Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Akira Uesaki

Yoshiyuki Mochizuki

Akio Nishimura

Tadashi Kobayashi

Shigeo Asahara

Toshiki Hijiri

Kazutaka Nishio

Kenji Nishimura

Hitoshi Araki

Makoto Yamakura

Kazu Segawa

Katsunori Orimoto

A curved surface image processing apparatusaccording to the present invention that can render an object at higher speed and in higher quality by performing image processing using NURBS data includes: a data input unitfor receiving NURBS data; a coordinate transformation unitfor performing coordinate transformation on NURBS data; an animation control unitfor controlling animation data of each frame to be rendered; a data transformation unitfor transforming NURBS data into rational Bezier data; a patch division unitfor subdividing a rational Bezier surface patch; a normal determination unitfor calculating normals of control points of a divided surface patch; a perspective transformation unitfor performing perspective transformation on a divided surface patch; and a rendering unitfor rendering a surface patch.

Curved surface image processing apparatus and curved surface image processing method

A subdivision level determination unit () in a curved surface subdivision apparatus () accepts an input of information about control points that define a shape of a curved surface and determines the subdivision level for the surface. Next, it sets, for a subdivision processing operation control unit (), a control table corresponding to the determined subdivision level. The subdivision processing operation control unit () executes the subdivision processing while controlling a work memory unit () and a subdivision processing operation unit () based on the set control table.

Curved surface subdivision apparatus

An animation control unit specifies shape data, hierarchical structure data, a group table, and state information. A character state calculating unit obtains the specified shape data from a shape data storing unit, the hierarchical structure data from a hierarchical structure storing unit, and the group table from a table storing unit. The character state calculating unit also obtains motion data shown in the specified state information from a motion data storing unit and specifies, from the obtained motion data, motion data identified by each group number. In accordance with the obtained hierarchical structure data, the character state calculating unit corrects the shape data by using the specified motion data. A three-dimensional rendering unit renders the corrected shape data to generate an image, and a display unit displays the generated image.

Method and apparatus for computer graphics animation utilizing element groups with associated motions

A three-dimensional (3D) graphic generation apparatus and its generation method according to the present invention generate high quality 3D graphics from two-dimensional (2D) graphics such as characters, without requiring difficult operations. Triangulation is performed using outline data corresponding to a sequence of all points which form an outline of a 2D graphic including a 2D character or the like, and thereafter configurations of the triangles are changed using the outline segments. The generated triangles are judged whether or not they are components of the character, and triangles that have been judged as the components are spatially moved, thereby generating the top surface. Further, side surfaces are generated by connecting corresponding points, thereby generating a 3D graphic.

Apparatus and method for generating 3D graphics

An animation data generation apparatus that supplies a state where a character string can be read in a part of 3D character animation generated based on functions. The apparatus includes an interface unit for setting characters which are used for animation, time allocation between 3D character animations in a moving standstill state, and the type of the animation in the moving state. The apparatus also includes a calculation unit for calculating the number of frames corresponding to animation based on the time allocation, and a generation unit for generating animation data in the standstill state so that 3D characters corresponding to the set characters can be read, and for generating data of the 3D character animation in a moving state so as to link to the data of the animation in the standstill state by using the number of calculated frames and a function corresponding to the set animation.

Growing community of inventors

Takatsuki, Japan

Akira Uesaki