Method and apparatus for producing an image through operation of plotting commands on image data

Claim 2

An image processing apparatus for producing an image from three-dimensional image data, comprising: a system bus; a memory coupled to said system bus for storing compressed data, decompressed data generated from said compressed data and said three-dimensional data; a command generator coupled to said system bus for generating one or more plotting commands based upon two-dimensional data which has been derived from said three-dimensional data; a coordinate calculator, not coupled to said system bus, operable as a coprocessor of said command generator and used to transform said three-dimensional data into said two-dimensional data; a data expander coupled to said system bus for receiving said compressed data and for expanding said compressed data to generate said decompressed data; and a synthesizing circuit coupled to said system bus for producing said image based on said one or more plotting commands and said decompressed data, wherein said compressed data is transferred to said data expander via said system bus without passing through said command generator, and wherein said decompressed data is passed from said data expander to said memory without passing through said command generator.

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a frame memory for storing said image for purposes of display.

Claim 4

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image includes an object and said coordinate calculator updates said coordinate transformation in response to movement of said object within said image.

Claim 5

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said command generator is a central processing unit.

Claim 6

An image processing method for producing an image from three-dimensional image data, comprising the steps of: providing a system bus; storing said three-dimensional data and compressed data in a memory coupled to said system bus; generating one or more plotting commands using a command generator that is coupled to said system bus, said one or more plotting commands being based upon two-dimensional data which has been derived from said stored three-dimensional data; transforming said three-dimensional data into said two-dimensional data using a coordinate calculator, wherein said coordinate calculator is not coupled to said system bus and operates as a coprocessor of said command generator; passing said compressed data from said memory to a data expander via said system bus; expanding said compressed data to generate decompressed data; storing said decompressed data in said memory; and producing said image based on said one or more plotting commands and said decompressed data, wherein said compressed data is transferred to said data expander via said system bus without passing through said command generator, and wherein said decompressed data is passed from said data expander to said memory without passing through said command generator.

Claim 7

An image processing method for producing an image from three-dimensional image data, comprising the steps of: providing a system bus; storing said three-dimensional data and compressed data in a memory coupled to said system bus; generating one or more plotting commands using a command generator that is coupled to said system bus, said one or more plotting commands being based upon two-dimensional data which has been derived from said stored three-dimensional data; transforming said three-dimensional data into said two-dimensional data using a coordinate calculator, wherein said coordinate calculator is not coupled to said system bus and operates as a coprocessor of said command generator; passing said compressed data from said memory to a data expander via said system bus; expanding said compressed data to generate decompressed data; storing said decompressed data in said memory; and producing said image based on said one or more plotting commands and said decompressed data, wherein said compressed data is transferred to said data expander via said system bus without passing through said command generator, and wherein said decompressed data is passed from said data expander to said memory without passing through said command generator.

Claim 8

The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of storing said image in a frame memory for purposes of displaying said image.

Claim 9

The method according to claim 5, wherein said image includes an object and said one or more plotting commands are updated in response to movement of said object within said image.

Claim 10

The method according to claim 5, wherein said command generator is a central processing unit.

Claim 11

The method of claim 5, wherein the step of generating one or more plotting commands is performed in parallel with the steps of passing said compressed data from said memory to a data expander and storing said decompressed data in said memory.

Claim 12

An image processing method for producing an image from three-dimensional image data, comprising the steps of: providing a system bus; storing said three-dimensional data in a memory coupled to said system bus; generating one or more plotting commands using a command generator that is coupled to said system bus, said one or more plotting commands being based upon two-dimensional data which has been derived from said stored three-dimensional data; transforming said three-dimensional data into said two-dimensional data using a coordinate calculator, wherein said coordinate calculator is not coupled to said system bus and operates as a coprocessor of said command generator; storing said plotting commands in said memory; transferring said plotting commands from said memory to a plotter via the system bus without passing the plotting commands through the command generator; and producing said image by means of said plotter based on said plotting commands.

