PATENT DOCUMENT

Abstract:
A shape processor for processing an objective shape in a three-dimensional space while approximating, characterized by comprising an approximating section for generating a basic tile chain, i.e., a chain of basic tiles approximating the structure of the objective shape partially or entirely, by connecting the basic tiles of predetermined three dimensional shape having substantially tetrahedral shape including four vertexes sequentially starting with a starting point basic tile on the face of the basic tile.

Full Description:
[0001]     The present application is a continuation application of PCT application No. PCT/JP01/09695 filed on Nov. 6, 2001, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to shape processors and methods for representing shape.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     So far, as methods for representing the shape of an object in a three-dimensional space, there are two known methods.  
         [0006]     One is the polygon mesh method which uses polygons to imitate the outline of an object and describe the shape by the vertices, edges and faces of the polygons used.  
         [0007]     The other is the CSG (Constructive Solid Geometry) method which uses reference blocks, such as cuboids, spheres and cylinders, to imitates the shape. In the method the shape is represented as a set of the reference blocks.  
         [0008]     In these methods, an object is decomposed into a set of components and the shape of the object is described by specifying the shape of the components and their positions. Thus, some objects may require a lot of computation for their decomposition. And some objects may require a large amount of data to describe the shape of the components and their positions, i.e., to describe their shapes. On the other hand, for example, in the field of chemistry, pharmacy and nano-technology, an efficient method to represent the structure of a polymer is required since the function of a polymer is often determined by its structure.  
         [0009]     The present invention aims to reduce the amount of computation and data to represent the shape of an object.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     In order to solve the foregoing problem, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shape processor for imitating a shape of an object in a two-dimensional space, including: an approximation unit operable to generate a chain of basic tiles which imitates the shape of the object by connecting a basic tile with a following tile by an edge one by one from an initial tile, wherein the basic tile includes a predetermined set of basic tiles of two-dimensional shapes; and a generation unit operable to generate a three-dimensional shape by specifying whether each basic block is assigned to corresponding basic space, wherein the basic block are assignable to each basic space, which is the convexhull of eight points of a lattice in a three-dimensional space, and the basic block includes one reference vertex and division lines, wherein the reference vertex corresponds to a vertex which is shared by the predetermined three faces that are to be projected onto the predetermined two-dimensional plane simultaneously, and the division line corresponds to the line drawn from the reference vertex to its opposite vertex of the corresponding face, the generation unit corresponds to a part or all of the chain of the divided faces obtained by projecting the divided faces into the two-dimensional space, wherein the divided faces are divided by the corresponding division line from the face of one or more of the basic block(s) assigned in the basic space, assigns each of the basic blocks to the corresponding basic space, and generates a three-dimensional shape that corresponds to the shape of an object so that two adjacent basic tiles in the basic tile chain corresponds a part or all of shape obtained by projecting the divided-faces of one basic block or two consecutive basic blocks in the three-dimensional space into the two-dimensional space.  
         [0011]     According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shape processor for imitating a shape of an object in a two-dimensional space, including a generation unit operable to generate three-dimensional shape defined by designating whether each basic blocks assignable to a basic space surrounded by eight points of a lattice in a three-dimensional space is to be assigned to the corresponding basic space, so that a two-dimensional shape, which is defined by projecting it into a direction where three faces of the basic block consisting of the three-dimensional shape may be seen, imitates the shape of the object, wherein the basic block is divided into two divided faces by a line connecting a reference vertex and a vertex positioned diagonally with respect to the reference vertex of the faces, wherein the reference vertex is a vertex shared by the three faces of the basic block, the generation unit executes: a first step of choosing one of the divided-faces of a basic block as the initial reference divided-face and one of the two edges of the initial reference divided-face that are edges of the corresponding basic block as the reference edge; a second step of choosing one of the two divided-faces which share the reference edge with the reference divided-face and whose image by the projection into the predetermined plane do not overlap with the image of the reference divided-face by the same projection, wherein the generation unit chooses the divided-face in such a way that the projection of the chosen divided-face imitates a part or all of the shape of the object; a third step of choosing the divided-face chosen in the second step as the new reference divided-face; and a fourth step of choosing the other edge of the new reference divided-face that is not the division line as the new reference edge, a chain of the divided-faces that were chosen as reference divided-faces during the execution is obtained by executing the steps from the second step to the fourth step repeatedly, the two-dimensional shape obtained by the projection of the chain into the predetermined plane imitates the shape of the object, and the generation unit generates a three-dimensional shape by assigning basic blocks that contains one of the divided-faces of the chain to their corresponding basic space.  
         [0012]     The generation unit may choose a set of points of the lattice to generate a three-dimensional shape by assigning basic blocks to all of the basic spaces which correspond to triangular pyramids defined by the chosen points of the lattice, and the generation unit may further include an administration unit operable to keeps the generated shape as a set of points.  
         [0013]     The generation unit may encode the generated shape by assigning a value 0 or 1 to each divided-faces of the chain according to the choice in the second step.  
         [0014]     According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shape processor for imitating a shape of an object in a three-dimensional space, including: an approximation unit operable to generate a chain of basic tiles which imitates the shape of the object by connecting a basic tile with a following tile by an face one by one from an initial tile, wherein the basic tile includes a predetermined set of basic tiles of three-dimensional shapes; and a generation unit operable to generate a four-dimensional shape by specifying whether each basic block is assigned to corresponding basic space, wherein the basic block are assignable to each basic space, which is the convex hull of sixteen points of a lattice in a four-dimensional space, the basic block includes four hyperfaces projected into the three-dimensional space, each of the four hyperfaces of the basic block is divided into six division hyperfaces by a division face, which is a face including either of a reference vertex shared by the four hyperface of the basic block, a vertex positioned opposite from the reference vertex on the hyperfaces, or another vertex on the hyperfaces, the generation unit corresponds to a part or all of the chain of the divided hyperfaces obtained by projecting the divided hyperfaces into the three-dimensional space, wherein the divided hyperface are included by each of the hyperfaces of the basic block assigned in the basic space, assigns each of the basic blocks to the corresponding basic space, and generates a four-dimensional shape so that two adjacent basic tiles in the basic tile chain corresponds a part or all of shape obtained by projecting the divided-hyperfaces of one basic block or two consecutive basic blocks in the four-dimensional space into the three-dimensional space.  
         [0015]     According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shape processor for imitating the shape of an object in a three-dimensional space, including a generation unit operable to generate four-dimensional shape defined by designating whether each basic blocks assignable to each basic space surrounded by sixteen points of a lattice in a four-dimensional space is to be assigned to the corresponding basic space, so that a three-dimensional shape, which is defined by projecting it into a direction where three hyperfaces of the basic block consisting of the four-dimensional shape maybe seen, imitates the shape of the object, wherein each of the hyperfaces of the basic block is divided into six divided hyperfaces by a division surface, which is a surface including either of a reference vertex which is a vertex shared by the four hyperfaces of the basic block projected into the projection direction, a vertex located opposite from the reference vertex on the hyperfaces, or another vertex on the hyperface, the generation unit executes: a first step of choosing one of the divided-hyperfaces of a basic block as the initial reference divided-hyperface and one of the two faces of the initial reference divided-hyperface that are faces of the corresponding basic block as the reference face; a second step of choosing one of the two divided-hyperfaces which share the reference face with the reference divided-hyperface and whose image by the projection into the predetermined plane do not overlap with the image of the reference divided-hyperface by the same projection, wherein the generation unit chooses the divided-hyperface in such a way that the projection of the chosen divided-hyperface imitates a part or all of the shape of the object; a third step of choosing the divided-hyperface chosen in the second step as the new reference divided-hyperface; and a fourth step of choosing the other face of the new reference divided-hyperface that is not the division line as the new reference face, a chain of the divided-hyperfaces that were chosen as reference divided-hyperfaces during the execution is obtained by executing the steps from the second step to the fourth step repeatedly, the three-dimensional shape obtained by the projection of the chain into the predetermined plane imitates the shape of the object, and the generation unit generates a four-dimensional shape by assigning basic blocks that contains one of the divided-hyperfaces of the chain to their corresponding basic space.  
         [0016]     The generation unit may choose a set of points of the lattice to generate a four-dimensional shape by assigning basic blocks to all of the basic spaces which correspond to triangular pyramids defined by the chosen points of the lattice, and the generation unit may further include an administration unit operable to keeps the generated shape as a set of points.  
         [0017]     The generation unit may encode the generated shape by assigning a value 0 or 1 to each divided-faces of the chain when one choose them in the second step.  
         [0018]     According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shape processor for imitating the structure of a polymer in a three-dimensional space, including an approximation unit operable to generate a chain of basic tiles to imitates a part or all of the structure of a polymer, wherein the shape of the basic tile is a kind of tetrahedron, that is, a three-dimensional shape with four vertices, and the chain of basic tiles is generated by connecting a basic tile with the following tile by an face one by one from a initial tile.  
