SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PROCEDURAL VISIBILITY FOR INTERACTIVE AND BROADCAST STREAMING OF ENTERTAINMENT, ADVERTISING, AND TACTICAL 3D GRAPHICAL INFORMATION USING A VISIBILITY EVENT CODEC

• US 20120256915A1
• Filed: 04/12/2012
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Primal Space Systems Inc.
• Original Assignee: Primal Space Systems Inc.
• Inventors: JENKINS, Barry L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,171,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/40 Hidden part removal
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/16 involving adaptation to the client's capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/28 involving image processing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/36 Review paper; Tutorial; Survey

Abstract

A system includes a server and a client computer device. The server determines a graphical object visible from a view region and determines one or more parameters defining the graphical object visible from the view region. The server further transmits the determined one or more parameters to a client computing device. The client computing device includes a processor to generate the graphical object using the determined one or more parameters received from the server. The client computing device further includes a display device to display the generated graphical object within a computer generated modeled environment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising steps of:

a) determining, using a processor, a graphical object visible from a view region in a computer generated modeled environment displayed on a client computing device;

b) determining, using the processor, one or more parameters defining the graphical object visible from the view region; and

c) transmitting the determined one or more parameters to the client computing device that uses the determined one or more parameters to generate and display the graphical object in the computer generated modeled environment.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determined one or more parameters include a minimum value and a maximum value that define the graphical object visible from the view region.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the graphical object is a renderable surface.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the graphical object visible from the view region is not visible from another view region adjacent to the view region from which the graphical object is visible.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the graphical object visible from the view region further comprises:

determining at least one supporting polygon between the view region and a polygon object positioned between graphical object,

constructing at least one wedge from the at least one supporting polygon, the at least one wedge extending away from the view region beyond at least the polygon object, and

determining one or more intersections of the wedges with the polygon object, the graphical object visible from the view region on a side of the one or more determined intersections that is unoccluded from the view region.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the step of determining the graphical object visible from the view region further comprises:

determining at least one first-order silhouette edge of the polygon object, the at least one supporting polygon determined between the view region and at least one vertex of the at least one first-order silhouette edge.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the at least one first-order silhouette edge includes:

first and second polygons sharing the at least one first-order silhouette edge,

the first polygon backfacing to each view region vertex from the plurality of view region vertices,

the second polygon front-facing to at least one view region vertex from the plurality of view region vertices, and

the first and second polygons having a backfacing orientation with respect to each other.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the view region includes a plurality of view region vertices, and the step of determining the at least one supporting polygon further comprises:

determining, for the at least one first-order silhouette edge, a supporting view region vertex defined as a first view region vertex from the plurality of view region vertices encountered in pivoting a plane about the first-order silhouette edge toward the view region, the pivoted plane incident on the first-order silhouette edge and not front-facing with respect to each view region vertex from the plurality of view region vertices.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the view region includes a plurality of view region vertices, and the step of determining the at least one supporting polygon further comprises:

determining, for the at least one first-order silhouette edge, a supporting view region vertex from the plurality of view region vertices, the supporting view region vertex forming a plane with the first-order silhouette edge, the plane having a same sidedness orientation as the first polygon sharing the first-order silhouette edge, and the plane not front-facing with respect to each view region vertex from the plurality of view region vertices.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein

the view region includes a plurality of view region vertices, and upon determination that the at least one first-order silhouette edge and another first-order silhouette edge share a vertex forming an inside corner vertex of the polygon object, the at least one supporting polygon is formed by the inside corner vertex and at least two view region vertices from the plurality of view region vertices, the at least two view region vertices and the inside corner vertex forming a plane,

the plane having a same sidedness orientation as the first polygon sharing the at least one first-order silhouette edge, and

the plane not front-facing with respect to each view region vertex from the plurality of view region vertices.

