US 6,441,815 B1Granted

Method and system for high performance computer-generated virtual environments

AssigneeFakespace Labs, Inc.

InventorsIan E. McDowall, Mark T. Bolas

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A computer system and computer-implemented method for rendering images in real-time with a three-dimensional appearance. Using a database including at least one pair of texture maps uses as a stereo pair behind a portal to simulate a scene. An input database can be processed to generate a processed database by performing texture mapping to replace at least one portion of the input data representing a view (or object) by data indicative of a pair of texture maps and an associated polygon or polygons. One of the texture maps represents the view (object) from a left-eye viewpoint; the other represents the view (object) from a right-eye viewpoint. In some embodiments, to generate the texture map pairs, the input database analyzed to produce the images. In other embodiments the images are from photographs or other sources.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A method for rendering a plurality of images on a display, said images comprising a plurality of pixels, with said images forming a three-dimensional appearance by using a processed database, and subsequently identifying said images with a color tag upon user request, said method including the steps of:

(a) supplying to a computer system, from the processed database, a selected pair of texture maps and associated polygons;
(b) operating the computer system to display a stereoscopic view in a region of a larger image, wherein the pair of texture maps and associated polygons determines the stereoscopic view and the region;
(c) operating the computer system to associate a tag field with each pixel as each of said images is drawn;
(d) storing the color tag and the tag field information as an array of values in a lookup database for later use as a lookup table;
(e) operating the computer system such that when a user points in a virtual space at one of said pair of texture maps and associated polygons with a data input device the computer system will retrieve, from the lookup database, the array of values associated with the pixels comprising the pair of texture maps and associated polygons;
and
(f) displaying information regarding an identity of a specified part of the pair of texture maps and associated polygons based on the array of values in the lookup database.

4 more elements

A method for rendering a plurality of distinct images, each distinct image having a three-dimensional appearance and each distinct image rendered within one of a plurality of regions within a larger image, by using a processed database, said method including the steps of:

(a) supplying to a computer system, from the processed database, a selected pair of texture maps and associated polygons;
(b) operating the computer system to display a stereoscopic view in each of the plurality of regions of the larger image, wherein the pair of texture maps and associated polygons determines the stereoscopic view and the plurality of regions;
(c) operating the computer system to turn off updates to a Z buffer and to a plurality of color planes;
(d) operating the computer to draw a first image within the larger image with a stencil plane value set to a first parameter, drawing a second image within the larger image with a stencil plane value set to a second parameter, and continuing to draw images within the larger image with stencil plane values set to a particular parameter associated with a particular stencil plane value, until every image is drawn within the larger image;
(e) operating the computer to turn on the updates to the Z buffer and the color planes;
(f) operating the computer to draw a first set of texture mapped images and associated polygons to be seen through the first image only when the stencil planes are equal to the first parameter, to draw a second set of texture mapped images and associated polygons to be seen through the second image only when the stencil planes are equal to the second parameter, and continuing to draw only a particular set of texture mapped images and associated polygons within the larger image only when a stencil plane value is equal to the parameter associated with that stencil plane value;
(g) operating the computer to draw the larger image;
and,
(f) operating the computer to display the larger image and each of the very different images within the larger image as an entire scene.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/945,405Filed 31 Aug 2001 · continuation
Priority: 5 Jul 1995
Published: US 2002/0030679 A114 Mar 2002
Granted: 27 Aug 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G06T 15/10
Three-dimensional [3D] image rendering: geometric effects
H04N 13/279
From three-dimensional [3D] object models, e.g. computer-generated stereoscopic image signals: the virtual viewpoint locations being selected by…
H04N 13/344
Displays for viewing with the aid of special glasses or head-mounted displays [HMD]: with head-mounted left-right displays
H04N 13/366
Image reproducers: using viewer tracking

Family

Application08/498,221Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Jul 1995
Application09/313,508Parent of this continuation · filed 17 May 1999
US 6,285,370 B1Parent of this continuation
US 5,905,499 AParent of this continuation
US 2002/0030679 A1Published application
US 6,441,815 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.