Patent Document ID: 6130669
Application ID: 09029132
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. An image-processing method for simulating a relief structure in representing objects that particularly comprise at least one polygon surface, in which a first assembly of a calculation unit uses a first parameter set representing the position of the polygon surface to calculate a plurality of coordinate sets (x, y, z, u, v), which represent the position of a respective pixel of the polygon surface, and, for each coordinate set (x, y, z, u, v), a second assembly uses the first parameter set to calculate a second parameter set (n.sub.x, n.sub.y, n.sub.z), which represents the position of the surface normal of the polygon surface, without taking into consideration the relief structure, a third assembly uses the second parameter set (n.sub.x, n.sub.y, n.sub.z) and an inclination value (du, dv) to calculate a third parameter set (n'.sub.x, n'.sub.y, n'.sub.z), which represents the position of the local surface normal of the polygon surface, taking into consideration the relief structure, a fourth assembly determines a value (h) that represents the brightness or the color of a pixel, and creates the impression of a relief structure, as a function of the third parameter set (n'.sub.x, n'.sub.y, n'.sub.z), characterized in that a storage location of a first storage matrix is addressed by each coordinate set (x, y, z, u, v), each storage location of the first storage matrix contains a parameter set that represents the inclination of the local surface normal, taking into consideration the relief structure, relative to the surface normal of the polygon surface, without taking into consideration the relief structure, and the inclination value (du, dv) is read out of the first storage matrix.