Device for controlling quality of reproduction of motion picture and method for controlling the same

• US 6,535,232 B1
• Filed: 02/14/2000
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakano, Hironori, Nakase, Yoshimori, Sogo, Yoshimasa, Miki, Takayasu, Nishigori, Yoshihisa, Tsuda, Kenjiro, Yoneyama, Akira, Imamura, Tetsuya, Inagaki, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US09/424,064
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 345/849, 345/848, 345/764, 345/757, 345/850, 345/839, 345/756, 345/638, 345/634, 345/629, 345/582-583, 345/585-587, 345/428, 345/427, 345/419, 345/426, 463/32, 463/33, 463/31
• US Class Current: 715/849
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 Animation

Abstract

An apparatus comprises an object generation unit for generating an object based on three-dimensional object data externally input, an object position determination unit that moves the generated object according to a user input, and thereby determines an object position, a view point position determination unit that moves a view point according to the user input and thereby determines a view point position, a distance calculation unit for calculating a distance from the object position and the view point position, a frame rate determination unit for determining a frame rate corresponding to the calculated distance on the basis of a set table or formula, and a frame rate control unit and a moving image generation unit for reproducing the moving image with the frame rate of moving image data externally input reduced.

Claims

1. An apparatus operable to control the reproduction quality of a moving image which is reproduced from a fusion of the moving image and three-dimensional computer graphics in a three-dimensional virtual space, said apparatus comprising:

an object generation unit operable to receive three-dimensional object data relating to an object to which the moving image is to be mapped as an external input, and to place the object in the three-dimensional virtual space to generate the object based on the three-dimensional object data;

object position determination unit operable to receive data relating to the object placed in the three-dimensional virtual space as an input, to move the object according to an external user input, and thereby to determine the object position in the three-dimensional virtual space;

a view point position determination unit operable to receive the determined object position as an input, to move a view point in the three-dimensional virtual space according to an external user input, and thereby to determine a view point position according to correlation between the object position and the view point position;

a distance calculation unit operable to receive the object position and the view point position as inputs and to calculate a distance from the view point to the object;

a frame rate determination unit operable to receive the calculated distance as an input, and to determine a frame rate corresponding to the input distance on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between distances from the view point to the object and frame rates of the moving image to be mapped to the object;

a frame rate control unit operable to receive the determined frame rate as an input and to perform control so that a frame of the moving image to be mapped to the object is reproduced at the determined frame rate;

a moving image generation unit operable to receive moving image data input externally, and to reproduce a necessary frame of the moving image from the moving image data in accordance with the control; and

a perspective projection display unit operable to receive the object position, the view point position, and the frame of the reproduced moving image as inputs, to project the object on a two-dimensional display projection plane based on the object position and the view point position, to map the frame of the moving image to a projection plane of the object, and to display the resulting image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein said distance calculation unit is further operable to receive coordinates on the display projection plane in the three-dimensional virtual space as an input, and to find an inclination angle of the object with respect to the display projection plane based on the object position, the view point position, and the coordinates on the display projection plane in the three-dimensional virtual space, and

wherein said frame rate determination unit is further operable to update the frame rate determined according to the distance into a frame rate corresponding to the distance and the inclination angle, on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between inclination angles and frame rates of the moving image to be mapped to the object.

3. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein said distance calculation unit is operable to further receive the object position as an input from said perspective projection unit, and

wherein said frame rate determination unit, when three-dimensional object data whose object size has been changed is externally input to said object veneration unit, is further operable to receive the object position as an input from said distance calculation unit, and recognizes that object size has been changed, from the object position, and to update the frame rate determined according to the distance into a frame rate corresponding to the changed object size, on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between object sizes and frame rates of the moving image to be mapped to the object.

