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`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`REQUEST FOR FILING A PROVISIONAL APPLICATION FOR PATENT
`
`UNDER 37 CFR §1.53 (c)
`
` Levanon
` 21 Bar Ilan St., Raanana, Israel
`
`
`INVENTO R(S)
`
`I 3 Nachal Besor St., Ramat Hasharn, Israel
`
`I Lavi
`
`a
`
`IIII
`
`llIlI/
`
`IIIIIIIIIII
`Illllll27/0
`IIIIIIIlIIII
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`TITLE OF THE INVENTION
`
`OPTIMIZATION OF IMAGE PARCEL DOWNLOAD SEQUENCE FOR
`FAST QUALITY BUILD-UP OF IMAGE DATA STREAMED OVER LIMITED
`AND NARROWBAND COMMUNICATION CHANNELS WITH
`DIFFERENT VIEWING FRUSTUM FROM A DYNAMIC THREE-
`DIMENSIONAL VIEWPOINT
`
`Box Provisional Application, Assistant Commissioner for Patents, Washington, DC 20231
`
`, _>$_
`
`Direct all correspondence to Customer Number 23488.
`Gerald B. Rosenberg, Esq.
`(Reg No.: 30,320)
`Telephone:
`650.325.2100
`NewTechLaw
`FCCSImIIe:
`
`285 Hamilton Avenue, Suite 520
`i Palo Alto, California 94301
`
`PATENT TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`ENCLOSED APPLICATION PARTS (check all that apply)
`
`Specification
`
`No. of pages:
`
`Drawings
`
`No. of sheets:
`
`10
`
`5
`
`_ Small Entity Statement
`
`_
`
`Power of Attorney
`
`Declaration
`
`_
`
`Assignment and Cover Sheet
`
`Other: Return-Receigt Post Card.
`
`>
`
`METHOD OF PAYMENT OF FILING FEES FOR THIS PROVISIONAL APPLICATION FOR PATENT
`
`- Provisional Basic Filing Fee: $ 150.00 (Small Entity: $75.00)
`
`Filing Fee Amount: $ 150.00
`
`X
`
`A check is enclosed to cover the Filing Fees.
`
`_X_
`
`The Commissioner is hereby authorized charge Filing Fees or credit any
`overpayment to: Deposit Account Number: 50—0890.
`
`X
`
`This invention was 191 made by or under contract with a US Government agency.
`
`US Government agency and Contract:
`
`- Signature:
`
`Date: December 26 2000
`
`Gerald B. Rosenberg
`Reg. No.: 30,320
`
`Application Docket No:
`
`FLVT3001
`
`Express Mail Label No.:
`
`EL 661 534 265 US
`
`" Address To:
`
`gbn'flvL/3001 002 prov xmittai wpd
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`OPTIMIZATION OF IMAGE PARCEL DOWNLOAD
`
`SEQUENCE FOR FAST QUALITY BUILD-UP OF
`
`IMAGE DATA STREAMED OVER LIMITED AND
`
`NARROWBAND COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
`
`WITH DIFFERENT VIEWING FRUSTUM FROM A
`
`DYNAMIC THREE-DIMENSIONAL VIEWPOINT
`
`Inventors:
`
`Isaac Levanon
`
`Yoni Lavi
`
`Background of the Invention
`
`The present invention is generally related to the delivery of high-resolution
`
`highly featured graphic images over limited and narrowband communications
`
`channels.
`
`Summagy of the Invention
`
`The objective is to display a two-dimensional pixel map, a1 6-Bit RGB color
`
`image in the preferred embodiments, ofvery large dimensions and permitting the
`
`viewing of the image from a dynamic th ree-dimensional viewpoint. Multiple such
`
`Attorney Docket No.: FLVTBOOI
`gbr/flvt/3OOI .000.pr0visional.wpd
`
`12/26/2000
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`images are remotely hosted for on-demand selection and transfer to a client
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`system for viewing.
