Method and apparatus for producing a computer generated display that permits visualization of changes to the interior or exterior of a building structure shown in its actual environment
First Claim
1. A computer system for producing a computer generated display that permits visualization of changes to the interior or exterior of a building in its actual environment, comprising:
- (a) a computer generated display, including a background digital image appearing on a screen of the computer system;
(b) means to record and store digital images of objects and object information comprising a plurality of fields of information related to each of the objects, in an object information database to form an object catalog;
(c) object data access means including a display interface; and
(d) means for copying and moving a digital image of an object selected from the object catalog, the copying and moving means operable to removably place the digital image of the selected object on the background digital image to permit visualization of the object on the background; and
(e) wherein the object data access means is operably connected to the object information database and to the copying and moving means so that after the digital image of the selected object is placed on the background digital image, the object data access means is operable by the system users through the display interface, to retrieve and display on the screen object information from selected ones or all of the plurality of fields of information corresponding to the digital images placed on the background digital image.
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Abstract
A computer system for producing computer generated displays, including window-format displays permitting visualization of changes to a building or structure in an actual environment. The system provides a background display of digital images originating from either an image capture device or from other sources to which changes are to be made for visualization purposes; a product catalog in the form of a database of objects, together with features in the computer system operable to record and store digital images of the objects as well as detailed information related to the objects within the database; and a mechanism to copy and removably place the object over the background.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A computer system for producing a computer generated display that permits visualization of changes to the interior or exterior of a building in its actual environment, comprising:
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(a) a computer generated display, including a background digital image appearing on a screen of the computer system; (b) means to record and store digital images of objects and object information comprising a plurality of fields of information related to each of the objects, in an object information database to form an object catalog; (c) object data access means including a display interface; and (d) means for copying and moving a digital image of an object selected from the object catalog, the copying and moving means operable to removably place the digital image of the selected object on the background digital image to permit visualization of the object on the background; and (e) wherein the object data access means is operably connected to the object information database and to the copying and moving means so that after the digital image of the selected object is placed on the background digital image, the object data access means is operable by the system users through the display interface, to retrieve and display on the screen object information from selected ones or all of the plurality of fields of information corresponding to the digital images placed on the background digital image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A computer system for producing a computer generated display that permits visualization of objects added to or deleted from the interior or exterior of a building in its actual environment, comprising:
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(a) image capture means for receiving and storing a captured image of an actual environment in digital form, the captured image forming a background in a window display of the system; (b) an object catalog comprising a plurality of fields for storing digital object images of the objects and object information related to the objects; (c) means to record and store the digital images of the objects in the object catalog; (d) means to record and store the object information related to the objects in the plurality of fields of the object catalog; (e) object data access means, including a window interface, for operably retrieving the object information related to any object of the digital images in the object catalog; and (f) means for copying and moving a digital image of an object selected from the catalog for operably removably placing the digital image of the object on the background to permit realistic visualization of the object on the background; and (g) wherein the object data access means is operably connected with the object catalog and the copying and moving means so that after an object image is placed on the background, the object data access means is operable by the system user through the window interface to retrieve object information from selected fields of the plurality of fields of the object catalog related to the object image.
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29. A computer system for producing a computer-generated display that permits visualization of changes to an environment, comprising:
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(a) a background presented in the form of a digital image in the computer generated display; (b) an object catalog including a database of images of objects, the database further including a plurality of fields comprising object information related to the objects of the images; (c) object information access means including a display interface operable for retrieving and displaying the object information relating to any object in the object catalog; and (d) means for copying and moving a digital image of an object, selected from the object catalog, operable to removably place the image of the object on the background; and (e) wherein the object data access means is operably connected with the object catalog and the object copying and moving means so that after an image of an object is placed on the background, the object data access means is operable by a system user by use of the display interface to retrieve and display the object information from selected ones of the plurality of fields related to the object of the image placed on the background.
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30. A method for producing a computer-generated display that permits visualization of changes in an environment, comprising:
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(a) creating a background digital image on a screen display of the environment; (b) providing an object catalog in the form of a database of images of objects, the database further including a plurality of fields comprising information related to the objects in the images; (c) copying and moving an image of an object from the database and placing the image of the object over the background digital image; and (d) accessing the database and displaying information from selected ones of the plurality of fields related to the object of the image placed over the background digital image in the computer generated display by means of a display interface.
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Specification