Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Three-dimension
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-04
2001-03-20
Nguyen, Phu K. (Department: 2772)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Three-dimension
Reexamination Certificate
active
06204854
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is related to the co-pending application entitled “Method and System for Predictive Encoding of Arrays of Data,” attorney docket number 2167-0106-2, serial number 09/205,191, filed on even date herewith, also naming Julien Signes and Olivier Ondet as inventors. The contents of that co-pending application are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the encoding of computer-generated images, and more particularly to the encoding of 3D scenes utilizing 3D rotations and 3D normals.
2. Discussion of the Background
The phrase “computer-generated images” encompasses an expanding area of video technology. Originally the term was often equated with simple text images or 2D images; however, the phrase now encompasses any type of digitally encoded video stream. The Motion Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) was formed to investigate the technologies required for the encoding and decoding of image streams. The resulting standard (now referred to as “MPEG-1”) has served as a basis for two additional MPEG standards: MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. MPEG-4 is a standard that is “in progress” and forms the basis for the present invention. The final committee drafts are ISO/IEC FCD 14496-1 MPEG-4 Systems and -2 MPEG-4 Visual, the contents of the final committee drafts are incorporated herein by reference.
The draft standard departs from the single stream-based model of video and raises the focus to a series of streams that act in concert. One portion of the standard is the Binary Format for Scenes (also known as “BIFS”). This format allows the description of 3D objects and their motion and provides the ability for greater interaction with that portion of the video stream. The draft standard, however, does not directly provide a topologically coherent quantization scheme that supports a compensation process.
The representation of rotations with quaternions is known to be used in 3D computing, but not in the context used in the present invention. One known use is in the Cosmo viewer in which quaternions are used internally to interpolate between two rotations to avoid rendering artifacts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Not yet available in the BIFS portion of the standard is the ability to efficiently calculate, store and decode rotations and normals. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to address this deficiency.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a computer-implemented method and system for more efficiently encoding rotations in a computer-generated image stream.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a computer-implemented method and system for more efficiently encoding normals in a computer-generated image stream.
This and other objects of the present invention are addressed by one or more of (1) a computer-implemented method for encoding rotations and normals, (2) a system for encoding rotations and normals, and (3) a computer program product for encoding rotations and normals. Such a system is applicable to improved storage and playback of games, virtual reality environments, and movies. Moreover, based on the improved efficiency, video streams encoded according to the present invention may be played back over lower bandwidth communications links than less efficiently encoded streams.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5307449 (1994-04-01), Kelley et al.
patent: 5440682 (1995-08-01), Deering
patent: 5736987 (1998-04-01), Drucker et al.
patent: 5761401 (1998-06-01), Kobayashi et al.
patent: 5793371 (1998-08-01), Deering
Ondet Olivier
Signes Julien
France Telecom
Nguyen Phu K.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
LandOfFree
Method and system for encoding rotations and normals in 3D... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and system for encoding rotations and normals in 3D..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and system for encoding rotations and normals in 3D... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2483080