Embedding information in three-dimensional geometric model

• US 6,201,881 B1
• Filed: 05/22/1998
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Aono, Masaki, Masuda, Hiroshi, Ohbuchi, Ryutarou
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns, Andrew W.
• Application Number:
  US09/084,480
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/154, 382/232, 380/210, 380/287, 380/54, 345/419, 345/420, 345/421, 345/423
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/10 Constructive solid geometry [CSG] using solid primitives, e.g. cylinders, cubes

Abstract

Information is embedded in a three-dimensional geometric model in a visible or invisible state by changing geometric parameters of a three-dimensional geometric model. The three-dimensional geometric model comprises polyhedrons, lines, a set of points, or curved surfaces which are primitives (components) of the model. Each primitive is defined by a geometric parameter. The geometric shape of a three-dimensional geometric model is defined by a set of many geometric parameters. The information is embedded by changing the geometric parameters of a plurality of primitives constituting a three-dimensional geometric model.

Claims

1. A system for embedding information in a three-dimensional geometric model comprising:

a) means for preparing a three-dimensional geometric model wherein said three-dimensional geometric model comprises a plurality of primitives, and

b) means for embedding said information in said three-dimensional geometric model by changing a geometric parameter of said three-dimensional geometric model wherein said means for embedding includes;

i) means for searching a start primitive for ordering primitives,

ii) means for ordering sets of primitives in the plurality, and

iii means for selecting a primitive in the sets in accordance with said order and changing the geometric parameter of the selected primitive correspondingly to said information.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said selected primitive is a polyhedron, a line, a set of points, or a curved surface.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said information is a symbol corresponding to a specific language, a pattern showing said information, or a combination of said symbol with said pattern.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said geometric parameter is a numerical parameter.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said numerical parameter is a vertex coordinate value, the length of a line, the area of a polygon, the volume of a polyhedron, or two nondimensional values for defining a triangle.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein said numerical parameter is the ratio between a vertex coordinate value, the length of a line, the area of a polygon, the volume of a polyhedron, and two nondimensional values for defining a triangle.

7. The system according to claim 3, wherein said geometric parameter is topology.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said topology is topology for determining a vertex connective relation.

9. The system according to claim 3, wherein said geometric parameter is a combination of a numerical parameter and topology.

10. A method for embedding information in a three-dimensional geometric model, comprising the steps of:

a) preparing a three-dimensional geometric model wherein said three-dimensional geometric model comprises a plurality of primitives,

b) embedding said information in said three-dimensional geometric model by changing the geometric parameter of said three-dimensional geometric model wherein said means of embedding information includes the steps of;

i) searching a start primitive for ordering primitives,

ii) ordering sets of primitives in the plurality of primitives, and

iii) selecting a primitive from one of the sets in accordance with said order and changing a geometric parameter of the selected primitive correspondingly to said information.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said selected primitive is a pollyhedron, a line, a set of points, or a curved surface.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said information is a symbol corresponding to a specific language, a pattern showing said information, or a combination of said symbol with said pattern.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said geometric parameter is a numerical parameter.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said numerical parameter is a vertex coordinate value, the length of a line, the area of a polygon, the volume of a polyhedron, or two nondimensional values for defining a triangle.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said numerical parameter is the ratios between vertex coordinate values, the length of lines, the areas of polygons, the volumes of a polyhedras, and two nondimensional values for defining a triangle.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein said geometric parameter is topology.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said topology is topology for determining a vertex connective relation.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein said geometric parameter is a combination of a numerical parameter and topology.

19. A system for disembedding information embedded in a three-dimensional geometric model, comprising:

a) means for preparing a three-dimensional geometric model in which said information is embedded; and

b) means for disembedding said information from said three-dimensional geometric model by detection a geometric parameter of said three-dimensional geometric model wherein the information disembedding means includes;

i) means for searching a start primitive for ordering primitive,

ii) means for ordering sets of primitives in the plurality, and

iii) means for selecting primitives in accordance with said order and disembedding said information from the geometric parameter of said selective primitives.

20. A method for disembedding information embedded in a three-dimensional geometric model, comprising the steps of:

a) preparing a three-dimensional geometric model in which said information is embedded wherein said three-dimensional geometric model comprises a plurality of primitives; and

b) disembedding said information from said three-dimensional geometric model by detecting a geometric parameter of said three-dimensional geometric models wherein disembedding said information includes the steps of;

i) searching a start primitive for ordering primitives,

ordering sets of primitives in the plurality, and

iii) selecting a primitive in a set in accordance with said order and disembedding said information from a geometric parameter of the selected primitive.

21. A computer program on a computer usable medium for making a computer embed information in a three-dimensional geometric model, wherein said program has;

a) model software for preparing a three-dimensional geometric model wherein said three-dimensional geometric model includes a plurality of primitives, and

b) embedding software for embedding said information in said three-dimensional geometric model by changing a geometric parameter of said three-dimensional geometric model wherein said embedding software includes;

i) software for searching for a start primitive for ordering primitives,

ii) software for ordering sets of primitives in the plurality of primitives,

iii) software for selecting a primitive from one of the sets in accordance with said order and changing a geometric parameter of said primitive corresponding to said information.

22. A computer program on a computer usable medium for making a computer disembed information embedded in a three-dimensional geometric model, wherein said program has;

1) model software for preparing a three-dimensional geometric model in which said information is embedded in ordered sets of primitives comprising the geometric model, and

2) disembedding software for disembedding said information from said three-dimensional geometric model by detecting a geometric parameter of said three-dimensional geometric model wherein the disembedding software includes software for,

i) searching for a start primitive, and

ii) locating primitives in sets in accordance with the geometric parameter of said selected primitives.