Illumination and shadow simulation in a computer graphics/imaging system
US6018350A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 29, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jan 25, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 29, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T15/506
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The total illumination of each pixel to be displayed by a real-time computer image generator, is determined for at least one source illuminating a scene to be displayed, by storing in an observer depth buffer data signals representing those portions of object polygons visible to the observer in each pixel of the display, and storing in a source depth buffer, associated with each of the at least one scene-illuminating light sources, data signals representing illumination intensity received by each polygon pixel viewable from that associated source. A data signal, for each displayable pixel in the observer depth buffer, is generated by combining in non-saturating manner the illumination intensity of each light source impingent upon the equivalent pixel in all of the associated source depth buffers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.