US4685070A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System and method for displaying, and interactively excavating and examining a three dimensional volume
Assignee: Westerngeco LLC
•
Filing: 1984-08-03
•
Granted: 1987-08-04
•
Expires: 2004-08-03
Abstract
Abstract A computer system displays, in two dimensions, a representation of a three-dimensional volume. The three-dimensional volume representation is a tessellation of cells, represented as three-dimensional units. The three-dimensional volume is represented by a plurality of digital numbers. A designator designates which of the digital numbers are to be represented in the two-dimensional display. Each digital number is represented by one cell. Also, each digital number represents a color. Each corresponding cell is colored in accordance with the digital number. A designator designates which of the digital numbers is to be represented by a cell in the three-dimensional representation. A cursor, controlled by a mouse, may be used to indicate which of the three-dimensional volume representation is to be excavated by indicating at the appropriate cells and then electronically ordering the excavation. The designator is changed thereby and the excavated cells are stripped away, exposing the cells immediately adjacent the excavated cells. The color of the cells indicates a parameter such as amplitude. The viewing angle of the three-dimensional volume representation is variable, allowing rotation in any direction of the three-dimensional display for examination of any surface.
Inventors
- 👤 Bruce E. Flinchbaugh
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 11:47
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T17/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
89 words
A computer system for displaying and for interactively excavating and examining a three-dimensional volume, comprising: (a) a source of three-dimensional arrays of data; (b) designator means for selectively designating all or any desired part of the three dimensional data to be presented; and (c) interactive, visual display means, responsive to the designator means, for presenting in two-dimensions a three-dimensional representation of any desired part of the three-dimensional data including drawing means for displaying the three-dimensional volume as a tessellation of cells corresponding to the designation by the designator means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
89 words
A computer system for displaying and for interactively excavating and examining a three-dimensional volume, comprising: (a) a source of three-dimensional arrays of data; (b) designator means for selectively designating all or any desired part of the three dimensional data to be presented; and (c) interactive, visual display means, responsive to the designator means, for presenting in two-dimensions a three-dimensional representation of any desired part of the three-dimensional data including drawing means for displaying the three-dimensional volume as a tessellation of cells corresponding to the designation by the designator means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
122 words
A computer system for displaying and for interactively excavating and examining a three-dimensional volume, comprising: (a) a source of three-dimensional arrays of data including a data memory means storing a three-dimensional array of numbers; (b) designator means for selectively designating all or any desired part of the three dimensional data to be presented including a designator memory means storing a three-dimensional array of bits, each bit designating a single one of the numbers; and (c) interactive, visual display means, responsive to the designator means, for presenting in two-dimensions a three-dimensional representation of any desired part of the three-dimensional data, including drawing means for displaying the three-dimensional volume as a tessellation of cells corresponding to the designated bits of the designator memory means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
122 words
A computer system for displaying and for interactively excavating and examining a three-dimensional volume, comprising: (a) a source of three-dimensional arrays of data including a data memory means storing a three-dimensional array of numbers; (b) designator means for selectively designating all or any desired part of the three dimensional data to be presented including a designator memory means storing a three-dimensional array of bits, each bit designating a single one of the numbers; and (c) interactive, visual display means, responsive to the designator means, for presenting in two-dimensions a three-dimensional representation of any desired part of the three-dimensional data, including drawing means for displaying the three-dimensional volume as a tessellation of cells corresponding to the designated bits of the designator memory means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
114 words
A computer system for displaying and for interactively excavating and examining a three-dimensional volume, comprising: (a) a source of three-dimensional arrays of data; (b) designator means for selectively designating all or any desired part of the three dimensional data to be presented; and (c) interactive, visual display means, responsive to the designator means, for presenting in two-dimensions a three-dimensional representation of any desired part of the three-dimensional data, including drawing means for displaying the three-dimensional volume as a tessellation of cells corresponding to the designation by the designator means; and manually operable electronic means for interacting with the display of the solid tessellation of cells for indicating a cell or cells to be excavated.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
114 words
A computer system for displaying and for interactively excavating and examining a three-dimensional volume, comprising: (a) a source of three-dimensional arrays of data; (b) designator means for selectively designating all or any desired part of the three dimensional data to be presented; and (c) interactive, visual display means, responsive to the designator means, for presenting in two-dimensions a three-dimensional representation of any desired part of the three-dimensional data, including drawing means for displaying the three-dimensional volume as a tessellation of cells corresponding to the designation by the designator means; and manually operable electronic means for interacting with the display of the solid tessellation of cells for indicating a cell or cells to be excavated.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
144 words
A computer system for displaying and for interactively excavating and examining a three-dimensional volume, comprising: (a) a source of three-dimensional arrays of data including a data memory means storing a three-dimensional array of numbers; (b) designator means for selectively designating all or any desired part of the three dimensional data to be presented, including a designator memory means storing a three-dimensional array of bits, each bit designating a single one of the numbers; and (c) interactive, visual display means, responsive to the designator means, for presenting in two-dimensions a three-dimensional representation of any desired part of the three-dimensional data, including drawing means for displaying the three-dimensional volume as a tessellation of cells corresponding to the designated bits of the designator memory means, and electronic means for interacting with the display of the tessellation of cells for indicating a cell or cells to be excavated.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
