Virtual reality imaging system with image replay

• US 5,751,289 A
• Filed: 01/16/1996
• Issued: 05/12/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Atmospheric Research University Corporation For Atmospheric Research
• Original Assignee: University Corporation For Atmospheric Research
• Inventors: Myers, William Loring
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US08/587,222
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 395/119, 395/120, 395/121, 395/124, 395/125, 395/129, 395/130, 395/133, 395/505
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/10 Geometric effects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects

Abstract

The virtual reality imaging system takes a multidimensional space that contains real world objects and phenomena, be they static or dynamic in nature, and enables a user to define a point in and/or a path through this multidimensional space. The apparatus then displays the view to the user that would be seen from the point in and/or path through the multidimensional space. This view is filtered through user definable characteristics that refine the real world phenomena and objects to a perspective that is of interest to the user. This filtered view presents the user with a virtual view of the reality contained within this multidimensional space, which virtual reality presents data to the user of only objects, views and phenomena that are of particular interest to the user. The system also stores a plurality of states of the multidimensional space so that the user can replay the generated display or can modify the user selected point in and/or path through this multidimensional space and/or modify the user definable characteristics that define the filtered view.

Claims

1. Apparatus for presenting a user with a virtual image of phenomena located in a predefined multidimensional space, comprising:

means for generating data indicative of at least one phenomena extant in a multidimensional space, which multidimensional space has predefined extent in a plurality of dimensions;

means for converting said generated data to a compact data representation of said at least one phenomena;

means for storing a plurality of said sets of said compact data representations, each set being indicative of an image of a temporally defined state of said at least one phenomena extant in a multidimensional space, said plurality of stored sets being representative of a time ordered sequence of said compact data representations;

means for storing data defining a plurality of characteristics of said phenomena that are to be displayed to a user;

means for extracting data, that satisfies said plurality of characteristics defined by said stored data, from said stored set of compact data representation; and

means, responsive to said extracted data, for producing an image representative of a three dimensional view of at least a portion of said multidimensional space to display said phenomena.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said extracting means comprises:

means, responsive to user provided indicia, for accessing at least two of said plurality of sets of stored compact data representations.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said producing means produces a series of images from said at least two sets representative of said time ordered sequence of images of a three dimensional view of at least a portion of said multidimensional space to display said phenomena.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each of said stored compact data representations is time stamped to indicated time of origination of said compact data representation, said producing means uses said time stamp to retrieve temporally related ones of said compact data representations from said at least two sets to produce said time ordered sequence of images.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said extracting means further comprises:

means for enabling a user to redefine said stored data that defines a plurality of characteristics of said phenomena that are to be displayed to a user; and

wherein said producing means produces a series of images representative of said time ordered sequence of images of a three dimensional view of at least a portion of said multidimensional space to display said phenomena.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said extracting means further comprises:

means for enabling a user to redefine said stored data that defines a plurality of characteristics of said phenomena that are to be displayed to a user; and

wherein said producing means produces a series of images from said at least two sets representative of said time ordered sequence of images of a three dimensional view of at least a portion of said multidimensional space to display said phenomena.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said converting means generates data for said compact data representation indicative of a presence and locus of said at least one phenomena in said multidimensional space.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said converting means generates data indicative of an extent of said phenomena in said multidimensional space, said compact data representation defining exterior surfaces of said phenomena.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

means for storing data representative of at least one texture map, which texture map is indicative of features of a surface of said phenomena; and

wherein said image producing means accesses data in said storing means corresponding to a selected one of said texture maps to produce said image.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said image producing means retrieves said data indicative of exterior surfaces of said phenomena concurrent with accessing data in said storing means corresponding to said selected texture map;

means for altering said surface to incorporate features of said texture map.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said image generation means converts said compact data representation data indicative of said exterior surfaces to a pixel by pixel image of said exterior surface of said phenomena.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said image generation means retrieves locus information of said phenomena from said compact data representation to define position of exterior surfaces of said phenomena in said multidimensional space.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said image producing means arbitrates among a plurality of phenomena to identify segments of exterior surfaces of ones of said phenomena to be represented in a foreground of a field of view from a user.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said image producing means combines said identified segments of exterior surfaces to present an inter-object spatial relationship view to said user.

15. A method for presenting a user with a virtual image of phenomena located in a predefined multidimensional space, comprising the steps of:

generating data indicative of at least one phenomena extant in a multidimensional space, which multidimensional space has predefined extent in a plurality of dimensions;

converting said generated data to a compact data representation of said at least one phenomena;

storing in a memory a plurality of said sets of said compact data representations, each set being indicative of an image of a temporally defined state of said at least one phenomena extant in a multidimensional space, said plurality of stored sets being representative of a time ordered sequence of said compact data representations;

storing in a memory data defining a plurality of characteristics of said phenomena that are to be displayed to a user;

extracting data, that satisfies said plurality of characteristics defined by said stored data, from said stored set of compact data representation; and

producing, in response to said extracted data, an image representative of a three dimensional view of at least a portion of said multidimensional space to display said phenomena.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of extracting comprises:

accessing, in response to user provided indicia, at least two of said plurality of sets of stored compact data representations, which at least two of said plurality of sets are representative of a time ordered sequence of images.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said step of producing produces a series of images from said at least two sets representative of said time ordered sequence of images of a three dimensional view of at least a portion of said multidimensional space to display said phenomena.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein each of said stored compact data representations is time stamped to indicated time of origination of said compact data representation, said step of producing uses said time stamp to retrieve temporally related ones of said compact data representations from said at least two sets to produce said time ordered sequence of images.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein said step of extracting further comprises:

enabling a user to redefine said stored data that defines a plurality of characteristics of said phenomena that are to be displayed to a user; and

wherein said step of producing produces a series of images representative of said time ordered sequence of images of three dimensional view of at least a portion of said multidimensional space to display said phenomena.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein said step of extracting further comprises:

enabling a user to redefine said stored data that defines a plurality of characteristics of said phenomena that are to be displayed to a user; and

wherein said step of producing produces a series of images from said at least two sets representative of said time ordered sequence of images of a three dimensional view of it least a portion of said multidimensional space to display said phenomena.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of converting generates data for said compact data representation indicative of a presence and locus of said at least one phenomena in said multidimensional space.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said step of converting generates data indicative of an extent of said phenomena in said multidimensional space, said compact data representation defining exterior surfaces of said phenomena.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of:

storing data in a memory representative of at least one texture map, which texture map is indicative of features of a surface of said phenomena; and

wherein said step of image producing accesses data in said memory corresponding to a selected one of said texture maps to produce said image.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said step of image producing retrieves said data indicative of exterior surfaces of said phenomena concurrent with accessing data in said memory corresponding to said selected texture map;

and further comprising

altering said surface to incorporate features of said texture map.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said step of image generation converts said compact data representation data indicative of said exterior surfaces to a pixel by pixel image of said exterior surface of said phenomena.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein said step of image generation retrieves locus information of said phenomena from said compact data representation to define position of exterior surfaces of said phenomena in said multidimensional space.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said step of image producing arbitrates among a plurality of phenomena to identify segments of exterior surfaces of ones of said phenomena to be represented in a foreground of a field of view from a user.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said step of image producing combines said identified segments of exterior surfaces to present an inter-object spatial relationship view to said user.