Computerized method and apparatus using containment relationships to represent objects in a three-dimensional space, and for moving therethrough

A graphics display method for displaying a plurality of three-dimensional objects, a first one of said objects being contained within a second one of said objects, said graphics display method comprising the steps of:

• representing in a graphics processor, said plurality of three-dimensional objects as a corresponding plurality of convex polyhedra;
• generating in the graphics processor, a representation of containment relationships among said plurality of convex polyhedra corresponding to containment relationships among said plurality of three-dimensional objects including said a first object which is contained within said second object;
• and
• displaying the plurality of convex polyhedra on a two-dimensional display by selectively rendering only some of said polyhedra on said two-dimensional display based on the containment relationships represented in the graphics processor, such that said first object is not rendered on said graphics display upon rendering said second object from a perspective outside said second object, and said second object is not rendered on said graphics display upon rendering said first object from a perspective inside said first object.

Apparatus for moving through a computer-generated three-dimensional space rendition, said moving apparatus comprising:

• two-dimensional graphical display means, for displaying a three-dimensional space rendition thereon;
• two-dimensional pointing means, for moving a reference on said two-dimensional graphical display means in response to two-dimensional movement of said two-dimensional pointing means;
• function selection means;
• first means for moving in a first plane in the displayed three-dimensional space rendition, in response to movement of said two-dimensional pointing means;
• and
• second means for moving in a second plane in the displayed three-dimensional space rendition, in response to the combination of selection of said function selection means and two-dimensional movement of said two-dimensional pointing means;
• wherein said second moving means comprises means for rising up and sinking down in a vertical plane of the displayed three-dimensional space rendition, and for moving left and moving right in the horizontal plane of the displayed three-dimensional space rendition, in response to the combination of selection of said first function selection means and forward, backward, left and right movement, respectively, of said two-dimensional pointing means.

Apparatus for moving through a computer-generated three-dimensional space rendition, said moving apparatus comprising:

• two-dimensional graphical display means, for displaying a three-dimensional space rendition thereon;
• two-dimensional pointing means, for moving a reference on said two-dimensional graphical display means in response to two-dimensional movement of said two-dimensional pointing means;
• function selection means;
• first means for moving in a first plane in the displayed three-dimensional space rendition, in response to movement of said two-dimensional pointing means;
• and
• second means for moving in a second plane in the displayed three-dimensional space rendition, in response to the combination of selection of said function selection means and two-dimensional movement of said two-dimensional pointing means;
• second function selection means;
• and
• means for rotating in the displayed three-dimensional space rendition, in response to the combination of selection of said second function selection means and two-dimensional movement of said two-dimensional pointing means;
• wherein said rotating means comprises means for rotating up and rotating down relative to a first axis in the horizontal plane of the displayed three-dimensional space rendition, and for rotating up and rotating down relative to a second axis in the horizontal plane of the displayed three-dimensional space rendition, in response to the combination of selection of said second function selection means and forward, backward, left and right movement, respectively, of said two-dimensional pointing means.

Apparatus for moving through a computer-generated three-dimensional space rendition, said moving apparatus comprising:

• two-dimensional graphical display means, for displaying a three-dimensional space rendition thereon;
• two-dimensional pointing means, for moving a reference on said two-dimensional graphical display means in response to two-dimensional movement of said two-dimensional pointing means;
• function selection means;
• and
• means for moving in six degrees of freedom through the displayed three-dimensional space rendition, said six degrees of freedom including translation along three orthogonal axes and rotation about said three orthogonal axes, in response to the combination of selection of said function selection means and two-dimensional movement of said two-dimensional pointing means;
• wherein said function selection means comprises first and second function selection means;
• wherein said six degrees of freedom comprise translation along mutually orthogonal x, y and z axes, and rotation about said x, y and z axes, and wherein said two-dimensional pointing means moves the reference horizontally and vertically along said graphical display means, and wherein said moving means comprises:
• means for translating through the displayed three-dimensional space rendition along said y axis in response to vertical movement of said two-dimensional pointing means and for rotating about said z axis in response to horizontal movement of said two dimensional pointing means;
• means for translating through the displayed three-dimensional space rendition along said z axis in response to vertical movement of said two dimensional pointing means and selection of said first function selection means, and for translating along said x axis in response to horizontal movement of said two-dimensional pointing means and selection of said first function selection means;
• and
• means for rotating in the displayed three-dimensional space rendition about said x axis in response to vertical movement of said two-dimensional pointing means and selection of said second function selection means, and for rotating about said y axis in response to horizontal movement of said two-dimensional pointing means and selection of said second function selection means.

A graphics display system for rendering a three-dimensional space including a plurality of three-dimensional objects, a first one of said objects being contained within a second one of said objects, and for moving through the three-dimensional space rendition, said graphics display system comprising:

• two-dimensional graphics displaying means;
• two-dimensional pointing means, for moving a reference on said two-dimensional graphics displaying means;
• function selection means;
• and
• graphics processing means, said graphics processing means comprising:
• means for representing said plurality of three-dimensional objects as corresponding plurality of convex polyhedra;
• means for indicating containment relationships among said plurality of convex polyhedra corresponding to containment relationships among said plurality of three-dimensional objects including said first object which is contained within said second object;
• means for rendering a two-dimensional representation of the plurality of three-dimensional objects by selectively rendering only some of said convex polyhedra on said graphics displaying means, based upon the containment relationships in said containment indicating means, such that said first object is not rendered on said graphics displaying means upon rendering said second object from a perspective outside said second object, and said second object is not rendered on said graphics displaying means upon rendering said first object from a perspective inside said first object;
• and
• means for moving in six degrees of freedom through the displayed three-dimensional space rendition on said graphics displaying means, said six degrees of freedom including translation along three orthogonal axis and rotation about said three orthogonal axis, in response to the combination of selection of said function selection means and two-dimensional movement of said two-dimensional pointing means.

A system for rendering a plurality of three-dimensional objects, a first one of said objects being contained within a second one of said objects, said rendering system comprising:

• two-dimensional graphics displaying means;
• means for indicating containment relationships among said plurality of three-dimensional objects including that said first object is contained within said second object;
• and
• means for displaying a two-dimensional representation of said plurality of objects on said two-dimensional graphics displaying means, from a display perspective which is outside said second object, by rendering said second object and by not rendering said first object, based upon the containment relationships in said containment indicating means, and for displaying a two-dimensional representation of said plurality of objects on said two-dimensional graphics displaying means, from a display perspective which is inside said first object, by rendering said first object and by not rendering said second object, based upon the containment relationships in said containment indicating means.

A method for rendering a plurality of three-dimensional objects, a first one of said objects being contained within a second one of said objects, said rendering method comprising the steps of:

• indicating in a graphics processor, containment relationships among said plurality of three-dimensional objects including that said first object is contained within said second object;
• displaying a two-dimensional representation of said plurality of objects on a two-dimensional graphics display, from a display perspective which is outside said second object, by rendering said second object and by not rendering said first object, based upon the containment relationships in the graphics processor;
• and
• displaying a two-dimensional representation of said plurality of objects in said two-dimensional graphics display, from a display perspective which is inside said first object, by rendering said first object and by not rendering said second object, based upon the containment relationships in the graphics processor.