Three-dimensional graphics display system

• US 6,392,644 B1
• Filed: 12/29/1998
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Murakami, Koichi, Arai, Masatoshi, Miyata, Ryosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCUSO, HUEDUNG XUAN CAO
• Application Number:
  US09/222,319
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/422, 345/425, 345/430, 345/431, 345/435, 345/582, 345/597, 345/629
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/405 using Z-buffer

Abstract

A three-dimensional graphics display system jointly uses three-dimensional image representations and two-dimensional image representations, whereby the data processing amount can be effectively reduced. The data structure of the image data used in this system includes (a) three-dimensional polygon data for a three-dimensional object representing a three-dimensional image and (b) two-dimensional image representation data for a two-dimensional image representation object representing a three-dimensional object as a two-dimensional image arranged in a three-dimensional virtual space having two-dimensional image data and a Z-value. Input data is divided, and an object perspective control part determines a perspective order of objects. A rendering process part overlappingly draws objects according to their perspective order, to correctly represent overlap due to perspective representation. Virtual collisions can be rendered by exclusion control of the space areas of all objects. If the data structure includes relational information of all object portions, the data processing amount can be reduced even further.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional graphics display system comprising:

a data input part receiving input data comprising;

(a) three-dimensional polygon data for a three-dimensional object representing a three dimensional image; and

(b) two-dimensional image representation data provided for a two-dimensional image representation object, wherein the two-dimensional image representation object represents a corresponding three-dimensional object as a two-dimensional image arranged in a three-dimensional virtual space, wherein the two-dimensional image representation data comprising (i) two-dimensional image data is defined on an x-y coordinate system and (ii) a Z-value representing a depth within the virtual space;

an object perspective control part for determining a perspective order of objects based on the input data;

a rendering process part for overlappingly rendering objects, including the tree-dimensional object and the two-dimensional image representation object, in order from a rest object to a nearest object, based on the determined perspective order, to correctly represent overlap due to perspective representation; and

an output part for displaying a rendering result;

wherein three-dimensional objects and two-dimensional image representation objects are rendered simultaneously in the three-dimensional virtual space.

2. The three-dimensional graphics display system of claim 1, further comprising:

an object exclusion control part for exclusion-controlling an area occupied by the three-dimensional object and an area occupied by the two-dimensional image representation object in the three-dimensional virtual space;

wherein

the system can represent a virtual collision in the three-dimensional virtual space between the three-dimensional object and the two-dimensional image representation object, the virtual collision being caused by a movement of the three-dimensional object.

3. The three-dimensional graphics display system of claim 1, wherein

the input data further comprises supplementary three-dimensional polygon data that is associated with the two-dimensional image representation data for the two-dimensional image representation object, the supplementary three-dimensional polygon data representing a three-dimensional object that is the basis of the two-dimensional image representation object as a three-dimensional image;

the system further comprises a data switching part for switching from the two-dimensional image representation data to the supplementary three-dimensional polygon data; and

said data switching part selectively switches from the two-dimensional image representation data to the supplementary three-dimensional polygon data to represent a two-dimensional image representation object as a three-dimensional object.

4. The three-dimensional graphics display system of claim 2, wherein

the input data further comprises supplementary three-dimensional polygon data that is associated with the two-dimensional image representation data for the two-dimensional image representation object, the supplementary three-dimensional polygon data representing a three-dimensional object that is the basis of the two-dimensional image representation object as a three-dimensional image;

the system further comprises a data switching part for switching from the two-dimensional image representation data to the supplementary three-dimensional polygon data; and

said data switching part selectively switches from the two-dimensional image representation data to the supplementary three-dimensional polygon data to represent a two-dimensional image representation object as a three-dimensional object.

5. The three-dimensional graphics display system of claim 1, wherein

the input data further comprises object-relation information that is associated with a relation between image data of object portions and other object portions as data for object portions forming a character in the three-dimensional virtual space;

for each object portion, the rendering process part performs a rendering process based on the three-dimensional polygon data or the two-dimensional image representation data for the object portion and the object-relation information;

a movement of the character is represented by renewing the object-relation information.

6. The three-dimensional graphics display system of claim 1, further comprising a two-dimensional image processing part for image processing two-dimensional images;

wherein

the input data further comprises two-dimensional image processing instruction data for instructing two-dimensional image processing of the two-dimensional image representation object;

based on the two-dimensional image processing instruction data, the two-dimensional image processing part performs two-dimensional image processing of the two-dimensional image representation data for the two-dimensional image representation object.

7. The three-dimensional graphics display system of claim 1, wherein

a child object and a parent object are in a perspective order to each other in the three-dimensional virtual space, the child object is a two-dimensional image representation object displayed by overlapping, and the child object is drawn into the parent object;

the input data further comprises (a) two-dimensional image representation data for the parent object, and (b) hierarchical information expressing the hierarchical relationship between the parent object and the child object;

the rendering process part performs a rendering process based on image data of the parent object, an object that is not in a hierarchical relationship with the parent object, and the child object, wherein the other object is between the parent object and the child object in the perspective order determined by said object perspective control part.

8. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for displaying an image of a three-dimensional object on an output device based on three dimensional polygon data, the program performing

an input operation of inputting:

(a) three-dimensional polygon data for a three-dimensional object representing a three dimensional image; and

(b) two-dimensional image representation data provided for a two-dimensional image representation object, wherein the two-dimensional image representation object represents a corresponding three-dimensional object as a two-dimensional image arranged in a three-dimensional virtual space, wherein the two-dimensional image representation data comprising (i) two-dimensional image data is defined on an x-y coordinate system and (ii) a Z-value representing a depth within the virtual space;

a determination operation of determining a perspective order of objects based on the input data;

a rendering operation of overlappingly rendering objects, including the three-dimensional object and the two-dimensional image representation object, in order from a furthest object to a nearest object, based on the determined perspective order, to correctly represent overlap due to perspective representation; and

an output operation displaying a rendering result;

wherein three-dimensional objects and two-dimensional image representation objects are rendered simultaneously in the three-dimensional virtual space.