Image displaying system for interactively changing the positions of a view vector and a viewpoint in a 3-dimensional space

Claim 2

An image displaying system comprising: a geometric data memory for storing geometric data of a 3-dimensional object in a 3-dimensional coordinate world space; a view vector memory for storing view vector information consisting of viewpoint data which specifies a viewpoint in the world space from which the object can be viewed and viewing direction data which specifies a direction from the viewpoint to a point to be viewed; a screen position inputting means for interactively inputting an object point identifying a 2-dimensional position on a display screen; a viewpoint position computing which computes an intersection of the geometric data read from the geometric memory with a ray originating at an existing viewpoint defined by the viewpoint data read from the view vector memory and passing through a point in the world space corresponding to the object point, so as to store the intersection in the view vector memory as the viewpoint data of a new viewpoint.

Claim 3

An image displaying system comprising: a view vector memory for storing view vector information consisting of viewpoint data which specifies a viewpoint in a 3-dimensional coordinate world space from which a 3-dimensional object can be viewed and viewing direction data which specifies a direction from the viewpoint to a point to be viewed; a screen position inputting for interactively inputting a target point identifying a 2-dimensional position on a display screen; a viewing direction computer which computes 3-dimensional angle data specifying a new direction originating at the viewpoint form the target point inputted from the screen position inputting means, a screen base position indicating a 2-dimensional position on the display screen corresponding to a view reference point, viewpoint data read from the view vector memory, and 3-dimensional angle data indicating the existing viewing direction data read from the view vector memory, so as to store the computed 3-dimensional angle data in the view vector memory as the new viewing direction data.

Claim 4

An image displaying system comprising: a view vector memory for storing view vector information consisting of viewpoint data which specifies a viewpoint in a 3-dimensional coordinate world space from which a 3-dimensional object can be viewed and viewing direction data which specifies a direction from the viewpoint to a point to be viewed; a screen position inputting for interactively inputting a target point identifying a 2-dimensional position on a display screen; a viewing direction computer which computes 3-dimensional angle data specifying a new direction originating at the viewpoint form the target point inputted from the screen position inputting means, a screen base position indicating a 2-dimensional position on the display screen corresponding to a view reference point, viewpoint data read from the view vector memory, and 3-dimensional angle data indicating the existing viewing direction data read from the view vector memory, so as to store the computed 3-dimensional angle data in the view vector memory as the new viewing direction data.

Claim 5

An image displaying system comprising: a geometric data memory for storing geometric data of a 3-dimensional object in a 3-dimensional coordinate world space; a view vector memory for storing view vector information consisting of viewpoint data which specifies a viewpoint in the world space from which the object can be viewed and viewing direction data which specifies a direction from the viewpoint to a point to be viewed; a screen position inputting means for interactively inputting an object point identifying a 2-dimensional position on a display screen and a target point identifying a 2-dimensional position on a display screen; a viewpoint position computer which computes an intersection of the geometric data read from the geometric memory with a ray originating at an existing viewpoint defined by the viewpoint data read from the view vector memory and passing through a point in the world space corresponding to the object point, so as to store the intersection in the view vector memory as the viewpoint data of a new viewpoint; a viewing direction computer which computes 3-dimensional angle data specifying a new direction originating at the viewpoint from the target point inputted from the screen position inputting means, a screen base position indicating a 2-dimensional position on the display screen corresponding to a view reference point, viewpoint data read from the view vector memory, and 3-dimensional angle data indicating the existing viewing direction data read from the view vector memory, so as to store the computed 3-dimensional angle data in the view vector memory as the new viewing direction data.

Claim 6

An image displaying system comprising: a geometric data memory for storing geometric data of a 3-dimensional object in a 3-dimensional coordinate world space; a view vector memory for storing view vector information consisting of viewpoint data which specifies a viewpoint in the world space from which the object can be viewed and viewing direction data which specifies a direction from the viewpoint to a point to be viewed; a screen position inputting means for interactively inputting an object point identifying a 2-dimensional position on a display screen and a target point identifying a 2-dimensional position on a display screen; a viewpoint position computer which computes an intersection of the geometric data read from the geometric memory with a ray originating at an existing viewpoint defined by the viewpoint data read from the view vector memory and passing through a point in the world space corresponding to the object point, so as to store the intersection in the view vector memory as the viewpoint data of a new viewpoint; a viewing direction computer which computes 3-dimensional angle data specifying a new direction originating at the viewpoint from the target point inputted from the screen position inputting means, a screen base position indicating a 2-dimensional position on the display screen corresponding to a view reference point, viewpoint data read from the view vector memory, and 3-dimensional angle data indicating the existing viewing direction data read from the view vector memory, so as to store the computed 3-dimensional angle data in the view vector memory as the new viewing direction data.

Claim 7

An image displaying system comprising: a geometric data memory for storing geometric data of a 3-dimensional object in a 3-dimensional coordinate word space; a view vector memory for storing view vector information consisting of viewpoint data which specifies a viewpoint in the world space from which the object can be viewed and viewing direction data which specifies a direction from the viewpoint to a point to be viewed; a screen position inputting means for interactively inputting an object point identifying a 2-dimensional position on a display screen and a target point identifying a 2-dimensional position on a display screen; an interpolated position computer which generates sampled target points identifying 2-dimensional positions on a display screen by sampling a curve interpolated from the target points inputted from the screen position inputting means; a viewpoint position computer which computes an intersection of the geometric data read from the geometric memory with a ray originating at an existing viewpoint defined by the viewpoint data read from the view vector memory and passing through a point in the world space corresponding to the object point, so as to store the intersection in the view vector memory as the viewpoint data of a new viewpoint; a viewing direction computer which computes 3-dimensional angle data specifying a new direction originating at the viewpoint from a sampled target point computed by the interpolated position computer, a screen base position indicating a 2-dimensional position on the display screen corresponding to a view reference point, viewpoint data read from the view vector memory, and 3-dimensional angle data indicating the existing viewing direction data read from the view vector memory, so as to store the computed 3-dimensional angle data in the view vector memory as the new viewing direction data.

Claim 8

An image displaying system comprising: a geometric data memory for storing geometric data of a 3-dimensional object in a 3-dimensional coordinate word space; a view vector memory for storing view vector information consisting of viewpoint data which specifies a viewpoint in the world space from which the object can be viewed and viewing direction data which specifies a direction from the viewpoint to a point to be viewed; a screen position inputting means for interactively inputting an object point identifying a 2-dimensional position on a display screen and a target point identifying a 2-dimensional position on a display screen; an interpolated position computer which generates sampled target points identifying 2-dimensional positions on a display screen by sampling a curve interpolated from the target points inputted from the screen position inputting means; a viewpoint position computer which computes an intersection of the geometric data read from the geometric memory with a ray originating at an existing viewpoint defined by the viewpoint data read from the view vector memory and passing through a point in the world space corresponding to the object point, so as to store the intersection in the view vector memory as the viewpoint data of a new viewpoint; a viewing direction computer which computes 3-dimensional angle data specifying a new direction originating at the viewpoint from a sampled target point computed by the interpolated position computer, a screen base position indicating a 2-dimensional position on the display screen corresponding to a view reference point, viewpoint data read from the view vector memory, and 3-dimensional angle data indicating the existing viewing direction data read from the view vector memory, so as to store the computed 3-dimensional angle data in the view vector memory as the new viewing direction data.