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`Images, as stored by the server, may individually range from gigabytes to
`multiple terabyte in total size. A correspondingly large server storage and
`processing system is contemplated. Conversely, client systems are contemplated
`to be conventional personal computer systems and, in particular, mobile, cellular,
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`embedded, and handheld computer systems, such as personal digital assistants
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`(PDAs) and internet-capable digital phones, with relatively limited to highly
`constrained network communications capabilities. For most wireless applications,
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`conventional narrowband communications links have a bandwidth of less than
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`approximately three kilobytes of data per second. Consequently, transmittal of
`entire images to a client system in reasonable time is infeasible as a practical
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`matter.
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`Overview:
`
`Description of the Invention
`
`For purposes of the present invention, each image (Figure 1) is at least
`
`logically defined in terms of multiple grids of image parcels with various levels of
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`resolutions (Figure 2) that are created through composition of information from
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`all level of resolutions, and stored by the server to provide an image for transfer
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`to a client system (Figure 3). Composed and separate static and dynamically
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`created layers are transferred to client system in parcels in a program selectable
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`order to optimize for fast quality build-up of the image presented to a user of the
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`client system, particularly when the parcels are streamed over a narrowband
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`communication link.
`
`Attorney Docket No.2 FLVT3001
`gbr/flvt/3001.000.provisional.wpd
`
`12/2 6/2000
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`The multiple layers of an image allow the selectivity to incorporate
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`’ topographical, geographical, orientational, and other terrain and mapping
`related information into the image delivered. Other layers, such as geographic
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`grids, graphical text overlays, and hyperlink selection areas, separately provided
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`or composed, aid in the useful presentation and navigation of the image as
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`presented by the client system and viewed by the user.
`Compositing of layers on the server enables the data transfer burden to be
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`reduced, particularly in analysis of the requirements and capabilities of the client
`system and the connecting communications link. Separate transfer of layers to the
`client system allows the client system selectivity in managing and presentation of
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`the data to the user.
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`The system and methods of the present invention are designed to, on
`demand, select, process and immediately transfer data parcels to the client
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`system, which immediately processes and displays a low-detail representation of
`the image requested by the client system. The system and methods immediately
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`continue to select, process and sequentially transfer data parcels that, in turn, are
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`processed and displayed by the client system to augment the presented image
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`and thereby provide a continuously improving image to the user.
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`Selection of the sequentially transferred data is, in part, dependent on the
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`progressive translation of the three-dimensional viewpoint as dynamically
`modified on the client system during the transfer process. This achieves the
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`above-stated obiective while concurrently achieving a good rendering quality for
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`continuous fly-over of the image as fast as possible, yet continuously building the
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`image quality to the highest resolution of the image as stored by the server.
`
`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3001
`gbr/flvt/3OOT .OOO.provisional.wpd
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`12/26/2000
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`To optimize image quality build-up over
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`limited and narrowband
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`communication links, the target image, as requested by the client system,
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`is
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`represented by multiple grids of 64x64 image pixels (Figure 4) with each grid
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`having some corresponding level of detail. That is, each grid is treated as a
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`sparse data array that can be progressively revised to increase the resolution of
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`the grid and thereby the level of detail presented by the grid. The reason for
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`choosing the 64x64 pixel dimension is that, using current image compression
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`algorithms, a 16-bit 64x64 pixel array image can be presented as a 2KByte data
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`parcel.
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`In turn, this 2KByte parcel is the optimal size, subiect to conventional
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`protocol and overhead requirements, to be transmitted through a 3KByte per
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`second narrowband transmission channel. Using a smaller image array, such as
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`32x32, would create a 0.5KByte parcel, hence causing inefficiencies dueto packet
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`transmission overhead, given the nature of current wireless communications
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`protocols.
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`Image array dimensions are preferably powers of two so that they can be
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`used in texture mapping efficiently. Each parcel, as received by the client system,
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`is preferably immediately processed and incorporated into the presented image.
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`To do so efficiently, according to the present invention, each data parcel is
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`independently processable by the client system, which is enabled by the selection
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`and server-side processing used to prepare a parcel for transmission. In addition,
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`each data parcel is sized appropriate to fit within the level—1 cache, or equivalent,
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`of the client system processor, thereby enable the data processing intensive
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`operations needed to process the data parcel to be performed without extended
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`memory access delays.
