Patent · US Expired

3D shape generation apparatus

US6515658B1 · kind B1 · utility

8Cited by
3References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 20, 2000
Grant dateFeb 4, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 20, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06T17/00
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A 3D shape generation apparatus is provided, which restores and generates 3D shapes with high precision and high efficiency, even when the shape is complex and has many feature points. If necessary, a captured image input portion for inputting a captured image, a feature point derivation portion for deriving feature points, and a visibility information derivation portion for deriving visibility information that indicates which feature points are visible from which capturing viewpoint precede an input portion. A feature point placement portion places 3D feature points in a virtual space. A visible face assigning portion assigns faces to the 3D feature points. Based on the visibility information, virtual lines are drawn between the feature points and the capturing viewpoints, and faces that intersect with the lines are eliminated because they should not be present, thereby attaining an approximate 3D shape. Instead of assigning visible faces, it is also possible to generate an initial shape by combining a convex hull of the 3D feature points or basic solid blocks, and eliminate unnecessary portions covering, for example, dent portions, using the visibility information.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.