Patent Document ID: 5381518
Application ID: 07993830
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of generating a two dimensional representation of a three dimensional data set along a selected orientation of view comprising the steps of: generating a first image volume representing said three dimensional data set; storing said first image volume in a first image memory comprising a plurality of volume elements (voxels); generating a new background plane of voxels of said image volume by combining in a host computer a background plane of voxels of said image volume with a foreground plane of voxels of said image volume along a selected orientation of view, said new background plane of voxels having color and opacity values determined as a function of the color and opacity of the background plane of voxels and the foreground plane of voxels, wherein said function is given by: EQU BG'=FG+(1-(FG)(A))(BG) where; BG'=the color and opacity components of the corresponding voxel in said new background plane; FG=the color and opacity components of a selected voxel; A=the opacity of said selected voxel; BG=the color and opacity components of previously combined voxels; successively repeating in said host computer the prior step for each new background plane of voxels and successive foreground plane of voxels through an nth foreground plane of voxels where n represents the total number of said foreground planes of voxels.