Three-dimensional display system
First Claim
1. A display processing system for processing input information for use in displaying a three-dimensional image on a two-dimensional display means, said system comprisingmeans for successively receiving in any order input image information definding at least part of each of a plurality of geometric elements in a three-dimensional image;
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Accused Products
Abstract
A display system for displaying a three-dimensional image on a two-dimensional raster display screen wherein a host processor supplies input information on the geometric elements, e.g. polygons, which make up the image to a local display processor which processes said input information and provides data concerning the location, color, intensity and depth of the points which make up the surfaces of the polygon. The depth data is stored in a depth buffer which is a part of the display processor and the color and intensity data is also stored directly in a frame buffer or as color index data in the frame buffer which is used to address the desired color and intensity stored in a color look-up table. The color and intensity video data is supplied to a suitable display means, such as a cathode ray tube.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A display processing system for processing input information for use in displaying a three-dimensional image on a two-dimensional display means, said system comprising
means for successively receiving in any order input image information definding at least part of each of a plurality of geometric elements in a three-dimensional image; - and
means for successively processing the received input image information with respect to each successive geometric element to determine the visible and non-visible portions thereof and to provide processed image information concerning the visible portions of each successive geometric element and for successively supplying said processed image information to a display means for successively displaying thereon the visible portions of each successive geometric element and for preventing the display of the non-visible portions of each successive geometric element so that the overall three-dimensional image is incrementally built up on the display means on a geometric element by geometric element basis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A display processing system for use in displaying a three-dimensional representation of an image having a plurality of geometric elements on a two-dimensional display means, said system comprising
processing means responsive to input image information defining said image for processing said input image information so as to provide a translucent effect in the display of at least one selected region of said three-dimensional image so as to permit the display of a portion of said image which would normally be hidden at said region, said processing means processing said image information so as to determine for said selected region a selected ratio of a number of normally-visible points which are to be displayed as visible points at said region to a number of normally-visible points which are not to be displayed at said region so as to permit the display of said normally hidden portion at said selected region, said selected ratio thereby determining the degree of translucency of said selected region.
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10. A method for processing image information for use in the display of a three-dimensional image on a two-dimensional display means comprising the steps of
successively receiving in any order information defining at least part of each of a plurality of geometric elements in a three-dimensional image; -
successively processing the received input image information with respect to each successive geometric element to determine the visible and non-visible portions thereof and to provide processed image information concerning the visible portions of each successive geometric element; and successively supplying said processed image information with respect to each successive geometric element to a display means for successively displaying thereon the visible portions of each successive geometric element and for preventing the display of the non-visible portions of each successive geometric element so that the overall three-dimensional image is incrementally built up on the display means on a geometric element by geometric element basis. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for displaying a three-dimensional image on a two-dimensional display means comprising the steps of
processing input image information to provide a translucent effect in the display of at least one selected region of said three-dimensional image, said processing including determining the normally visible points of said image at said selected region; -
determining for said selected region a selected ratio of a number of said normally visible points which are to be displayed as visible points at said selected region to a number of said normally visible points which are not to be displayed at said selected region, said selected ratio thereby determining the degree of translucency of said selected region; and supplying for use by the display means processed image information only with respect to those normally visible points in said selected region which are to be displayed as visible points by the display means.
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17. A system for displaying a three-dimensional image on a two-dimensional display means, said system comprising
a display means; -
means for obtaining from a data base data with respect to each of a plurality of geometric elements of a three-dimensional image and for providing input image information defining at least part of each of said geometric elements; means for successively receiving in any order the input image information defining at least part of each of said geometric elements; and means for successively processing the received input image information with respect to each successive geometric element to determine the visible and non-visible portions thereof and to provide processed image information concerning the visible portions of each successive geometric element and for successively supplying said processed image information to said display means for successively displaying thereon the visible portions of each successive geometric element and for preventing the display of the non-visible portions of each successive geometric element so that the overall three-dimensional image is incrementally built up on the display means on a geometric element by geometric element basis.
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18. A method for processing image information for use in the display of a three-dimensional image on a two-dimensional display means comprising the steps of
obtaining from a data base data with respect to each of a plurality of geometric elements of a three-dimensional image; -
providing input image information defining at least part of each of said geometric elements; successively receiving in any order the input image information defining at least part of each of said geometric elements; successively processing the received input image information with respect to each successive geometric element to determine the visible and non-visible portions thereof and to provide processed image information concerning the visible portions of each successive geometric element; and successively supplying said processed image information with respect to each successive geometric element to a display means for successively displaying thereon the visible portions of each successive geometric element and for preventing the display of the non-visible portions of each successive geometric element so that the overall three-dimensional image is incrementally built up on the display means on a geometric element by geometric element basis.
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Specification