Claim 13

An image processing method for producing an image from three-dimensional image data, comprising the steps of: providing a system bus; storing said three-dimensional data in a memory coupled to said system bus; generating one or more plotting commands using a command generator that is coupled to said system bus, said one or more plotting commands being based upon two-dimensional data which has been derived from said stored three-dimensional data; transforming said three-dimensional data into said two-dimensional data using a coordinate calculator, wherein said coordinate calculator is not coupled to said system bus and operates as a coprocessor of said command generator; storing said plotting commands in said memory; transferring said plotting commands from said memory to a plotter via the system bus without passing the plotting commands through the command generator; and producing said image by means of said plotter based on said plotting commands.

Claim 14

The method of claim 10, wherein the step of transferring said plotting commands comprises transferring a first plotting command from the memory to said plotter; and further comprising the step of producing a second plotting command with the use of the command generator in parallel with the step of transferring the first plotting command.

Claim 15

An image processing apparatus for producing an image from three-dimensional image data, comprising: a system bus; a memory coupled to said system bus having a first area for storing said three-dimensional data and a second area for storing compressed image generation data; a command generator coupled to said system bus for generating one or more plotting commands based upon two-dimensional data which has been derived from said three-dimensional data, said command generator being operative to restrict access to the system bus during restricted access time intervals, the system bus being released to permit access thereto during release time intervals; a coordinate calculator, not coupled to said system bus, operable as a coprocessor of said command generator and used to transform said three-dimensional data into said two-dimensional data; an image expander coupled to the system bus and operative to decompress the compressed image generation data; a data transfer apparatus coupled to the system bus and operative to transfer the compressed image generation data from the memory to the image expander and to transfer decompressed image generation data from the image expander to the memory during at least some of the release time intervals without passing the compressed image generation data or the decompressed image generation data through the commander generator; the memory being operative to store the decompressed image generation data from the image expander in a third memory area; and a synthesizing circuit coupled to said system bus for receiving the decompressed image generation data from the memory and operative to produce said image from said decompressed image generation data and said plotting commands.

Claim 16

An image processing apparatus for producing an image from three-dimensional image data, comprising: a system bus; a memory coupled to said system bus having a first area for storing said three-dimensional data and a second area for storing compressed image generation data; a command generator coupled to said system bus for generating one or more plotting commands based upon two-dimensional data which has been derived from said three-dimensional data, said command generator being operative to restrict access to the system bus during restricted access time intervals, the system bus being released to permit access thereto during release time intervals; a coordinate calculator, not coupled to said system bus, operable as a coprocessor of said command generator and used to transform said three-dimensional data into said two-dimensional data; an image expander coupled to the system bus and operative to decompress the compressed image generation data; a data transfer apparatus coupled to the system bus and operative to transfer the compressed image generation data from the memory to the image expander and to transfer decompressed image generation data from the image expander to the memory during at least some of the release time intervals without passing the compressed image generation data or the decompressed image generation data through the commander generator; the memory being operative to store the decompressed image generation data from the image expander in a third memory area; and a synthesizing circuit coupled to said system bus for receiving the decompressed image generation data from the memory and operative to produce said image from said decompressed image generation data and said plotting commands.

Claim 17

An image processing apparatus for producing an image from three-dimensional image data, comprising: a system bus; a memory coupled to said system bus having a first area for storing one or more plotting commands; a command generator coupled to said system bus for generating said plotting commands based upon two-dimensional data which has been derived from said three-dimensional data, said command generator being operative to restrict access to the system bus during restricted access time intervals, the system bus being released to permit access thereto during release time intervals; a coordinate calculator, not coupled to said system bus, operable as a coprocessor of said command generator and used to transform said three-dimensional data into said two-dimensional data; a synthesizing circuit coupled to said system bus for producing said image from said plotting commands; and a data transfer apparatus coupled to the system bus and operative to transfer the plotting commands from the memory to the synthesizing circuit during at least some of the release time intervals without passing the plotting commands through the command generator.

