Patent US4650368A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0550244A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0550244A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Avoiding oscillation in interactive animation
Assignee: Xerox Corp
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Filing: 1992-12-22
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-12-22
Abstract
Abstract Interactive animation is performed in cycles, between which detail control data is communicated so that oscillation of detail can be avoided by maintaining detail. A cycle obtains data (100) indicating the speed with which it renders an image and stores detail control data (102) that depends on the rendering speed. The detail control data indicates a level of detail (104,106,108) at which an image is presented in a following cycle. The level of detail can be used in rendering the image by producing data defining the image from data defining a scene. The data defining the scene can include level defining data indicating a rendering at each of a set of levels. The detail control data also includes maintenance information for use in determining whether to maintain detail. In one approach, the maintenance information indicates whether a level of detail is being maintained and a hold speed; the current rendering speed is compared with the hold speed and with a threshold speed in deciding whether to maintain detail. In another approach, the maintenance information also indicates a level of detail being maintained, so that if the current cycle has the same level of detail and rendering speed, the level and speed are continued. in this approach, the level of detail and rendering speed can be values on a detail/speed scale to permit direct comparison, and decisions about increasing and decreasing detail can be based on the relation between detail and speed, with the objective of providing a level of detail at which the designer's preferred rendering speed can be achieved.
Inventors
- 👤 Jock P. Mackinlay
- 👤 George G. Robertson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 20:50
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T13/00; G06T2210/00; G06T2210/36
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
283 words
A method of operating a system that includes: a display; memory; the memory storing scenes data defining a set of scenes; and a processor connected for accessing the scenes data in the memory and also connected for controlling the display to present images; the method comprising a sequence of rendering steps, each rendering step comprising substeps of: using the scenes data to produce respective image defining data defining a respective image; controlling the display to present the respective image as defined by the respective image defining data; obtaining respective rendering speed data indicating a speed with which the substep of using the scenes data is performed; and using the respective rendering speed data to obtain respective detail control data for use in controlling image detail; the method further comprising a plurality of communicating steps, each communicating step communicating data between a respective preceding one of the rendering steps and a respective following one of the rendering steps; each communicating step comprising a substep of storing the respective detail control data of its preceding rendering step in the memory for access during its following rendering step; each preceding rendering step's detail control data including respective detail information indicating detail with which to present an image and respective maintenance information that the processor can use to determine whether to maintain presentation of images with the indicated detail; the respective following step's substep of using the scenes data comprising a substep of using the preceding rendering step's detail information in producing the respective image defining data; the respective following step's substep of using the respective rendering speed data comprising a substep of using the preceding rendering step's maintenance information in obtaining the respective detail control data.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 1 in which the scenes data include, for each of the scenes, level defining data indicating, for each of a set of levels of detail, a respective rendering of the scene; each communicating step's detail information including respective level identifying data identifying one of the levels of detail.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
85 words
The method of claim 2 in which the sequence of rendering steps comprises first and second consecutive rendering steps and the plurality of communicating steps comprises a first-to-second communicating step that communicates the first rendering step's detail control data to the second rendering step; the second rendering step's substep of using the preceding rendering step's maintenance information obtaining the second rendering step's detail control data so that the first rendering step's level identifying data are the same as the second rendering step's level identifying data.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
121 words
The method of claim 1 in which each preceding rendering step further comprises substeps of: obtaining action data indicating whether a previous rendering step reduced detail; using the action data and the rendering speed data to determine whether the previous rendering step reduced detail and whether the rendering speed is slower than a threshold speed; and when the substep of using the action data and the rendering speed data determines that the previous rendering step reduced detail and the rendering speed is not slower than the threshold speed, producing the respective detail control data so that its detail information indicates the detail with which the preceding rendering step's image is presented and so that its maintenance information indicates the rendering speed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
174 words
The method of claim 4 in which the action data further indicates whether the previous rendering step maintained detail; each preceding rendering step further comprising substeps of: obtaining hold speed data indicating a hold speed; and when the substep of using the action data and the rendering speed data determines that the previous rendering step did not reduce detail or that the rendering speed is slower than the threshold speed, using the action data, the hold speed data, and the rendering speed data to determine whether the previous rendering step maintained detail and whether the rendering speed is approximately equal to the hold speed; when the substep of using the action data, the hold speed data, and the rendering speed data determines that the previous rendering step maintained detail and that the rendering speed is approximately equal to the hold speed, producing the respective detail control data so that its detail information indicates the detail with which the preceding rendering step's image is presented and so that its maintenance information indicates the rendering speed.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
