Figure Plotting Device for 3D Shapes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for plotting three-dimensional figures, such as circular cylinders, cones, and spheres, require heavy arithmetic processing and struggle to handle figures that protrude beyond the plotting area without precise fitting, necessitating high-speed processors.

Innovation Solution

A figure plotting device and method that calculates and plots circular cylinders by dividing the circles into triangles and the side surface into quadrangles, shifting points outside the plotting area to the nearest inside point, allowing for efficient plotting without high-speed processors by using a figure plotting device with a CPU, memory, and display unit to perform arithmetic processing and display operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If circular cylinders and other 3D figures are plotted using conventional methods, then the figures can be displayed, but heavy arithmetic processing is required and high-speed processors are needed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplotting accuracyVSAvoidprocessing speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the circular cylinder into simple geometric components: circles at the top and bottom, and quadrangles forming the side surface. This segmentation allows each component to be plotted using basic arithmetic operations rather than complex surface processing, significantly reducing the computational power required while maintaining plotting accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If conventional plotting methods are used for figures protruding beyond the plotting area, then complete figures can be represented, but cumbersome surface processing is required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandling of protruding figuresVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and processes only the portions of geometric figures that fall within the plotting area. When figures protrude beyond the boundaries, the method separately handles the protruding portions by calculating their intersection with the plotting area boundaries, thereby simplifying the processing complexity while maintaining adaptability to handle various figure positions and sizes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Adaptability or versatility

If 3D figures are modeled as sets of polygons, then every 3D figure can be plotted and transformations can be performed, but relatively heavy arithmetic processing is required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplotting capabilityVSAvoidprocessing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by using different plotting approaches for different parts of the figure. The top and bottom surfaces use circular representations, while the side surface uses quadrangular representations. This localized approach allows efficient plotting of each region with appropriate geometric primitives, improving processing efficiency while maintaining the ability to plot various 3D figures and perform transformations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3340179B1Figure plotting device, figure plotting method, and recording medium
Publication Date: 2023.05.03 CASIO COMPUTER CO LTD
  • EP3340179B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~2
  • EP3340179B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3340179B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A figure plotting device has a controller. The controller performs following processes: plotting a first shape which is formed by connecting a plurality of points included in a plane which is a desired plotting object, thereby plotting the plane in a plotting area of a display screen of a display unit; and upon plotting the plane, in a case where at least one of the plurality of points of the first shape is outside the plotting area and one or more points of the plurality of points of the first shape is inside the plotting area, plotting a second shape different from the first shape by connecting at least one point and the one or more points, the at least one point being obtained by shifting at least one of the plurality of points of the first shape outside the plotting area to corresponding at least one point positioned inside the plotting area, the one or more points.