Claim 18

An image processing apparatus for producing an image from three-dimensional image data, comprising: a system bus; a memory coupled to said system bus having a first area for storing one or more plotting commands; a command generator coupled to said system bus for generating said plotting commands based upon two-dimensional data which has been derived from said three-dimensional data, said command generator being operative to restrict access to the system bus during restricted access time intervals, the system bus being released to permit access thereto during release time intervals; a coordinate calculator, not coupled to said system bus, operable as a coprocessor of said command generator and used to transform said three-dimensional data into said two-dimensional data; a synthesizing circuit coupled to said system bus for producing said image from said plotting commands; and a data transfer apparatus coupled to the system bus and operative to transfer the plotting commands from the memory to the synthesizing circuit during at least some of the release time intervals without passing the plotting commands through the command generator.

Claim 19

The image data generating apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a system input coupled with the system bus for receiving command data representing a modification of an image, the command generator being operative in response to the received command data to modify one or more of the plotting commands such that the synthesizing circuit is operative to produce a modified image.

Claim 20

The image data generating apparatus of claim 14, wherein the command generator is operative to modify individual plotting commands in response to the received command data by assigning an address to each of the individual plotting commands indicating a next plotting command to be carried out.

Claim 21

The image data generating apparatus of claim 15, wherein the command generator is operative to transfer the plotting commands from the memory to the synthesizing circuit in an order determined by the addresses included therewith.

Claim 22

The image data generating apparatus of claim 16, wherein the data transfer apparatus is operative to transfer the plotting commands from the memory to the synthesizing circuit according to the addresses included therewith.

Claim 23

The image data generating apparatus of claim 13, wherein, the plotting commands each include an address of a next one thereof to be carried out.

Claim 24

A game playing apparatus, wherein images are produced from three-dimensional image data, comprising: a system bus; a main memory coupled to said system bus having a first area for storing one or more plotting commands; a command generator coupled to said system bus for generating said plotting commands based upon two-dimensional data which has been derived from said three-dimensional data, said command generator being operative to restrict access to the system bus during restricted access time intervals, the system bus being released to permit access thereto during release time intervals; a coordinate calculator, not coupled to said system bus, operable as a coprocessor of said command generator and used to transform said three-dimensional data into said two-dimensional data; a game user input device including means for coupling to the system bus and operative to receive game operation command data in response to game operation commands from a user and to supply the game operation commands to the system bus; a synthesizing circuit coupled to said system bus for using said plotting commands to producing image data representing a game image; the command generator being operative to modify the plotting commands in response to the game operation command data; a data transfer apparatus coupled to the system bus and operative to transfer the plotting commands from the main memory to the synthesizing circuit during at least some of the release time intervals without passing the plotting commands through the command generator; frame memory means for storing the image data produced by the synthesizing circuit; and means for supplying the image data from the frame memory means to produce the game image by means of a display device.

Claim 25

A game playing apparatus, wherein images are produced from three-dimensional image data, comprising: a system bus; a main memory coupled to said system bus having a first area for storing one or more plotting commands; a command generator coupled to said system bus for generating said plotting commands based upon two-dimensional data which has been derived from said three-dimensional data, said command generator being operative to restrict access to the system bus during restricted access time intervals, the system bus being released to permit access thereto during release time intervals; a coordinate calculator, not coupled to said system bus, operable as a coprocessor of said command generator and used to transform said three-dimensional data into said two-dimensional data; a game user input device including means for coupling to the system bus and operative to receive game operation command data in response to game operation commands from a user and to supply the game operation commands to the system bus; a synthesizing circuit coupled to said system bus for using said plotting commands to producing image data representing a game image; the command generator being operative to modify the plotting commands in response to the game operation command data; a data transfer apparatus coupled to the system bus and operative to transfer the plotting commands from the main memory to the synthesizing circuit during at least some of the release time intervals without passing the plotting commands through the command generator; frame memory means for storing the image data produced by the synthesizing circuit; and means for supplying the image data from the frame memory means to produce the game image by means of a display device.