144 words
A computer system for displaying and for interactively excavating and examining a three-dimensional volume, comprising: (a) a source of three-dimensional arrays of data including a data memory means storing a three-dimensional array of numbers; (b) designator means for selectively designating all or any desired part of the three dimensional data to be presented, including a designator memory means storing a three-dimensional array of bits, each bit designating a single one of the numbers; and (c) interactive, visual display means, responsive to the designator means, for presenting in two-dimensions a three-dimensional representation of any desired part of the three-dimensional data, including drawing means for displaying the three-dimensional volume as a tessellation of cells corresponding to the designated bits of the designator memory means, and electronic means for interacting with the display of the tessellation of cells for indicating a cell or cells to be excavated.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
75 words
The system of claim 4 wherein the designator memory means is operatively connected to the electronic means to permit a bit-for-cell correspondence wherein a bit set to a first digital state designates a cell and a bit set to a second digital state designates no cell, and wherein the designator memory means is operatively connected to the electronic means for setting those bits to the second digital state to of the cells to be excavated.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
54 words
The system of claim 5 wherein the interactive visual display means further comprises color means for color presentation of the tessellation of cells, wherein the color means is operatively connected to the data memory means and wherein each number corresponds to a desired color, for coloring each cell to correspond to its associated number.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
54 words
The system of claim 4 wherein the interactive visual display means further comprises color means for color presentation of the tessellation of cells, wherein the color means is operatively connected to the data memory means and wherein each number corresponds to a desired color, for coloring each cell to correspond to its associated number.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
177 words
A computer system for displaying and for interactively excavating and examining a three-dimensional volume, comprising: (a) a source of three-dimensional arrays of data including a data memory means storing a three-dimensional array of numbers; (b) designator means for selectively designating all or any desired part of the three dimensional data to be presented, including a designator memory means storing a three-dimensional array of bits, each bit designating a single one of the numbers; and interactive, visual display means responsive to the designator means, for presenting in two-dimensions a three-dimensional representation of any desired part of the three-dimensional data, wherein the interactive visual display means comprises drawing means for displaying the three-dimensional volume as a tessellation of cells corresponding to the designated bits of the designator memory means, and wherein the interactive visual display means further comprises color means for color presentation of the tessellation of cells, wherein the color means is operatively connected to the data memory means and wherein each number corresponds to a desired color, for coloring each cell to correspond to its associated number.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
177 words
A computer system for displaying and for interactively excavating and examining a three-dimensional volume, comprising: (a) a source of three-dimensional arrays of data including a data memory means storing a three-dimensional array of numbers; (b) designator means for selectively designating all or any desired part of the three dimensional data to be presented, including a designator memory means storing a three-dimensional array of bits, each bit designating a single one of the numbers; and interactive, visual display means responsive to the designator means, for presenting in two-dimensions a three-dimensional representation of any desired part of the three-dimensional data, wherein the interactive visual display means comprises drawing means for displaying the three-dimensional volume as a tessellation of cells corresponding to the designated bits of the designator memory means, and wherein the interactive visual display means further comprises color means for color presentation of the tessellation of cells, wherein the color means is operatively connected to the data memory means and wherein each number corresponds to a desired color, for coloring each cell to correspond to its associated number.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
78 words
A method of displaying, and interactively excavating and examining a three-dimensional volume in a computer system, comprising the steps of: (a) representing the three-dimensional volume as three-dimensional array of data wherein the data are numbers: (b) designating all or any portion of the three-dimensional data desired to be displayed; (c) presenting in two dimensions any portion of the designated three-dimensional data, including drawing a plurality of cells to form the two-dimensional presentation as a tessellation of the cells.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
78 words
A method of displaying, and interactively excavating and examining a three-dimensional volume in a computer system, comprising the steps of: (a) representing the three-dimensional volume as three-dimensional array of data wherein the data are numbers: (b) designating all or any portion of the three-dimensional data desired to be displayed; (c) presenting in two dimensions any portion of the designated three-dimensional data, including drawing a plurality of cells to form the two-dimensional presentation as a tessellation of the cells.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of: (d) indicating the cells to be excavated from the display of the tessellation of the cells; (e) redesignating the three-dimensional data to be displayed by indicating the number that will not be represented by the cells to be excavated; and (f) displaying the tessellation of cells not excavated.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of: (g) assigning a color representation of each number; and (h) coloring each cell in correspondence with its associated number.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3668619A
Cited
US3638178A
Cited
US4538144A
Cited
US4439760A
Cited
US4509043A
Cited
US4484187A
Cited
US4580134A
Cited
US4475104A
Cited
US4574357A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-08-03 | 1991-02-02 | 1991-08-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-08-03 | 1995-02-02 | 1995-08-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-08-03 | 1999-02-02 | 1999-08-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |