IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20090115784A1
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Katano, Yasuo, Hashimoto, Takayuki, Fujiki, Masakazu, Tomite, Kaname
• Granted Patent: US 8,698,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/426
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/06 Ray-tracing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/60 Shadow generation

Abstract

Upon generation of an image of a virtual space on which a virtual object is laid out using a ray tracing method, an approximate virtual object, which is configured by at least one virtual element to approximate the shape of a physical object, is laid out on the virtual space. Then, intersect determination between a ray generated based on the ray tracing method and an object on the virtual space is executed. As a result of the intersect determination, when the ray and the approximate virtual object have a predetermined intersect state, a pixel corresponding to the ray is generated based on a ray before the predetermined intersect state is reached.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus including a generation unit which generates an image of a virtual space on which a virtual object is laid out, using a ray tracing method, the apparatus comprising:

a unit which combines a plurality of virtual elements so as to approximate a shape of a physical object, and lays out an approximate virtual object configured by the plurality of combined virtual elements on the virtual space;

a determination unit which executes intersect determination between a ray generated based on the ray tracing method and a virtual object on the virtual space; and

a control unit which controls, when the ray and the approximate virtual object have a predetermined intersect state as a result of the intersect determination, said generation unit to generate a pixel corresponding to the ray based on the ray before the predetermined intersect state is reached.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the ray and the approximate virtual object successively intersect, said control unit controls said generation unit to stop generation of a ray, and to generate a pixel corresponding to the ray based on a ray until the first intersect.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the ray does not intersect with another virtual object after the ray and the approximate virtual object successively intersect, said control unit controls said generation unit to generate a pixel corresponding to the ray based on the ray which successively intersects with the approximate virtual object.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after the ray and the approximate virtual object successively intersect, said control unit calculates a distance between intersection points of the intersects, and when the calculated distance is smaller than the virtual element, said control unit controls said generation unit to generate a pixel corresponding to the ray based on the ray until the first intersect.

5. An image processing method to be executed by an image processing apparatus including a generation unit which generates an image of a virtual space on which a virtual object is laid out using a ray tracing method, the method comprising:

a step of combining a plurality of virtual elements so as to approximate a shape of a physical object, and laying out an approximate virtual object configured by the plurality of combined virtual elements on the virtual space;

a determination step of executing intersect determination between a ray generated based on the ray tracing method and a virtual object on the virtual space; and

a control step of controlling, when the ray and the approximate virtual object have a predetermined intersect state as a result of the intersect determination, said generation unit to generate a pixel corresponding to the ray based on the ray before the predetermined intersect state is reached.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for making a computer execute an image processing method according to claim 5.

6. An image processing apparatus including a generation unit which generates an image of a virtual space on which a virtual object is laid out using a ray tracing method, the apparatus comprising:

a unit which lays out, on the virtual space, an approximate virtual object configured by at least one virtual element so as to approximate a shape of a physical object;

a determination unit which executes intersect determination between a ray generated based on the ray tracing method and an object on the virtual space; and

a control unit which controls, when the ray and the object have a predetermined intersect state as a result of the intersect determination, said generation unit to generate a pixel corresponding to the ray based on the ray before the predetermined intersect state is reached.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when the ray and the approximate virtual object intersect at least twice, said control unit controls said generation unit to generate a pixel corresponding to the ray based on a ray until the first intersect.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the ray and the approximate virtual object successively intersect, said control unit controls said generation unit to generate a pixel corresponding to the ray based on a ray until the first intersect.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when all objects with which the ray intersects are any of the approximate virtual objects, said control unit controls said generation unit to generate a pixel corresponding to the ray based on a ray until the first intersect.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said determination unit executes intersect determination between a ray generated based on the ray tracing method and the approximate virtual object, and when the ray and the approximate virtual object do not have a predetermined intersect state as a result of the intersect determination, said determination unit executes intersect determination between the ray and a virtual object.

11. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a unit which acquires a physical space image obtained by capturing an image of a physical space,

wherein when the ray and the object have a predetermined intersect state as a result of the intersect determination, a pixel value of a pixel corresponding to the ray is set based on a pixel value of a pixel corresponding to the ray on the physical space image.

12. An image processing method to be executed by an image processing apparatus including a generation unit which generates an image of a virtual space on which a virtual object is laid out using a ray tracing method, the method comprising:

a step of laying out, on the virtual space, an approximate virtual object configured by at least one virtual element so as to approximate a shape of a physical object;

a determination step of executing intersect determination between a ray generated based on the ray tracing method and an object on the virtual space; and

a control step of controlling, when the ray and the object have a predetermined intersect state as a result of the intersect determination, said generation unit to generate a pixel corresponding to the ray based on the ray before the predetermined intersect state is reached.