Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Three-dimension
Reexamination Certificate
1997-06-23
2001-03-27
Powell, Mark R. (Department: 2779)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Three-dimension
C345S420000, C345S423000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06208347
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of computer-aided object, surface and image modeling, with relevant applications in other fields, including without limitation computer graphics, animation, surface mensuration and mapping, security and identification systems, medical imaging and other imaging fields. In particular, the present invention relates to computer systems for mesh constructions that model three-dimensional (“3D”) objects and two-dimensional (“2D”) images. For 3D objects, the present invention permits construction of mesh models that represent 3D objects, terrains and other surfaces. The models have “dynamic resolution” capabilities such that the system of the present invention can incrementally add and remove points of detail from the mesh construction to create meshes that display the object in varying levels of detail. To create 3D mesh constructions, the present invention merges the spatial detail values (X, Y, Z—in 3D) of ordinary mesh data points with other detail values (such as color (R,G,B) or other non-spacial details) to build complex, spatial/texture “trixel map” data points such as a set of 6D (X, Y, Z, R, G, B) data points. The conglomerate or combined data points enable the system of the present invention to generate “trixel map” meshes which take into account both the spatial and color details of the object.
In addition to creating meshes to model 3D objects, the present invention can also be used to create mesh constructions which represent 2D images (photographs, film frames, video images and other images) which have been digitized to bit map or other formats. For 2D mesh constructions, the present invention combines the 2D spatial coordinate locations of the data (such as the x, y locations of the bitmap pixel coordinates with the associated color values, such as the R,G,B color assignments) to create a set of combined 5D (x,y,R,G,B) “tricture” data points. The present invention uses the 5D data point values to build a “trixel map” mesh which models the 2D image through its geometric mesh construction. Like the 3D object model described above, the 2D image models of the present invention have “dynamic resolution” capabilities.
Through its simplification techniques, the present modeling system is reductive both in its 2D and 3D applications. The simplification techniques reduce the number of data points needed to create quality images. The resulting mesh describes an object or image with good accuracy using far fewer data points than normally required by graphic systems using other techniques. Although the system stores information during simplification so that the system can make “lossless” transitions from a low to a high resolution mesh, it is noted that each instance of a simplified mesh model represents a “lossy” approximation of the original data which can be stored as a compression of the original object or image and transmitted by itself. Thus, in addition to the fields identified above, and without limitation, the present invention also relates to the field of data compression and decompression for graphic images.
The teachings of the presented system and method for incorporating non-spatial coordinates into mesh structures and using those combined values for building dynamic resolution mesh constructions can be applied generally. In addition to color and texture data, the present invention can be used to create mesh structure which incorporates other types of data which describe the surface of an object or terrain, for example, temperature data, energy absorption, or information concerning the object's structural or molecular properties.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There is great interest in the improvement of computer graphic systems that use 3D and 2D data to create images. Current uses for visual images in graphic applications demand systems that store extensive image data more compactly, build images with greater control in detail resolution and process images with increased speed and efficiency. Although 3D and 2D graphic systems have different underlying methods for image generation, both have common difficulty in processing the massive amount of data necessary to generate still images and animated sequences with computational efficiency and convincing realism. Background on both 3D and 2D systems is presented as follows.
3D Data Systems
A 3D object modeling system typically generates a model of an object, terrain or other surface (hereinafter an “object”) from input data and uses that model to create a display or reproduction of the object (such as a monitor display or printout). When a 3D object model replicates the entire surface of the object, a 3D graphics system allows a user to output or display images showing any side or face of the object from any vantage point. A user of a 3D graphics system can load a 3D object model into a viewer program and change his or her view of the object by commands to rotate the viewing window around the object or “zoom” close to or away from the object. A 3D graphics system builds more complex scenes by grouping different object models and viewing them together. For example, 3D object models for a chair, a boy, a lamp, and a book can be loaded into a viewer to show a boy sitting in a chair reading a book. As the 3D models contain information to show all sides of the objects in the scene, the user can rotate the viewing window and view the scene from all angles.
Because 3D object modeling systems can access complete three-dimensional information about each object depicted, they facilitate the construction of complex, interactive animated displays, such as those created by simulators and other user choice-based programs. Although 2D image generation systems currently predominate in the display and manipulation of graphic images, the use of 3D modeling systems is perceived as a more efficient way to present graphic information for interactive graphics, animated special effects and other applications and the use of such systems is growing.
3D systems construct object models from 3D spatial data and then use color or other data (called “texture data”) to render displays or images of those objects. Spatial data includes 3D X, Y, Z coordinates that describe the physical dimensions, contours and features of the object. The current effort in computer graphics to incorporate more images of real-life objects into applications has fostered improvements in collecting 3D spatial data such as through the use of scanning systems. A scanning system uses a light source (such as a laser) to scan a real-world object and a data collection device (such as a camera) to collect images of the scanning light as it reflects from the object. The scanning system processes the captured scan information to determine a set of measured 3D X, Y, Z coordinate values that describe the object in question. Some scanning systems can easily gather enough raw data to generate several hundred thousand 3D data point coordinates for a full wraparound view of an object. A typical 3D object modeling system processes the 3D point data to create a “wire-frame” model that describes the surface of the object and represents it as a set of interconnected geometric shapes (sometimes called “geometric primitives”), such as a mesh of triangles, quadrangles or more complex polygons. The points can come to a 3D object modeling system either as a set of random points (i.e., a “cloud of points”) with no information concerning shape (known as connectivity information) or the points can come with some connectivity information such as information indicating a “hole,” for example, the space bounded by the handle of a tea cup.
Typical mesh modeling systems use the spatial data—the 3D X, Y, Z coordinates—either indirectly, in gridded mesh models, or directly, in irregular mesh models. Gridded mesh models superimpose a grid structure as the basic framework for the model surface. The computer connects the grid points to form even-sized geometric shapes that fit within the overall grid structure, determining the X, Y, Z locati
Aguera-Arcas Blaise
Lebedev Alexei
Migdal Alexander A.
Harrison Chante
Kenyon & Kenyon
Powell Mark R.
Real-Time Geometry Corporation
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