         [0019]     The shape processor may further include a generation unit operable to generate a four-dimensional shape defined by the assignment of the basic block by specifying whether each basic block is assigned to corresponding basic space, wherein the basic block are assignable to each basic space, which is the convex hull of sixteen points of a lattice in a four-dimensional space, the basic block may include four hyperfaces projected into the three-dimensional space, each of the four hyperfaces of the basic block may be divided into six division hyperfaces by a division face, which is a face including either of a reference vertex shared by the four hyperface of the basic block, a vertex positioned opposite from the reference vertex on the hyperfaces, or another vertex on the hyperfaces. The generation unit may correspond to a part or all of the chain of the divided hyperfaces obtained by projecting the divided hyperfaces into the three-dimensional space, wherein the divided hyperfaces are included by each of the hyperfaces of one or more of the basic block(s) assigned in the basic space, may assign each of the basic blocks to the corresponding basic space, and may generate the four-dimensional shape that corresponds to a part or all of the structure of the polymer so that two adjacent basic tiles in the basic tile chain corresponds a part or all of shape obtained by projecting the divided-hyperfaces of one basic block or two consecutive basic blocks in the four-dimensional space into the three-dimensional space.  
         [0020]     The shape processor may further include a generation unit operable to generate four-dimensional shape defined by designating whether each basic blocks assignable to each basic space surrounded by sixteen points of a lattice in a four-dimensional space is to be assigned to the corresponding basic space, so that a three-dimensional shape, which is defined by projecting it into a direction where three hyperfaces of the basic block consisting of the four-dimensional shape may be seen, may imitate the chain of basic tiles, wherein each of the hyperfaces of the basic block is divided into six divided hyperfaces by a division surface, which is a surface including either of a reference vertex which is a vertex shared by the four hyperfaces of the basic block projected into the projection direction, a vertex located opposite from the reference vertex on the hyperfaces, or another vertex on the hyperface. The generation unit may execute: a first step of choosing one of the divided-hyperfaces of a basic block as the initial reference divided-hyperface and one of the two faces of the initial reference divided-hyperface that are faces of the corresponding basic block as the reference face; a second step of choosing one of the two divided-hyperfaces which share the reference face with the reference divided-hyperface and whose image by the projection into the predetermined plane do not overlap with the image of the reference divided-hyperface by the same projection, wherein the generation unit chooses the divided-hyperface in such a way that the projection of the chosen divided-hyperface imitates a part or all of the structure of the polymer; a third step of choosing the divided-hyperface chosen in the second step as the new reference divided-hyperface; and a fourth step of choosing the other face of the new reference divided-hyperface that is not the division line as the new reference face. A chain of the divided-hyperfaces that were chosen as reference divided-hyperfaces during the execution is obtained by executing the steps from the second step to the fourth step repeatedly, the three-dimensional shape obtained by the projection of the chain into the predetermined plane imitates a part or all of the structure of the polymer, and the generation unit generates a four-dimensional shape by assigning basic blocks that contains one of the divided-hyperfaces of the chain to their corresponding basic space.  
         [0021]     The generation unit may choose a set of points of the lattice to generate a four-dimensional shape by assigning basic blocks to all of the basic spaces which correspond to four-dimensional version of square pyramids defined by the chosen points of the lattice, and the generation unit further includes an administration unit operable to keep the generated shape as a set of points.  
         [0022]     The generation unit may encode the structure of a polymer by assigning a value 0 or 1 to each divided-faces of the chain when one choose them in the second step.  
         [0023]     The basic tile may include four vertices: A, B, C and D, the approximation unit generates a chain of basic tiles which imitates a part or all of the structure of the polymer by connecting a basic tile from the initial tile with a following tile sequentially such that three vertices C, D and B of the basic tile are coincide with vertices A, B and C of the following basic tile respectively, or three vertices C, D and A of the basic tile are coincide with vertices A, B and D of the following basic tile respectively.  
         [0024]     The generation unit may encode a part or all of the structure of a polymer by assigning a value 0 or 1 to each basic tile of the chain which imitates the structure, where the assigned value denotes the way the basic tile is connected with the following basic tile.  
         [0025]     The polymer may include a protein, and the generation unit imitates the structure of a chain of amino-acids which is a part or all of the protein, where one amino-acid corresponds to three consecutive basic tiles.  
         [0026]     The polymer may include a DNA molecule, and the generation unit imitates the structure of a chain of nucleotides which is a part or all of the DNA molecule, where one nucleotides corresponds to one basic tile.  
         [0027]     According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for representing the structure of a polymer in a three-dimensional space, wherein the structure includes a predetermined set of basic tiles of three-dimensional shapes, each of which is associated with four vertices A, B, C and D which form a tetrahedron, a part or all of the structure of the polymer is imitated by a chain of basic tiles which is generated by connecting a basic tile from an initial tile with a following tile by face sequentially such that three vertices C, D and B of a basic tile are coincide with vertices A, B and C of the following basic tile respectively, or three vertices C, D and A of a basic tile are coincide with vertices A, B and D of the following basic tile respectively. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0028]      FIG. 1  shows a configuration of a shape processing system  100  according to a first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0029]      FIG. 2  shows a configuration of a shape processing unit  120  according to the first embodiment;  
         [0030]      FIG. 3  shows the shape of a basic block  300  used in the first embodiment;  
         [0031]      FIG. 4  is the projection of the basic block  300  into the predetermined two-dimensional plane;  
         [0032]      FIG. 5  shows an example of a three-dimensional shape  400  generated in the first embodiment;  
         [0033]      FIG. 6  shows the projection of the three-dimensional shape  400  onto the predetermined two-dimensional plane;  
         [0034]      FIG. 7  shows an example of a data format of vertices in the vertex-table of an administration-table-set  230  used in the first embodiment;  
         [0035]      FIG. 8  shows an example of a data format of vertices in the shape-table of an administration-table-set  230  used in the first embodiment;  
         [0036]      FIG. 9  shows the procedure performed by the shape processing unit  120  for the first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0037]      FIG. 10  illustrates an example of the procedure performed by the generation unit  210  to generate a chain B 420  of the basic blocks in order to embody the first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0038]      FIG. 11  shows the shape of a basic block  900  used in the second embodiment;  
         [0039]      FIG. 12  shows the correspondence between a set of basic blocks and a chain of basic tiles used in the second embodiment by comparing the second embodiment with the first embodiment;  
         [0040]      FIG. 13  shows two types of connections of basic tiles used in the second embodiment;  
         [0041]      FIG. 14  shows an example of a chain of basic tiles used in the second embodiment;  
         [0042]      FIG. 15  shows an example of a set of vertices in the vertex-table of the administration-table-set  230  used in the second embodiment;  
         [0043]      FIG. 16  shows an example of a set of vertices in the shape-table of the administration-table-set  230  used in the second embodiment;  
         [0044]      FIG. 17  shows the procedure performed by the shape processing unit  120  for the second embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0045]      FIG. 18  is an outline of the structure of an amino-acid and a protein (polypeptide);  
         [0046]      FIG. 19  shows a code of a hormone (insulin, human) encoded by the shape processing unit  120  which embodies the second embodiment;  
         [0047]      FIG. 20  shows a three-dimensional shape which imitates the shape of a hormone (insulin, human) and is generated by the shape processing unit  120  which embodies the second embodiment;  
         [0048]      FIG. 21  is an outline of the structure of a DNA molecule;  
         [0049]      FIG. 22  shows a three-dimensional shape which imitates the shape of a DNA molecule and is generated by the shape processing unit  120  which embodies the second embodiment; and  
         [0050]      FIG. 23  shows hardware components of the shape processing unit  120  according to the first embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0051]     In the following several embodiments of the present invention are illustrated using the accompanying figures.  
         [heading-0052]     &lt;The First Embodiment of the Present Invention&gt; 
         [0053]      FIG. 1  shows a configuration of a shape processing system  100  according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The shape processing system  100  comprises a shape input unit  110 , a shape processing unit  120 , a terminal  130 , and a shape output unit  140 .  
         [0054]     The shape input unit  110  receives data of the shape of an object in a two-dimensional space which is to be processed by the shape processing system  100 . And the shape input unit  110  converts the data (which is analogue) into digital data for manipulations by the shape processing unit  120 . The shape input unit  110  may be an input device such as a camera, a video recorder (video camera) and a scanner. Or the shape input unit  110  may be a mere interface to networks or files. The format of digital data converted by the shape input unit  110  may be any format for shape representation such as bit map, JPEG, MPEG, GIF, or polygon-mesh.  
         [0055]     The shape processing unit  120  receives the digital data from the shape input unit  110 , calculates the corresponding three-dimensional shape and stores the shape. The shape processing unit  120  also performs various manipulation such as shape transformation of three-dimensional shape.  
         [0056]     Moreover the shape processing unit  120  converts data of the three-dimensional shape into data for two-dimensional representation such as bit map, JPEG, MPEG, GIF, or polygon-mesh to reproduce the two-dimensional shape.  
