METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EFFICIENT TRANSMISSION OF RICH THREE-DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY AND ANIMATION CONTENT OVER NARROW BAND COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

• US 20090110307A1
• Filed: 10/29/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Moshe Itzhak Markowitz
• Original Assignee: Moshe Itzhak Markowitz
• Inventors: MARKOWITZ, Moshe Itzhak
• Granted Patent: US 8,766,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/10 Geometric effects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/10 Constructive solid geometry [CSG] using solid primitives, e.g. cylinders, cubes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts

Abstract

A method and system for compacting and distributing graphic data by representing three-dimensional models by primitive objects that are predefined in the system and instructions, which may include solid modeling operations for constructing at least one model from the identified primitive objects. The method and system enable creating compacted representation files that can be distributed via one or more communication network, where a client application enables reconstruction of the models represented by the data in the representation files by combining the primitive objects constructing the model according to the set of instructions that enable the actual construction.

Claims

1. A computerized system of compacting at least one three-dimensional graphic file comprising at least one three-dimensional model, for facilitating efficient distribution of compacted representation files via at least one data communication network, the system comprising:

at least one author application enabling compacting each three-dimensional graphic model in the graphic file into at least one compacted representation file;

at least one client application enabling displaying compacted representation files; and

at least one primitive objects'"'"' database comprising predefined three-dimensional primitive objects, wherein the at least one database is operatively associated with the at least one client and the at least one author application, wherein the author application enables compacting each graphic model by representing each of its graphic models as a set of primitive objects, represented by indicators, and a set of instructions and other additional model'"'"'s and objects'"'"' properties, wherein the instructions enable combining at least two primitive objects to construct the graphical model, and

wherein the at least one client application enables retrieving the indicators enabling to identify the primitive objects, the instructions and the properties of each model, and constructing each model represented by the representation file by combining the retrieved primitive objects according to the instructions and the properties in the representation file.

2. The computerized system of claim 1, further comprising at least one server operatively associated with the at least one author application, enabling to communicate with the at least one client application to allow distributing of compacted representation files to a multiplicity of users.

3. The computerized system of claim 1, further enables compacting animated models by transmitting changes in properties of the primitive objects of the model, wherein the properties of each model represent geometrical and graphical properties of each primitive object, wherein the changes in time of the physical properties of each object of the model enables animating the model.

4. The computerized system of claim 1 wherein the author application comprises:

an editor application, enabling carrying out the compacting of graphic-files into compacted representation files and transmission of the compacted representation files through at least one communication network;

a graphic application enabling reading of three-dimensional graphic-files as well as enabling the user to create and modify three-dimensional models of graphic-files to create the representation files associated with the models of the graphic-file; and

at least one display unit enabling the user to view three-dimensional models and other features of the graphic-file.

5. The computerized of claim 4, wherein the graphic application enables creating graphic file for an efficient streaming of animated models via at least one communication network, wherein said streaming enabling is carried out by the editor application enabled by transmitting of changes in properties of the primitive objects of each model, which are subject to change,

wherein the properties of each model represent geometrical and graphical properties of each primitive object, wherein the changes in time of the physical properties of each object of the model enable animating the model,

6. The computerized system of claim 1 wherein the client application comprises:

a viewer application, enabling identifying models, primitive objects, Instructions for combining the primitive objects and other model properties;

a geometric modeler enabling to operate the instruction of received representation files and combine the primitive objects to construct the three-dimensional models of representation files; and

at least one display unit enabling the user to view three-dimensional models,

wherein the viewer, geometric modeler and display unit are operatively associated enabling receiving of compacted representation files and displaying models by displaying identified primitive objects of each model of each compacted representation file according to the Instructions for combining the objects and other model properties;

wherein the instructions are translated by the viewer application into a set of computer readable instructions according to which the models are combined and displayed.

7. The computerized system of claim 6, wherein the geometric modeler uses CAD (Computer-Aided Design) tools and technology to carry out the processing, presenting and defining of models and properties.

8. The computerized system of claim 2, wherein the server is a web server enabling online storing and transmitting of compacted representation files.

9. The computerized system of claim 1 wherein each primitive object is one of:

a three-dimensional or a two-dimensional shape.

10. The computerized system of claim 9, wherein at least some of the predefined primitive objects that are identified by the system are one of:

non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS) surfaces or trimmed NURBS, where each NURBS surfaced object is defined by control points and by at least one cross section object.

11. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein the set of instruction includes at least one operation enabling to combine the primitive objects of the model, wherein said operation is a Boolean operation including at least one of:

unifying, deforming, subtracting and intersecting of the primitive objects of the model.

12. The computerized system of claim 1, further enables storing models as primitive objects in the at least one primitives database.

13. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein the client application identifies the primitive objects of each model by searching the objects through the at least one primitives databases, according to the indicators of the primitive objects and by retrieving the primitive objects associated with the indicators from the at least one primitives'"'"' database.

14. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein the author application is a client application enabling online processing of data for compacting models and creating representation files.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising distributing the compacted representation file via at least one data communication network.

18. The method of claim 16, further includes displaying the compacted representation file;

19. The method of claim 14, further includes storing models as primitive objects.

21. The web application of claim 19 is maintained by a web server and is operatively associated with at least one primitives database enabling retrieving and storing of three-dimensional primitive objects.

22. The web application of claim 19, wherein the viewer application enables rendering and displaying of animated models of compacted representation files by identifying the primitive objects of each model indicated in the compacted representation file data structure, identifying and using the instructions for constructing the models by combining the identified primitive objects according to the identified instructions and according to the objects'"'"' properties.

23. The web application of claim 21, wherein each of the instructions is a mathematical function enabling to mathematically express the combining of at least two of the primitive objects, wherein the mathematical functions are translated into computer readable commands.

15. A computer implemented method of compacting three-dimensional graphic-files comprising at least one three-dimensional model, for facilitating efficient distribution of the compacted representation files, each representing at least one model of the graphic-file, via at least one data communication network, and for minimizing the data losses in the compacting and distribution process, the method comprising:

selecting at least two primitive objects that construct the model;

defining the operations for combining the selected primitive objects; and

creating a compacted representation file comprising;

indicators indicating the selected primitive objects, the properties of the model'"'"'s primitive objects and at least one computer readable instructions for combining the objects into the model.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving a three-dimensional graphic-file comprising at least one model;

analyzing the graphic-file by identifying the primitive objects that construct each model, the properties of each primitive object and the set of instructions for combining the at least two primitive objects required to construct each model; and

constructing each model by combining the identified primitive objects according to the instructions and according to the primitive objects'"'"' properties.

20. A web application for compacting and rendering of three-dimensional animation graphic data, the web application comprising:

an editor application enabling compacting a three-dimensional animation graphic-file to a compacted representation file;

a viewer application enabling displaying compacted representation files; and

wherein the editor application enables compacting of three-dimensional animated models of the graphic-file by identifying predefined three-dimensional primitive objects constructing each of the models, instructions for combining at least two of the identified primitive objects and other additional object'"'"' properties required to construct each model of the graphic-file.