EP0240608A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method of edge smoothing for a computer image generation system
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1986-12-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-12-15
Abstract
Abstract A method for computer image generation simulated visual scenes for applications such as flight training. The processing to generate the image takes place in three sequential stages: Controller, Geometry Processor, and Display Processor. At any point in time, the stages are processing data for three consecutive scenes. Each scene is comprised of a plurality of faces. Processing prior to the Display Processor accomplishes clipping and perspective transformation of faces. The Display Processor then generates the scene with pipeline processing accomplishing four major tasks: span detection or windowing, span sequencing, mask processing, and color processing. The improved realism of the computer generated image includes application of area-times-color smoothing, using fractional face areas to improve scene quality and reduce quantizing artifacts.
Inventors
- 👤 William Marvin Bunker
- 👤 Donald Mortimer Merz
- 👤 Richard Gerry Fadden
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 14:06
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T15/00; G06T15/50; G06T15/503; G09; G09B; G09B9/00; G09B9/02; G09B9/08; G09B9/30; G09B9/301
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
210 words
In an image generating system of the type for converting digital data into a sequence of display frames of image data suitable for display on a video image system, the image system forming a display by individually illuminating each of a plurality of color pixels, each of the frames of image data defining a plurality of faces and each of the frames being divided into a plurality of spans, including an electronic control means for converting the digital data, a method for determining the faces to be displayed in each of the spans comprising the steps of: (a) identifying data for one of the frames of display, the data defining face locations, each of the faces associated with at least one span and being arranged in a descending order of priority; (b) determining the highest priority face for each span; (c) determining an area within a span covered by the highest priority face; (d) computing pixel image data representative of the pixels within the span covered by the face; (e) repeating step (b) .through step (d) until the last face is processed into pixel image data or until all areas of the spans are fully covered by faces; and (f) transferring the pixel image data to the video image system.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
210 words
In an image generating system of the type for converting digital data into a sequence of display frames of image data suitable for display on a video image system, the image system forming a display by individually illuminating each of a plurality of color pixels, each of the frames of image data defining a plurality of faces and each of the frames being divided into a plurality of spans, including an electronic control means for converting the digital data, a method for determining the faces to be displayed in each of the spans comprising the steps of: (a) identifying data for one of the frames of display, the data defining face locations, each of the faces associated with at least one span and being arranged in a descending order of priority; (b) determining the highest priority face for each span; (c) determining an area within a span covered by the highest priority face; (d) computing pixel image data representative of the pixels within the span covered by the face; (e) repeating step (b) .through step (d) until the last face is processed into pixel image data or until all areas of the spans are fully covered by faces; and (f) transferring the pixel image data to the video image system.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step (b) of determining further comprises the step of determining an edge of the highest priority face for a span.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
141 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining an edge further comprises the steps of: (a) identifying data for a face, the data representative of an edge of a face, each edge having a beginning and ending vertex and a slope; (b) searching along the edges of a face in a clockwise direction, beginning with a first edge of a face, for each span that an edge passes through; (c) storing in a memory each span intersected by the edge; (d) calculating a perpendicular distance from each corner of each intersected span to intersecting the edge; (e) determining a next span intersected by an edge; (f) repeating step (b) through step (e) until the last edge of the face is processed; and (g) repeating step (b) through step (f) using the next face, until all the faces are processed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
132 words
The method of claim 3, wherein the step (d) of calculating further comprises the steps of: (a) inputting, into the address lines of a read only memory, data representative of the slope of an edge and the endpoints; and (b) calculating the perpendicular distance from the corner of each span according to the formula D=LO+LI * I+LJ * J, where: D is the perpendicular distance from a point (I,J) to an edge; LO is an initial predetermined distance from a fixed reference point such as 1=0 and J=0; LI is the cosine of the edge slope; and LJ is the sine of the edge slope. and (c) outputting, from the data lines of the read only memory, data representative of the perpendicular distance from the corner of a span to an edge.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
86 words
The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of: (a) determining a span to be processed based upon data representative of the area covered by previously processed faces; (b) recalling from memory the edges of the highest priority non-processed face intersecting a span; (c) determining the portions of the span covered by the face defined by the recalled edges; and (d) repeating steps (a) of determining through step (c) of determining until all areas of all spans are covered or until all faces are processed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
148 words
The method of claim 5, wherein step (c) of determining the portions of the span further comprises the steps of: (a) determining a pixel of a span intersected by an edge of a face; (b) dividing the pixel into a plurality of subpixel areas; (c) computing a distance from the center of each pixel area to the edge; (d) determining the subpixel areas covered by the face bounded by the edge; (e) computing a weight for each sub-pixel area from the area covered by the face and the color of the face; (f) repeating step (b) of dividing through step (e) of computing for each edge through the pixel; (g) summing the weighted values for each pixel; (h) generating a color for each pixel corresponding to the summed weighted values; and (i) repeating step (a) through step (h) for each pixel intersected by an edge in the span.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the step (g) of summing further comprises the steps of: (a) receiving data representative of a translucency of a face in a subpixel area; (b) summing the translucency of the subpixel of the face with the weighted value for the subpixel area to obtain a translucency weighted value.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the step (c) of computing, further comprises the step of computing the distance from the center of a subpixel area to the edge by bilinear interpolation of the distances from the corners of the pixel to the edge.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the step (d) of determining, further comprises the step of determining the subpixel areas assigned to the face as a function of the distance to the edge and slope of the edge.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
155 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the step (c) of computing, further comprises the steps of: (a) inputting the distance from each pixel to the edge, and the edge slope, into a read only memory having address lines for input and memory lines for output; and (b) calculating the perpendicular distance from the corner of each span according to the formula D=LO+LI * I+LJ * J, where: D is the perpendicular distance from a point (I,J) to an edge; LO is an initial predetermined distance from a fixed reference point such as 1= 0 and J= O ; LI is the cosine of the edge slope; and LJ is the sine of the edge slope. and (c) determining the subpixel areas assigned to the face from the distance to the edge and the slope of the edge; (d) outputting the subpixel areas assigned to the face on the memory lines of the read only memory.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of determining the accuracy of a subpixel area assigned to the face by a total area accuracy of at least one-half subpixel area.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of determining the accuracy of a subpixel assigned to the face by a positioned accuracy of at least one subpixel.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the step (e) of computing, further comprises the step of computing a weight for each subpixel equal to the area covered by a face times the color.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of receiving data representative of a translucency of a face in a subpixel area based upon a programatic event, the programatic event representative of smoke, fog and events characteristic of simulated warfare.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step (f) of transferring, further comprises the steps of: (a) receiving data for a pixel, the data including a haze control, an illumination control and a texture control; (b) computing a color contribution for the pixel image data from the data and the previous pixel image data; and (c) transferring the color contribution of the pixel image data to the video display.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 3, wherein the step (d) of calculating, further comprises the step of determining the intersection of the edge of the face with a subsequent span from the distance for each previous span corner to the edge and the slope of the edge.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of determining the intersection of the edge with a subsequent span from look up table data in a memory.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
131 words
The method of claim 17, wherein the memory is a read only memory, further comprising the steps of: (a) inputting into the address lines of a read only memory, data representative of the slope of an edge and the endpoints; (b) calculating the perpendicular distance from the corner of each span according to the formula D=LO+LI * I+LJ * J, where: D is the perpendicular distance from a point (I,J) to an edge; LO is an initial predetermined distance from a fixed reference point such as I=O and J=O; LI is the cosine of the edge slope; and LJ is the sine of the edge slope. and (c) outputting from the data lines of the read only memory, data representative of the subsequent span intersected by an edge of a face.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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