4. An apparatus operable to control the reproduction quality of a moving image which is reproduced from a fusion of the moving image and three-dimensional computer graphics in a three-dimensional virtual space, said apparatus comprising:

an object generation unit operable to receive three-dimensional object data relating to an object to which the moving image is to be mapped as an external input, and to place the object in the three-dimensional virtual space to generate the object based on the three-dimensional object data;

an object position determination unit operable to receive data relating to the object placed in the three-dimensional virtual space as an input from said object generation unit, to move the object according to an external user input, and thereby to determine the object position in the three-dimensional virtual space;

a view point position determination unit operable to receive the determined object position as an input, to move a view point in the three-dimensional virtual space according to an external user input, and thereby to determine a view point position according to correlation between the object position and the view point position;

perspective projection unit operable to receive the object position and the view point position as inputs and to project the object on a two-dimensional display projection plane according to the object position and the view point position;

an area calculation unit operable to receive data relating to a projection plane of the perspectively projected object, and to calculate an area of the projection plane;

a frame rate determination unit operable to receive the calculated area as an input, and to determine a frame rate corresponding to the input area on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between areas of the projection plane of the object and frame rates of the moving image to be mapped to the projection plane;

a frame rate control unit operable to receive the determined frame rate as an input and to perform control so that a frame of the moving image to be mapped to the object is reproduced at the determined frame rate;

a moving image generation unit operable to receive moving image data input externally, and to reproduce a necessary frame of the moving image from the moving image data in accordance with the control; and

a display unit operable to map the frame of the moving image input from said moving image generation unit to the two-dimensional display projection plane on which the object has been perspectively projected as an input from said perspective projection unit, and to display the resulting image.

5. The apparatus of claim 4,

wherein said area calculation unit is further operable to receive the object position as an input from said perspective projection unit, and

wherein said frame rate determination unit, when three-dimensional object data whose object size has been changed is externally input to said object generation unit, is further operable to receive the object position as an input from said area calculation unit, and to recognize that object size has been changed, from the object position, and to update the frame rate determined according to the area into a frame rate corresponding to the changed object size, on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between object sizes and frame rates of the moving image to be mapped to the object.

6. An apparatus operable to control the reproduction quality of a moving image which is reproduced from a fusion of the moving image and three-dimensional computer graphics in a three-dimensional virtual space, said apparatus comprising:

an object generation unit operable to receive three-dimensional object data relating to an object to which the moving image is to be mapped as an external input, and to place the object in the three-dimensional virtual space to generate the object based on the three-dimensional object data;

an object position determination unit operable to receive data relating to the object placed in the three-dimensional virtual space as an input from said object generation unit, to move the object according to an external user input, and thereby to determine the object position in the three-dimensional virtual space;

a view point position determination unit operable to receive the determined object position as an input, to move a view point in the three-dimensional virtual space according to an external user input, and thereby to determine a view point position according to correlation between the object position and the view point position;

a distance calculation unit operable to receive the object position and the view point position as inputs and to calculate a distance from the view point to the object;

a filter selecting unit operable to receive the calculated distance as an input and to select a filter corresponding to the input distance on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between distances from the view point to the object and filters used for enlarging or reducing the moving image to be mapped to the object;

a filter control unit operable to receive information about the filter selected by said filter selecting unit as an input and to perform control so that a frame of the moving image to be mapped to the object is enlarged or reduced by using the selected filter;

a moving image generation unit operable to receive moving inputted externally image data and to reproduce the frame of the moving image from the moving image data;

a filtering unit operable to receive the frame of the moving image as an input from said moving image generation unit and to filter the frame in accordance with the control executed by said filter control unit; and

a perspective projection display unit operable to receive the object position, the view point position, and the filtered frame of the moving image as inputs, to project the object on a two-dimensional display projection plane based on the object position and the view point position, to map the frame of the moving image to the projection plane of the object, and to display the resulting image.

7. The apparatus of claim 6,

wherein said distance calculation unit is further operable to receive coordinates on the display projection plane in the three-dimensional virtual space as an input, and to find an inclination angle of the object with respect to the display projection plane based on the object position, the view point position, and the coordinates on the display projection plane in the three-dimensional virtual space, and

wherein said filter selecting unit is further operable to update the filter selected according to the distance into a filter corresponding to the distance and the inclination angle, on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between inclination angles and filters used for enlarging or reducing the moving image to be mapped to the object.

