Patent ID: RE41414

Claim:
A virtual image generation apparatus which generates images observed from a viewpoint to be displayed on a monitor, the images including an operator-controlled object moving relative to virtual terrain objects, the operator-controlled object and the terrain objects being defined within a three-dimensional virtual space, the virtual generation apparatus comprising: shape data memory which stores shape data defining shapes of the terrain objects present in the virtual space; position specification means which specifies position of the operator-controlled object with respect to the terrain objects; overlap determination means which determines, on the basis of the shape data and the position data, whether or not a terrain object is located between the viewpoint and the operator-controlled object; and image generation means which generates image data for displaying on a monitor screen the operator-controlled object and the terrain objects viewed from the viewpoint, wherein a terrain object is processed so as to be displayed as a show-through image generated by alternately displaying pixels indicative of the terrain object and pixels indicative of the operator-controlled object in a prescribed pattern through which the operator-controlled object can be viewed in the event that the overlap determination means determines that the operator-controlled object is located behind the terrain object when viewed from the viewpoint, and wherein the terrain object is processed so as to be displayed as a non-show-through image in the event that both the operator-controlled object and the terrain object are viewed without a prescribed overlapping state from the viewpoint.