Texture mapping image processing method and apparatus

• US 5,537,224 A
• Filed: 11/18/1993
• Issued: 07/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Suzuoki, Masakazu, Furuhashi, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Sr., Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Esposo, Allan A.
• Application Number:
  US08/154,620
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 358/448, 358/462, 358/434, 358/443, 358/469, 358/450, 382/54, 382/28, 395/129, 395/130, 395/131, 395/132, 395/135, 364/521, 364/522
• US Class Current: 358/462
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/203 Image generating hardware
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/04 Texture mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

Image processing method and apparatus for producing an image from image data provides an image memory including a drawing area to store image data of an object to be drawn and a texture area to store texture data to decorate the object, a supply circuit for supplying image data to the image memory, a selector for selectively supplying the image data from the supply circuit to the drawing area and the texture area, an image synthesizing circuit for synthesizing an image from the image data stored in the image memory and an output circuit for converting an output signal from the image synthesizing circuit to a video signal for outputting the video signal. The method provides the steps of storing image data of an object to be drawn in a drawing area of an image memory, storing moving image data in a texture area of the image memory, and mapping a texture of the moving image stored in the texture area onto the surface of the object stored in the drawing area.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus for producing a video signal corresponding to a two-dimensional image of an object to be displayed on a display by using three-dimensional image data and texture image data, comprising:

a main memory for receiving and storing said three-dimensional image data and said texture image data, said three-dimensional image data being indicative of shape, coordinate position and orientation of said object in three-dimensional space;

means for performing three-dimensional coordinate transformation on said three-dimensional image data stored in said main memory, for converting said transformed three-dimensional image data to respective two-dimensional image data for display on said display, and for sending said two-dimensional image data back to said main memory, said three-dimensional coordinate transformation including a geometric transformation of said object in said three-dimensional space;

an image memory including a drawing area to store said two-dimensional image data of said object to be displayed and a texture area to store said texture image data to be applied to a surface of said object to decorate said object;

controlling means for controlling said main memory to supply said two-dimensional image data to said drawing area of said image memory and said texture image data to said texture area of said image memory;

image synthesizing means for synthesizing a textured image of said object by using said two-dimensional image data and said texture image data stored in said image memory, said synthesizing including calculating slope data corresponding to said two-dimensional image data, determining polygons corresponding to respective surfaces of said object by using said slope data corresponding to said two-dimensional image data, and mapping said texture image data to inner portions of said respective polygons; and

output means for converting an output signal from said image synthesizing means to said video signal corresponding to said textured image of said object.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a system bus, wherein said main memory is connected to said system bus, and said image memory is connected to said system bus through said image synthesizing means.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a CD-ROM driver for reproducing data recorded on a CD-ROM;

a CD-ROM decoder connected to said system bus for decoding three-dimensional image data and texture image data from said data reproduced by said CD-ROM driver and supplying said decoded three-dimensional image data and texture image data over said system bus to said main memory.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said output means comprises a digital to analog converter.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 5, further comprising:

reproducing means for reproducing compressed three-dimensional moving image data from a recording medium and for supplying said reproduced compressed three-dimensional moving image data to said main memory; and

expanding means connected to said main memory for receiving said compressed three-dimensional moving image data from said main memory, for expanding said compressed three-dimensional moving image data, and for supplying said expanded three-dimensional moving image data back to said main memory.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 5, wherein said image memory comprises a plurality of video frame memories connected to said image synthesizing means via a local bus.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image memory further includes a color look-up table for specifying colors of a texture of said object.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said reproducing means optically reproduces said compressed three-dimensional moving image data from said recording medium.

5. An image processing apparatus for producing a video signal corresponding to a two-dimensional image of an object to be displayed on a display by using three-dimensional image data and texture image data comprising:

a main memory for receiving and storing said three-dimensional image data and said texture image data, said three-dimensional image data being indicative of shape, coordinate position and orientation of said object in three-dimensional space;

means for performing three-dimensional coordinate transformation on said three-dimensional image data stored in said main memory, for converting said transformed three-dimensional image data to respective two-dimensional image data for display on said display, and for sending said two-dimensional image data back to said main memory, said three-dimensional coordinate transformation including a geometric transformation of said object in said three-dimensional space;

an image memory including a drawing area to store said two-dimensional image data of said object to be displayed and a texture area to store said texture image data to be applied to a surface of said object to decorate said object;

image synthesizing means for synthesizing a textured image of said object by using said two-dimensional image data and said texture image data stored in said image memory, for determining polygons corresponding to respective surfaces of said object by using said two-dimensional image data, and for mapping said texture image data to inner portions of said respective polygons;

transferring means for transferring said two-dimensional image data stored in said drawing area of said image memory and said texture image data stored in said texture area of said image memory to said image synthesizing means; and

output means for converting an output signal from said image synthesizing means to said video signal and for outputting said video signal corresponding to said textured image of said object.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said image memory further includes a color look-up table for specifying colors of a texture of said object.