Biological image formation aiding system and biological image forming method

• US 5,267,154 A
• Filed: 11/27/1991
• Issued: 11/30/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yanaka, Masao, Takeuchi, Ryozo, Kurihara, Tsuneya, Unuma, Munetoshi, Miyata, Tomoyuki, Takatsuki, Hiroaki, Yajima, Akio, Usami, Yoshiaki, Anjyo, Kenichi, Nishiyama, Joji
• Primary Examiner(s): Envall, Jr., Roy N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US07/798,959
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 364/419, 395/152, 395/119, 395/120, 395/135, 434/185, 434/264, 434/262, 434/270, 434/85, 434/99, 434/274, 340/725, 340/734, 340/747
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/20 3D [Three Dimensional] animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2021 Shape modification
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/952 Simulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/96 Iterative display of preconfigured images

Abstract

A biological image formation aiding system and a biological image forming method are provided in which three-dimensional data corresponding to a standard shape of a biological article, standard motion thereof, and a standard material feeling of an outer surface of the biological article are prepared, and a realistic three-dimensional synthesized image of an entire biological article with individuality can be formed simply. The system includes a shape data storage for storing data corresponding to a three-dimensional shape of a biological image; a motion data storage for storing data corresponding to three-dimensional motion of the biological image, a material feeling data storage for storing data corresponding to a three-dimensional material feeling of an outer surface of the biological image; editing/processing units capable of modifying at least one of the data corresponding to the three-dimensional shape of the biological image, the three-dimensional data corresponding to the motion of the biological image, and the data corresponding to the three-dimensional material feeling of the outer surface of the biological image in accordance with a producer'"'"'s intent; and an output unit responsive to the outputs of the editing/processing unit for synthesizing the data corresponding to the three-dimensional biological image, the data corresponding to the three-dimensional motion of the biological image, and the data corresponding to the three-dimensional material feeling of the outer surface of the biological image after modification with each other to provide synthesized three-dimensional data for a biological image to be produced.

Claims

1. A biological image formation aiding system comprising:

first data storage means for storing three-dimensional data corresponding to a shape of a biological image;

second data storage means for storing three-dimensional data corresponding to motion of the biological image;

third data storage means for storing three-dimensional data corresponding to a material feeling of an outer surface of the biological image;

editing means coupled to said first, second and third data storage means for modifying at least one of said three-dimensional data corresponding to the shape of the biological image, the motion of the biological image, and the material feeling of the outer surface of the biological image in accordance with requirements of a biological image to be produced; and

output means responsive to the output of said editing means for synthesizing said three-dimensional data corresponding to the shape of the biological image, the motion of the biological image, and the material feeling of the outer surface of the biological image with each other to provide synthesized three dimensional data for forming the biological image to be produced.

6. The biological image formation aiding system according to claim 1, wherein said three dimensional data corresponding to the shape of the biological image represents at least one of a skeleton and a body shape of the biological image.

7. The biological image formation aiding system according to claim 1, wherein said three-dimensional data corresponding to the material feeling/shape of the outer surface of the biological image represents at least one of a hair, fur, whisker and a facial expression.

8. The biological image formation aiding system according to claim 1, wherein said three dimensional data corresponding to the material feeling/shape of the outer surface of said the biological image represents a dress of the biological image.

2. A biological image formation aiding system comprising:

data store means for storing at least three-dimensional data corresponding to a standard shape of a three-dimensional biological image, three-dimensional data corresponding to standard motion of the biological image, and three-dimensional data corresponding to a standard material feeling of an outer surface of the biological image; and

editing means for adding a personality item desired by a user of said system to at least one of said three-dimensional data corresponding to the standard shape of the biological image, the standard motion of the biological image, and the standard material feeling of the outer surface of the biological image.

3. A biological image formation aiding system comprising:

shape data storage means for storing three-dimensional data corresponding to a three-dimensional shape of a biological image;

shape-data editing means for displaying three-dimensional data corresponding to said shape of the biological image on a display means, and for modifying the three-dimensional data corresponding to the shape of the biological image on a screen;

motion data storage means for storing three-dimensional data corresponding to motion of the biological image;

motion data editing means for displaying said three-dimensional data corresponding to the motion of the biological image, and for correcting said three-dimensional data corresponding to the motion of the biological image;

outer surface material feeling data storage means for storing three-dimensional data corresponding to a material feeling of an outer surface of the biological image; and

,

outer surface material feeling data editing means for displaying said three-dimensional data corresponding to the material feeling of the outer surface of said biological image, and for modifying said three-dimensional data corresponding to the material feeling of the outer surface of said biological image on the screen.

