Image processing in which the image is divided into image areas with specific color lookup tables for enhanced color resolution

• US 5,949,409 A
• Filed: 11/30/1995
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okada, Toyoshi, Tanaka, Masayoshi, Suzuoki, Masakazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bell, Paul A.
• Application Number:
  US08/565,555
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 345/153, 345/185, 345/186, 345/199, 345/430, 345/431, 395/130, 395/131, 395/129, 395/507, 395/515, 395/800.27, 358/500, 358/515, 358/518, 358/523
• US Class Current: 345/549
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77

Abstract

There are provided a geometry transfer engine (GTE) 61 and a graphic processing unit (GPU 62) which act in combination as a transforming means for converting three-dimensional image data retrieved from a CD-ROM disk into two-dimensional image data for drawing an image on a two-dimensional display screen, and a frame buffer 63 which serves as a memory having an image data storage area (picture data area) for storage of the image data and at least a color data tables storage area (CLUT area) for storage of multiple color lookup data tables in a two-dimensional arrangement, each color data table including a color data wherein the structure is arranged substantially identical to that of each pixel of data in the image. A greater number of colors are thus facilitated and the data processing is simplified.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a first memory area for storing a plurality of pixel data representing a two-dimensional image having a plurality of image areas, said plurality of pixel data arranged in a two-dimensional matrix arrangement;

a second memory area for storing color data aligned in a one-dimensional arrangement in a plurality of color information tables in a format corresponding to said two-dimensional pixel-data matrix arrangement, at least one of said color information tables corresponding to each of said image areas in said first memory area.

2. An image processing apparatus as recited in claim 1, and further comprising:

a third memory area for displaying said image areas in a display area; and

drawing means for drawing said image areas on said third memory area.

3. An image processing apparatus as recited in either claims 1 or 2, wherein said first memory area includes a texture image.

4. An image data processing method for producing three-dimensional image data which is converted into two-dimensional image data for drawing an image on a two-dimensional display screen, said image comprising a plurality of image areas each having a color requirement associated with a particular part of the color spectrum, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of color lookup tables arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, each color lookup table containing color data, each color lookup table assignable to any one of said plurality of image areas; and

forming the structure of the color data in each of said color lookup tables to include a selected variety of color data arranged to identically correspond to the arrangement of each pixel of data in the image area, said color data tailored to meet the color requirement of said pixel.

5. An image data processing apparatus, comprising:

a data processor for converting three-dimensional image data into two-dimensional image data for drawing an image on a two-dimensional display, said image comprising a plurality of image areas each having a color requirement associated with a particular part of the color spectrum; and

a memory having an image data storage area for storage of said image data and at least a color data storage area for storage of a plurality of color lookup tables in a two-dimensional arrangement, each of said color lookup tables including a selected variety of color data arranged to identically correspond to the arrangement of each pixel of data in said image area, said color data tailored to meet the color requirement of said pixel.

6. A recording medium carrying three-dimensional image data for conversion into two-dimensional image data for drawing an image on a two-dimensional display, said image comprising a plurality of image areas each having a color requirement associated with a particular part of the color spectrum, said recording medium comprising:

a plurality of color lookup tables stored on said recording medium in a two-dimensional matrix format, each of said color lookup tables including a selected variety of color data arranged to identically correspond to the arrangement of each pixel of data in the image area, said color data tailored to meet the color requirement of said pixel.

7. A method for processing an image, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing a plurality of pixel data in a first memory area in a two-dimensional matrix format, said pixel data representing an image having a plurality of image areas; and

(b) designating an area in a second memory area having color information stored in a format corresponding to said two-dimensional pixel-data matrix format, said color information corresponding to the color needs of each of said image areas in said first memory area.

8. A method as set forth in claim 7, and further comprising the step of:

drawing said image areas to a third memory area for displaying said image areas in a display area.

9. An image data processing system for processing an image having a plurality of image areas, comprising:

a plurality of image data tables for defining at least one of said image areas, each image data table including a plurality of one-dimensionally aligned pixel data stored in a two-dimensional matrix format;

a plurality of color data tables, each capable of containing color data different from the data in other color data tables, said color data stored in a format which corresponds to the format of said image data tables; and

means for associating each of said image areas with a selected one of said color data tables.