US 8,013,856 B2 · Image processing method

Abstract

This invention provides an image processing method for projecting a virtual ray onto volume data to create an image and making it possible to realize speeding up without performing preprocessing. A virtual ray 22 is projected from an eye O onto an object 21, a position P at which the remaining light amount of the virtual ray 22 first attenuates is acquired, and a traveling distance d of the virtual ray 22 at the position P is acquired. To project an adjacent virtual ray 23, the virtual ray 23 is projected from a position O2 offset distance Δd smaller than the traveling distance d from the eye O by a predetermined value. Thus, when projection processing is performed, depth information d of the position P at which a first object is acquired on the virtual ray is stored and an adjacent virtual ray is projected from the position O2 offset Δd slightly smaller than the depth d, thereby skipping calculation.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An image processing method implemented by a processor for projecting a virtual ray onto volume data to create an image, said image processing method comprising:

projecting a first virtual ray from a first eye with the processor;
acquiring an attenuation position at which a remaining light amount of the first virtual ray attenuates by a predetermined amount;
and
acquiring a traveling distance of the first virtual ray from the first eye to the attenuation position, wherein
to project a second virtual ray with the processor adjacent to the first virtual ray, a projection start position of the second virtual ray is a position offset by a predetermined value in a direction of travel towards a second eye from a traveling position, the traveling position being at the traveling distance from the second eye, wherein the projection start position of the second virtual ray and the second eye are at differing positions, and
when a voxel is not transparent at the projection start position of the second virtual ray, the second virtual ray is projected from a position further offset by a predetermined value in the direction of travel towards the second eye.

3 more elements

An image processing method implemented by a processor for projecting a virtual ray onto volume data to create an image, said image processing method comprising:

projecting a first virtual ray from a first eye with the processor;
acquiring an attenuation position at which a remaining light amount of the first virtual ray attenuates by a predetermined amount;
acquiring a traveling distance of the first virtual ray from the first eye to the attenuation position, wherein
to project a second virtual ray with the processor adjacent to the first virtual ray, a projection start position of the second virtual ray is a position offset by a predetermined value in a direction of travel towards a second eye from a traveling position, the traveling position being at the traveling distance from the second eye, wherein the projection start position of the second virtual ray and the second eye are at differing positions;
and
projecting a third virtual ray from a third eye;
acquiring an attenuation position at which a remaining light amount of the third virtual ray attenuates by a predetermined amount;
acquiring a traveling distance of the third virtual ray from the third eye to the attenuation position of the third virtual ray;
and
further using the traveling distance of the third virtual ray to calculate the predetermined value for offsetting the projection start position of the second virtual ray in the direction of travel towards the second eye, wherein
a comparison is made between the traveling distances of the first and third virtual rays, and
when the difference between the traveling distances is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the second virtual ray is projected from the second eye.

9 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer-executable instructions in response to execution by a computing device cause the computing device to perform an image processing method for projecting a virtual ray onto volume data to create an image, comprising:

projecting a first virtual ray from a first eye;
acquiring an attenuation position at which a remaining light amount of the first virtual ray attenuates by a predetermined amount;
acquiring a traveling distance of the first virtual ray from the first eye to the attenuation position, wherein
to project a second virtual ray adjacent to the first virtual ray, a projection start position of the second virtual ray is a position offset by a predetermined value in a direction of travel towards a second eye from a traveling position, the traveling position being at the traveling distance from the second eye, wherein the projection start position of the second virtual ray and the second eye are at differing positions;
and
projecting a third virtual ray from a third eye;
acquiring an attenuation position at which a remaining light amount of the third virtual ray attenuates by a predetermined amount;
acquiring a traveling distance of the third virtual ray from the third eye to the attenuation position of the third virtual ray;
and
further using the traveling distance of the third virtual ray to calculate the predetermined value for offsetting the projection start position of the second virtual ray in the direction of travel towards the second eye, wherein
a comparison is made between the traveling distances of the first and third virtual rays, and
when the difference between the traveling distances is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the second virtual ray is projected from the second eye.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Image processing method

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Image processing method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17