes which changes according as the particle passes through the pore to generate an electric resistance signal representative of the electric resistance. A light source emits a beam of light to the flowing particle and a second detector detects scattered light from the particle receiving the beam of light to generate a scattered light signal representative of an intensity of the scattered light. A clock device clocks a period of time during which the scattered light signal is generated.

Abstract: A method of transforming an input video image data onto a three-dimensional surface is disclosed which comprises the steps of defining the three-dimensional surface, providing mapping data for transforming the input video image data onto the surface, storing the input video image data in a first memory, transforming the input video image data stored in the first memory according to the mapping data so as to provide an output video image data, calculating first vectors representing, respectively, orientations taken by minute areas on the surface, calculating second vectors representing, respectively, directions from the minute areas toward a virtual light source disposed in a position, calculating weighting factors according to the first and second vectors, the weighting factors quantifying shading to be caused on the minutes areas by the virtual light source, and weighting the input video image data or the output video image data according to the weighting factors.