Information processing method and image processing method

• US 7,834,890 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohshima, Toshikazu, Fujiki, Masakazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Xiao M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ma; Tize
• Application Number:
  US10/964,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20050131857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,223 Days
• Field of Search: 345/619, 345/419, 382/128, 382130-132, 600/407, 600/410, 600/425, 600/443
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

An image processing method includes an object level acquisition step of acquiring an object level set for each computer graphics object, a display step of displaying a slide bar with a movable cursor to allow a user to set a user level by manipulating the cursor, and a user level acquisition step of acquiring a user level set by the user, based on a position of the cursor of the slide bar. In addition, a rendering step renders a virtual space including each computer graphics object by rendering each computer graphics object to have its visibility attribute depending on its object level acquired in the object level acquisition step and the user level. The rendering step renders a computer graphics object with an object level less than the user level as a visible object and renders a computer graphics object with an object level equal to or larger than the user level as an invisible object, and the rendering step is repeatedly performed in response to the position of the cursor being changed by the user.

Claims

1. A method of processing a plurality of computer graphics objects in a 3-dimensional virtual space, comprising:

an object level acquisition step of acquiring respective object levels set for each of a plurality of computer graphics objects;

a user level determination step of determining a user level set by the user;

a calculation step of calculating respective opacity attribute values of the plurality of computer graphics objects from a ratio of the acquired object levels of each of the plurality of computer graphics objects and the determined user level, wherein the opacity attribute values are proportional to the ratio and are calculated by multiplying the ratio of the determined user level to the acquired object levels by a predetermined maximum value of opacity;

a comparing step of comparing the opacity attribute values calculated in the calculation step to the predetermined maximum opacity to determine an output opacity for each of the plurality of computer graphics objects, wherein (i) if the calculated opacity attribute value is equal to or larger than the predetermined maximum opacity, the opacity of the object is set to be the predetermined maximum opacity, (ii) if the calculated opacity attribute value is smaller than the predetermined minimum opacity, the opacity of the object is set to be the predetermined minimum opacity, and (iii) if the calculated opacity attribute value is smaller than predetermined maximum opacity and equal to or larger than the predetermined minimum opacity, the opacity of the object is set to be the opacity attribute value calculated for the plurality of computer graphics object in the calculation step; and

a rendering step of rendering the 3-dimensional virtual space comprising the plurality of computer graphics objects by rendering, based on a predetermined angle of view and the opacity attribute values determined in the comparing step, each of the plurality of computer objects,

wherein the rendering step is repeatedly performed in response to a determination of the user level in the user level determination step.

2. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for making a computer execute a method of processing a plurality of computer-graphics objects in 3-dimensional virtual space, comprising:

an object level acquisition step of acquiring respective object levels set for each of a plurality of computer graphics objects;

a user level determination step of determining a user level set by the user;

a calculation step of calculating respective opacity attribute values of the plurality of computer graphics objects from a ratio of the acquired object levels of each of the plurality of computer graphics objects and the determined user level, wherein the opacity attribute values are proportional to the ratio and are calculated by multiplying the ratio of the determined user level to the acquired object levels by a predetermined maximum value of opacity;

a comparing step of comparing the opacity attribute values calculated in the calculation step to the predetermined maximum opacity to determine an output opacity for each of the plurality of computer graphics objects, wherein (i) if the calculated opacity attribute value is equal to or larger than the predetermined maximum opacity, the opacity of the object is set to be the predetermined maximum opacity, (ii) if the calculated opacity attribute value is smaller than the predetermined minimum opacity, the opacity of the object is set to be the predetermined minimum opacity, and (iii) if the calculated opacity attribute value is smaller than predetermined maximum opacity and equal to or larger than the predetermined minimum opacity, the opacity of the object is set to be the opacity attribute value calculated for the plurality of computer graphics object in the calculation step; and

a rendering step of rendering the 3-dimensional virtual space comprising the plurality of computer graphics objects by rendering, based on a predetermined angle of view and the opacity attribute values determined in the comparing step, each of the plurality of computer objects,

wherein the rendering step is repeatedly performed in response to a determination of the user level in the user level determination step.