Information visualization system

• US 6,661,439 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2000
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Hara, Masaki, Kunieda, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu D.
• Application Number:
  US09/670,104
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/427, 345/848, 345/850, 345/751, 345/757, 345/760, 715/513
• US Class Current: 715/850
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/10 Geometric effects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images

Abstract

An information visualization system allows carrying out a three-dimensional walk through and hyperlink operation with little processing and allows automatically incorporating modifications into the image. A partial image generating device that forms the information visualization system generates a walk through image from three-dimensional space shape information and walk through path information, and converts same into a plurality of partial images that are partitioned at branching points. A branching information generating device generates branching information for the partial images. A hyperlink information generating device generates hyperlink information based on the visualized object information in the three-dimensional space. A partial image selection device sends a partial image switching instruction in order to switch partial images depending on the path selection of the user. A partial image link play device sends a partial image selection instruction depending on the partial image switching instruction, and at the same time smoothly links and plays the switched partial images.

Claims

1. An information visualization system comprising:

a partial image generating means that generates three-dimensional computer graphic images along a walk through path based on walk through path information that includes three-dimensional space information and branching information, converts the three-dimensional computer graphic images into a walk through movie image having a movie format, partitions the walk through movie image at branching points of the walk through path, and generates a plurality of partial images in movie format;

a branching information generating means that generates the branching information related to branching connections between each partial image generated by the partial image generating means;

a branching information storing means that stores the branching information generated by the branching information generating means;

a partial image storing means that stores the partial images generated by said partial image generating means and outputs particular partial images depending on partial image selection instructions;

a partial image selection means that sends partial image switching instructions for switching partial images stored in the partial image storing means according to a path selection operation of the user; and

a partial image link play means that sends said partial image selection instructions according to partial image switching instructions received from the partial image selecting means and that requires the particular partial storage images output from said partial image storage means and at the same time links and plays said particular partial image.

2. An information visualization system according to claim 1, wherein said information visualization system further comprising a hyperlink information generating device, in which contents are displayed at a certain position in a certain scene in the respective partial images based on the three-dimensional space information of the visualized contents in a three-dimensional space, three-dimensional position information, and link information to the information related to said contents, and furthermore, hyperlink information is generated that indicates related information is to be presented to the user when the user selects the contents.