8. The apparatus of claim 6,

wherein said distance calculation unit is further operable to receive the object position as an input from said perspective projection unit, and

wherein said filter selecting unit, when three-dimensional object data whose object size has been changed is externally input to said object generation unit, is further operable to receive the object position as an input from said distance calculation unit, to recognize that object size has been changed, from the object position, and to update the filter selected according to the distance into a filter corresponding to the changed object size on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between object sizes and filters used for enlarging or reducing the moving image to be mapped to the object.

9. An apparatus operable to control the reproduction quality of a moving image which is reproduced from a fusion of the moving image and three-dimensional computer graphics in a three-dimensional virtual space, said apparatus comprising:

an object generation unit operable to receive three-dimensional object data relating to an object to which the moving image is to be mapped as an external input, and to place the object in the three-dimensional virtual space to generate the object based on the three-dimensional object data;

an object position determination unit operable to receive data relating to the object placed in the three-dimensional virtual space as an input from said object generation unit, to move the object according to an external user input, and thereby to determine the object position in the three-dimensional virtual space;

a view point position determination unit operable to receive the determined object position as an input, to move a view point in the three-dimensional virtual space according to an external user input, and thereby to determine a view point position according to correlation between the object position and the view point position;

a perspective projection unit operable to receive the object position and the view point position as inputs and to project the object on a two-dimensional display projection plane based on the object position and the view point position;

an area calculation unit operable to receive data relating to a projection plane of the perspectively projected object, and to calculate an area of the projection plane;

a filter selecting unit operable to receive the calculated area as an input and to select a filter corresponding to the input area on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between areas of the projection plane of the object and filters used for enlarging or reducing the moving image to be mapped to the projection plane;

a filter control unit operable to receive information about the selected filter and to perform control so that a frame of the moving image to be mapped to the object is enlarged or reduced by using the selected filter;

a moving image generation unit operable to receive moving image data input externally, and to reproduce the frame of the moving image from the moving image data;

a filtering unit operable to receive the frame of the moving image as an input from said moving image generation unit and to filter the frame in accordance with the control executed by said filter control unit; and

a display unit operable to map the frame of the moving image input from said moving image generation unit to the two-dimensional display projection plane on which the object has been perspectively projected as an input from said perspective projection unit, and to display the resulting image.

10. The apparatus for controlling moving image reproduction quality of claim 9,

wherein said area calculation unit is further operable to receive the object position as an input from said perspective projection unit, and

wherein said filter selecting unit, when three-dimensional object data whose object size has been changed is input externally to said object generation unit, is further operable to receive the object position as an input from said area calculation unit, to recognize that object size has been changed, from the object position, and to update the filter selected according to the area into a filter corresponding to the changed object size, on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between object sizes and filters used for enlarging or reducing the moving image to be mapped to the object.

11. A method for controlling the reproduction quality of a moving image which is reproduced from a fusion of the moving image and three-dimensional computer graphics in a three-dimensional virtual space, said method comprising:

generating an object comprising receiving three-dimensional object data relating to an object to which the moving image is to be mapped as an external input, and placing the object in the three-dimensional virtual space to generate the object based on the three-dimensional object data;

determining an object position comprising receiving data relating to the object placed in the three-dimensional virtual space as an input, moving the object according to an external user input, and thereby determining the object position in the three-dimensional virtual space;

determining a view point position comprising receiving the determined object position as an input, moving a view point in the three-dimensional virtual space according to an external user input, and thereby determining a view point position according to correlation between the object position and the view point position;

calculating a distance comprising receiving the object position and the view point position as inputs and calculating a distance from the view point to the object,

determining a frame rate comprising receiving the calculated distance as an input, and determining a frame rate corresponding to the input distance on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between distances from the view point to the object and frame rates of the moving image to be mapped to the object;

controlling a frame rate comprising receiving the determined frame rate as an input and performing control so that a frame of the moving image to be mapped to the object is reproduced at the determined frame rate;

generating a moving image comprising receiving moving image data input externally, and reproducing a necessary frame of the moving image from the moving image data in accordance with the control; and

displaying a perspective projection comprising receiving the object position, the view point position, and the reproduced frame of the moving image as inputs, projecting the object on a two-dimensional display projection plane based on the object position and the view point position, mapping the frame of the moving image to a projection plane of the object, and displaying the resulting image.

