US5594850A — Image simulation method

Claim 1

Independent Claim 167 words

A composite image simulation method performed by a computer system, comprising the following steps performed by the computer system of: gathering computer graphics (CG) image data during creation of a CG image with computer graphics based on a shape model; projecting the shape model on a projection plane for creating a projected image, assigning different mask numbers to different shape model regions of the projected image and at least another region outside the shape model regions, and saving the regions as masks associated with the mask numbers as a mask image, wherein said projecting, assigning, and saving are data transforming conducted automatically in response to said gathering; and cutting only a desired image from the computer graphics image by using the mask image and the mask numbers to obtain a cut image, and as a part of image simulation combining the cut image and another image that is independent of the computer graphics image to obtain the composite image, wherein said cutting and combining are image simulation.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 167 words

A composite image simulation method performed by a computer system, comprising the following steps performed by the computer system of: gathering computer graphics (CG) image data during creation of a CG image with computer graphics based on a shape model; projecting the shape model on a projection plane for creating a projected image, assigning different mask numbers to different shape model regions of the projected image and at least another region outside the shape model regions, and saving the regions as masks associated with the mask numbers as a mask image, wherein said projecting, assigning, and saving are data transforming conducted automatically in response to said gathering; and cutting only a desired image from the computer graphics image by using the mask image and the mask numbers to obtain a cut image, and as a part of image simulation combining the cut image and another image that is independent of the computer graphics image to obtain the composite image, wherein said cutting and combining are image simulation.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 84 words

A composite image simulation method according to claim 1, wherein said data transforming further comprises the steps of classifying the shape model regions and the another region according to transmittance based on surface information of the computer graphics image, creating the mask image by writing different ones of the mask numbers into the regions, and forming tables in memory for describing the transmittance as attribute information of the mask image regions; and said combining including transparency processing on the basis of the attribute information.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 79 words

A composite image simulation method according to claim 2, wherein said creating the mask image removes a transparent portion from a first mask; and said combining including assembling the first mask, not including the transparent portion, with the another image to obtain a temporary combined image, and then assembling the transparent portion with the temporary combined image to obtain the composite image having the another image inside an object of the first mask as seen through the transparent portion.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 68 words

A composite image simulation method according to claim 1, wherein said data transforming includes saving a computer graphics image scale as a scalar quantity correlated to an actual length of a part of the shape model; and wherein said combining includes automatically changing the relative sizes of the cut image and the another image to match the computer graphics image scale to a scale of the another image.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 35 words

A composite image simulation method according to claim 4, wherein said saving a computer graphics image scale includes saving a perspective grid of actual lengths for one of the mask image and the another image.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 41 words

A composite image simulation method according to claim 5, wherein said combining includes changing the size of the cut image as the cut image is moved within the composite image, with such changing being on the basis of the perspective grid.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 74 words

A composite image simulation method according to claim 1, wherein said data transforming further includes dividing a polyhedral in the computer graphics image into surfaces based on the shape model, creating the masks in accordance with the surfaces, and saving the masks and surface normals as attributes of the masks; and said combining including texture mapping the another image to the cut image by geometrical transformation of the another image using the surface normals.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 32 words

A composite image simulation method according to claim 7, said texture mapping including reorienting the another image by geometrical transformation with respect to the surfaces on the basis of the surface normals.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 165 words

A composite simulation method according to claim 1, wherein said data transforming includes the following steps conducted for each pixel of the computer graphics image for producing an intrinsic image: calculating a light source color vector from color of a light source and specular reflectivity of an object of the computer graphics image; calculating a light source color component from the light source color vector and angles among the light source, a surface of the object and an eye position; calculating an object color vector from the light source color and a dispersion reflectivity; calculating an object color component from the object color vector and from the angle between the light source and the surface of the object; defining illumination by light other than light directly from the light source as an ambient color component; creating the intrinsic image from the light source color component, the object color component and the ambient color component; and wherein said data transforming further includes saving the intrinsic image.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 23 words

A composite image simulation method according to claim 9, wherein said calculating a light source color component uses a light source attenuation factor.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 22 words

A composite image simulation method according to claim 9, wherein said calculating an object color component uses a light source attenuation factor.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 29 words

A composite image simulation method according to claim 9, wherein said image simulation further includes thereafter changing the light source color vector to change the light source color component.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 48 words

A composite image simulation method according to claim 9, wherein said data transforming further includes saving the dispersion reflectivity as a value separate from the color components; and said image simulation including changing texture of the object by changing the dispersion reflectivity and recalculating the object color component.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 50 words

A composite image simulation method according to claim 9, wherein said data transforming further includes saving the specular reflectivity as a value separate from the color components; and thereafter said image simulation including changing luster of the object by changing the specular reflectivity and recalculating the light source color component.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 95 words

A composite image simulation method according to claim 1, wherein said data gathering further includes inputting and imaging one data of written character data, pattern outline data and diagram vector data; wherein said data transforming further includes creating the masks by dividing the CG image into the regions according to properties required for image simulation, saving the masks, creating data tables describing attributes of the masks, and saving the data tables; and wherein said combining combines the one data and one of the masks with reference to the data tables to obtain the composite image.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 185 words

