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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}
`
`INVENTOR(S) Levanon
` 21 Bar Ilan St., Raanana, Israel
`3 Nachal Besor St., Ramat Hasharn,Israel
`
`Lavi
`
`TITLE OF THE INVENTION
`
`7/00AAl
`
`OPTIMIZATION T-JUNCTION CRACKING-PROBLEM OF IMAGE
`PARCELS BEING PACKET STREAMED BY UTILIZING QUADTREE
`SCHEME
`
`—X_
`
`Direct all correspondence to Customer Number 23488. AT
`Telephone:
`650.325.2100
`23488
`Facsimile:
`650.325.2107
`PATENT TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`(Reg No.: 30,320)
`
`
`
`—X_ X
`
`Gerald B. Rosenberg, Esq.
`&| NewTechLaw
`11285 Hamilton Avenue, Suite 520
`af| Palo Alto, California 94301
`
`ENCLOSED APPLICATION PARTS (checkall that apply)
`
`Specification
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`No.
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`of pages:
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`ui
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`__.__
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`Smail Entity Statement
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`Drawings
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`Declaration
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`No.
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`of sheets:
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`—_s_
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`Power of Attorney
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`Assignment and Cover Sheet
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`Other: _Return-Receipt Post Card
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`METHOD OF PAYMENT OF FILING FEES FOR THIS PROVISIONAL APPLICATION FOR PATENT
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`/ Provisional Basic Filing Fee: $ 150.00 (Small Entity: $75.00}
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`Filing Fee Amount: $ 150.00
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`|
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`A check is enclosed to coverthe Filing Fees.
`
`The Commissioneris hereby authorized charge Filing Fees or credit any
`overpayment to: Deposit Account Number: 50-0890.
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`This invention was not madeby or under contract with a US Government agency.
`
`US Government agency and Contract:
`
`Gerald B. Rosenberg
`Reg. No.: 30,320
`
`Date: December 26, 2000
`
`pplication Docket No:
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`FLVT3002
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`Express Mail Label No.:
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`EL 661 534 274 US
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`Address To:
`
`Box Provisional Application, Assistant Commissioner for Patents, Washington, DC 20231
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`gbr/flvt/3002.002.prov.xmittal wpd
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`EFFICIENT CORRECTION OF T-JUNCTION
`CRACKING-PROBLEM OF IMAGE PARCELS BEING
`PACKET STREAMED BYUTILIZING QUADTREE
`SCHEME
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`Inventors:
`Isaac Levanon
`Yoni Lavi
`
`Backgroundof 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 overlimited and narrowband communications
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`channels.
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`Summary of the Invention
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`The objective is to display a two-dimensional pixel map, a16-Bit RGB color
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`imagein the preferred embodiments, of very large dimensions and permitting the
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`viewing of the image from a dynamic three-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, mayindividually range from gigabytes to
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`multiple terabyte in total size. A correspondingly large server storage and
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`processing system is contemplated. Conversely, client systems are contemplated
`to be conventional personal computer systems and,in particular, mobile, cellular,
`embedded, and handheld computer systems, such as personal digital assistants
`(PDAs) and internet-capable digital phones, with relatively limited to highly
`constrained network communications capabilities. For most wireless applications,
`conventional narrowband communications links have a bandwidth ofless than
`approximately three kilobytes of data per second. Consequently, transmittal of
`entire images to a client system in reasonable timeis infeasible as a practical
`matter.
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`Overview:
`
`Description of the Invention
`
`For purposesof the present invention, each image (Figure 1) is at least
`logically defined in terms of multiple grids of image parcels with variouslevels of
`resolutions (Figure 2) that are created through composition of information from
`all level of resolutions, and stored by the server to provide an imagefortransfer
`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
`orderto optimize for fast quality build-up of the image presented to a userof the
`client system, particularly when the parcels are streamed over a narrowband
`communication link.
