Point-based rendering apparatus, method and medium

Abstract

A point-based rendering apparatus, method and medium. The point-based rendering apparatus includes a projector to project a point model and to generate a plurality of rendered points, a radius calculator to calculate a radius, corresponding to a predetermined resolution of each of the rendered points, and a splat generator to generate at least one of a hemispherical and a spherical splat having the radius of each of the rendered points.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawings will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of necessary fee. These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B explain problems related to a conventional point-based rendering algorithm;

FIG. 2 illustrates a point-based rendering apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 explains the operation of a resolution selector illustrated in FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 explains the operation of a depth calculator illustrated in FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5A and 5B explain the operation of a splatter illustrated in FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 6A and 6B explain a spherical splat and a hemispherical splat that may be realized according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the splatter illustrated in FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C explain templates, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 explains the operation of a splat update unit illustrated in FIG. 7, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a point-based rendering method, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of Operation 1040 illustrated in FIG. 10, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 12A, 12B, and 12C explain the effect of the point-based rendering apparatus, method and medium, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 13A and 13B explain an effect of the point-based rendering apparatus, method and medium, according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 explain an effect of the point-based rendering apparatus, method and medium, according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 explain an effect of the point-based rendering apparatus, method and medium, according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 explain an effect of the point-based rendering apparatus, method and medium, according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 17A, 17B, and 17C explain an effect of the point-based rendering apparatus, method and medium, according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A point-based rendering apparatus comprising: a projector to generate a plurality of rendered points by projecting a point model;a radius calculator to calculate a radius corresponding to a predetermined resolution of each of the rendered points; anda splat generator to generate a hemi-spherical or spherical splat having the radius of each of the rendered points.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a splat update unit updating the splat by removing an overlapping part of another splat from the splat.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the splat generator comprises: a template storing unit storing templates at an address corresponding to a radius;a template browser browsing templates having the address corresponding to the radius calculated by the radius calculator from the templates stored in the template storing unit; anda template allocation unit outputting the browsed template as the splat.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a depth calculator calculating a depth of each image point comprising the point model, wherein the radius calculator calculates the radius corresponding to a predetermined resolution according to a depth.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the radius calculator calculates the radius corresponding to a predetermined resolution according to point of view and a depth.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the radius calculator calculates the radius to be inversely proportional to the predetermined resolution of each rendered point.

7. A point-based rendering apparatus comprising: a projector to generate a plurality of rendered points by projecting a point model;a radius calculator to calculate a volume, corresponding to a predetermined resolution, of each of the rendered points; anda splat generator to generate a three-dimensional splat having the calculated volume of each rendered point.

8. A point-based rendering method comprising: generating a plurality of rendered points by projecting a point model;calculating a radius, corresponding to a predetermined resolution; andgenerating a hemispherical or spherical splat having the calculated radius,wherein the calculating and the generating are performed for each of the rendered points.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising updating the splat by removing an overlapping part of another splat from the splat.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the updating comprises: determining whether a first pixel of a first splat and a second pixel of a second splat are displayed on an area;if it is determined that the first pixel of the first splat and the second pixel of the second splat are displayed on the area, determining whether a depth of the first pixel of the first splat is bigger than that of the second pixel of the second splat; andif it is determined that the depth of the first pixel of the first splat is bigger than that of the second pixel of the second splat, removing information on the first pixel of the first splat.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the generating comprises: browsing a template corresponding to the calculated radius from previously prepared templates; andusing the browsed template as the splat.

12. A point-based rendering apparatus comprising: generating a plurality of rendered points by projecting a point model;calculating a volume, corresponding to a predetermined resolution; andgenerating a three-dimensional splat having the calculated volume,wherein the calculating and the generating are performed for each of the rendered points.

13. A computer readable recording medium having embodied thereon a computer program for executing a point-based rendering method, the method comprising: generating a plurality of rendered points by projecting a point model;calculating a radius, corresponding to a predetermined resolution; andgenerating a hemispherical or spherical splat having the calculated radius,wherein the calculating and the generating are performed for each of the rendered points.