Video display method and apparatus

• US 5,689,437 A
• Filed: 05/31/1996
• Issued: 11/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Shigeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEESO, THOMAS R
• Application Number:
  US08/656,636
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 364/514 A, 395/650, 395/152, 395/155, 395/500, 395/133, 395/127, 395/168, 395/524, 340/815.57, 345/9, 345/24, 345/98, 345/118
• US Class Current: 345/421
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/20 3D [Three Dimensional] animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/21 Collision detection, intersection

Abstract

In a video display method of laying out a plurality of objects in a space, and creating images of the objects in units of frames, thereby displaying a series of videos, geometric attributes of first and second objects, movements of the first and second objects, including changes in the first and second objects, first and second start positions of the movements, and first and second start times of the movements are defined as first and second scenarios. First and second occupied areas occupied when the first and second objects move on the basis of the first and second scenarios are calculated by approximating the ORs of a sequence of areas occupied by the first and second objects when the first and second objects take the movements at the first and second positions and the first and second times on the basis of the first and second scenarios. A common area where the first and second occupied areas cross each other is calculated. The first and second occupied areas and the common area are displayed as video. A video display apparatus is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A video display method of laying out a plurality of objects in a space, and creating images of the objects in units of frames, thereby displaying a series of images, comprising the steps of:

defining geometric attributes of a first object and a second object, respective movements of the first and second objects, including respective changes in the first and second objects, respective first and second start positions of the movements, and respective first and second start times of the movements as respective first and second scenarios;

calculating respective first and second occupied areas occupied when the first and second objects move on the basis of the first and second scenarios by approximating a logical OR of a sequence of areas occupied by the first and second objects when the first and second objects take the movements at the first and second positions and the first and second times on the basis of the first and second scenarios;

calculating a common area where the first and second occupied areas cross each other; and

displaying the first and second occupied areas and the common area as video.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

changing the geometric attributes and action data of the objects of the first and second scenarios;

calculating a common area where the first and second occupied areas cross each other by using a change result; and

displaying the first and second occupied areas and the common area as video.

3. A video display method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of objects are three-dimensional.

4. A video display method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

interactively repeating the steps of defining geometric attributes of the first and second objects, calculating first and second occupied areas, calculating a common area, and displaying the common area as video, until the common area is eliminated.

5. A video display apparatus for laying out a plurality of objects in a space, and creating images of the plurality of objects in units of frames, thereby displaying a series of images, comprising:

a user input section for receiving an instruction input by a user;

a scenario input/output section for inputting/outputting a scenario constituted by geometric attributes of the plurality of objects, movements of the plurality of objects, including changes in the plurality of objects, start positions of the movements, and start times of the movements;

an object layout section for changing and outputting the scenario in accordance with the instruction input by the user;

an occupied area calculating section for calculating a first occupied area occupied by a first object of the plurality of objects when the first object moves on the basis of the scenario by approximating a logical OR of a sequence of areas occupied by the first object when the first object takes the movement in accordance with the scenario output from the object layout section;

a common area calculating section for calculating a common area between the first occupied area and a second occupied area of a second object of the plurality of objects; and

a video creating section for displaying both the first and second occupied areas and the common area.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a geometric attribute changing section for changing the geometric attributes of the plurality of objects of the scenario stored in the object layout section based on the instruction from the user input section; and

an action changing section for changing and updating an action data of the plurality of objects of the scenario stored in the object layout section on the basis of the instruction from the user input section.

7. A video display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of objects are three-dimensional.

8. A method of laying out and displaying animation display objects in a space, the method comprising:

defining a geometric attributes of a first graphic object and a second graphic object, the geometric attributes including respective movements of the first and the second graphics objects corresponding to an animation scenario;

calculating a first occupied area and a second occupied area based on the respective movements of the first graphic object and the second graphic object in accordance with the animation scenario;

calculating a common area based on an intersection of the first occupied area and the second occupied area; and

displaying the common area and both the first occupied area and the second occupied area on a video display.