`The multiple layers of an image allow the selectivity to incorporate
`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
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`or composed, aid in the useful presentation and navigation of the image as
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`presented bythe 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 communicationslink. Separate transfer of layers to the
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`client system allowsthe client system selectivity in managing and presentation of
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`oO0ONOOODFBWNH
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` above-stated objective while concurrently achieving a good rendering quality for
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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
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`the image requested by the client system. The system and methods immediately
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`continueto select, process and sequentially transfer data parcels that, in turn, are
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`processed and displayed bythe client system to augment the presented image
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`and thereby provide a continuously improving imageto the user.
`Selection of the sequentially transferred data is, in part, dependenton 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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`continuousfly-over of the imageas fast as possible, yet continuously building the
`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 narrowband
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`is
`communication links, the target image, as requested by the client system,
`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 cata 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, 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 0.5KByte parcel, hence causing 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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` independently processablebythe client system, which is enabled by the selection
` operations needed to process the data parcel to be performed without extended
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`Image array dimensions are preferably powers of two so that they can be
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`used in texture mappingefficiently. 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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`and server-side processing used to prepare a parcelfor transmission. In addition,
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`each data parcelis 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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`memory access delays.
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`In 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 topographicaldetailing.
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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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`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 contentis vector, text or other data that may subject to different client
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`—
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`1]
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`oNONWOOHFFWNY
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` influenced by the actions and commands provided by the user of the client system
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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 subjectto prioritizations set by the
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`server alone, based on the nature andtypeof the client system, and interactively
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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, whichis a portion of a potentially multi-layered source image stored
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`by the server. The selection parameters are preferably dependent onthe client
`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 composedinto the selected grid to complement the
`effective resolution of that grid, processing the grid data to produce the optimally
`sized size grid data parcels, and sequentially transmitting the parcels to the client
`system. Preferably, the detail of a grid array is sequentially enhanced by division
`of the grid into sub-grids related by a power of two (Figure 6). Thus, a given grid
`is preferably updated using four data parcels having twice the data resolution of
`the existing grid. Whatever number of parcels are used, each data parcelis
`rendered by the client system into the target image. Additional client system
`imagedata processing to provide texturing and three-dimensional representation
`of the data may be performed aspart of the parcel rendering and integration into
`the target image.
`
`Image Parcel Download Sequence:
`Theserverof the present invention supports the download of parcel data
`to a client system by providing data parcels in response to network requests
`originatedbyclient systems. Each requested data parcelis identified within a grid
`coordinate system relative to an image stored by the server.
`A client system implementing the process of the present invention is
`responsiblefor identifying and requesting parcel data, then rendering the parcel
`data into the target image at the correct location. The client system is also
`responsible for managing navigational and other interaction with the user.
`In
`identifying the parcel data to be requested, the client system operates to select
`grids within the coordinate system, corresponding to portions ofthe target image,
`for which to request a corresponding data parcel. The requests are issued over
`the network to the server and rendering performed asynchronously as data
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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3002
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`parcels are received. The order of data parcel requests is defined as a sequence
`thatwill provide for the optimal build-up of the target image as presented to the
`user. The rate of optimal build up of the target image is dependent on the nature
`of the target image requested, such as the supported parcelsize and depth of the
`target image that can be rendered bytheclient system.
`The client identifies and requests the download of data parcels in the
`process as follows. Denote the target imageasI, anditssize in pixels as (X, Y).
`Let N be the smallest power of 2 that is equal or greater than max {X,Y}.
`Construct the grid of 64x64 pixel grid-images I5;; that together compose the
`target image |. The rectangle [64i,64i + 64] x [64j,64 j + 64] of |, is mapped
`to |pj;-
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`In order to view a large portion of the image, the target image, without
`downloadingthe substantial bulk of the target image, mip-mapsof I, are created,
`representing a collection of imagesto be used assurface textures when rendering
`a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional scene, and which are
`defined recursively as:
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`lin (ui) = avg(l, (2i,2)), (21 + 1,2)), (21,2) + 1), i(2i + 1,2] + 1))
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`Such mip-maps are created upto Iy,M = log, (N) - 6. At this point, Im ts
`a 64x64 image containingthe entire area of the original image, hence no further
`mip-mappingis required.