An image simulation method performed by a computer, said method including the following data transforming steps conducted simultaneously with a creating of a computer graphics image with computer graphics and based on a shape model in the computer, for producing an intrinsic image and being performed for each pixel of the computer graphics image: calculating a light source color vector from color of a light source and specular reflectivity of an object of the computer graphics image; calculating a light source color component from the light source color vector and angles among the light source, a surface of the object and an eye position; calculating an object color vector from the light source color and a dispersion reflectivity of the object; calculating an object color component from the object color vector and from the angle between the light source and the surface of the object; defining illumination by light other than light directly from the light source as an ambient color component; and separately saving each of the light source color component, the object color component and the ambient color component as the intrinsic image.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 185 words

An image simulation method performed by a computer, said method including the following data transforming steps conducted simultaneously with a creating of a computer graphics image with computer graphics and based on a shape model in the computer, for producing an intrinsic image and being performed for each pixel of the computer graphics image: calculating a light source color vector from color of a light source and specular reflectivity of an object of the computer graphics image; calculating a light source color component from the light source color vector and angles among the light source, a surface of the object and an eye position; calculating an object color vector from the light source color and a dispersion reflectivity of the object; calculating an object color component from the object color vector and from the angle between the light source and the surface of the object; defining illumination by light other than light directly from the light source as an ambient color component; and separately saving each of the light source color component, the object color component and the ambient color component as the intrinsic image.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 28 words

The method of claim 16, further including image simulating conducted after said data transforming and including subsequently changing color of the object by changing the object color vector.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method of claim 16, wherein said calculating the light source color component uses a light source attenuation factor.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 18 words

The method of claim 16, wherein said calculating the object color component uses a light source attenuation factor.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 32 words

The method of claim 16, said data transforming further including image simulating conducted after said data transforming and including thereafter changing the light source color vector to change the light source color.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 20, said data transforming further including saving the dispersion reflectivity as a value separate from the color components; and said image simulating including changing texture of the object by changing the dispersion reflectivity and recalculating the object color component.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 45 words

The method of claim 20, said data transforming further including saving the specular reflectivity as a value separate of the color components; and thereafter said image simulating including changing luster of the object by changing the specular reflectivity and recalculating the light source color component.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 75 words

An image simulation method comprising the steps of: inputting and imaging one data of written character data, pattern outline data and diagram vector data; creating masks by dividing an image into regions according to properties required for image simulation; saving the masks; creating data tables describing attributes of the masks; saving the data tables; and combining the one data and one of the masks with reference to the data tables to obtain a composite image.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 75 words

An image simulation method comprising the steps of: inputting and imaging one data of written character data, pattern outline data and diagram vector data; creating masks by dividing an image into regions according to properties required for image simulation; saving the masks; creating data tables describing attributes of the masks; saving the data tables; and combining the one data and one of the masks with reference to the data tables to obtain a composite image.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 171 words

A composite image simulation method performed by a computer system, comprising the following steps performed by the computer system of: gathering computer graphics (CG) image data during creation of a CG image with computer graphics based on a three-dimensional shape model; projecting the three-dimensional shape model on a projection plane for creating a projected image, assigning different mask numbers to different three-dimensional shape model regions of the projected image and at least another region outside the three-dimensional shape model regions, and saving the regions as masks associated with the mask numbers as a mask image, wherein said projecting, assigning, and saving are data transforming conducted automatically in response to said gathering; and cutting only a desired image from the computer graphics image by using the mask image and the mask numbers to obtain a cut image, and as a part of image simulation combining the cut image and another image that is independent of the computer graphics image to obtain the composite image, wherein said cutting and combining are image simulation.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 171 words

A composite image simulation method performed by a computer system, comprising the following steps performed by the computer system of: gathering computer graphics (CG) image data during creation of a CG image with computer graphics based on a three-dimensional shape model; projecting the three-dimensional shape model on a projection plane for creating a projected image, assigning different mask numbers to different three-dimensional shape model regions of the projected image and at least another region outside the three-dimensional shape model regions, and saving the regions as masks associated with the mask numbers as a mask image, wherein said projecting, assigning, and saving are data transforming conducted automatically in response to said gathering; and cutting only a desired image from the computer graphics image by using the mask image and the mask numbers to obtain a cut image, and as a part of image simulation combining the cut image and another image that is independent of the computer graphics image to obtain the composite image, wherein said cutting and combining are image simulation.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 85 words

A composite image simulation method according to claim 24, wherein said data transforming further comprises the steps of classifying the three-dimensional shape model regions and the another region according to transmittance based on surface information of the computer graphics image, creating the mask image by writing different ones of the mask numbers into the regions, and forming tables in memory for describing the transmittance as attribute information of the mask image regions; and said combining including transparency processing on the basis of the attribute information.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 79 words

A composite image simulation method according to claim 25, wherein said creating the mask image removes a transparent portion from a first mask; and said combining including assembling the first mask, not including the transparent portion, with the another image to obtain a temporary combined image, and then assembling the transparent portion with the temporary combined image to obtain the composite image having the another image inside an object of the first mask as seen through the transparent portion.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 69 words

A composite image simulation method according to claim 24, wherein said data transforming includes saving a computer graphics image scale as a scalar quantity correlated to an actual length of a part of the three-dimensional shape model; and wherein said combining includes automatically changing the relative sizes of the cut image and the another image to match the computer graphics image scale to a scale of the another image.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2000-01-14	2000-07-15	2001-01-14	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2004-01-14	2004-07-15	2005-01-14	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2008-01-14	2008-07-15	2009-01-14	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Image simulation method

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