         [0057]     The terminal  130  is used by a user of the shape processing system  100  to control the shape processing unit  120  when he/she performs a shape transformation of a stored three-dimensional shape or a reproduction of a two-dimensional shape.  
         [0058]     The shape output unit  140  outputs a two-dimensional shape reproduced by the shape processing unit  120 . The shape output unit may be a mere interface to networks or files.  
         [0059]      FIG. 2  shows a configuration of the shape processing unit  120  according to a first embodiment. The shape processing unit  120  comprises an approximation unit  200 , a generation unit  210 , an administration unit  220 , an administration-table-set  230 , a processing unit  240 , a reproduction unit  250  and an output unit  260 .  
         [0060]     The approximation unit  200  receives digital data of two-dimensional shape converted from an input by the shape input unit  110 . Connecting predetermined two-dimensional basic tiles one by one, the approximation unit  200  generates a chain of basic tiles which imitates the shape of an object.  
         [0061]     The generation unit  210  transforms a chain of basic tiles generated by the approximation unit  200  into the corresponding three-dimensional shape. Moreover the generation unit  210  encodes the chain of basic tiles.  
         [0062]     The administration unit  220  stores a three-dimensional shape and/or the corresponding code generated by the generation unit  210  in the administration-table-set  230  and administrates the tables.  
         [0063]     A three-dimensional shape is stored in the administration-table-set  230  as a set of points in a three-dimensional lattice. The code of the shape is also stored in the administration-table-set  230 .  
         [0064]     The processing unit  240  performs various kind of three-dimensional transformations such as rotation, translation or deformation via the administration unit  220  under the directions from a user of the terminal  130 .  
         [0065]     The reproduction unit  250  receives data of a three-dimensional shape stored in the administration-table-set  230  via the administration unit  220  and converts data of the three-dimensional shape into data for two-dimensional representation such as bit map, JPEG, MPEG, GIF, or polygon-mesh to reproduce the corresponding two-dimensional shape.  
         [0066]     The output unit  260  outputs the two-dimensional shape reproduced by the reproduction unit  250  as a file or displays the shape on a display device.  
         [0067]      FIG. 3  shows the shape of the basic block  300  used in the first embodiment. The basic block  300  is a cube defined by three vectors ex, ey and ez of length 1. In this embodiment, the basic block is defined by ex=(1, 0, 0), ey=(0, 1, 0) and ez=(0, 0, 1) and is projected along the direction of (−1, −1, −1) into a plane which is perpendicular to (−1, −1, −1).  
         [0068]     The basic block  300  has one reference vertex  310  and three division lines  320   a ,  320   b  and  320   c . The reference vertex  310  is the nearest vertex of the basic block  300  to the point (−1, −1, −1). Thus the reference vertex is contained in all of the three upper faces of the basic block  300 . (Here ‘upper’ is considered w.r.t. the direction from bottom (0, 0, 0) to top (−1, −1, −1)) The division line  320   a  is the segment connecting the reference vertex  310  and the opposite vertex  350   a  with respect to the upper face of the basic block  300  specified by z=0. The division line  320   b  is the segment connecting the reference vertex  310  and the opposite vertex  350   b  with respect to the upper face of the basic block  300  specified by y=0. And the division line  320   c  is the segment connecting the reference vertex  310  and the opposite vertex  350   c  with respect to the upper face of the basic block  300  specified by x=0.  
         [0069]     The three-dimensional space used in this embodiment to represent shapes of objects is equipped with a three-dimensional lattice structure whose unit cube is identical to the basic cube  300 . We call a unit cube of the lattice a “basic space”. That is, a basic space is a convex hull of eight points of the lattice. And the shape of an object is represented using the lattice points of the space.  
         [0070]      FIG. 4  is the projection of the basic block  300  into the predetermined two-dimensional plane. The image of the basic block  300  by the projection is a hexagon whose center coincides with the image of the reference vertex  310 . Moreover the hexagon is divided into six divided-faces  360   a , . . . ,  360   f  which are congruent equilateral triangles by three division lines  320   a ,  320   b  and  320   c  and three vectors ex, ey and ez.  
         [0071]     We call the equilateral-triangles-shaped divided-faces  360   a , . . . ,  360   f  “basic tiles”. The approximation unit  200  generates a chain of basic tiles, which imitates the shape of an object conveyed from the input unit  110 , connecting a basic tile with another basic tile by an edge which is not any division line one by one.  
         [0072]     The generation unit  210  generates a three-dimensional shape assigning basic blocks to basic spaces. Basic blocks are assigned in such a way that the shape of an object conveyed from the input unit  110  is imitated by the chain of basic tiles obtained by projecting a part of the resulting three-dimensional shape along the vector (−1, −1, −1) into the predetermined two-dimensional plane.  
         [0073]     Instead of the basic block  300 , the shape processing unit  120  may use a three-dimensional block with curved edges and curved faces as a basic block. Or the shape processing unit  120  may use a basic block where some of the division lines are curves.  
         [0074]     And the shape processing unit  120  may project basic blocks along another vector into another plane. For example, (−2, −1, −1) will do. In that case, the image of the basic block  300  is divided into six triangles which are not equilateral and basic tiles are no longer equilateral triangles. But the generation unit  210  can generate a chain of basic tiles similarly.  
         [0075]     Moreover, the shape processor may use three vectors ex, ey and ez of different lengths. (Then the basic block is a cuboid.)  
         [0076]      FIG. 5  shows an example of a three-dimensional shape  400  generated in the first embodiment. The three-dimensional shape  400  corresponds to two chains A 410  and B 410  of basic tiles. And each of two chains of divided-faces which corresponds to chain A 410  and B 410  is composed of fourteen divided-faces.  
         [0077]     The three-dimensional shape which corresponds to chain A 410  is a union of four triangular pyramids (without bases). The four triangular pyramids are (1) the pyramid whose peak (top vertex) is the reference vertex of a basic block  430   a  which corresponds to a lattice point A and slops are defined by three (upper) faces of basic block  430   a , (2) the pyramid whose peak is the reference vertex of a basic block  430   b  which corresponds to a lattice point B and slops are defined by three (upper) faces of basic block  430   b , (3) the pyramid whose peak is the reference vertex of a basic block  430   c  which corresponds to a lattice point C and slops are defined by three (upper) faces of basic block  430   c  and (4) the pyramid whose peak is the reference vertex of a basic block  430   d  which corresponds to a lattice point D and slops are defined by three (upper) faces of basic block  430   d.    
         [0078]     The three-dimensional shape which corresponds to chain B 410  is a union of three triangular pyramids. The three triangular pyramids are (1) the pyramid whose peak is the reference vertex of a basic block  430   d  which corresponds to a lattice point D and slops are defined by three (upper) faces of basic block  430   d , (2) the pyramid whose peak is the reference vertex of a basic block  430   e  which corresponds to a lattice point E and slops are defined by three (upper) faces of basic block  430   e  and (3) the pyramid whose peak is the reference vertex of a basic block  430   f  which corresponds to a lattice point F and slops are defined by three (upper) faces of basic block  430   f.    
         [0079]     In this way, the generation unit  210  transforms a chain of basic tiles received from the input unit  200  into a three-dimensional shape which consists of triangular pyramids whose peaks (top vertices) are points of a lattice in a three-dimensional space. The three faces of a triangular pyramid are defined by three (upper) faces of a basic block whose reference vertex coincides with the peak of the triangular pyramid. And the corresponding three-dimensional shape is obtained by assigning (infinite number of) basic blocks to an area covered by the triangular pyramid. In particular, the generation unit  210  specifies a three-dimensional shape by its peaks.  
         [0080]      FIG. 6  shows the projected image of three-dimensional shape  400  in the predetermined two-dimensional plane. As shown in the  FIG. 6 , the chain of divided-faces which corresponds to chain A 410  of basic tiles is mapped onto a chain of equilateral triangles in the plane. And the chain of divided-faces which corresponds to chain B 410  is also mapped onto such a chain.  
         [0081]     When the shape processing system  120  processes the shape of an object in a two dimensional space, the approximation unit  200  imitates the shape with a set of chains of basic tiles such as chains A 410  and B 420  and the generation unit  210  transforms the chains of (two-dimensional) basic tiles into a three-dimensional shape such as shape  400 .  
         [0082]     And when the shape processing unit  120  reproduces a two-dimensional shape from its corresponding three-dimensional shape stored in the administration-table-set  230 , the reproducing unit  250  fetches data of a three-dimensional shape in the administration-table-set  230  via the administration unit  220  and reproduces the corresponding two-dimensional shape such as chains A 410  and B 420 .  
         [0083]      FIG. 7  shows an example of a data format of vertices stored in the vertex-table of the administration-table-set  230  used in the first embodiment. An entry of the vertex-table consists of an ID-of-shape field and a coordinates-of-vertex filed.  
         [0084]     An ID-of-shape field contains an identifier of the corresponding shape stored in the administration-table-set  230 . In  FIG. 7  the identifier of chain A 410  (resp. B 420 ) of basic tiles is 001 (resp. 002).  