`The methods ofthe present invention then proceed by constructing the
`respective grids orcells(I,;;) for each mip-map. Each nonempty imagecell Lei
`now may be downloaded. Larger values of k cover more area within the original
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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3002
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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 andthelist of previously downloaded image
`cells 1,,,, downloading which gridswill improve the quality of the display as fast
`as possible, considering the download rate as fixed. The scheme used to
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`implemented the downloading sequenceof these cells is by constructing a tree,
`starting from ly.¢o9 and expanding a quadtree towardsthe lower mip-maplevels.
`(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 1, has exactly four matching 64x64
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`pixel images on the grid 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 thecell that covers the area
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` If the principle mip-map level is equal or higher than thelevelofthe cell,
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`of the entire original image, Iy.¢o. For each cell under consideration, compute
`the principle mip-map level that should be used to drawit. 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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`imagecells at a low enough mip-map levelto use with them, the recursion stops.
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`= 18
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`then the cell is rendered using the cell of the principle mip-map level, whichis the
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`parent ofthatcell in the Quad-tree, at the appropriate level. Then download the
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`cells in which the difference betweenthe principle mip-map level to the mip-map
`level of the imagecell actually used is the highest. Downloading is asynchronous;
`the renderer maintains a priority queue of download requests, and separate
`threads are downloading images. Whenever a download is complete, another
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`downloadis initiated immediately, based on the currently highest-priority request.
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`The principle mip-map level of an imagecell is determined by the screen
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`resolution, FOV(field of view) angle, the angle formed betweenthe image's plane
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`normal and the line connecting between the camera andthe 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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`equation:
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`| = max(0,log, (T/S))
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`in which S 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 |,,
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`T=N72*
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`and
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`S = xycos(a)ctg?(0.5FOV)#? T / 2”
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`where xis the display's x-resolution, y is the display's y-resolution, FOVis thefield-
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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 toit, t is the
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`length of the square each pixel in the original imageis 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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`| = log, (z’ /{xycos(a)ctg*(0.SFOV)i"))
`| = max(O, min(I, 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 befitted precisely to the display as
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`demonstrated by:
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`| = log, (N7/(642 #11 °13))=M
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` schemes, knownasthe T-junction cracking problem, where an image parcelis
` by the difference in resolutions, specifically between one grid and the sub-grids
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`Image Quality Managementat T-Junctions:
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`Note that the geometry (polygons) generated by quadtree schemeis non-
`manifold, due fo a problem shared amongall adaptively subdivision triangulation
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`adjacent 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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`of an adjacentgrid, results in undesirable display artifacts.
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`The presentinvention provides a solution to this problem by converting the
`polygon,or in the presentinstance, 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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`to the area it occupies, using the number M - | as a color, where|is the level of
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`The algorithm of the present invention works as follows: an 8-bit square
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`map its 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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`Eachcell that is rendered, is also drawn as a square on the map,corresponding
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`the grid the polygon is upon, where M is M = log, (N) - 6.
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`The boundaries of the map remain set to zero while the cells are drawn.
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`Wheneachofthe polygonsis 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 inventionis
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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 approachto preventing the occurrence of
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`T-junction based artifacts.
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`—
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`}2-B4J-er
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`fl | Ploy
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`REQUEST FOR FILING A PROVISIONAL APPLICATION FOR PATENT
`UNDER 37 CFR §1.53 (c)
`
`we
`
`wa
`wt
`
`
`
`oLad‘s'n
`
`
`
`Levanon
`
`| Lavi
`
`2g6°F INVENTOR(S]
`
`| 3 NachalBesorSt., Ramat Hasharn,Israel
`21 Bar Ilan St., Raanana, Israel
`
`TITLE OF THE INVENTION
`
`OPTIMIZATION OF RENDERING MEMORY USAGE IN FAST QUALITY
`BUILD-UP TARGET IMAGE TRANSFER OVER LIMITED AND
`NARROWBAND COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
`
`X[oe ot covezondenc e GonNoor 248 Mr
`
`Gerald B. Rosenberg, Esq.
