Display techniques for three dimensional virtual reality

A method for use in processing a view of a three dimensional world in which a first portion of said world is modeled as computer graphics and a second portion of said world is represented by a video, wherein said video is made up of a sequence of images displayed on a video screen which exists in said first portion of said world, said video displaying a plurality of objects, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining that an object which is represented as part of said video on said video screen has moved, from the point of view of a viewer of said world to a location that is off of said video screen, so that said object can no longer be displayed on said video screen and will disappear from said world;
• and
• revealing a representation of said object as computer graphics whereby said object remains visible in said world, albeit not on said video screen and said video screen continues to exist in said world.

Apparatus for use in processing a view of a three dimensional world in which a first portion of said world is modeled as computer graphics and a second portion of said world is represented by a video, wherein said video is made up of a sequence of images displayed on a video screen which exists in said first portion of said world, said video displaying a plurality of objects, said apparatus comprising:

• means for determining that an object which is represented as part of said video on said video screen has moved, from the point of view of a viewer of said world, to a location that is off of said video screen, so that said object can no longer be displayed on said video screen and will disappear from said world;
• and
• means for changing the representation of said object from a video representation to one modeled as computer graphics whereby said object remains visible in said world, albeit not on said video screen, and said video screen continues to exist in said world.

Apparatus for use in processing a view on a three dimensional world in which a first portion of said world is modeled as computer graphics and a second portion of said world is represented by a video, comprising:

• means for determining that an object being represented by said video has moved to a location that is being modeled as computer graphics;
• and
• means for revealing a representation of said object as computer graphics.

A system for displaying an apparently three dimensional world to a user, in which a first part of said three dimensional world is displayed as computer graphics and a second part is displayed as video on a video screen, wherein said video is made up of a sequence of images displayed on a video screen which exists in said first portion of said world, said video displaying a plurality of objects, the method, said system comprising:

• a processor for determining that an element displayed as video on said video screen transited, from the point of view of a viewer of said world, from said second part to said first part so that said object can no longer be displayed on said video screen and will disappear from said world;
• and
• a rendering engine for displaying said world with said element displayed in said first part rather than said second part whereby said object remains visible in said world, albeit not on said video screen, and said video screen continues to exist in said world.