Multiple-level occulting using a mask buffer
US5619627A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 3, 1994 |
| Grant date | Apr 8, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 3, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T15/40
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Occulting apparatus for use with an image generator that provides for multiple-level occulting of image data. The occulting apparatus comprises a mask buffer and control logic for processing image data to construct and store an obscurance mask in the mask buffer. Foreground entities contained in the image data are logically ORed into the mask buffer until the entities extend beyond a predefined range from a predetermined image viewpoint. Thereafter, the mask is used by the control logic to reject entities contained in subsequently processed image data that are fully obscured by the foreground entities comprising the obscurance mask. The control logic includes an obscurance manager, a region processor, an object processor, a polygon processor, and insertion logic. The obscurance manager is a controller for building and applying the obscurance mask to the image data. The region, object, and polygon processors respectively process regions, objects, and polygons in the image to determine if they are obscured, reject obscured entities, and transmits unobscured entities to subsequent processors. The insertion logic processes unobscured polygons and applies them to the obscurance manager …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.