`NewTechLaw
`|} 285 Hamilton Avenue,Suite 520
`Palo Alto, California 94301
`
`(Reg No.: 30,320)
`
`Telephone:
`Facsimile:
`
`650.325.2100
`650.325.2107
`
`23488
`PATENT TEADEMARK OFFICE
`
`ENCLOSED APPLICATION PARTS (checkall that apply)
`
`Specification
`
`No. of pages:
`
`i
`
`Small Entity Statement
`
`Drawings
`
`Declaration
`
`No. of sheets:
`
`Power of Attorney
`
`____ Assignment and Cover Sheet
`
`Other: Return-Receipt Post Card.
`
`METHOD OF PAYMENTOF FILING FEES FOR THIS PROVISIONAL APPLICATION FOR PATENT
`
`Provisional Basic Filing Fee: $ 150.00 (Small Entity: $75.00)
`
`Filing Fee Amount: $ 150.00
`
`A check is enclosed to cover the Filing Fees.
`
`The Commissioneris hereby authorized charge Filing Fees or credit any
`overpayment to: Deposit Account Number: 50-0890.
`
`This invention was not made by or under contract with a US Government agency.
`
`US Government agency and Contract:
`
`Gerald B. Rosenberg
`Reg. No.: 30,320
`
`Date: December 26, 2000
`
`Application Docket No:
`
`FLVT3004
`
`Express Mail Label No.:
`
`EL 661 534 291 US
`
`| Address To:
`
`Box Provisional Application, Assistant Commissioner for Patents, Washington, DC 20231
`
`gbr/flvv3004,002 prov xmittal wpd
`Page 18 of 95
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`OPTIMIZATION OF RENDERING MEMORY USAGE IN
`FAST QUALITY BUILD-UP TARGET IMAGE TRANSFER
`OVER LIMITED AND NARROWBAND
`COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
`
`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 overlimited and narrowband communications
`channels.
`
`Summary of the Invention
`
`The objective is to display a two-dimensional pixel map, a1 6-Bit RGB color
`
`imagein the preferred embodiments, of very large dimensions and permitting the
`
`viewing of the image from a dynamic three-dimensional viewpoint. Multiple such
`images are remotely hosted for on-demandselection and transfer to a client
`
`system for viewing.
`
`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3004
`gbr/flvt/3004.000. provisional.wpd
`
`12/26/2000
`
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`Images, as stored by the server, may individually range from gigabytes to
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`multiple terabyte in total size. A correspondingly large server storage and
`
`processing system is contemplated. Conversely, client systems are contemplated
`to be conventional personal computersystems and,in particular, mobile,cellular,
`
`embedded, and handheld computer systems, such as personal digital assistants
`
`(PDAs) and internet-capable digital phones, with relatively limited to highly
`constrained network communications capabilities. For most wireless applications,
`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 fo a client system in reasonable timeis infeasible as a practical
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`matter.
`
`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 variouslevels of
`
`___
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`resolutions (Figure 2) that are created through composition of information from
`all level of resolutions, and stored by the server to provide an imagefor transfer
`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
`orderto optimize for fast quality build-up of the image presented to a user of the
`client system, particularly when the parcels are streamed over a narrowband
`communicationlink.
`The multiple layers of an image allow the selectivity to incorporate
`
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`topographical, geographical, orientational, and other terrain and mapping
`
`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3004
`gbr/fivt/3004.000.provisional.wpd
`
`12/26/2000
`
`Page 20 of 95
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`3.
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`related information into the image delivered. Other layers, such as geographic
`grids, graphical text overlays, and hyperlink selection areas, separately provided
`or composed, aid in the useful presentation and navigation of the image as
`presented by the client system and viewed bythe user.
`Compositing of layers on the server enables the data transfer burden to be
`reduced, particularly in analysis of the requirements and capabilities of the client
`system and the connecting communicationslink. Separate transferof layers to the
`client system allowsthe client system selectivity in managing and presentation of
`the datato the user.
`The system and methods of the present invention are designed to, on
`demand, select, process and immediately transfer data parcels to the client
`system, which immediately processes and displays a low-detail representation of
`the image requested by the client system. The system and methods immediately
`continueto select, process and sequentially transfer data parcels that, in turn, are
`processed and displayed bythe client system to augmentthe presented image
`and thereby provide a continuously improving imageto the user.
