Reference image generation apparatus, display image generation apparatus, reference image generation method, and display image generation method
AssigneeSony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
InventorYuki Karasawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Moving images of a space, which includes objects 34 and 35 of a display target, as viewed from reference points are created in advance as reference images, and they are combined in response to actual positions of the points of view to draw a moving image. When the object 35 is displaced as indicated by an arrow mark in the space, reference points of view 30a to 30e are fixed as depicted in (a). Alternatively, the reference points of view are displaced in response to the displacement like reference points of view 36a to 36e in (b). Then, the moving images from the reference points of view are generated as the reference images.
Claims10
An apparatus configured to display a virtual environment and comprising:
- a memory;
- a display;
- and
- processing circuitry configured to:
- store video data of the virtual environment, to include video data of a reference image representative of a picture of a space in the virtual environment that includes an object represented by a plurality of pixels,
- wherein the video data of the reference image includes video data corresponding to a plurality of reference points of view in the virtual environment;
- compare a point of view of a user to the plurality of reference points of view;
- and
- display a picture of the virtual environment, including a picture of the object, from the point of view of the user;
- wherein, based on the point of view of the user not being the same as any of the plurality of reference points of view, the picture of the object that is viewed from the point of view of the user is formed by an image averaging process that includes:
- retrieving from the stored video data:
- a first set of pixel-specific colors of the object as viewed from a first reference point of view of the plurality of reference points of view that is closest to the point of view of the user in a first direction, and
- a second set of pixel-specific colors of the object as viewed from a second reference point of view of the plurality of reference points of view that is second closest to the point of view of the user in a first direction;
- and
- setting pixel-specific colors of the object as viewed from the point of view of the user based on a weighted average of the first set of pixel-specific colors and the second set of pixel-specific colors,
- wherein the weighted average is based on:
- a first distance between the point of view of the user and the first reference point of view, and
- a second distance between the point of view of the user and the second reference point of view,
- wherein the first and second distances comprise first and second linear distances, and
- wherein the weighted average of the first set of pixel-specific colors and the second set of pixel-specific colors comprises, for each pixel, a pixel-specific weighted color C=w1c1+w2c2, where
- w1+w2=1,
- c1=a pixel-specific color from the first reference point of view,
- c2=a pixel-specific color from the second reference point of view,
- w1=(1/Δa2)/sum,
- w2=(1/Δb2)/sum,
- sum=1/Δa2+1/Δb2,
- Δa=the first distance, and
- Δb=the first distance.
A method performed by an apparatus configured to display a virtual environment, wherein the apparatus stores video data of the virtual environment, to include video data of a reference image representative of a picture of a space in the virtual environment that includes an object represented by a plurality of pixels, wherein the video data of the reference image includes video data corresponding to a plurality of reference points of view in the virtual environment, the method comprising:
- comparing a point of view of a user to the plurality of reference points of view;
- and
- displaying a picture of the virtual environment, including a picture of the object, from the point of view of the user;
- wherein, based on the point of view of the user not being the same as any of the plurality of reference points of view, the picture of the object that is viewed from the point of view of the user is formed by an image averaging process that includes:
- retrieving from the stored video data:
- a first set of pixel-specific colors of the object as viewed from a first reference point of view of the plurality of reference points of view that is closest to the point of view of the user in a first direction, and
- a second set of pixel-specific colors of the object as viewed from a second reference point of view of the plurality of reference points of view that is second closest to the point of view of the user in a first direction;
- and
- setting pixel-specific colors of the object as viewed from the point of view of the user based on a weighted average of the first set of pixel-specific colors and the second set of pixel-specific colors,
- wherein the weighted average is based on:
- a first distance between the point of view of the user and the first reference point of view, and
- a second distance between the point of view of the user and the second reference point of view,
- wherein the first and second distances comprise first and second linear distances, and
- wherein the weighted average of the first set of pixel-specific colors and the second set of pixel-specific colors comprises, for each pixel, a pixel-specific weighted color C=w1c1+w2c2, where
- w1+w2=1,
- c1=a pixel-specific color from the first reference point of view,
- c2=a pixel-specific color from the second reference point of view,
- w1=(1/Δa2)/sum,
- w2=(1/Δb2)/sum,
- sum=1/Δa2+1/Δb2,
- Δa=the first distance, and
- Δb=the first distance.
A non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program for causing an apparatus configured to display a virtual environment to perform a process, wherein the apparatus stores video data of the virtual environment, to include video data of a reference image representative of a picture of a space in the virtual environment that includes an object represented by a plurality of pixels, wherein the video data of the reference image includes video data corresponding to a plurality of reference points of view in the virtual environment, the process comprising:
- comparing a point of view of a user to the plurality of reference points of view;
- and
- displaying a picture of the virtual environment, including a picture of the object, from the point of view of the user;
- wherein, based on the point of view of the user not being the same as any of the plurality of reference points of view, the picture of the object that is viewed from the point of view of the user is formed by an image averaging process that includes:
- retrieving from the stored video data:
- a first set of pixel-specific colors of the object as viewed from a first reference point of view of the plurality of reference points of view that is closest to the point of view of the user in a first direction, and
- a second set of pixel-specific colors of the object as viewed from a second reference point of view of the plurality of reference points of view that is second closest to the point of view of the user in a first direction;
- and
- setting pixel-specific colors of the object as viewed from the point of view of the user based on a weighted average of the first set of pixel-specific colors and the second set of pixel-specific colors,
- wherein the weighted average is based on:
- a first distance between the point of view of the user and the first reference point of view, and
- a second distance between the point of view of the user and the second reference point of view,
- wherein the first and second distances comprise first and second linear distances, and
- wherein the weighted average of the first set of pixel-specific colors and the second set of pixel-specific colors comprises, for each pixel, a pixel-specific weighted color C=w1c1+w2c2, where
- w1+w2=1,
- c1=a pixel-specific color from the first reference point of view,
- c2=a pixel-specific color from the second reference point of view,
- w1=(1/Δa2)/sum,
- w2=(1/Δb2)/sum,
- sum=1/Δa2+1/Δb2,
- Δa=the first distance, and
- Δb=the first distance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.