         [0085]     A coordinates-of-vertex field contains the cartesian coordinates in three dimensions of a peak of the corresponding three-dimensional shape.  
         [0086]     The administration unit  220  administers three-dimensional shapes that correspond to the shape of a two-dimensional object using data of their peaks in the vertex-table.  
         [0087]      FIG. 8  shows an example of a data format of vertices stored in the shape-table of the administration-table-set  230  used in the first embodiment.  
         [0088]     An entry of the shape-table of the administration-table-set  230  consists of an ID-of-shape field, an initial-tile field, a terminal-tile field and a code field.  
         [0089]     An ID-of-shape field contains an identifier of the corresponding shape stored in the administration-table-set  230 . In  FIG. 8 , the identifier of chain A 410  (resp. B 420 ) of basic tiles is 001 (resp. 002).  
         [0090]     An initial-tile field contains the data of the initial divided-face of the corresponding chain of divided-faces. In  FIG. 8 , the initial divided-face of chain A 410  is specified by reference vertex (−1, 2, −1) which we denote byC. The vertices of the initial divided-face are C, C+ex and C+ex+ey. (Recall that ex, ey and ez are the vectors used to define basic blocks.)  
         [0091]     A terminal-tile field the data of the terminal divided-face of the corresponding chain of divided-faces. In  FIG. 8 , the terminal divided-face of chain A 410  is specified by reference vertex (−1, 2, −1), i.e., C. The vertices of the terminal divided-face are C, C+ex and C+ex+ez.  
         [0092]     A code field contains the code of the corresponding chain of divided-faces.  
         [0093]     The administration unit  220  administers the chain of divided-faces which corresponds to the shape of a two-dimensional object using data of the initial tile, the terminal tile and the code of the chain of divided-faces in the shape-table.  
         [0094]      FIG. 9  shows the procedure performed by the shape processing unit  120  for the first embodiment of the present invention. As explained bellow, the flow chart in  FIG. 9  illustrates the procedure to transform the shape of an object into the data format of the administration-table-set  230  and generate the code of the shape of the given object.  
         [0095]     First, the approximation unit  200  receives the shape of an object in a two-dimensional space from the input unit  110  (S 700 ). And the approximation unit  200  generates a chain of basic tiles which imitates the shape of the given object (S 710 )  
         [0096]     Next, the generation unit  210  chooses one of three divided-faces of a basic tile of the chain as the initial reference divided-face and one of two edges of the reference divided-face which are not the division line (, that is, which are also edges of the corresponding basic block,) as the reference edge (S 720 ). And the generation unit  210  assigns a symbol of code, which reflects the shape of the given object, to the initial reference divided-face as the initial symbol of the code of the object. In this embodiment, where the direction from up to down is defined by the vector ex+ey+ez, the generation unit  210  assigns symbol “0” (or “D”) to the reference divided-face when the reference edge corresponds to the lower edge of the reference divided-face and “1” (or “U”) when the reference edge corresponds to the upper edge of the reference divided-face.  
         [0097]     Next, the generation unit  210  chooses one of two divided-faces which share the reference edge with the reference divided-face and whose image by the projection into the predetermined plane do not overlap with the image of the reference divided-face by the same projection (S 730 ). The generation unit  210  chooses the divided-face in such a way that the projection of the chosen divided-face imitates a part or all of the shape of the given object. In this embodiment, the image of a divided-face by the projection overlaps with the image of another divided-face when both of the divided-face correspond the same basic tile.  
         [0098]     Next, the generation unit  210  chooses the divided-face chosen in the step of S 730  as the new reference divided-face (S 740 ). And the generation unit  210  appends a symbol “0” (or “D”) or “1” (or “U”) to the right end of the code as the symbol which corresponds to the new reference divided-face.  
         [0099]     Next, the generation unit  210  chooses the edge of the new reference divided-face that is not the division line and not chosen in the step of S 730  as the new reference edge (S 750 ).  
         [0100]     The generation unit  210  executes steps S 730 , S 740 , S 745  and S 750  repeatedly until the shape of the given object is imitated by the obtained chain of divided-faces (S 760 ).  
         [0101]     Finally, the generation unit  210  transforms the obtained chain of divided-faces into a three-dimensional shape and stores all peaks of the three-dimensional shape in the vertex-table of the administration-table-set  230  (S 770 ). The generation unit  210  also stores the initial and terminal divided-face of the chain and the code obtained by the above procedure in the shape-table of the administration-table-set  230  (S 780 ).  
         [0102]     As explained above, the generation unit generates a chain of divided-faces by repeated executions of steps S 730 , S 740 , S 745  and S 750 . And the shape of the given object is imitated by the two-dimensional shape obtained by projecting the chain of divided-faces into the predetermined plane.  
         [0103]     The generation unit  210  also generates the corresponding three-dimensional shape by assigning basic blocks which include one of the divided-faces of the chain to the corresponding basic spaces.  
         [0104]     Recall that, for each point of a lattice, there exists a basic block  300  whose reference vertex  310  is given by the point and it defines a triangular pyramid whose peak (top vertex) is the reference vertex and the slopes are defined by the predetermined three faces of the basic block. (Note that pyramids are without bases.)  
         [0105]     The generation unit  210  generates a three-dimensional shape by assigning all basic blocks which are covered by a set of triangular pyramids to the corresponding basic spaces. Thus a three-dimensional shape generated in the above procedure is specified by peaks of all triangular pyramids.  
         [0106]     And the administration unit  220  stores peaks of all triangular pyramids in the administration-table-set  230  and uses the peaks to administer the three-dimensional shape.  
         [0107]     Moreover the generation unit  210  may encode the shape of the given object by assigning either value 0 or 1 to each divided-face of the chain in step S 745 . The choice of value reflects the choice of divided-face in the step S 740 .  
         [0108]      FIG. 10  illustrates an example of the procedure performed by the generation unit  210  to generate chain B 420  of basic blocks in order to embody the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0109]     First, the generation unit  210  chooses a divided-face  800   a  as the reference divided-face as shown in (1) of  FIG. 10 . Here we suppose that the arrow in the figure ( 1 ) shows the direction from the upper edge to the lower edge of divided-face  800   a  and the generation unit  210  chooses the lower edge as the reference edge. Then the generation unit  210  assign symbol “0” to the reference divided-face.  
         [0110]     Next, the generation unit  210  chooses divided-faces  800   b ,  800   c  and  800   d  serially to imitate the shape of the object received from the approximation unit  200  as shown in (2) of  FIG. 10 . It is arranged such that two consecutive divided-faces share the same gradient when their division lines don&#39;t intersect. (Recall there is one division line for each divided-face.) In the case of the figure ( 2 ), divided-face  800   a  and  800   b  share the same gradient. Divided-face  800   b  and  800   c  also share the same gradient.  
         [0111]     On the other hand, it is arranged such that two consecutive divided-faces do not share the same gradient when their division lines share an end point as in the case of divided-faces  800   c  and  800   d  in (2) of  FIG. 10 . Then the generation unit  210  assigns symbol “0” to divided-faces  800   b  and  800   c  since they slope down. And the generation unit  210  assigns symbol “1” to divided-face  800   d  since it slopes up.  
         [0112]     The generation unit  210  transforms a chain of basic tiles which imitates the shape of the given object into a chain of divided-face in a three-dimensional space in such a way explained above. In (3) of  FIG. 10 , arrows on basic tiles of a chain show the gradient (the direction from up to down) of the basic tiles. Considering the directions, the generation unit  210  assigns a divided-face in a three-dimensional space to each of the basic tiles. The generation unit  210  generates a three-dimensional shape by assigning basic blocks which contain one of the divided-faces to the corresponding basic spaces. And the generation unit  210  assign either “0” or “1” to each basic tile of the chain, where the choice depends on the direction. (“0” when it slopes down and “1” when it slops up.)  
         [0113]     In this way, the chain of divided-faces in (3) is transformed into a three-dimensional shape which coincides with the part of shape  400  in  FIG. 5  which corresponds to chain B 420  of basic tiles.  
         [0114]     As explained above, the generation unit  210  generates a three-dimensional shape from a chain of basic tiles by assigning basic blocks  300  to the corresponding basic space. The assignment is done in such a way that the chain of basic tiles corresponds to a part or all of the projection of divided-faces of the assigned basic blocks. (Recall that each basic block  300  has six divided-faces that are obtained by dividing three faces of a basic block by the division lines  320   a ,  320   b  and  320   c .)  
         [0115]     And the generation unit  210  generates a three-dimensional shape from a chain of basic tiles in such a way that each pair of consecutive basic tiles of the chain corresponds to two divided-faces of one basic block or two consecutive basic blocks. The generated three-dimensional shape corresponds to the shape of the given object.  
         [0116]     As is shown above, the shape processing unit  120  according to the first embodiment transforms the shape of an object into a chain of basic tiles. And the shape processing unit  120  identifies the shape with peaks of a three-dimensional shape which corresponds to the chain of basic tiles.  