`Selection of the sequentially transferred datais, in part, dependenton the
`progressive translation of the three-dimensional viewpoint as dynamically
`modified on the client system during the transfer process. This achieves the
`above-stated objective while concurrently achieving a goodrendering quality for
`continuousfly-overof the image asfast as possible,yet continuously building the
`image quality to the highest resolution of the image as stored by the server.
`To optimize image quality build-up over
`limited and narrowband
`communication links, the target image, as requested by the client system,
`is
`represented by multiple grids of 64x64 imagepixels (Figure 4) with each grid
`
`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3004
`gbr/flvt/3004.000.provisional.wed
`
`12/26/2000
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`4.
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`having some correspondinglevel of detail. That is, each grid is treated as a
`sparse data arraythat can be progressively revised to increase the resolution of
`the grid and thereby the level of detail presented by the grid. The reason for
`choosing the 64x64 pixel dimension is that, using current image compression
`algorithms, a 16-bit 64x64 pixel array image can be presented as a 2KByte data
`parcel.
`In turn, this 2KByte parcel is the optimal size, subject to conventional
`protocol and overhead requirements, to be transmitted through a 3KByte per
`second narrowbandtransmission channel. Using a smaller image array, such as
`32x32, would create a 0.5KByte parcel, hence causing inefficiencies due to packet
`transmission overhead, given the nature of current wireless communications
`protocols.
`Imagearray dimensionsare preferably powers of two so that they can be
`used in texture mappingefficiently. Each parcel, as received by the client system,
`is preferably immediately processed and incorporated into the presented image.
`To do so efficiently, according to the present invention, each data parcel
`is
`independently processable by the client system, which is enabled by the selection
`and server-side processing used to prepare a parcelfortransmission.In addition,
`each data parcelis sized appropriatetofit within the level-1 cache,or equivalent,
`of the client system processor, thereby enable the data processing intensive
`operations needed to process the data parcel to be performed without extended
`memory access delays.
`In the preferred embodimentof the present invention,
`data parcels are also processed for texture mapping and other image features,
`such as topographical detailing.
`Currently, with regard to conventionalclient systems, a larger imagearray,
`such as 128x128,is too large to befully placed within the level-1 cache of many
`
`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3004
`gbr/flvt/3004.000.provisional.wpd
`
`12/26/2000
`
`Page 22 of 95
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`OoODOONOOOF&FWHNY—
` 17
`
`of the smaller conventional current processors, such as used by personal digital
`assistants (PDAs) and cellular phones.
`Since access to cache memory is
`substantially faster than to RAM this will likely result in lower framerate.
`Different and larger data parcel sizes may be optimal as transmission
`protocols and micro-architectures of the client computers change. For purposes
`above, the data content was a pixel array representing image data. Where the
`data parcel contentis vector, text or other data that may subjectto differentclient
`system design factors, other parcel sizes may be used.
`In the process implementedby the presentinvention, data parcels maybe
`selected for sequential transmission based onaprioritization of the importance
`1]
`of the data contained. Thecriteria of importance maybe defined as suitable for
`12
`particular applications and may directly relate to the presentation of image
`13
`quality, provision of a textual overlay of a low-quality image to quickly provide a
`14
`navigationalorientation, or the addition of topography information at a rate or
`15
`timing different from the rate of image quality improvement. Thus, image data
`16
`layers reflecting navigational cues,
`text overlays, and topography can be
`composedinto data packets for transmission subjectto prioritizations set by the
`server alone, based on the nature andtype ofthe client system, and interactively
`influenced by the actions and commandsprovided bythe useroftheclient system
`(Figure 5).
`|
`Progressive transmission of image parcels is performed in aniterative
`process involving selection of an image data grid within the target imageof the
`client system, whichis a portion of a potentially multi-layered source image stored
`by the server. The selection parameters are preferably dependenton the client
`navigation viewpoint, effective velocity, and height, and the effective level of detail
`
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`Attorney Docket No.: FLVT3004
`gbr/flvt/3004.000.provi