Systems and methods for rendering data from a 3d environment

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods to render data from a 3D environment. The methods and systems of this disclosure utilize inverse ray tracing from a viewing volume to capture energy data from a 3D environment in a single rendering pass providing thereby collecting data more efficiently and accurately.

1 . A method for rendering a four-dimensional (4D) energy field from a three-dimensional (3D) environment, the method comprising:
 providing a scene in a 3D environment described by a plurality of energy-data points located throughout the scene;   locating a plurality of virtual pixels on a virtual pixel plane in the scene wherein each virtual pixel has a known unique 4D coordinate that comprises a 2D angular coordinate and a 2D spatial coordinate wherein the 2D angular coordinate of each virtual pixel describes an angular correlation between the virtual pixel and a virtual viewing location of a plurality of virtual viewing locations located on a virtual viewing plane in the scene and wherein the 2D spatial coordinate of each virtual pixel identifies the location of a virtual aperture of a plurality of virtual apertures located on a virtual display plane in the scene;   sampling energy data points of the plurality of energy-data points in the scene along a plurality of rays from the virtual viewing plane wherein each ray intersects one virtual viewing location and one virtual pixel at an angle determined by the 2D angular coordinate of the one virtual pixel intersected by the ray and wherein each ray intersects one virtual aperture determined by the 2D spatial coordinate of the one virtual pixel intersected by the ray;   correlating the energy data points sampled along each ray to an energy value for the one virtual pixel intersected by the ray; and   rendering the energy value of the one virtual pixel of each ray and the known unique 4D coordinates of the one virtual pixel of each ray into a data set having a format operable for instructing an energy device to output a 4D energy field.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one ray of the plurality of rays intersects each virtual viewing location of the plurality of virtual viewing locations. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one ray of the plurality of rays intersects each virtual pixel of the plurality of virtual pixels. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the 4D energy field comprises a light field. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the 4D energy field comprises a haptic field. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the 4D energy field comprises a tactile field. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the energy-data points comprise a value describing at least one of the following: an energy frequency, an energy intensity, an energy transparency, an energy refractivity, energy reflectivity. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the 3D environment is determined by applying a depth map to points in a two-dimensional space. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual display plane corresponds to a waveguide system of an energy directing device, and energy is operable to be directed through the waveguide system according to the data set to form a detectable 4D energy representation of at least a portion of the scene. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of virtual pixels corresponds to a plurality of energy locations on a first side of the waveguide system. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data set further comprises vectorized material property data. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the method is carried out in real time. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is entirely carried out in real time. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least two portions of the method are carried out in different time periods. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data set describes a signal perceptible by a visual, audio, textural, sensational, or smell sensor. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the energy data points sampled along each ray of the plurality of rays are simultaneously correlated to energy values. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data set is stored in a binary file format. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each ray of the plurality of rays extends through the one virtual aperture of the plurality of virtual apertures to and beyond the one virtual pixel of the plurality of virtual pixels and wherein energy data points of the plurality of energy data points are sampled from the virtual viewing plane. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps may be repeated indefinitely. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps may be repeated indefinitely to render a dynamic 4D energy field from a 3D environment. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein rendering the energy data further comprises calibrating the energy data for the energy device. 
     
     
         21 - 53 . (canceled)