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`In the preferred embodiment of the present invention,
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`
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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3001
`gbr/flvt/3001.000.provisional.wpd
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`12/26/2000
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`data parcels are also processed for texture mapping and other image features,
`
`such as topographical detailing.
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`Currently, with regard to conventional client systems, a larger image array,
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`such as 128x128, is too large to be fully placed within the level-1 cache of many
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`of the smaller conventional current processors, such as used by personal digital
`
`assistants (PDAs) and cellular phones.
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`Since access to cache memory is
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`substantially faster than to RAM this will likely result in lower frame rate.
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`Different and larger data parcel sizes may be optimal as transmission
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`protocols and micro-architectures of the client computers change. For purposes
`
`above, the data content was a pixel array representing image data. Where the
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`data parcel content is vector, text or other data that may subiect to different client
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`system design factors, other parcel sizes may be used.
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`In the process implemented by the present invention, data parcels maybe
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`selected for sequential transmission based on a prioritization of the importance
`
`of the data contained. The criteria of importance maybe defined as suitable for
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`particular applications and may directly relate to the presentation of image
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`quality, provision of a textual overlay of a low~quality image to quickly provide a
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`navigational orientation, or the addition of topography information at a rate or
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`timing different from the rate of image quality improvement. Thus, image data
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`layers reflecting navigational cues,
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`text overlays, and topography can be
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`composed into data packets for transmission subiect to prioritizations set by the
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`server alone, based on the nature and type of the client system, and interactively
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`influenced by the actions and commands provided by the user ofthe client system
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`(Figure 5).
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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3001
`gbr/flvt/3001 .000.provisional.wpd
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`12/26/2000
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`Progressive transmission of image parcels is performed in an iterative
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`process involving selection of an image data grid within the target image of the
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`client system, which is a portion of a potentially multi-layered source image stored
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`by the server. The selection parameters are preferably dependent on the client
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`navigation viewpoint, effective velocity, and height, and the effective level of detail
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`currently presented in each grid. Once a grid is selected, the server selects the
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`source data to be logically composed into the selected grid to complement the
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`effective resolution of that grid, processing the grid data to produce the optimally
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`sized size grid data parcels, and sequentially transmitting the parcels to the client
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`system. Preferably, the detail of a grid array is sequentially enhanced by division
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`of the grid into sub-grids related by a power of two (Figure 6). Thus, a given grid
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`is preferably updated using four data parcels having twice the data resolution of
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`the existing grid. Whatever number of parcels are used, each data parcel is
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`rendered by the client system into the target image. Additional client system
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`image data processing to provide textu ring and th ree-dimensional representation
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`of the data may be performed as part of the parcel rendering and integration into
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`the target image.
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`Image Parcel Download Seguence:
`
`The server of the present invention supports the download of parcel data
`
`to a client system by providing data parcels in response to network requests
`
`originated by client systems. Each requested data parcel is identified within a grid
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`coordinate system relative to an image stored by the server.
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`A client system implementing the process of the present invention is
`
`responsible for identifying and requesting parcel data, then rendering the parcel
`
`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3001
`gbr/flvt/3001.000.provisional.wpd
`
`12/26/2000
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`-7-
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`1
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`data into the target image at the correct location. The client system is also
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`responsible for managing navigational and other interaction with the user.
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`In
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`identifying the parcel data to be requested, the client system operates to select
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`grids within the coordinate system, corresponding to portions of the target image,
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`for which to request a corresponding data parcel. The requests are issued over
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`the network to the server and rendering performed asynchronously as data
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`parcels are received. The order of data parcel requests is defined as a sequence
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`that will provide for the optimal build-up of the target image as presented to the
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`user. The rate of optimal build up ofthe target image is dependent on the nature
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`of the target image requested, such as the supported parcel size and depth of the
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` to lo“.
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`target image that can be rendered by the client system.
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`The client identifies and requests the download of data parcels in the
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`process as follows. Denote the target image as l0 and its size in pixels as (X, Y).
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`Let N be the smallest power of 2 that is equal or greater than max {X,Y}.
