Electronic image processing

Claim 2

Electronic image processing apparatus for manipulating data representing a three dimensional object, characterised by a skin store memory device (1) arranged to store data representing the three dimensional position and colour of surface elements of an object wherein the data for each surface element represents characteristics of a finite elemental area of the surface or skin of an object, and processing means (12, 50, 56; 74, 75) for selectively modifying data for one or more of said surface elements.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised by a two dimensional frame store (15) wherein data representing selected surface elements contribute to one or more locations in the frame store, and said frame store locations are arranged to accumulate contributions supplied thereto.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2 characterised by means (12, 50, 56) for selectively manipulating positional information of said three dimensional surface element data.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 2 characterised by means (74, 75) for selectively manipulating colour information of said three dimensional surface element data.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 3 or claim 4 characterised in that, in response to selective manipuation of said surface element data, modifications are made to locations of said frame store (15) containing contributions from said manipulated surface element data.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 5 characterised in that said frame store is modified by first subtracting previous contributions made to said locations by selected surface element data prior to manipulation and then adding new contributions to said frame store after said manipulation.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 5 characterised by manually operable means for effecting selective manipulation of said surface element data in response to feed-back provided by viewing data read from said framestore.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised by operator controlled means for changing the viewpoint of the object allowing selective viewing and modification of different locations on the surface of the object.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised by means for simulating the effect of illuminating the surface elements from a notional light source.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised in that data for each surface element includes information identifying the location of other surface element data in said memory device.

Claim 12

Electronic image processing apparatus for converting three dimensional image data to two dimensional image data characterised by means (1) for generating three dimensional data representing three coordinate information and colour information, a two dimensional store (15) wherein each location is addressed in response to a first and second of said coordinate information and includes means for storing colour information and the third of said coordinate information, means for reading stored third coordinate information from an addressed one of said locations, means for comparing said stored third coordinate information with third coordinate inforamtion of new three dimensional data and, in response to said comparison either: (a) replacing the stored colour and third coordinate information with the new colour and third coordinate information, (b) retaining the stored information and discarding the new information or (c) blending or averaging the stored information with the new information.

Claim 13

Electronic image processing apparatus for converting three dimensional image data to two dimensional image data characterised by means (1) for generating three dimensional data representing three coordinate information and colour information, a two dimensional store (15) wherein each location is addressed in response to a first and second of said coordinate information and includes means for storing colour information and the third of said coordinate information, means for reading stored third coordinate information from an addressed one of said locations, means for comparing said stored third coordinate information with third coordinate inforamtion of new three dimensional data and, in response to said comparison either: (a) replacing the stored colour and third coordinate information with the new colour and third coordinate information, (b) retaining the stored information and discarding the new information or (c) blending or averaging the stored information with the new information.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said three dimensional data are generated by addressing a second storage means and the three coordinate values stored therein may be adjusted to move the viewpoint thereby adjusting the position of the projected plane defined by the first and second of said stored coordinate information.