Rendering method of rendering image on two-dimensional screen

• US 7,079,136 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2001
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsukizaki, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Chauhan, Ulka
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pappas, Peter-Anthony
• Application Number:
  US09/997,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20020075262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 345/421, 345/419, 345/473
• US Class Current: 345/422
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/405 using Z-buffer

Abstract

A frame where a two-dimensional image is formed is subdivided into predetermined unit areas, and a desired range is determined in the frame, and further, a determination is made whether or not overwrite rendering is possible for each unit area in the desired range. By doing so, it is possible to visibly display an object hidden by a shade of another object without carrying out a determination process relative to a positional relationship between a virtual viewpoint and object and a semi-transparency processing for making object semitransparent, and to realize the display process at high speed and low cost.

Claims

1. A rendering method comprising the steps of:

subdividing a frame where a two-dimensional image is formed into predetermined unit areas;

determining an optional area in the frame corresponding to a first object of the two-dimensional image;

determining overwrite rendering is inhibited for at least one of the predetermined unit areas in the optional area, wherein said overwrite rendering provides means for rendering a portion of a second object in an area overlapping the optional area that corresponds to a portion of a second object in the two-dimensional image; and

wherein the second object is positioned nearer a virtual viewpoint than the first object and rendering is inhibited in each unit area in the overlapping area for which overwrite rendering is determined to be inhibited;

making a determination that the overwrite rendering is inhibited with respect to each unit ares corresponding to a predetermined pattern of the unit area included in the optional area;

making a determination that the overwrite rendering is inhibited by setting a Z coordinate value indicative of a distance from a virtual viewpoint to be identical to a Z coordinate value of the virtual viewpoint, with respect to the unit area corresponding to the predetermined pattern; and

rendering a predetermined object in the frame;

wherein the optional area is determined based on a rendering range where the predetermined object is rendered.

2. A rendering apparatus comprising:

a subdividing section for subdividing a frame where a two-dimensional image is formed into predetermined unit areas;

an area determining section for determining an optional area in the frame corresponding to a first object in the two-dimensional image;

a determining section for determining overwrite rendering is possible for at least one of the predetermined unit areas in the optional area; and

an object rendering section for rendering the first object in the frame;

wherein said overwrite rendering provides means for rendering a portion of the first object in an area overlapping a portion of the optional area that corresponds to a portion of a second object in the two-dimensional image;

wherein the first object is positioned further from a virtual viewpoint than the second object and the first object is rendered in each unit area in the overlapping area for which overwrite rendering is determined to be possible;

wherein the area determining section determines the optional area based on a rendering range where the first object is rendered;

wherein the determining section makes a determination that the overwrite rendering is inhibited with respect to each unit area corresponding to a predetermined pattern of the unit areas included in the optional area; and

wherein the determining section makes a determination that the overwrite rendering is inhibited by setting a Z coordinate value indicative of a distance from a virtual viewpoint to be identical to a Z coordinate value of the virtual viewpoint, with respect to each writ area corresponding to the predetermined pattern.

3. A computer-readable recording medium recording a rendering processing program executed by a computer, rendering processing program comprising:

a subdividing step of subdividing a frame where a two-dimensional image is formed into predetermined unit areas;

an area determining step of determining an optional area in the frame corresponding to a

first object in the two-dimensional image;

a determining step of determining overwrite rendering is possible for at least one of the predetermined unit areas in the optional area, the determining step further comprising a step of making a determination that the overwrite rendering is inhibited with respect to each unit area corresponding to a predetermined pattern of the unit area included in the optional area, and a step of making a determination that the overwrite rendering is inhibited by setting a Z coordinate value indicative of a distance from a virtual viewpoint to be identical to a Z coordinate value of the virtual viewpoint, with respect to each unit area corresponding to the predetermined pattern; and

a step of rendering the first object in the frame;

wherein said overwrite rendering provides means for rendering a portion of the first object in an area overlapping a portion of the optional area that corresponds to a portion of a second object in the two-dimensional image;

wherein the first object is positioned further from a virtual viewpoint than The second object and the first object is rendered in each unit area in the overlapping area for which overwrite rendering is determined to be possible; and

wherein the optional area is determined based on a rendering range where the first object is rendered.

4. A program processor executing a rendering processing program the rendering processing program, comprising:

a subdividing step of subdividing a frame where a two-dimensional image is formed into predetermined unit areas;

an area determining step of determining an optional area in the frame corresponding to a first object in the two-dimensional image;

a determining step of determining overwrite rendering is possible for at least one of the predetermined unit areas in the optional area, the determining step further comprising a step of making a determination that the overwrite rendering is inhibited with respect to each unit area corresponding to a predetermined pattern of the unit areas included in the optional area, and a step of making a determination that the overwrite rendering is inhibited by setting a Z coordinate value indicative of a distance from a virtual viewpoint to be identical to a Z coordinate value of the virtual viewpoint, with respect to each unit area corresponding to the predetermined pattern; and

a step of rendering the first object in the frame;

wherein said overwrite rendering provides means for rendering a portion of the first object in an area overlapping a portion the optional area that corresponds to a portion of a second object in the two-dimensional image;

wherein the first object is positioned further from a virtual viewpoint than the second object and the first object is rendered in each unit area in the overlapping area for which overwrite rendering is determined to be possible; and

wherein the optional area is determined based on a rendering range where the predetermined object is rendered.