The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 11, 1999
Filed:
Feb. 27, 1997
Sarah Gibson, Arlington, MA (US);
Joseph Marks, Belmont, MA (US);
Hanspeter Pfister, Somerville, MA (US);
Mitsubishi Electric Information Technology Center America, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
A system generates and arranges images depicting volume data using opacity nd color transfer functions for review and selection by a user. In volume rendering, an opacity and/or color transfer function is applied to three-dimensional scalar field data. The transfer functions have different characteristics represented as input parameters, such as control points of the function. The input parameters are then processed to determine images of the volumes and corresponding output vectors. The output vectors can be pixels in the images, or other characteristics of interest. The input vectors are selected to provide a dispersed set of output vectors. A large number of random input vectors can be generated and then culled to leave a dispersed set of output vectors. Alternatively, a set of randomly generated input vectors of a predetermined size are randomly perturbed, to further disperse the output vectors. The output vectors are displayed so that positions represent distances between the output vectors. The user can then select specific output vectors so that the corresponding animation sequence is displayed.