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`Construct the grid of 64x64 pixel grid-images IO],i that together compose the
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`target image ID. The rectangle [64i,64i + 64] x [64i,64 i + 64] of I0 is mapped
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`In order to view a large portion of the image, the target image, without
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`downloading the substantial bulk ofthe target image, mip-maps of 10 are created,
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`representing a collection of images to be used as surface textures when rendering
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`a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional scene, and which are
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`defined recursively as:
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`lk+1 (i,i) = avg(|k (2i,2i), lk(2i + 1,2i), |k(2i,2i + 1), lk(2i + 1,2i + 1))
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`12/26/2000
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`Such mip-maps are created up to IM,M = 1092 (N) - 6. At this point, |M is
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`a 64x64 image containing the entire area ofthe original image, hence no further
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`mip-mapping is required.
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`The methods of the present invention then proceed by constructing the
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`respective grids or cells (lklili) for each mip-map. Each nonempty image cell 1lei
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`now may be downloaded. Larger values of k cover more area within the original
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`image but provide lower detail on that area. The task at hand is now to
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`determine, given the viewing frustum and the list of previously downloaded image
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`cells 1m, downloading which grids will improve the quality of the display as fast
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`as possible, considering the download rate as fixed. The scheme used to
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`implemented the downloading sequence of these cells is by constructing a tree,
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`starting from 1mmO and expanding a quadtree towards the lower mip—map levels.
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`(Quadtrees are data structures in which each node can have up to four child
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`nodes. As each 64x64 pixel image in the grid 1k has exactly four matching 64x64
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`pixel images on the grid 1,(_1 covering the same area, the data structure is built
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`accordingly.)
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`For every frame that is rendered , begin with the cell that covers the area
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`of the entire original image, 1M,0 O. For each cell under consideration, compute
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`the principle mip-map level that should be used to draw it.
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`If it is lower than the
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`mip-map level of the cell, subdivide the cell
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`to four smaller cells and use
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`recursion.
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`If this operation attempts to draw over areas that do not yet have
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`image cells at a low enough mip-map level to use with them, the recursion stops.
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`If the principle mip-map level is equal or higher than the level of the cell,
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`then the cell is rendered using the cell of the principle mip-map level, which is the
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`parent of that cell in the Quad-tree, at the appropriate level. Then download the
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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3001
`gbr/flvt/3001.000.provisronal.wpd
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`12/26/2000
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`cells in which the difference between the principle mip-map level to the mip-map
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`level of the image cell actually used is the highest. Downloading is asynchronous;
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`the renderer maintains a priority queue of download requests, and separate
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`threads are downloading images. Whenever a download is complete, another
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`download is initiated immediately, based on the currently highest-priority request.
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`The principle mip-map level of an image cell is determined by the screen
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`resolution, FOV (field of view) angle, the angle formed between the image's plane
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`normal and the line connecting between the camera and the position within the
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`cell that is closest to the camera, and a few other factors. The equation, which
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`uses the above information, approximates the general mip-mapping level
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`equafion:
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`I = max(0, log,1(T/S))
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`in which 5 is the surface of the cell as displayed on the screen during rendering
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`(in pixels), and T is the surface of the cell within the texture being mapped (in
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`pixels).
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`When rendering a cell of the grid lk,
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`T = N22k
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`and
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`S = xycos(a)ctg2(0.5FOV)t2 T / z2
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`where x is the display's x-resolution, y is the display‘s y-resolution, FOV is the field-
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`of-view angle, a is the angle between the image's plane normal and the line
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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3001
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`12/26/2000
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`connecting the viewpoint and the point in the cell of shortest distance to it, t is the
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`length of the square each pixel in the original image is assigned to in 3D, and z
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`is the height of the camera over the image‘s plane.
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`This arrives at the equation:
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`I = log4 (z2 /(xycos(a)ctg2(0.5FOV)t2))
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`l = max(O, min(l, M))
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`For example, using a 64x64 target grid display to render the image from a view
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`of height N with FOV angle of 90 degrees, with the length of each pixel in space
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`being one, the entire target image can be fitted precisely to the display as
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`demonstrated by:
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`I: 1094(N2/(642 -i -1 42)] = M
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`
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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3001
`gbr/flvt/3001.000.provisionaliwpcl
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`12/26/2000
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`FIGS
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`64
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`FIG.6
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