         [0117]     In this way, the shape processing unit  120  identifies various kind of shapes which are imitated by a number of basic tiles with a set of lattice points (i.e., peaks) in a three-dimensional space. Therefore, by using the shape processing unit  120  according to the first embodiment, one can save memory of a computer when he/she stores shapes of objects. Moreover one can rotate or/and translate the shape of an object with less amount of calculation.  
         [0118]     Furthermore, the shape processing unit  120  can encode the shape of an object assigning a sequence of symbols (“0” or “1”) to a chain of divided-faces which corresponds to the chain of basic tiles obtained from the shape of the object. That is, the shape processing unit  120  can encode any shape which is imitated by a sequence of basic tiles using only 1 bit for each basic tile. Thus, using the shape processing unit  120 , one needs less memory when he/she stores shapes of objects.  
         [heading-0119]     &lt;The Second Embodiment of the Present Invention&gt; 
         [0120]     Now the second embodiment of the present invention is explained. The explanation is focused on the difference between the first embodiment and the second embodiment.  
         [0121]     The shape processing unit  120  according to a second embodiment generates a chain of basic tiles in a three-dimensional space to imitate the shape of an object, transforms the chain of basic tiles into a four-dimensional shape, and finally stores the four-dimensional shape in a storage.  
         [0122]      FIG. 11  shows the shape of a basic block  900  used in the second embodiment. (In fact, their projected image into a three-dimensional space.) Basic block  900  is a cube in a four-dimensional space defined by four vectors ex, ey, ez and ew of length  1  which are perpendicular to each other. By projecting into a three-dimensional-space, basic block  900  is mapped onto a three-dimensional shape which consists of images of four (three-dimensional) faces  910   a ,  920   b ,  910   c  and  910   d  of the block. Since faces  910   a ,  920   b ,  910   c  and  910   d  correspond to hyperfaces in a four-dimensional space (as faces of a three-dimensional cube correspond to plane in a three-dimensional space), we call them “hyperfaces”.  
         [0123]     Four hyperfaces  910   a ,  920   b ,  910   c  and  910   d  share a vertex O which is called the “reference vertex” of basic block  900 .  
         [0124]     Hyperface  910   a  is a hexahedron which contains reference vertex O and defined by three vectors ey, ez and ew. Hyperface  910   a  has eight vertices O, A 1 , C 1 a, C 1 b, C 1 c, C 1 d, C 1 e and C 1 f. Vertex A 1  is the opposite vertex of reference vertex O. In hyperface  910   a , we define six division faces by 3-tuple of vertices: reference vertex O, vertex A 1  and one of the other vertices C 1 a, C 1 b, C 1 c, C 1 d, C 1 e and C 1 f. And hyperface  910   a  is divided into six divided-hyperfaces by six division faces OA 1 C 1 a, OA 1 C 1 b, OA 1 C 1 c, OA 1 C 1 d, OA 1 C 1 e and OA 1 C 1 f, where OA 11 a denotes the convex-hull of three points O, A 1  and C 1 a (, i.e., a two-dimensional region in a three-dimensional space).  
         [0125]     Hyperface  910   b  is a hexahedron which contains reference vertex O and defined by three vectors ex, ey and ez. Hyperface  910   b  has eight vertices O, A 2 , C 2 a, C 2 b, C 2 c, C 2 d, C 2 e and C 2 f. Vertex A 2  is the opposite vertex of reference vertex O. In hyperface  910   b , we define six division faces by 3-tuple of vertices: reference vertex O, vertex A 2  and one of the other vertices C 2 a, C 2 b, C 2 c, C 2 d, C 2 e and C 2 f. And hyperface  910   b  is divided into six divided-hyperfaces by the six division faces.  
         [0126]     Hyperface  910   c  is a hexahedron which contains reference vertex O and defined by three vectors ex, ez and ew. Hyperface  910   c  has eight vertices O, A 3 , C 3 a, C 3 b, C 3 c, C 3 d, C 3 e and C 3 f. Vertex A 3  is the opposite vertex of reference vertex O. In hyperface  910   c , we define six division faces by 3-tuple of vertices: reference vertex O, vertex A 3  and one of the other vertices C 3 a, C 3 b, C 3 c, C 3 d, C 3 e and C 3 f. And hyperface  910   c  is divided into six divided-hyperfaces by the six division faces.  
         [0127]     Hyperface  910   d  is a hexahedron which contains reference vertex O and defined by three vectors ex, ey and ew. Hyperface  910   d  has eight vertices O, A 4 , C 4 a, C 4 b, C 4 c, C 4 d, C 4 e and C 4 f. Vertex A 4  is the opposite vertex of reference vertex O. In hyperface  910   d , we define six division faces by 3-tuple of vertices: reference vertex O, vertex A 4  and one of the other vertices C 4 a, C 4 b, C 4 c, C 4 d, C 4 e and C 4 f. And hyperface  910   d  is divided into six divided-hyperfaces by the six division faces.  
         [0128]     The four-dimensional space used in this embodiment to represent the shape of an object is equipped with a four-dimensional lattice structure whose unit cube is identical to basic cube  900 . We call unit cubes of the lattice “basic spaces”, i.e., a basic space is a convex hull of sixteen points of the lattice.  
         [0129]     And the shape of an object is represented using lattice points of the space.  
         [0130]     We call the tetrahedron-shaped divided-hyperfaces of hyperfaces  910   a ,  910   b ,  910   c  and  901   d  “basic tiles”. Connecting a basic tile with another by an face which is not any division face, the approximation unit  200  generates a chain of basic tiles to imitate the shape of the object which is conveyed from the input unit  110 .  
         [0131]     The generation unit  200  generates a four-dimensional shape assigning basic blocks to basic spaces of a four-dimensional space with the lattice structure. Basic blocks are assigned in such a way that the shape of an object conveyed from the input unit  110  is imitated by the chain of basic tiles which is obtained by projecting a part or all of the resulting four-dimensional shape into a predetermined hyperface.  
         [0132]     Concretely speaking, the generation unit  200  generates a chain of divided-hyperfaces connecting by a face which is not any division face. (Note that there are two such faces for each divided-hyperface.) For example, the generation unit  210  connects basic tile  950   a  to another basic tile by face OC 1 aC 1 b or face A 1 C 1 aC 1 b.  
         [0133]     The generation unit  210  maps a divided-hyperface in a four-dimensional space onto a basic tile in a three-dimensional space when the unit  210  projects a chain of divided-faces in the four-dimensional space into the three-dimensional space. The generation unit  210  generates a four-dimensional shape assigning basic blocks which contain one of the divided-hyperfaces of the chain and store it in the administration-table-set  230 .  
         [0134]     As a result, the chain of divided-hyperfaces in a four-dimensional space generated by the generation unit is projected onto a chain of basic tiles in a three-dimensional space.  
         [0135]     Instead of the basic block  900 , the shape processing unit  120  may use a four-dimensional block with curved edges, curved faces and/or curved hyperface as a basic block. Or the shape processing unit  120  may use a basic block where some of the division faces are curved faces.  
         [0136]     And the shape processing unit  120  may project basic blocks along another vector into a plane. In that case, the image of the basic block  900  may be divided into twenty-four divided-hyperfaces which are not identical. (Therefore, basic tiles are no longer identical). But the generation unit  210  can generate a chain of basic tiles similarly.  
         [0137]     Moreover, the shape processor may use four vectors ex, ey ez and ew of different lengths.  
         [0138]      FIG. 12  shows the correspondence between a set of basic blocks and a chain of basic tiles used in the second embodiment (by comparing the second embodiment with the first embodiment).  
         [0139]     The upper figure of  FIG. 12  shows the correspondence of a set of basic blocks in a three-dimensional space to a chain of basic tiles in the case of the first embodiment.  
         [0140]     The left side of the upper figure of  FIG. 12  shows the top elevation of a three-dimensional triangular pyramid without base whose peak is formed by a basic block  1000   d . In the left side of the upper figure of  FIG. 12 , basic blocks  1000   a ,  1000   b  and  1000   c  are contained in the triangular pyramid defined by reference vertex O and three faces of basic block  1000   d . The dotted line on basic blocks  1000   a ,  100   b ,  1000   c  and  1000   d  show division lines of the corresponding basic blocks. In particular, basic tile  1005   a  is connected with basic tile  1005   b.    
         [0141]     The right side of the upper figure of  FIG. 12  shows the top elevation of a three-dimensional shape which is obtained by removing basic block  1000   d  from the triangular pyramid of the left side whose peak is formed by basic block  1000   d . Removing basic block  1000   d , we have three new peaks O 1 , O 2  and O 3 .  