11. A computer-implemented method conducted on a client computing device, the method comprising steps of:

a) displaying a first set of graphics information visible from a first view region, the first set of graphics information including graphics information representing objects in a computer generated modeled environment;

b) receiving, from a server, a second set of graphics information upon determination that at least one predetermined condition is satisfied, the second graphics information visible from the second view region and not visible from the first view region, the second set of graphics information including graphics information representing advertising information;

c) displaying the second set of graphics information representing the advertising information;

d) determining an active period for the displayed advertising information, the displayed advertising information provided with a visual indication during the active period, the displayed advertising information selectable only during the active period; and

e) transmitting a selection result of the displayed advertising information to the server.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein movement within the computer generated modeled environment is determined by user input to the client computing device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein movement within the computer generated modeled environment is determined by a predetermined camera motion path.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the at least one predetermined condition is satisfied upon determination that a likelihood that a user viewpoint changes from the first view region to the second view region is greater than a predetermined threshold.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the at least one predetermined condition is satisfied upon determination that a likelihood that a user viewpoint changes from the first view region to the second view region is greater than a predetermined threshold and that an available transmission bandwidth between a server and the client computing device does not exceed a predetermined bandwidth threshold.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the displayed advertising information is in the active period upon determination that a user viewpoint is within a predetermined distance of the displayed advertising information within the computer generated modeled environment.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the visual indication provided during the active period is an object surrounding the displayed advertising information that highlights the displayed advertising information.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein during the active period, the displayed advertising information is selectable by a single-click activation of the client input device regardless of a position of the user viewpoint in the second view region within the computer generated modeled environment.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein during the active period, the displayed advertising information is selectable by a single-click activation of the client input device regardless of a position of the user viewpoint in the second view region within the computer generated modeled environment.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the displayed advertising information represents an object available for purchase, the object usable within the computer generated modeled environment upon purchase.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying an option to prevent display of the second set of graphics information for an additional charge.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein a fee assessed to a user of the client computing device is reduced upon determination that the user did not select the option to prevent reception of the second set of graphics information.

23. A system comprising:

a server configured to;

determine a graphical object visible from a view region,

determine one or more parameters defining the graphical object visible from the view region, and

transmit the determined one or more parameters to a client computing device; and

the client computing device including;

a processor configured to generate the graphical object using the determined one or more parameters received from the server, and

a display device to display the generated graphical object within a computer generated modeled environment.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the determined one or more parameters include a minimum value and a maximum value that define the graphical object visible from the view region.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the determined graphical object visible from the view region is not visible from another view region adjacent to the view region from which the graphical object visible.

26. A system comprising:

a server including a memory to store a first set of graphics information visible from a first view region and a second set of graphics information visible from a second view region and not visible from the first view region, the first set of graphics information including graphics information representing objects in a computer generated modeled environment, the second set of graphics information including graphics information representing advertising information; and

a client computing device including

a processor configured to determine a likelihood that a user viewpoint changes from the first view region to the second region,

a display device configured to display, upon determination that the likelihood is above a predetermined threshold, the second the second set of graphics information including the advertising information received from the server,

the processor further configured to determine an active period for the displayed advertising information, the displayed advertising information selectable only during the active period,

the display device further configured to display a visual indication during the active period, and

the client computing device further configured to transmit a selection result of the displayed advertising information to the server.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein during the active period, the displayed advertising information is selectable by a single-click activation of a client input device regardless of a position of the user viewpoint in the second view region within the computer generated modeled environment.

28. The system according to claim 26, wherein the displayed advertising information represents an object available for purchase, the object usable within the computer generated modeled environment upon purchase.

29. The system according to claim 26, wherein the display device is further configured display an option to prevent display of the second set of graphics information for an additional charge.

30. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor in a server, causes the server to execute a method comprising steps of:

a) determining, using a processor, a graphical object visible from a view region in a computer generated modeled environment displayed on a client computing device;

b) determining, using the processor, one or more parameters defining the graphical object visible from the view region; and

c) transmitting the determined one or more parameters to the client computing device that uses the determined one or more parameters to generate and display the graphical object in the computer generated modeled environment.

31. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor in a server, causes the server to execute a method comprising steps of:

a) displaying a first set of graphics information visible from a first view region, the first set of graphics information including graphics information representing objects in a computer generated modeled environment;

b) receiving, from a server, a second set of graphics information upon determination that at least one predetermined condition is satisfied, the second graphics information visible from the second view region and not visible from the first view region, the second set of graphics information including graphics information representing advertising information; and

c) displaying the second set of graphics information representing the advertising information;

d) determining an active period for the displayed advertising information, the displayed advertising information provided with a visual indication during the active period, the displayed advertising information selectable only during the active period; and

e) transmitting a selection result of the displayed advertising information to the server.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 31, wherein during the active period, the displayed advertising information is selectable by a single-click activation of the client input device regardless of a position of the user viewpoint in the second view region within the computer generated modeled environment.