187 words
The method of claim 1 in which each preceding rendering step further comprises substeps of: obtaining detail data indicating detail with which the preceding rendering step's image is presented; obtaining first hold data indicating detail with which a first previous image was presented and a first previous rendering speed at which the scenes data were used to produce data defining the first previous image; using the detail data, the first hold data, and the rendering speed data to determine whether the detail with which the preceding rendering step's image is presented is the same as the detail with which the first previous image was presented and whether the first previous rendering speed is approximately the same as the rendering speed; and when the substep of using the detail data, the first hold data, and the rendering speed data determines that the detail is the same and the speeds are approximately the same, producing the respective detail control data so that its detail information indicates the detail with which the preceding rendering step's image is presented and so that its maintenance information indicates that the detail is maintained.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
111 words
The method of claim 6 in which the rendering speed data and the detail data indicate the rendering speed and the detail with which the preceding rendering step's image is presented on a detail/speed scale; each preceding rendering step further comprising, when the substep of using the detail data, the first hold data, and the rendering speed data determines that the detail is not the same or that the speeds are not approximately the same, a substep of using the rendering speed data and the detail data to determine the relation between the rendering speed and the detail with which the preceding rendering step's image is presented along the detail/speed scale.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
253 words
A machine comprising: a display; memory; the memory storing scenes data defining a set of scenes, instruction data indicating a plurality of instructions, and detail control data; the detail control data including detail information indicating detail with which to present an image on the display and maintenance information for use in determining whether to maintain presentation of images with the indicated detail; and a processor connected for accessing the scenes data, the instruction data, and the detail control data in the memory and also connected for controlling the display to present images; the instruction data comprising: rendering instruction data indicating rendering instructions that the processor executes to perform operations that use the scenes data to produce image defining data defining an image, that control the display to present the image as defined by the image defining data, and that obtain rendering speed data indicating a speed with which the image defining data is produced; and detail control instruction data indicating detail control instructions that the processor executes to perform operations that access the detail control data to obtain detail data indicating detail with which to present an image, to obtain maintenance data indicating whether to maintain presentation of images with the indicated detail, and to use the rendering speed data to update the detail control data so that the detail information indicates detail with which to present a subsequent image and the maintenance information can be used in determining whether to maintain presentation of images with the detail indicated after the subsequent image.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
The machine of claim 8, further comprising a user input device for obtaining user input data indicating signals from a user; the processor being connected for receiving the user input data; the instruction data further comprising input receiving instruction data indicating input receiving instructions that the processor executes to perform operations that use the user input data.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
The machine of claim 8 in which the scenes data comprise level defining data indicating, for a scene, a respective rendering at each of a set of levels of detail; the detail information including a level data item for indicating one of the set of levels of detail.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
295 words
An article of manufacture for use in a system that includes: a display; a memory; a processor connected for accessing the memory and connected for controlling the display to present images; and detail control data stored by the memory; the detail control data including detail information indicating detail with which to present an image on the display and maintenance information for use in determining whether to maintain presentation of images with the indicated detail; the article comprising: a data storage medium; scenes data stored by the data storage medium and accessed by the processor when the article is used; the scenes data defining a set of scenes; and instruction data stored by the data storage medium and accessed by the processor when the article is used; the instruction data indicating a plurality of instructions; the instruction data comprising: rendering instruction data indicating rendering instructions that the processor executes to perform operations that use the scenes data to produce image defining data defining an image, that control the display to present the image as defined by the image defining data, and that obtain rendering speed data indicating a speed with which the image defining data is produced; and detail control instruction data indicating detail control instructions that the processor executes to perform operations that access the detail control data to obtain detail data indicating detail with which to present an image, to obtain maintenance data indicating whether to maintain presentation of images with the indicated detail, and to use the rendering speed data to update the detail control data so that the detail information indicates detail with which to present a subsequent image and the maintenance information can be used in determining whether to maintain presentation of images with the detail indicated after the subsequent image.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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