         [0142]     Note that O 1 , O 2  and O 3  are reference vertices of the corresponding basic blocks and they are obtained by translating reference vertex O of the basic block  1000   d  along vectors ex, ey and ez. In particular, this relationship induces an order relation among lattice points in a triangular pyramid, that is, (the position of) a lattice point is said to be higher than (the positions of) the lattice points obtained by translation of a lattice point along ex, ey or ez. Moreover, removing basic block  1000   d , faces of basic blocks  1000   a ,  1000   b  and  1000   c  have come in sight. And accordingly the arrangement of division lines of basic tile  1005   a  has changed. As a result, basic tile  1005   a  is connected with basic tile  1005   c  in right side of the upper figure of  FIG. 12 .  
         [0143]     As explained above, in the first embodiment, the assignment of basic blocks in a three-dimensional space (i.e., the shape of a triangular pyramid which consists of the assigned basic blocks,) determines connections among basic tiles, therefore, chains of basic tiles.  
         [0144]     The lower figure of  FIG. 12  shows the correspondence of basic blocks in a four-dimensional space to a chain of basic tiles in the case of the second embodiment. (Exactly speaking, it shows the correspondence between the projection of the basic blocks into a three-dimensional space and the projection of a chain of basic tiles into a three-dimensional space.)  
         [0145]     The left side of the lower figure of  FIG. 12  is a perspective drawing of the projection of a four-dimensional version of square pyramid whose peak is the reference vertex of a basic block  1010   d  and the four (three-dimensional) slopes are defined by the predetermined four (three-dimensional) faces of basic block  1010   d . (Note that  1010   d  is a basic block in a four-dimensional space.) The dotted lines on basic block  1010   d  show some edges of its division faces. And basic tile  1020   a  is connected to basic tile  1020   c  in the left side of the lower figure of  FIG. 12 .  
         [0146]     The right side of the lower figure of  FIG. 12  is a perspective drawing of the projection of a four-dimensional shape which is obtained by removing basic block  1010   d  from the four-dimensional version of square pyramid whose peak is formed by basic block  1010   d  (i.e., the left side of this figure). Removing basic block  1010   d , we have four new peaks O 1 , O 2 , O 3  and O 4 .  
         [0147]     Note that O 1 , O 2  and O 3  are reference vertices of the corresponding basic blocks and they are obtained by translating the reference vertex O of the basic block  1010   d  along the vector ex, ey, ez and ew. In particular, this relationship induces an order relation among lattice points in a four-dimensional version of square pyramid, that is, (the position of) a lattice point is said to be higher than (the positions of) the lattice points obtained by translation of a lattice point along ex, ey ez or ew. Moreover, removing basic block  1010   d , (three-dimensional) faces of the basic blocks with reference vertices O 1 , O 2 , O 3  and O 4  have come in sight. And accordingly the arrangement of division faces of basic tile  1020   a  has changed. As a result, basic tile  1020   a  is connected with basic tile  1020   b  in right side of the upper figure of  FIG. 12 .  
         [0148]     As explained above, in the second embodiment, the assignment of basic blocks in a four-dimensional space (i.e., the shape of the four-dimensional version of a square pyramid which consists of the assigned basic blocks,) determines connections among basic tiles, therefore, chains of basic tiles.  
         [0149]      FIG. 13  shows two types of connections of basic tiles used in the second embodiment.  
         [0150]     Basic tile  1300   a  is a three-dimensional object which is a kind of tetrahedron defined by four vertices A 1 , B 1 , C 1  and D 1 . Basic tile  1300   b  is a three-dimensional object which is a kind of tetrahedron defined by four vertices A 2 , B 2 , C 2  and D 2 . Basic tiles  1300   a  and  1300   b  are comprised in a chain of basic tiles, where basic tile  1300   b  follows basic tile  1300   a  immediately. The approximation unit  200  connects basic tile  1300   b  with the current end, i.e. tile  1300   a , of the chain under construction. A basic tile is connected with another tile in one of two ways by the approximation unit  200  as shown in  FIG. 13 . In one way, three vertices C 1 , D 1  and A 1  of basic tile  1300   a  are coincide with vertices A 2 , B 2  and D 2  of the following basic tile  1300   b  respectively as is shown in the upper figure of  FIG. 13 . In the other way, three vertices C 1 , D 1  and B 1  of basic tile  1300   a  are coincide with vertices A 2 , B 2  and C 2  of the following basic tile  1300   b  respectively as is shown in the lower figure of  FIG. 13 .  
         [0151]     Connecting tiles one by one in such a way, the approximation unit  200  generates a chain of basic tiles to imitate a part or all of the shape of the given object in a three-dimensional space.  
         [0152]     A chain of basic tiles obtained in such a way explained above corresponds to a chain of divided-hyperface defined by a four-dimensional shape generated by the generation unit  210 . For example, basic tile  1300   a  (resp.  1300   b ) in the upper figure of  FIG. 13  corresponds to basic tile  1020   a  (resp.  1020   c ) in  FIG. 12  which is a projection of a divided-hyperface. And basic tile  1300   a  (resp.  1300   b ) in the lower figure of  FIG. 13  corresponds to basic tile  1020   a  (resp.  1020   b ) in  FIG. 12 .  
         [0153]     Using the two types of connections shown in  FIG. 13 , the approximation unit  200  generates a chain of basic tiles to imitate the shape of the given object.  
         [0154]     And the generation unit  210  generates a chain of divided-hyperfaces which corresponds to the chain of basic tiles conveyed from the approximation unit  200 . Then the generation unit  210  stores a four-dimensional shape which corresponds to the chain of divided-hyperfaces. The stored shape is administered by the administration unit  220 .  
         [0155]     Moreover, the generation unit  200  may encode a chain of basic tiles by assigning a value 0 or 1 to each basic tile, where an assigned value denotes the way the corresponding basic tile is connected with the following basic tile. (As explained above, there are two ways of connection.)  
         [0156]      FIG. 14  shows an example  1250  of a chain of basic tiles used in the second embodiment. Chain  1250  consists of four basic tiles  1200   a ,  1200   b ,  1200   c  and  1200   d.    
         [0157]     Basic tile  1200   a  is the initial tile of chain  1250 . Recall that basic tile  1200   a  is a projection of a divided-hyperface of a basic block with reference vertex O 1  into a three-dimensional space. That is, basic block  1200   a  is a tetrahedron defined by projected images of four vertices O 1 , O 1 +ex, O 1 +ez+ew and O 1 +ez+ew+ex, where ex, ez and ew are the unit vectors used to define a basic block in a four-dimensional space.  
         [0158]     Suppose that a, b, c and d are integers. In the second embodiment, we denote a point in a four-dimensional space defined as the end point of vector a*ex+b*ey+c*ez+dew and denotes it by 4-tuple (a, b, c, d). And let the coordinate of O 1  be (0, 1, 0, 0).  
         [0159]     Recall that, as is shown in the lower figure of  FIG. 12 , a lattice point is higher than lattice points which are obtained by translation of the lattice point along ex, ey, ez or ew. Now we introduce a notion of “height” of lattice points. A height is defined in such a way that the difference of height of points P and P+ex (or P+ey or P+ez or P+ew) is 1. For example, we can define a height of point (a, b, c, d) by a+b+c+d. In the followings we use this height function. Further, we consider height of the projected image of (a, b, c, d) into a three-dimensional space and also call value a+b+c+d the “height” of the image of (a, b, c, d) in a three-dimensional space.  
         [0160]     As explained above, basic tile  1200   a  is a projection of a divided-hyperface of a basic block with reference vertex O 1  into a three-dimensional space, where the divided-hyperface is specified by three vectors ez, ew and ex. And the height of four vertices O 1 , O 1 +ex, O 1 +ez+ew and O 1 +ez+ew+ex are −1, −2, −3 and −4 respectively.  
         [0161]     Basic tile  1200   b  is connected with basic tile  1200   a . Basic tile  1200   b  is a projection of a divided-hyperface of a basic block with reference vertex O 2  into a three-dimensional space, where the divided-hyperface is specified by three vectors ey, ew and ex. That is, basic block  1200   b  is a tetrahedron defined by the projection of four vertices O 2 , O 2 +ey, O 2 +ey+ew and O 2 +ey+ew+ex. And the height of four vertices O 2 , O 2 +ey, O 2 +ey+ew and O 2 +ey+ew+ex are −1, −2, −3 and −4 respectively.  
         [0162]     Basic tile  1200   c  is connected with basic tile  1200   b . Basic tile  1200   c  is a projection of a divided-hyperface of a basic block with reference vertex O 2  into a three-dimensional space, where the divided-hyperface is specified by three vectors ey, ew and ez. That is, basic block  1200   c  is a tetrahedron defined by the projection of four vertices O 2 , O 2 +ey, O 2 +ey+ew and O 2 +ey+ew+ez. And the height of four vertices O 2 , O 2 +ey, O 2 +ey+ew and O 2 +ey+ew+ez are −1, −2, −3 and −4 respectively.  
