Apparatus and method for real-time volume processing and universal 3D rendering
US6674430B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 16, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jan 6, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 16, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T15/08
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus and method for real-time volume processing and universal three-dimensional rendering. The apparatus includes a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) memory units; at least one pixel bus for providing global horizontal communication; a plurality of rendering pipelines; at least one geometry bus; and a control unit. The plurality of rendering pipelines each preferably include hardware for interpolation, shading, FIFO buffering, communication and table lookups. The apparatus of the present invention may be coupled to a geometry pipeline for mixing surfaces, images and volumes together in a single image. A method for performing volumetric ray casting of a 3D volume includes the steps of calculating a distance along a major projection axis from a predefined viewpoint; dividing the volume into a plurality of consecutive regions having exponentially increasing bounds; casting a plurality of rays from the viewpoint through the volume; either merging two or more rays or splitting one or more rays at the region boundaries; and repeating the ray casting and merging/splitting steps until the entire volume has been processed. The apparatus and methods of the present invention achieve…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.