Exhibit 2005
`Bradium Technologies LLC - patent owner
`Microsoft Corporation - petitioner
`IPR2016-01897
`1
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`EFFICIENT CORRECTION OF T-JUNCTION
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`CRACKING-PROBLEM OF IMAGE PARCELS BEING
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`PACKET STREAMED BY UTILIZING QUADTREE
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`SCHEME
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`Invento rs:
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`Isaac Levanon
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`Yoni Lavi
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`Background of the Invention
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`The present invention is generally related to the delivery of high-resolution
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`highly featured graphic images over limited and narrowband communications
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`channels.
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`Summag; of the Invention
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`The objective is to display a two-dimensional pixel map, al 6-Bit RGB color
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`image in the preferred embodiments, of very large dimensions and permitting the
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`viewing of the image from a dynamic th ree-dimensional viewpoint. Multiple such
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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
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`multi
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`Ie terab e in total size. A corres ondin I
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`Iar e server stora e and
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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3002
`gbr/flvt/3002.000.provisionaI.wpd
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`I2/26/2000
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`processing system is contemplated. Conversely, client systems are contemplated
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`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
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`constrained network com mu nications 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
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`entire images to a client system in reasonable time is infeasible as a practical
`matter.
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`Overview:
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`Description of the Invention
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`For purposes of the present invention, each image (Figure l) 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
`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.
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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
`grids, graphical text overlays, and hyperlink selection areas, separately provided
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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3002
`gbr/flvt/3002.000.provisional.wpd
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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.
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`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
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`system and the connecting communications link. Separate transfer of layers to the
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`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
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`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
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`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
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`modified on the client system during the transfer process. This achieves the
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`above-stated objective 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.
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`To optimize image quality build-up over
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`limited and narrowbancl
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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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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3002
`gbr/flvt/3CIO2.000.provisional.wpd
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`l2/26/2000
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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, subject 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 O.5KByte parcel, hence ca using inefficiencies due to packet
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`transmission overhead, given the nature of current wireless communications
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`protocols.
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`lmage 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
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`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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`ln the preferred embodiment of the present invention,
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`data parcels are also processed for texture mapping and other image features,
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`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
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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3002
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`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
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`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
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`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 of the client system
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`(Figure 5).
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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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`Attorney Docket No.2 FLVT3002
`gbr/flvt/3002 .000 provisional .wpd
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`12/2 6/2000
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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 texturing and three-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:
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`The server of the present invention supports the download of parcel data
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`to a client system by providing data parcels in response to network requests
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`originated by client systems. Each requested data parcel is identified within a grid
`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
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`responsible for identifying and requesting parcel data, then rendering the parcel
`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,
`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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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3002
`gbr/flvf/3002.000.provisional.wpd
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`12/26/2000
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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 of the 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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`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 lo 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 lo,” that together compose the
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`target image IO. The rectangle [64i,64i + 64] x [64],64 i + 64] of I0 is mapped
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`to loin.
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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 of the target image, mip-maps of IO 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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`um (Li) = avg(|k (2i,2i), |k(2i + 1,2;), |k(2i,2[ + 1), lk(2i + 1,2; + 1))
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`Such mip-maps are created up to IM,/v\ = logz (N) - 6. At this point, IM is
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`a 64x64 image containing the entire area of the 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 lm
`now may be downloaded. Larger values of k cover more area within the original
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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3002
`gbr/flvt/3002.000.provisional.wpcl
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`T2/26/2000
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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 trustum and the list of previously downloaded image
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`cells Im, 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 lN_6,O,0 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 lk has exactly tour matching 64x64
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`pixel images on the grid lk_, 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, |N_6,o,0. 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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`It 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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`It the principle mip-map level is equal or higher than the level of the cell,
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`:18
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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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`cells in which the difference between the principle mip-map level to the mip-map
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`level otthe 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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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3002
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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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`l = max(O, log4 (T/5))
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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 = N22"‘
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`and
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`S = xycos(a)ctg2(O.5FOV)t2 T / 22
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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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`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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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3002
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`I = log,, (22 /(xycos(a)ctg2(O.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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`l= log4(N2/(642 -1 -1 -12)) = M
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`Image Quality Management at T-Junctions:
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`Note that the geometry (polygons) generated by quadtree scheme is non-
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`manifold, dueto a problem shared among all adaptively subdivision triangulation
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`schemes, known as the T-junction cracking problem, where an image parcel is
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`adiacent to two smaller image parcels.
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`In the case of the present invention, all
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`parcels are 64x64 pixel arrays, where the parcels for smaller dimensioned grids
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`represent a correspondingly higher resolution. The spatial discontinuity created
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`by the difference in resolutions, specifically between one grid and the sub-grids
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`of an adjacent grid, results in undesirable display artifacts.
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`The present invention provides a solution to this problem by converting the
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`polygon, or in the present instance, grid mesh into a Manifold surface by adding
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`vertices along edges connecting grids of different cell levels. The addition of new
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`vertices, where necessary, is done efficiently, involving only constant time per
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`vertex added.
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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3002
`gbr/flvf/3002.000.provisional.wpcl
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`T2/26/2000
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`The algorithm of the present invention works as follows: an 8-bit square
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`map is created, in which the edge length is 2 + N/64. Where the target image
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`size in pixels is (X, Y), N is the smallest power of 2 that is equal or greater than
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`max {X,Y}. For each frame rendered, the contents of this map are reset to zero.
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`Each cell that is rendered, is also drawn as a square on the map, corresponding
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`to the area it occupies, using the number M - l as a color, where l is the level of
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`the grid the polygon is upon, where M is M = log2 (N) - 6.
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`The boundaries of the map remain set to zero while the cells are drawn.
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`When each of the polygons is rendered, its boundaries on the map are checked.
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`Pixels on the map are evaluated to check if any vertices should be added.
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`Locations that can be predicted mathematically are not read from the map and
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`are skipped. Consequently, the process implemented by the present invention is
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`efficient and, in particular, more efficient than searching within traditional data
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`structures such as the Quad-tree as an approach to preventing the occurrence of
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`T-junction based artifacts.
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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3002
`gbr/flvt/3002 .000. provisional.wpd
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`1 2/26/2000
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