         [0163]     Basic tile  1200   d  is connected with basic tile  1200   c . Basic tile  1200   d  is a projection of a divided-hyperface of a basic block with reference vertex O 3  into a three-dimensional space, where the divided-hyperface is specified by three vectors ex, ew and ez. That is, basic block  1200   d  is a tetrahedron defined by the projection of four vertices O 3 , O 3 +ex, O 3 +ex+ew and O 3 +ex+ew+ez. And the height of four vertices O 3 , O 3 +ex, O 3 +ex+ew and O 3 +ex+ew+ez are −1, −2, −3 and −4 respectively.  
         [0164]     In the second embodiment, the generation unit  210  assigns symbols to chain  1250  of basic tiles using the height function. In details, the unit generation  210  assigns symbol “U” to a basic tile if the height of the vertex of the basic tile which is not contained in the succeeding basic tile is smaller than heights of three vertices which are shared between the basic tile and the succeeding basic tile. If not, the generation unit  210  assigns symbol “D” to the basic tile. For example, the height of point O 1 , whose projection is a vertex of basic tile  1200   a , is larger than the heights of points that corresponds to the contact face between basic tiles  1200   a  and  1200   b . Thai is, −1 −2, −3, −4. Thus the generation unit  210  assigns symbol “D” to basic tile  1200   a . In the case of basic tile  1200   b , the height of the vertex of basic tile  1200   b  which is not contained in the succeeding basic tile  1200   c  is −4. On the other hand, point O 2  is the highest among three points which correspond to the contact face between basic tiles  1200   b  and  1200   c  and the height of O 2  is −1. Since −4&lt;−1, the generation unit  210  assigns symbol “U” to basic tile  1200   b . Continuing the process, the generation unit  210  assigns code “DUDU” to chain  1250  of basic tiles.  
         [0165]      FIG. 15  shows an example of a set of vertices in the vertex-table of the administration-table-set  230  used in the second embodiment. An entry of the vertex-table of the administration-table-set  230  consists of an ID-of-shape field and a coordinates-of-vertex filed.  
         [0166]     An ID-of-shape field contains an identifier of the corresponding shape stored in the administration-table-set  230 . In  FIG. 15  the identifier of chain  1250  of basic tiles is  003 .  
         [0167]     A coordinates-of-vertex field contains the cartesian coordinates in four dimensions of a peak of the corresponding four-dimensional shape.  
         [0168]     The administration unit  220  administers four-dimensional shapes which correspond to the shape of a three-dimensional object using data of peaks of the four-dimensional shapes in the vertex-table.  
         [0169]      FIG. 16  shows an example of a set of vertices in the shape-table of the administration-table-set  230  used in the second embodiment.  
         [0170]     An entry of the shape-table of the administration-table-set  230  consists of an ID-of-shape field, an initial-tile field, a terminal-tile field and a code field.  
         [0171]     An ID-of-shape field contains an identifier of the corresponding shape stored in the administration-table-set  230 . In  FIG. 16 , the identifier of chain  1250  of basic tiles is  003 .  
         [0172]     An initial-tile field contains the data of the initial divided-hyperface of the corresponding chain of divided-hyperfaces. In the  FIG. 16 , the initial divided-hyperface of chain  1250  is specified by reference vertex O 1 =(0, 1, 0, 0). Vertices of the initial divided-hyperface are O 1 , O 1 +ez, O 1 +ez+ew and O 1 +ez+ew+ex. (Recall that ex, ey and ez are the vectors used to define basic blocks.) And the initial basic tile  1200   a  is the projected image of the initial divided-hyperface.  
         [0173]     A terminal-tile field contains the data of the terminal divided-hyperface of the corresponding chain of divided-hyperfaces. In  FIG. 16 , the terminal divided-face of chain  1250  is specified by reference vertex O 3 =(−1, 1, 1, 0). Vertices of the terminal divided-hyperface are O 3 , O 3 +ex, O 3 +ex+ew and O 3 +ex+ew+ez. And the terminal basic tile  1200   d  is the projection of the terminal divided-hyperface.  
         [0174]     A code field contains the code of the corresponding chain of divided-hyperfaces.  
         [0175]     The administration unit  220  administers the chain of divided-hyperfaces which corresponds to the shape of a three-dimensional object using data of the initial tile, the terminal tile and the code (of the chain of divided-hyperfaces) in the shape-table.  
         [0176]      FIG. 17  shows the procedure performed by the shape processing unit  120  for the second embodiment of the present invention. As explained bellow, the flow chart in  FIG. 17  illustrates the procedure to transform the shape of an object into the data format of the administration-table-set  230  and generate the code of the shape of the given object.  
         [0177]     First, the approximation unit  200  receives the shape of an object in a three-dimensional space from the input unit  110  (S 1600 ). And the approximation unit  200  generates a chain of basic tiles to imitate the shape of the given object (S 1610 ).  
         [0178]     Next, the generation unit  210  chooses one of six divided-hyperfaces of a basic tile of the chain as the initial reference divided-hyperface and one of two faces of the reference divided-hyperface which are not the division face (that is, which are also faces of the corresponding basic block,) as the reference face (S 1620 ). And the generation unit  210  assigns a symbol of code, which reflects the shape of the given object, to the initial reference divided-hyperface as the initial symbol of the code of the object (S 1625 ). In this embodiment, where the height of lattice point (a, b, c, d) is defined by a+b+c+d, the generation unit  210  assigns symbol “0” (or “D”) to the reference divided-hyperface when the reference face corresponds the lower side of the reference divided-hyperface and “1” (or “U”) when the reference face corresponds the upper side of the reference divided-hyperface.  
         [0179]     Next, the generation unit  210  chooses one of two divided-hyperfaces which share the reference face with the reference divided-hyperface and whose image by the projection into the predetermined hyperface in a four-dimensional space do not overlap with the image of the reference divided-hyperface by the same projection (S 1630 ). The generation unit  210  chooses the divided-hyperface in such a way that the projection of the chosen divided-hyperface imitates a part or all of the shape of the given object. In this embodiment, the image of a divided-hyperface by the projection overlaps with the image of another divided-hyperface when both of the divided-hyperface correspond to the same basic tile in the predetermined hyperface in a four-dimensional space.  
         [0180]     Next, the generation unit  210  chooses the divided-hyperface chosen in the step of S 1630  as the new reference divided-hyperface (S 1640 ). And the generation unit  210  appends a symbol “0” (or “D”) or “1” (or “U”) to the right end of the code as the symbol which corresponds to the new reference divided-hyperface (S 1645 ).  
         [0181]     Next, the generation unit  210  chooses the face of the new reference divided-face that is not the division face and not chosen in the step of S 1630  as the new reference edge (S 1650 ).  
         [0182]     The generation unit  210  executes the steps of S 1630 , S 1640 , S 1645  and S 1650  repeatedly until the shape of the given object is fully imitated by the obtained chain of divided-hyperfaces (S 1660 ).  
         [0183]     Finally, the generation unit  210  transforms the obtained chain of divided-hyperfaces into a four-dimensional shape and stores all peaks of the four-dimensional shape in the vertex-table of the administration-table-set  230  (S 1670 ). The generation unit  210  also stores the initial and terminal divided-hyperface of the chain and the code obtained by the above procedure in the shape-table of the administration-table-set  230  (S 1680 ).  
         [0184]     As explained above, the generation unit generates a chain of divided-hyperfaces by repeated executions of steps S 1630 , S 1640 , S 1645  and S 1650 . And the shape of the given object is imitated by the three-dimensional shape obtained by projecting the chain of divided-hyperfaces into the predetermined hyperface in a four-dimensional space.  
         [0185]     The generation unit  210  also generates the corresponding four-dimensional shape by assigning basic blocks which include one of the divided-hyperfaces of the chain to basic spaces.  
         [0186]     Recall that, for each point of the four-dimensional lattice, there exists a (four-dimensional) basic block whose reference vertex is given by the point and it defines a four-dimensional version of square pyramid whose peak (top vertex) is the reference vertex and the four (three-dimensional) slopes are defined by the predetermined four (three-dimensional) faces of the basic block ( 1010   d  in  FIG. 12 ). (In particular, the height of the pyramid is infinite.)  
         [0187]     The generation unit  210  generates a four-dimensional shape by assigning all basic blocks which are covered by a set of four-dimensional square pyramids. Thus the four-dimensional shape generated in the above procedure is specified by peaks of all four-dimensional square pyramids.  
         [0188]     And the administration unit  220  stores peaks of all four-dimensional square pyramids in the administration-table-set  230  and uses the peaks to administer the four-dimensional shape.  
         [0189]     Moreover the generation unit  210  may encode the shape of the given object by assigning either value 0 or 1 to each divided-hyperfaces of the chain in the step of S 1645 . The choice of a value reflects the choice of the corresponding divided-hyperface in the step.  
         [0190]      FIG. 18  is an outline of the structure of an amino-acid and a protein (i.e. polypeptide).  
         [0191]     The upper figure of  FIG. 18  shows an outline of the structure of an amino-acid. An amino-acid has a tetrahedral (sp3) carbon atom (Cα) to which four asymmetric groups are connected: an amino group (NH2), a carboxyl group (COOH), a hydrogen atom (H) and another chemical group (denoted by R). The chemical group R varies from one amino-acid to another.  
