Data processing method and apparatus and information furnishing medium

• US 6,577,308 B1
• Filed: 12/14/1999
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony-Kihara Research Center Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Komatsu, Kosuke, Ohto, Yasunori, Ueda, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCUSO, HUEDUNG XUAN CAO
• Application Number:
  US09/460,996
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 345/423, 345/428, 345/419, 345/646, 345/473, 345/501, 345/619, 345/581, 382/103, 382/128
• US Class Current: 345/423
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/20 3D [Three Dimensional] animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/44 Morphing

Abstract

In computer graphics, polygons constituting two polygon models are matched to realize spontaneous morphing. Each of first and second polygon models is split into corresponding parts, such as ear, eye or face, and polygons making up a part of the first polygon model are matched to polygons making up a part of the second polygon corresponding to the first-stated part. A connection relational graph, as a two-dimensional graph representing the connection relation between polygons making up the respective parts, is prepared from the two matched parts, and the connection relational graphs of the two matched parts are rendered co-morphic to match the polygons constituting the two parts.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus for performing data processing of matching unit figures making up a first three-dimensional model and unit figures making up a second three-dimensional model, comprising:

part splitting means for splitting each of said first and second three-dimensional models into corresponding parts, each presenting a continuous boundary line;

unit figure matching means for matching unit figures making up said first three-dimensional model and unit figures making up said second three-dimensional model; and

reconstructing means for reconstructing said parts obtained from unit figure matching into said first and second three-dimensional models, so as to effect morphed animation between said first and second three-dimensional models.

2. The data processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein if the boundary line of said part is not continuous, said part splitting means adds a boundary line along a ridge line of a unit figure constituting the part to render the boundary of the part continuous.

3. The data processing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

unit figure splitting means for splitting a unit figure other than a triangular unit figure into triangular unit figures.

4. The data processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

said unit figure matching means includes

unit figure connection relational graph formulating means for formulating a unit figure connection relational graph which renders the connection relation between unit figures constituting said part into a graphic form;

said unit figure matching means performing said unit figure matching based on said unit figure connection relational graph.

5. The data processing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein

said unit figure matching means further includes

apex point connection relational graph formulating means for formulating the connecting relational graph which renders the connecting relation between apex points of unit figures making up said part;

said unit figure connection relational graph formulating means formulating said unit figure connection relational graph based on said apex point connection relational graph.

6. The data processing apparatus according to claim 5 wherein

said apex point connection relational graph formulating means projects a part on a pre-set plane to formulate said apex point connection relational graph as the relation between the apex point of the unit figure constituting said part and a ridge line is maintained.

7. The data processing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein

said unit figure matching means renders the unit figure connection relational graphs of said first and second three-dimensional models co-morphic to effect matching of said unit figures.

8. The data processing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein

said unit figure matching means inserts an area zero unit figure to one of said first and second parts of said three-dimensional model, based on said unit figure connection relational graph, for matching to a unit figure constituting the other part.

9. The data processing apparatus according to claim 8 wherein

said unit figure connection relational graph is made up of nodes representing a unit figure and a link representing connection between said unit figures;

said unit figure matching means adding a link in a cell which is an area surrounded by said links to insert an area zero unit figure to said part.

10. The data processing apparatus according to claim 9 wherein

said unit figure matching means inserts a link so that the numbers of links connected to the cells in said unit figure connection relational graphs in the first and second three-dimensional models will be equal to each other.

11. The data processing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein

said unit figure connection relational graph is made up of nodes representing a unit figure and a link representing connection between said unit figures;

said unit figure matching means matches cells which are areas surrounded by said links in said unit figure connection relational graphs in the parts of said first and second three-dimensional models to effect said unit figure matching.

12. The data processing apparatus according to claim 11 wherein

if apex points to be matched are specified for parts of said first and second three-dimensional models, said unit figure matching means matches said cells associated with said apex points and subsequently matches other cells to effect said unit figure matching.

13. The data processing apparatus according to claim 11 wherein

said unit figure matching means matches said cells in a sequence proceeding from the outer periphery towards the inner periphery of said unit figure connection relational graphs in the parts of said first and second three-dimensional models.

14. The data processing apparatus according to claim 11 wherein

if, when nodes lying on an outer peripheral side of said unit figure connection relational graphs in the parts of said first and second three-dimensional models are followed along said links, there is any link traversed redundantly, said unit figure matching means deletes the redundantly traversed link by adding another link.

15. A data processing method for performing data processing of matching unit figures making up a first three-dimensional model and unit figures making up a second three-dimensional model, comprising:

a part splitting step of splitting each of said first and second three-dimensional models into corresponding parts, each presenting a continuous boundary line;

a unit figure matching step of matching unit figures making up said first three-dimensional model and unit figures making up said second three-dimensional model; and

a reconstructing step of reconstructing said parts obtained from unit figure matching into said first and second three-dimensional models, so as to effect morphed animation between said first and second three-dimensional models.

