Image converter for mapping a two-dimensional image onto a three dimensional curved surface created from two-dimensional image data

Claim 1

An image converter for mapping two dimensional image data onto a shape produced by a three-dimensional coordinate system, comprising: input means for inputting first shape data representing a top sectional shape of the shape and second shape data representing a side sectional shape of the shape, the first shape data and the second shape data being plural coordinate data in a two-dimensional coordinate system; store means for storing the first shape data and the second shape data; three-dimensional shape data producing means supplied with the first shape data and the second shape data read out from the store means for calculating three-dimensional shape data representing the shape; and mapping means supplied with the three-dimensional shape data and the two-dimensional image data for mapping the two-dimensional image data onto the shape and producing output data representing the shape on which the two-dimensional image is mapped, wherein the mapping means includes an input image memory for storing the two-dimensional image data; inverse mapping function producing means supplied with the three-dimensional shape data for producing an inverse mapping function; and mapping processing means for reading output and outputting the two-dimensional image data from each address position of the input image memory in accordance with each address position on the shape using the inverse mapping function.