Patent ID: 7755627

Claim:
A computer implemented method performed by a computer system including a processor and a memory programmed to perform the method comprising: determining by the computer system a plurality of illumination modes associated with a plurality of scene descriptors with the processor, wherein the plurality of scene descriptors includes a first scene descriptor and a second scene descriptor in the memory; determining by the computer system a first plurality of weights with the processor, wherein each weight from the first plurality of weights is associated with an illumination mode from the plurality of illumination modes; determining by the computer system illumination data associated with the first scene descriptor with the processor in response to the first plurality of weights and in response to the plurality of illumination modes; determining by the computer system a second plurality of weights with the processor, wherein each weight from the second plurality of weights is associated with an illumination mode from the plurality of illumination modes; determining by the computer system illumination data associated with the second scene descriptor with the processor in response to the second plurality of weights and in response to the plurality of illumination modes; forming by the computer system a first rendered image with the processor in response to non-direct illumination contributions associated with the first scene descriptor; and forming by the computer system a second rendered image with the processor in response to non-direct illumination contributions associated with the second scene descriptor.