16. An information furnishing medium for furnishing the control information for causing an information processing apparatus to perform data processing of matching unit figures making up a first three-dimensional model to unit figures making up a second three-dimensional model, wherein

the information furnishing medium furnishes the control information comprising:

a part splitting step of splitting each of said first and second three-dimensional models into corresponding parts, each presenting a continuous boundary line;

a unit figure matching step of matching unit figures making up a part of said first three-dimensional model and unit figures making up a part of said second three-dimensional model; and

a reconstructing step of reconstructing said parts obtained from unit figure matching into said first and second three-dimensional models, so as to effect morphed animation between said first and second three-dimensional models.

17. An information furnishing medium for furnishing the results of data processing of matching unit figures making up a first three-dimensional model and unit figures making up a second three-dimensional model, wherein

the information furnishing medium furnishes the results of reconstruction of said first and second three-dimensional models obtained on

splitting said first and second three-dimensional models into corresponding parts, each presenting a continuous boundary line;

performing unit figure matching of matching unit figures constituting parts making up said first three-dimensional model to unit figures constituting parts making up said second three-dimensional model; and

reconstructing said parts obtained from said unit figure matching into said first and second three-dimensional models, so as to effect morphed animation between said first and second three-dimensional models.

18. A data processing apparatus for performing data processing of formulating an animation from first and second three-dimensional models, each defined by an assembly of unit figures, comprising:

part splitting means for splitting each of said first and second three-dimensional models into corresponding parts, each presenting a continuous boundary line;

unit figure matching means for performing unit figure matching of matching unit figures constituting said first three-dimensional model to unit figures constituting said second three-dimensional model; and

animation formulating means for formulating a morphed animation from said first and second three-dimensional models obtained from said unit figure matching, so as to effect the morphed animation between said first and second three-dimensional models.

19. The data processing apparatus according to claim 18 further comprising:

part splitting means for splitting said first and second three-dimensional models into corresponding parts;

said unit figure matching means performing said unit figure matching from one part to another.

20. The data processing apparatus according to claim 19 further comprising:

reconstructing means for reconstructing said parts from the unit figure matching into said first and second three-dimensional models;

said animation formulating means formulating an animation from the reconstructed first and second three-dimensional models.

21. The data processing apparatus according to claim 19 wherein

said unit figure matching means includes

unit figure connection relational graph formulating means for formulating a unit figure connection relational graph;

said unit figure matching being performed based on said unit figure connection relational graph.

22. The data processing apparatus according to claim 21 wherein

said unit figure matching means renders said unit figure connection relational graphs of said first and second three-dimensional models co-morphic to effect said unit figure matching.

23. The data processing apparatus according to claim 18 wherein

said animation formulating means formulates an animation by changing the shape of a unit figure constituting one of said first and second three-dimensional models into a unit figure of the other three-dimensional model matched to the first-stated unit figure.

24. A data processing method for performing data processing of formulating an animation from first and second three-dimensional models, each defined by an assembly of unit figures, comprising:

a part splitting step of splitting each of said first and second three-dimensional models into corresponding parts, each presenting a continuous boundary line;

a unit figure matching step of performing unit figure matching of matching unit figures constituting said first three-dimensional model to unit figures constituting said second three-dimensional model; and

an animation formulating step of formulating a morphed animation from said first and second three-dimensional models obtained from said unit figure matching, so as to effect the morphed animation between said first and second three-dimensional models.

25. An information furnishing medium for furnishing the control information for causing an information processing apparatus to perform data processing of formulating an animation from first and second three-dimensional models, each defined by an assembly of unit figures, comprising:

a part splitting step of splitting each of said first and second three-dimensional models into corresponding parts, each presenting a continuous boundary line;

a unit figure matching step of performing unit figure matching of matching unit figures constituting said first three-dimensional model to unit figures constituting said second three-dimensional model; and

an animation formulating step of formulating a morphed animation from said first and second three-dimensional models obtained from said unit figure matching, so as to effect the morphed animation between said first and second three-dimensional models.

26. An information furnishing medium for furnishing the results of data processing of formulating an animation from first and second three-dimensional models, each defined by an assembly of unit figures, wherein

the information furnishing medium furnishes animation data obtained on

splitting each of said first and second three-dimensional models into corresponding parts, each presenting a continuous boundary line;

performing unit figure matching of matching unit figures constituting said first three-dimensional model to unit figures constituting said second three-dimensional model; and

formulating a morphed animation from said first and second three-dimensional models obtained from said unit figure matching, so as to effect the morphed animation between said first and second three-dimensional models.