Collision detector utilizing collision contours

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1 further including the steps of determining, prior to generation of said collision contour, a bounding box based on said shape, size and or orientation of said first object, wherein said first object is enclosed by said bounding box, wherein said collision contour is generated based on shape, size and orientation of said bounding box.

Claim 4

The method according to claim 1 further including the steps of: determining, prior to generation of said collision contour, a first bounding box based on said shape, size and orientation of said first object, wherein said first object is enclosed by said first bounding box; determining, prior to generation of said collision contour, a second bounding box based on said shape, size and orientation of said second object, wherein said second object is enclosed by said second bounding box; and wherein said collision contour is generated based on shape, size, orientation, and a velocity outline of each bounding box of said first bounding box and said second bounding box.

Claim 5

The method according to claim 3 further including the steps of: determining a first velocity outline based on said shape, size and orientation of said first object, and on a first velocity vector representing a direction and a distance by which said first object has moved during a period of time; and determining a second velocity outline based on said shape, size and orientation of said second object, and on a second velocity vector representing a direction and a distance by which said second object has moved during a period of time.

Claim 6

The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of generating said collision contour includes the step of generating a set of vertices representing endpoints of an outline surrounding said first object and dependent upon said shape, size and orientation of said first object, and said shape, size and orientation of said second object.

Claim 7

The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of determining whether said centerpoint of said second object is included in said collision contour is accomplished by using a Cyrus-Beck algorithm.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 wherein said collision contour is defined by a trace of said centerpoint of said second object as said second object is moved around the perimeter of said first object in a manner wherein an edge of said second object is coincident to, but does not overlap an edge of said first object.

Claim 9

The method according to claim 1 wherein said collision contour is generated based on shape, size, orientation, and a velocity outline of each object of said first object and said second object; and further including the steps of: determining a first velocity outline based on said shape, size and orientation of said first object, and on a first velocity vector representing a direction and a distance by which said first object has moved during a period of time; and determining a second velocity outline based on said shape, size and orientation of said second object, and on a second velocity vector representing a direction and a distance by which said second object has moved during a period of time.

Claim 10

The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of generating said collision contour for said particular time includes generating said collision contour for a time at which said first object is moving.

Claim 11

The method according to claim 9 wherein said step of generating said collision contour for said particular time includes generating said collision contour for a time at which said first object is moving and said second object is moving.

Claim 12

In a computer system, an apparatus for displaying a collision between a first object and a second object, wherein at least one of said first object and said second object is non-circular, the apparatus comprising: a memory having stored therein characteristics of said first object and said second object, said characteristics indicating a shape, size and orientation of said first object and a shape, size and orientation of said second object; a processing unit coupled to said memory for generating a collision contour for a particular time, for said first object and for determining a centerpoint of said second object for said particular time, wherein said processing unit generates said collision contour based on said shape, size and orientation of said first object and said shape, size and orientation of said second object; a circuit for determining whether said centerpoint of said second object for said particular time is included within said collision contour for said particular time, inclusion of said centerpoint in said collision contour indicating said first object is in a state of collision with said second object and exclusion of said centerpoint in said second object indicating said first object is not in a state of collision with said second object; and a graphics display device coupled to said processing unit for displaying whether said first object is in a state of collision with said second object.

Claim 13

In a computer system, an apparatus for displaying a collision between a first object and a second object, wherein at least one of said first object and said second object is non-circular, the apparatus comprising: a memory having stored therein characteristics of said first object and said second object, said characteristics indicating a shape, size and orientation of said first object and a shape, size and orientation of said second object; a processing unit coupled to said memory for generating a collision contour for a particular time, for said first object and for determining a centerpoint of said second object for said particular time, wherein said processing unit generates said collision contour based on said shape, size and orientation of said first object and said shape, size and orientation of said second object; a circuit for determining whether said centerpoint of said second object for said particular time is included within said collision contour for said particular time, inclusion of said centerpoint in said collision contour indicating said first object is in a state of collision with said second object and exclusion of said centerpoint in said second object indicating said first object is not in a state of collision with said second object; and a graphics display device coupled to said processing unit for displaying whether said first object is in a state of collision with said second object.

Claim 14

The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said first object is enclosed by a bounding box based on said shape, size and orientation of said first object; wherein said collision contour is generated based on shape, size and orientation of said bounding box.

Claim 15

The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said characteristics include shape, size, orientation, and a first velocity outline for said first object and shape, size, orientation, and a second velocity outline for said second object; and wherein said collision contour is generated based on shape, size, orientation and a velocity outline for each of said first object and said second object.

Claim 16

The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said first velocity outline is based on said shape, size and orientation of said first object, and on a first velocity vector representing a direction and a distance by which said first object has moved during a period of time and said second velocity outline is based on said shape, size and orientation of said second object, and on a second velocity vector representing a direction and a distance by which said second object has moved during a period of time.

Claim 17

The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said collision contour includes a set of vertices representing endpoints of an outline surrounding said first object and dependent upon said shape, size arid orientation of said first object and said shape, size and orientation of said second object.

Claim 18

The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said first object is a moving object.

Claim 21

The method according to claim 17 wherein said first object is enclosed by a bounding box based on said shape, size and orientation of said first object; wherein said collision contour is generated based on shape, size and orientation of said bounding box.

Claim 22

In a computer system, an apparatus for adjusting positions between a first object and a second object so that said first object and said second object do not overlap when displayed, wherein at least one of said first object and said second object is non-circular, comprising: a memory having stored therein characteristics of said first object and said second object, said characteristics indicating a shape, size and orientation of said first object and a shape, size and orientation of said second object; a processing unit coupled to said memory for generating a collision contour for a particular time for said first object and for determining a centerpoint of said second object for said particular time, said processing unit generating said collision contour based on said shape, size and orientation of said first object and said shape, size and orientation of said second object; a circuit for determining whether said centerpoint of said second object for said particular time, is included within said collision contour for said particular time, inclusion of said centerpoint in said collision contour indicating said first object is in a state of collision with said second object and exclusion of said centerpoint in said second object indicating said first object is not in a state of collision with said second object; an adjustment means for positioning said first object and said second object if said first object and said second object are in a state of collision according to said circuit, so that said centerpoint of said second object is not included in said collision contour; and a graphics display device coupled to said processing unit for displaying said first object and said second object.

Claim 23

In a computer system, an apparatus for adjusting positions between a first object and a second object so that said first object and said second object do not overlap when displayed, wherein at least one of said first object and said second object is non-circular, comprising: a memory having stored therein characteristics of said first object and said second object, said characteristics indicating a shape, size and orientation of said first object and a shape, size and orientation of said second object; a processing unit coupled to said memory for generating a collision contour for a particular time for said first object and for determining a centerpoint of said second object for said particular time, said processing unit generating said collision contour based on said shape, size and orientation of said first object and said shape, size and orientation of said second object; a circuit for determining whether said centerpoint of said second object for said particular time, is included within said collision contour for said particular time, inclusion of said centerpoint in said collision contour indicating said first object is in a state of collision with said second object and exclusion of said centerpoint in said second object indicating said first object is not in a state of collision with said second object; an adjustment means for positioning said first object and said second object if said first object and said second object are in a state of collision according to said circuit, so that said centerpoint of said second object is not included in said collision contour; and a graphics display device coupled to said processing unit for displaying said first object and said second object.

Claim 24

The apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said first object is enclosed by a first bounding box based on said shape, size and orientation of said first object, and said second object is enclosed by a second bounding box based on said shape, size and orientation of said second object, wherein said collision contour is generated based on shape, size and orientation of each of said first bounding box arid said second bounding box.