12. The method of claim 11,

wherein said calculating a distance further comprises receiving coordinates on the display projection plane in the three-dimensional virtual space as an input, and finding an inclination angle of the object with respect to the display projection plane based on the object position, the view point position, and the coordinates on the display projection plane in the three-dimensional virtual space, and

wherein said determining a frame rate further comprises updating the frame rate determined according to the distance into a frame rate corresponding to the distance and the inclination angle, on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between inclination angles and frame rates of the moving image to be mapped to the object.

13. The method of claim 11,

wherein said calculating a distance further comprises receiving the object position as an input from said projecting a perspective, and

wherein said determining frame rate, when three-dimensional object data whose object size has been changed is given to said generation of an object as an external input, is further operable to receive the object position as an input from said calculation of a distance, to recognize that the object size has been changed, from the object position, and to update the frame rate determined according to the distance into a frame rate corresponding to the changed object size, on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between object sizes and frame rates of the moving image to be mapped to the object.

14. A method for controlling the reproduction quality of a moving image which is reproduced from a fusion of the moving image and three-dimensional computer graphics in a three-dimensional virtual space, said method comprising:

generating an object comprising receiving three-dimensional object data relating to an object to which the moving image is to be mapped as an external input, and placing the object in the three-dimensional virtual space to generate the object based on the three-dimensional object data;

determining an object position comprising, receiving data relating to the object placed in the three-dimensional virtual space as an input from said object generation step, moving the object according to an external user input and thereby determining the object position in the three-dimensional virtual space;

determining a view point position comprising receiving the determined object position as an input, moving a view point in the three-dimensional virtual space according to an external user input, and thereby determining a view point position according to correlation between the object position and the view point position;

projecting a perspective comprising receiving the object position and the view point position as inputs and projecting the object on a two-dimensional display projection plane based on the object position and the view point position;

calculating an area comprising receiving data relating to a projection plane of the perspectively projected object and calculating an area of the projection plane;

determining a frame rate comprising receiving the calculated area as an input, and determining a frame rate corresponding to the input area on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between areas of the projection plane of the object and frame rates of the moving image to be mapped to the projection plane;

controlling a frame rate comprising receiving the determined frame rate as an input and performing control so that a frame of the moving image to be mapped to the object is reproduced at the determined frame rate;

generating a moving image comprising receiving moving image data input externally, and reproducing a necessary frame of the moving image from the moving image data in accordance with the control; and

mapping the frame of the moving image as an input from said generating a moving image to the two-dimensional display projection plane on which the object has been perspectively projected as an input from said projecting a perspective, and displaying the resulting image.

15. The method for controlling moving image reproduction quality of claim 14,

wherein said calculating an area further comprises receiving the object position as an input from said projecting a perspective, and

wherein said determining a frame rate, when three-dimensional object data whose object size has been changed is given to said object generation step as an external input, further comprises receiving the object position as an input from said calculating an area, recognizing that the object size has been changed, from the object position, and updating the frame rate determined according to the area into a frame rate corresponding to the changed object size, on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between object sizes and frame rates of the moving image to be mapped to the object.

16. A method for controlling the reproduction quality of a moving image which is reproduced from a fusion of the moving image and three-dimensional computer graphics in a three-dimensional virtual space, said method comprising:

generating an object comprising receiving three-dimensional object data relating to an object to which the moving image is to be mapped as an external input, and placing the object in the three-dimensional virtual space to generate the object based on the three-dimensional object data;

determining an object position comprising receiving data relating to the object placed in the three-dimensional virtual space as an input from said generating an object, moving the object according to an external user, and thereby determining the object position in the three-dimensional virtual space;

determining a view point position comprising, receiving the determined object position as an input, moving a view point in the three-dimensional virtual space according to an external user input, and thereby determining a view point position according to correlation between the object position and the view point position;

calculating a distance comprising receiving the object position and the view point position as inputs and calculating a distance from the view point to the object;

