Volumetric Image Rendering with Trailing Light for Smooth Interaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image rendering techniques, particularly in medical imaging, require significant computational power for interactive rendering, leading to unnatural transitions and reduced image quality when user interactions cause re-rendering, especially in systems with limited resources.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that divides light intensity into current and trailing portions, amortizing light movement over multiple frames to maintain image quality and stability by using a time-dependent function to fade trailing intensities, allowing for efficient rendering even with limited computational resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If interactive rendering is performed with lower image quality and reduced accuracy to maintain performance during user interaction, then computational power requirements are reduced, but image quality and rendering accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The light intensity is segmented into current and trailing portions, allowing the rendering system to separate the computation into two parts: a full-resolution current light calculation and a lower-resolution trailing light calculation. This segmentation enables interactive performance while preserving image quality by combining results from both segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The trailing light portion is pre-calculated from previous light source positions and stored for later use. When the light source moves, instead of recalculating the entire illumination from scratch, the system reuses the pre-computed trailing light data, significantly reducing computational burden during interactive rendering while maintaining visual quality.
2Ease of operation
If the virtual camera or light source moves during interaction, then user navigation and exploration are enabled, but unnatural transitions and subtle image quality changes occur during stationary periods
Solution Approach 1:
The trailing light portion acts as an intermediary element that bridges the gap between different light source positions. By blending the current light with the trailing light from previous positions, the system creates smooth transitions that mask the discrete nature of light position changes, preventing unnatural transitions and subtle artifacts during stationary periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the contribution of trailing light based on the current rendering state. During movement, the trailing light provides continuity; during stationary periods, the trailing light gradually fades, allowing the image to stabilize without abrupt changes. This dynamic adjustment maintains both interactivity and image stability.
3Power
If the resolution of irradiance volume is reduced to maintain performance during light source movement, then computational power requirements are reduced, but rendering accuracy and image quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The irradiance volume calculation is segmented into current and trailing components with different resolution requirements. The current irradiance volume is calculated at full resolution for accuracy, while the trailing irradiance volume uses reduced resolution to save computational power. This segmented approach maintains rendering accuracy where needed while reducing overall computational burden.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the irradiance volume are assigned different quality levels based on their importance. The current light position receives high-resolution calculation for accurate rendering, while trailing light positions use lower resolution since their contribution is secondary. This local quality differentiation optimizes the balance between computational power and rendering accuracy.
Data Source
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AI summary
An image processing apparatus comprises processing circuitry configured to: render an image from volumetric image data based on illumination from at least one simulated light source, wherein the illumination is determined from a current portion of light intensity and at least one trailing portion of light intensity if a position of a virtual camera and/or a position or other property of the at least one simulated light source is changed.