Patent ID: 7499054
Filing Date: 2009-03-03
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. An improvement to a computer processor, the computer processor comprising computer hardware and being operable to generate a pixel value for a pixel in an image, the pixel value being representative of a point in a scene as recorded on an image plane of a simulated camera, the improvement comprising: A. photon map generator means operable to generate a plurality of photon maps, each photon map being associated with a respective point in time during a time interval; B. sample point generator means operable to generate a set of sample points in accordance with a selected low-discrepancy sequence, each sample point representing a respective point in time during said time interval; and C. function evaluator means operable to generate at least one value representing an evaluation of a selected function using selected ones of said photon maps associated with respective one of the points in time associated with the generated sample points, the generated value corresponding to the pixel value; wherein the photon map generator means is operable to generate N for 0≦b<N T , where t 0 represents the beginning of the time interval and T represents the duration of the time interval.