selecting a filter comprising receiving the calculated distance as an input and selecting a filter corresponding to the input distance on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between distances from the view point to the object and filters used for enlarging or reducing the moving image to be mapped to the object;

controlling a filter comprising receiving information about the filter selected in said selecting a filter as an input and performing control so that a frame of the moving image to be mapped to the object is enlarged or reduced by using the selected filter;

generating a moving image comprising receiving moving image data input externally and reproducing the frame of the moving image from the moving image data;

filtering comprising receiving the frame of the moving image as an input from said generating a moving image and filtering the frame in accordance with the control executed in said controlling a filter control; and

displaying a perspective projection comprising receiving the object position, the view point position, and the filtered frame of the moving image as inputs, projecting the object on a two-dimensional display projection plane based on the object position and the view point position, mapping the frame of the moving image to a projection plane of the object, and displaying the resulting image.

17. The method of claim 16,

wherein said calculating a distance further comprises receiving coordinates on the display projection plane in the three-dimensional virtual space as an input, and finding an inclination angle of the object with respect to the display projection plane based on the object position, the view point position, and the coordinates on the display projection plane in the three-dimensional virtual space, and

wherein said selecting a filter comprises updating the filter selected according to the distance into a filter corresponding to the distance and the inclination angle, on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between inclination angles and filters used for enlarging or reducing the moving image to be mapped to the object.

18. The method of claim 16,

wherein said calculating a distance further comprises receiving the object position as an input from said projecting a perspective, and

wherein said selecting a filter, when three-dimensional object data whose object size has been changed is given to said generating an object as an external input, further comprises receiving the object position as an input from said calculating a distance, recognizing that the object size has been changed, from the object position, and updating the filter selected according to the distance into a filter corresponding to the changed object size, on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between object sizes and filters used for enlarging or reducing the moving image to be mapped to the object.

19. A method for controlling the reproduction quality of a moving image which is reproduced from a fusion of the moving image and three-dimensional computer graphics in a three-dimensional virtual space, said method comprising:

generating an object comprising receiving three-dimensional object data relating to an object to which the moving image is to be mapped as an external input, and placing the object in the three-dimensional virtual space to generate the object based on the three-dimensional object data;

determining an object position comprising receiving data relating to the object placed in the three-dimensional virtual space as an input from said generating an object, moving the object according to an external user input, and thereby determining the object position in the three-dimensional virtual space;

determining a view point position comprising receiving the determined object position as an input, moving a view point in the three-dimensional virtual space according to an external user input, and thereby determining a view point position according to correlation between the object position and the view point position;

projecting a perspective comprising receiving the object position and the view point position as inputs and projecting the object on a two-dimensional display projection plane based on the object position and the view point position;

calculating an area comprising receiving data r elating to a projection plane of the perspectively projected object, and calculating an area of tile projection plane;

selecting a filter comprising receiving the calculated area as an input, and selecting a filter corresponding to the input area on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between areas of the projection plane of the object and filters used for enlarging or reducing the moving image to be mapped to the projection plane;

controlling a filter comprising receiving information about the selected filter and performing control so that a frame of the moving image to be mapped to the object is enlarged or reduced by using the selected filter;

generating a moving image comprising receiving moving input externally image data, and reproducing the frame of the moving image from the moving image data;

filtering comprising receiving the frame of the moving image as an input from said generating a moving image and filtering the frame in accordance with the control executed in said controlling a filter; and

displaying comprising mapping the frame of the moving image as an input from said generating a moving image to the two-dimensional display projection plane on which the object has been perspectively projected as an input from said perspective projection step, and displaying the resulting image.

20. The method of claim 19,

wherein said calculating an area further comprises receiving the object position as an input from said projecting a perspective, and

wherein said selecting a filter, when three-dimensional object data whose object size has been changed is given to said generating an object as an external input, further comprises receiving the object position as an input from said calculating an area, recognizing that the object size has been changed, from the object position, and updating the filter selected according to the area into a filter corresponding to the changed object size, on the basis of a preset table or formula showing a relationship between object sizes and filters used for enlarging or reducing the moving image to be mapped to the object.