         [0192]     The lower figure of  FIG. 18  shows an outline of the structure of a protein (polypeptide).  
         [0193]     Protein is a polymer of amino-acids linked by peptide bonds. The peptide bond is formed between the amino group of the (n+1)-th amino-acid and the carboxyl group of the n-th amino-acids.  
         [0194]     The shape processing unit  120  for the second embodiment of the present invention receives a polymer such as protein as an object in a three-dimensional space and generates a chain of tiles to imitate the shape of the polymer. For example, the approximation unit  200  assigns a basic tile to each monomer (A monomer is a repeating subunit of a polymer. In this case, monomers correspond to Ns and Cs of amino-acids.). And the approximation unit  200  imitate the shape of the polymer in such a way that the position of a monomer (or N or C) corresponds to the center of the corresponding tile.  
         [0195]     When the polymer received is a protein, the approximation unit  200  assigns consecutive three basic tiles to one amino-acid of the protein. That is, the first basic tile for N of the amino group (NH2), the second tile for Ca and the third basic tile for C of the carboxyl group (COOH).  
         [0196]      FIG. 19  shows a code of a hormone (insulin, human) encoded by the shape processing unit  120  which embodies the second embodiment. The left column of the table shows the chain of amino-acids of the hormone and the right column shows the code of the chain of basic tiles which corresponds to the hormone.  
         [0197]     As you see in  FIG. 19 , the hormone (insulin, human) consists of twenty-one amino-acids. In the table each amino-acids is denoted by abbreviations. For example, glycine is abbreviated to “GLY”, isoleucine to “ILE”, valine to “VAL”, glutamic acid to “GLU”, glutamine to “GLN”, cysteine to “CYS”, threonine to “THR”, serine to “SER”, leucine to “LEU”, tyrosice to “TYR” and asparagine to “ASN”.  
         [0198]     Each bond between consecutive two amino-acids of the left column is imitated by a chain of three basic tiles whose code is given in the right column. For example, as shown in the first and second low of the table, the bond between GLY and ILE is imitated by a chain of three tiles whose code is “DUD”. The chain has the same structure as chain  1250  of basic tiles in  FIG. 13 .  
         [0199]      FIG. 20  shows a three-dimensional shape which imitates the shape of a hormone (insulin, human) and is generated by the shape processing unit  120  which embodies the second embodiment. The numbers on the basic tiles in  FIG. 20  shows the entry number of the corresponding amino-acids in the table of  FIG. 19  (numbers on the left). The shape processing unit  120  imitates the hormone given in  FIG. 19  by a chain of basic tiles given in  FIG. 20  and store the data of the chain.  
         [0200]     As explained above, the generation unit  210  generates a chain of basic tiles to imitates a part or all of the structure of a protein. The shape of the basic tile is a kind of tetrahedron, that is, a three-dimensional shape with four vertices. Starting from the initial tile, the chain of basic tiles is generated by connecting a basic tile with the following tile by an face one by one.  
         [0201]      FIG. 21  is an outline of the structure of a DNA molecule.  
         [0202]     A DNA molecule consists of two sugar-phosphate backbones  2000   a  and  2000   b  and a lot of base pairs of  2010   a  and  2010   b.    
         [0203]     Two sugar-phosphate backbones  2000   a  and  2000   b  are a schematic drawing of the double helix of DNA. And each nucleotide base  2010   a  (resp.  2010   b ) are connected to sugar-phosphate backbone  2000   a  (resp.  200   b ). And each pair of  2010   a  and  2010   b  forms a base pair (by hydrogen bonding).  
         [0204]      FIG. 22  shows a three-dimensional shape which imitates the shape of a DNA molecule and is generated by the shape processing unit  120  which embodies the second embodiment.  
         [0205]     The structure of the three-dimensional shape is a double helix composed of two chains  2200   a  and  2200   b  of basic tiles. Chain  2200   a  imitates sugar-phosphate backbones  2000   a , where one basic tile a corresponds to one nucleotide base  2010   a . And chain  2200   b  imitates sugar-phosphate backbones  2000   b , where one basic tile β corresponds to one nucleotide base  2010   b . The shape processing unit  120  imitates the DNA molecule in  FIG. 21  by a chain of basic tiles in  FIG. 22  and store the chain.  
         [0206]     As explained above, the generation unit  210  generates a chain of basic tiles to imitate a part or all of the structure of a DNA molecule. The shape of the basic tile is a kind of tetrahedron, that is, a three-dimensional shape with four vertices. Starting from the initial tile, the chain of basic tiles is generated by connecting a basic tile with the following tile by a face one by one.  
         [0207]     As shown in  FIG. 20  and  FIG. 22 , the shape processing unit  120  can imitates a polymer using a chain of basic tiles, where a monomer or a set of monomer corresponds to a basic tile or a set of basic tiles. And the shape processing unit  120  stores the obtained chain of basic tiles.  
         [0208]     As explained above, the generation unit  210  generates a three-dimensional shape from a chain of basic tiles assigning basic blocks  300  to the corresponding basic space. The assignment is done in such a way that the chain of basic tiles corresponds to a part or all of the projection of divided-faces of the assigned basic blocks. (Recall that each basic block  300  has six divided-faces that are obtained by dividing three faces of the basic block by division lines  320   a ,  320   b  and  320   c .)  
         [0209]     And the generation unit  210  generates a three-dimensional shape from a chain of basic tiles in such a way that each pair of consecutive basic tiles of the chain corresponds to two divided-faces of one basic block or two consecutive basic blocks. The generated three-dimensional shape imitates the shape of the given object.  
         [0210]     As is shown above, the shape processing unit  120  according to the second embodiment transforms the shape of an object into a chain of basic tiles. And the shape processing unit  120  stores a set of peaks of a four-dimensional shape which corresponds to the chain of basic tiles as data of the shape.  
         [0211]     In this way, the shape processing unit  120  can store various kind of shapes which are imitated by a number of basic tiles. (Actually, it stores the corresponding lattice points in a four-dimensional space.) Therefore, by using the shape processing unit  120  according to the second embodiment, one can save memory of a computer when he/she stores shapes of objects. Moreover one can rotate or/and translate the shape of an object with less amount of calculation.  
         [0212]     Furthermore, the shape processing unit  120  can encode the shape of an object assigning a symbol (either “0” or “1”) to each divided-hyperface of the chain which corresponds to the chain of basic tiles obtained from the shape of the given object. In this way the shape processing unit  120  can encode any shape which is imitated by a number of basic tiles using only 1 bit for each basic tile. Thus, using the shape processing unit  120 , one needs less memory when he/she store the shape of an object.  
         [0213]     Giving a polymer to the shape processing unit  120  as an input, one obtains a chain of basic tiles which imitates the three-dimensional structure of the polymer.  
         [0214]     Lastly, the shape processing unit  120  can perform various kind of three-dimensional transformations such as rotation, translation, enlargement, reduction, composition or decomposition over some objects using the four-dimensional data in the administration-table-set  230 .  
         [heading-0215]     &lt;The Third Embodiment of the Present Invention&gt; 
         [0216]      FIG. 23  shows hardware components of the shape processing unit  120  according to the first embodiment. CPU  1510 , ROM  1520 , RAM  1530 , network interface module  1540  and disk storage drive  1550  comprise a computer system  1500 . And computer system  1500  executes software programs to perform the shape processing due to the shape processing unit  120 . The computer system  1500  may also equipped with floppy disk drive  1560  and/or CD-ROM drive  1570 .  
         [0217]     The program which implements the shape processing unit  120  consists of an approximation module, a generation module, an administration module, a processing module, a reproduction module and an output module. These modules execute the functions of the approximation unit  200 , the generation unit  210 , the administration  220 , the processing unit  240 , the reproduction unit  250  and the output unit  260  of the first or second embodiments respectively. The administration-table-set  230  is stored in a disk storage by disk storage drive  1550 .  
         [0218]     The program or modules explained above may be stored in an external storage device. For example, one can uses optical storage devices such as DVD and PD, opt-magnetic storage devices such as MD, tape cassettes or even IC cards for the purpose.  
         [0219]     Moreover, one can use remote storage devices via network such as Internet and downloads the program to computer system  1500 .  
         [0220]     Although the present invention has been described by way of exemplary embodiment, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiment. Various modifications in the foregoing embodiment may be made when the present invention defined in the appended claims is enforced. It is obvious from the definition of the appended claims that embodiments with such modifications also belong to the scope of the present invention.  
       INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY  
       [0221]     It is apparent from the foregoing description that the invention provides us a shape processor and a method for representing shape that is capable of processing shapes of objects which include polymers such as proteins with less amount of calculation and also capable of storing shapes with less amount of memory.  
         [0222]     (A polymer is a large molecule made of repeating subunits linked by covalent bonds, such as polypeptide chains.)