4. The biological image formation aiding system according to claim 3, further comprising:

output means for synthesizing said three-dimensional data corresponding to the shape of the biological image, said three-dimensional data corresponding to the motion of said biological image and said three-dimensional data corresponding to the material feeling of the outer surface of the biological image with each other to output synthesized three-dimensional data for a biological image to be produced, and a synthesized data storage means for storing said synthesized three dimensional data.

5. The biological image formation aiding system according to claim 3, further comprising:

storage means for storing three dimensional data obtained by synthesizing said data corresponding to the shape of the biological image, said data corresponding to the motion of the biological image, and said data corresponding to the material feeling of the outer surface of the biological image.

9. A method for producing a biological image by use of a computer, said method comprising the steps of:

storing three-dimensional data corresponding to a three-dimensional shape of a biological image;

storing three-dimensional data corresponding to three-dimensional motion of the biological image;

storing three-dimensional data corresponding to a three-dimensional material feeling of an outer surface of the biological image;

modifying at least one of said stored three-dimensional data corresponding to the shape of the biological image, said stored three-dimensional data corresponding to the motion of the biological image, and said stored three-dimensional data corresponding to the material feeling of the outer surface of the biological image in accordance with requirements of a biological image to be produced; and

synthesizing said three-dimensional data corresponding to the shape of the biological image, said three-dimensional data corresponding to the motion of the biological image, and said three-dimensional data corresponding to the material feeling of the outer surface of the biological image which are modified by said modifying step, with each other to provide a synthesized data for forming the biological image to be produced.

14. The biological image producing method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said three dimensional data corresponding to the shape of the biological image represents at least one of a skeleton and a body shape of the biological image.

15. The biological image producing method according to claim 9, wherein said three dimensional data corresponding to the material feeling/shape of the outer surface of said biological image represents at least one of a hair, fur, whisker and a facial expression.

16. The biological image producing method according to claim 9, wherein said three dimensional data corresponding to the material feeling/shape of the outer surface of said biological image represents a dress of the biological image.

10. A method for producing a biological image by use of a computer, said method comprising the steps of:

storing at least three-dimensional data corresponding to a standard shape of a biological image, three-dimensional data corresponding to standard motion of the biological image and three-dimensional data corresponding to a standard material feeling of an outer surface of the biological image; and

attaching a personality item desired by a user of said system to at least one of said three-dimensional data corresponding to said standard shape, said three-dimensional data corresponding to the motion of the biological image, and said three-dimensional data corresponding to the material feeling of the outer surface of the biological image.

11. A method for producing a biological image comprising steps executed by a computer, said method comprising the steps of:

storing three-dimensional data corresponding to a three-dimensional shape of a biological image;

displaying said three-dimensional data corresponding to the shape of the biological image; and

modifying said three-dimensional data corresponding to the three-dimensional shape of the biological image on a display screen depending upon requirements of a biological image to be produced;

storing three-dimensional data corresponding to three-dimensional motion of the biological image;

displaying said three-dimensional data corresponding to the three-dimensional motion of the biological image;

modifying said three-dimensional data corresponding to the biological image on the display screen depending upon requirements of said biological image to be produced;

storing three-dimensional data corresponding to a three-dimensional material feeling of an outer surface of the biological image;

displaying said three-dimensional data corresponding to the three-dimensional material feeling of the outer surface of the biological image; and

modifying said three-dimensional data image corresponding to the material feeling of the outer surface of the biological image on the display screen depending upon said requirements of said biological image to be produced.

12. The biological image producing method according to claim 11, further comprising a step of synthesizing said three-dimensional data corresponding to the shape of the biological image, said three-dimensional data corresponding to the motion of said biological image, and said three-dimensional data corresponding to the material feeling of the outer surface of said biological image with each other to output a synthesized data for said biological image to be produced.

13. The biological image producing method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a step of storing synthesized three-dimensional data obtained by synthesizing said three-dimensional data corresponding to the shape of the biological image, said three-dimensional data corresponding to the motion of the biological image, and said three-dimensional data corresponding to the material feeling of the outer surface of the biological image.