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Technique and system for the real-time generation of perspective images

  • US 5,550,959 A
  • Filed: 05/27/1993
  • Issued: 08/27/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method of realtime generation of perspective visual scenes reflective of a virtual observer'"'"'s movement through a gaming area generated from a visual data base, comprising:

  • generating a series of overlapping perspective cross-sections perpendicular to a virtual observer'"'"'s line of sight, including;

    (a) determining a desired horizontal scale, vertical scale, position, heading and height of the virtual observer relative to the visual data base, a desired number of perspective cross-sections and distance of each respective perspective cross-section from the heading, position and height of the virtual observer;

    (b) identifying a sampling point for the first perspective cross-section in the perspective visual scene of the gaming area;

    (c) computing a two-dimensional scale vector with direction perpendicular to the observer'"'"'s line of sight and with magnitude scaled according to the distance of the respective perspective cross-section from the virtual observer;

    (d) for each display column to the virtual observer'"'"'s left of the virtual observer'"'"'s line of sight, adding the scale vector to the sampling point;

    (e) obtaining elevation data at said sampling point from a visual data base;

    (f) for each display column, scaling the elevation data stored at a respective point in said data base and drawing a line to the scaled elevation;

    (g) repeating steps (d), (e) and (f) until all display columns to the virtual observer'"'"'s left have been drawn;

    (h) for each display column to the virtual observer'"'"'s right of the virtual observer'"'"'s line of sight, adding the negative of said scale vector to said sampling point;

    (i) obtaining elevation data from the visual data base;

    (j) for each display column, scaling the elevation data stored at a respective point in said data base and drawing a line to the scaled elevation;

    (k) repeating steps (h), (i) and (j) until all display columns to the virtual observer'"'"'s left have been drawn;

    (l) repeating steps (b) through (k), inclusive until all of the overlapping series of perspective cross-sections have been generated; and

    displaying the display columns of the overlapping cross-sections that are not overdrawn by the display columns of an overlapping cross-section.

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