Information processing method and image processing method

• US 20050131857A1
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohshima, Toshikazu, Fujiki, Masakazu
• Granted Patent: US 7,834,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

An object level is set as an attribute that specifies a virtual object, and a user level is set for an application program, user, or the like that uses this virtual object, and the attribute of the virtual object is determined in accordance with the object and user levels. For example, a virtual attribute is determined in accordance with the magnitude relationship between the two levels. In this way, when the attribute of the virtual object is to be changed, the user need not select virtual objects to be changed one by one to perform change processes, and can easily change the attributes.

Claims

1. An information processing method comprising:

a first acquisition step of acquiring an object level set for each computer graphics object in a virtual space;

a second acquisition step of acquiring a rendering level in the virtual space;

an attribute determination step of determining an attribute of the computer graphics object on the basis of the object level and rendering level; and

a processing step of performing a process for the computer graphics object in accordance with the determined attribute of the computer graphics object.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rendering level is set for each user or each process that executes the processing step.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user can set at least one of the object level and rendering level.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the attribute of the computer graphics object specifies a display state of the computer graphics object.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the attribute of the computer graphics object is a visibility or opacity attribute of the computer graphics object.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the attribute determination step includes a step of determining the attribute in accordance with a magnitude relationship or ratio between values of the object level and rendering level.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a notifying step of notifying, when an input that changes the object level or the rendering level is made, another process which shares the virtual space of the contents of the input.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising a change step of changing, when the notification is received, the object level or rendering level in accordance with the contents of the notification.

20. A program for making a computer execute an information processing method of claim 1.

24. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program of claim 20.

9. An image processing method comprising:

a first acquisition step of acquiring a first level set for each computer graphics object;

a second acquisition step of acquiring a second level used to control rendering of the computer graphics object; and

a control step of controlling rendering of the computer graphics object in accordance with the first and second levels.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the control step includes a step of controlling the computer graphics object set with the first level to be visible or invisible.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the control step includes a step of controlling an opacity value of the computer graphics object set with the first level.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the second level is set by a user'"'"'s manual instruction.

22. A program for making a computer execute an image processing method of claim 9.

26. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program of claim 22.

13. An image processing method comprising:

a first acquisition step of acquiring a first level set for each node which forms a scene graph that represents a virtual space;

a second acquisition step of acquiring a second level as a level used to control rendering of the scene graph; and

a control step of controlling the attribute of the node in accordance with the first and second levels.

23. A program for making a computer execute an image processing method of claim 13.

27. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program of claim 23.

14. An information processing method of allowing a plurality of processes to share data of an attribute used to define a virtual space, the attribute including an independent attribute which allows each of the plurality of processes to set an independent value, the method comprising:

a step of generating a data of the attribute, which has data fields for the plurality of respective processes in association with data of the independent attribute;

a step of transmitting, when each of the plurality of processes manipulates data in the database, information which can specify an objective to be manipulated and manipulation contents; and

a step of manipulating data in the database in accordance with the objective to be manipulated and manipulation contents.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the attribute includes a selectable attribute which can be selected as one of the independent attribute and a common attribute that uses a common attribute value among a plurality of processes, and

the step of generating the database includes a step of generating the database using the selectable attribute as one of the independent or common attribute on the basis of predetermined information.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of generating the database includes a step of providing an exclusive access right to a predetermined attribute to a specific process.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of generating the database and the step of manipulating the data are executed in each of the plurality of processes.

18. The method according to claim 14, further comprising a step of receiving information that can specify the objective to be manipulated and manipulation contents, and distributing the information to each of the plurality of processes.

21. A program for making a computer execute an information processing method of claim 14.

25. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program of claim 21.

19. An information processing system which allows a plurality of information processing apparatus to share data of an attribute that defines a virtual object, the attribute including an independent attribute which allows each of the plurality of processes to set an independent value, said system comprising:

generating unit adapted to generate a data of the attribute, which has data fields for the plurality of respective processes in association with data of the independent attribute;

transmission unit adapted to, when data in the database is to be manipulated, transmit information which can specify an objective to be manipulated and manipulation contents; and

manipulation unit adapted to manipulate data in the database in accordance with the objective to be manipulated and manipulation contents.