Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Animation
Reexamination Certificate
1997-05-27
2002-06-11
Nguyen, Phu K. (Department: 2761)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Animation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06404436
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image processing method and an image processing system which project computer-controlled images on image display means and to an experience simulation system which uses the method and the system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Simulation systems such as computer-controlled video game systems and experience-simulation systems have been used. In particular, experience-simulation systems for a moving object such as a car or an airplane to move in a three dimensional space and competing in scores and for times or experiencing unusual experiences such as motorcycles games, driving games, flight simulation games and are popular. This type of experience simulation system has a program processing unit which processes programs and data, an image display means such as a CRT or liquid crystal display screen on which computer-generated video is projected, and an operation section which allows the player to control the program processing units. There are many types of operation unit. That is, not only a control panel on which buttons and levers are provided but also the model of a vehicle, such as the body of a motorcycle or the cockpit of a racing car or an airplane, is used depending upon the type or operation of the unit used in the game.
Video images are displayed on the image display means of the experience simulation system. For example, in a driving game, a plurality of previously-stored, three-dimensional objects are arranged in a virtual three-dimensional space called a game field.
FIG. 5
is an example of a game field where three-dimensional objects are arranged. Along the driving course are arranged three-dimensional objects such as the building
500
, trees
501
, guardrail
502
, and vehicle
503
.
The experience simulation system displays the three-dimensional objects on the image display means as follows: that is, it looks through the virtual three-dimensional space containing the three-dimensional objects from a given viewpoint, projects image information about each object represented as the perspective coordinates onto the projection screen some distance away from the viewpoint, and draws the two-dimensional projection images on the projection screen in the image display means. For example, as shown in
FIG. 6
, the system looks through the object
301
arranged in the three-dimensional space from the viewpoint
0
and projects it onto the projection screen
300
that is “h” away from the viewpoint
0
in the form of two-dimensional projection image
302
. In this case, the system divides the three-dimensional object
301
into a plurality of polygons and, based on the coordinates (X, Y, Z) of the vertexes of each polygon, calculates the coordinates (XS, YS) of each vertex of the image to be displayed on the projection screen, using the formula (1).
XS
=(
X/Z
)×
h
[Formula 1]
YS
=(
Y/Z
)×
h
(1)
The player controls the operation section of the experience simulation system to drive a motorcycle or a racing car or to pilot an airplane to participate in a race or a combat, and competes for times and scores. In this case, as the moving object moves around in the virtual three-dimensional space, the position of the viewpoint
0
, which is relatively associated with the moving object, also moves. That is, as the distance between the viewpoint
0
and each object
301
changes, the shape of the two-dimensional projection image
302
displayed on the image display means
300
also changes, giving the player an illusion that the object moves in the three-dimensional space.
However, in the traditional experience simulation system, the distance H
1
from the viewpoint
0
to the projection screen Z
1
with the view field angle of a is fixed, as shown in FIG.
7
. Because of this, the speed of a moving object is directly reflected on the screen; it can be neither increased nor decreased. A speed higher or lower than that of the moving object, if projected on the screen, would make the player feel more realistic. However, such a technology has not been introduced.
In addition, in a system where this type of perspective conversion technology is used, moving a moving object as well as the viewpoint at a high speed reduces the effective visual area on the projection screen, makes three-dimensional objects difficult to recognize in the three-dimensional space, and decreases the reality of the image produced by the experience simulation system.
It is difficult for human eyes to recognize moving objects which move at higher a speed than, prescribed speed. This also applies when a three-dimensional object is projected on the projection screen. And, the more speedily a three-dimensional object moves within the unit time (T), the more difficult it becomes to recognize the object. In
FIG. 7
, assume that the two object, the object P and the object R which is more distant from the viewpoint along the z axis but which has the same coordinates X and Y as those of P, have moved toward the viewpoint
0
for the distance of M and that they have reached P and Q respectively. The new positions of the points on the projection screen Z
1
are P
1
, Q
1
, and R
1
, and the movement distances of objects P and R are DP
1
and DR
1
. As shown in this figure, although the two objects have moved toward the viewpoint for the same distance along the z axis, the movement distance of the object closer to the viewpoint is larger than that of the object more distant from the viewpoint. And, the object closer to the projection screen is projected in a location closer to the circumference of the projection screen.
This indicates that, even when the amount of movement (M) toward the viewpoint within a specified time (T) (speed of movement toward the viewpoint) is the same, the movement distance on the projection screen (DP
1
) within the same time (T) of an object located closer to the viewpoint and projected closer to the circumference of the projection screen becomes larger. This makes it more difficult for humans to recognize a moving object located closer to the circumference of the screen. Conversely, the movement distance on the projection screen (DR
1
) of an object located more distant from the viewpoint and projected smaller on the projection screen is smaller in relation to the amount of movement (M). This makes it less difficult for humans to recognize a moving object even when the object moves faster in relation to the viewpoint and the object moves faster to go the distance M. As a result, the higher movement of an object reduces the effective visual area on the projection screen.
This fact is evidenced by the symptom, called a stricture of a view field (an effective-visual area reduction), we usually experience while driving a car. When we are driving a car at a high speed, the effective visual area is reduced. As a result, we find it difficult to recognize the objects closer to our viewpoint but find it less difficult to recognize distant objects. But, the fact is that, when we are driving a car, we look not only the at objects right in the front but those surrounding them. This makes up the for reduction in the effective visual area, allowing us to view a broad landscape.
In an experience simulation system, the viewpoint is always on a moving object and the projected direction always keeps track of an object that is moving. Thus, the image processing method used in the traditional experience simulation system reduces the visual area as the speed of a moving object increases, because it does not allow the player to look at something surrounding the moving object. It permits the player to recognize only objects in the center of the image display means and therefore degrades the reality of the game when the moving object is moving at high speed.
This invention seeks to solve the problems associated with the prior art described above. It is an object of this invention to provide an experience simulation system which makes a player feel an object moving faster or sl
Nguyen Phu K.
Price and Gess
Sega Corporation
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